ELEVEN

I was sitting in front of the coffee table between Cameron and Miranda. There was crayons all over the table among a stack of papers they had already colored on. "What are you working on Miranda?" I asked, turning to look at her.

She covered it with her arm and hid it from me. "I'm not done yet."

I smiled and shook my head. "Alright, I'll wait til it's done. Cam, what are you working on?" I asked, looking at his drawing.

He smiled brightly at me and lifted the piece of paper. It was nothing more than squiggles and swirls of multiple crayons. "Rainbow."

"Good job," I praised and looked up to see Alaric and Jenna standing in the entry way. I got to my feet and looked them up and down. "Wow, don't you two look suave."

Jenna smiled like crazy. "I've been wanting to wear this dress for a really long time."

"Where are you guys going?"

"There's the Italian restaurant downtown that takes months to get a table. We've had a reservation there for a very long time," Alaric answered.

There was something about the way he said that that didn't quite add up, but I let it slide. "I don't even remember making the reservation it's been that long," Jenna said.

"Well, you guys have a great time."

"Let me say goodbye to the kids," Jenna said and went around me.

"Hey," I said to Alaric in a soft voice. "If you want, there's a hotel room at the Hilton waiting for you."

His jaw dropped a little at that. "Uh-"

"It's the one that Lucian booked for me, but it's yours if you want it tonight. You guys look like you need a full night out."

"Lucian?"

"Long story," I said and shrugged. "Just a thought."

He nodded and looked past my shoulder at Jenna for a brief second. "You know what, I'll probably take you up on that offer."

"Just text me either way," I said as Jenna put her hand on my shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't mind babysitting?" she asked.

"For the hundredth time, I'll be fine Jenna. You two go have a great night and I'll see you later," I said, practically herding them to the garage door. "Bye," I said once they were out the door before I closed it and returned to the living room.

Both kids were still coloring. Instead of joining them again, I leaned against the wall and watched them as I had done earlier when they were playing. It wasn't until I heard their stomachs growl that I realized what time it actually was. "Hey, are you guys hungry?"

Miranda looked up at me. "Do you cook like Mommy?" she asked.

I laughed at that and shook my head. "Oh no. I'm a way better cook than Mommy."

She smiled and so did Cameron. "What will you make?"

"I don't know, let me take a look at what you have. Any suggestions?"

"No," they both chimed in.

"Okay, I'll be right back," I said and began raiding the kitchen for something to make. When I found a box of spaghetti and a jar of sauce, I snickered at the irony. I went back to the living room to ask if pasta was okay. "How would you guys like spaghetti?"

"Yum," Cameron said, turning around so he could smile up at me.

"Spaghetti it is," I said and headed back to the kitchen. While I was making dinner, I thought of how lucky Jenna and Alaric were. Not once did the kids fight, run around uncontrollably, or destroy the house. They behaved like perfect little angels. It was very unnerving.

After dinner, I cleaned up and then sat between the kids on the couch to watch a movie. I had Cameron sitting on my lap while Miranda curled around me. It wasn't long before Cameron fell asleep. "Hey, I'm going to put your brother to bed," I whispered to Miranda.

"Okay," she returned and moved to lie her head on the arm of the couch.

Using my ability to move without sound, I went upstairs and walked into the nursery. Carefully, I changed his clothes and then tucked him into bed, making sure to put the guard rails up as Jenna had instructed. Once I made sure that he was going to stay asleep, I took the baby monitor from the dresser and headed back downstairs. Miranda was stretched out on the couch with the remote in her hand.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to bed too?"

"No," she said only to yawn right after. She sat up and looked at me. "I want to stay up with you."

"I promise I'll be here in the morning," I said, trying not to tear up. Her words were way too sweet.

"You will?"

I nodded. "I'm gonna be in town for a few days."

"Will I see you again?"

I moved to sit on the couch and drew her into my lap. "Remember that villa I told you about in Italy? Well, you guys are all coming out to visit over Christmas."

"Really? Why?"

Man, children really did ask a lot of questions. "Because I'm getting married." Her eyes went wide at that at she stared up at me. "You know what, how would you like to be my flower girl?"

"You mean it?"

I nodded and put my arms around her. "Of course I mean it. I would be honored to have you be my flower girl."

"I can't wait to tell Mommy!"

I nodded and reached over for the remote. I shut the TV off and stood up with her in my arms. "Alright, you can tell her in the morning. Right now, we are going to bed, okay?"

"Okay," she said with another yawn. "Oh wait!" she cried as we got to the stairs. "I want to show you my picture."

I set her down so she could go get it. When she returned, I sat on the foot of the stairs and took the piece of paper. It was surprisingly good for a five year old. There were eight people and everyone was labeled. There was Miranda, Cameron, Anna, Jeremy, Alaric, Jenna, Damon, and me. "This is great, Miranda."

"You like it?"

"Very much. This is definitely coming home with me." I stared at it again, my eyes glued to her portrayal of Damon. "H-how did you know what Damon looks like?"

"Daddy told me," she said with a grin.

I smiled and picked her up again. "Well you did an excellent job."

"Thank you," she said, her voice having turned into a dreamy one. I helped her change into pajamas, watched as she brushed her teeth, and then tucked her into bed. "Will you sleep with me?"

I stroked her hair and shrugged. "Just until you fall asleep," I said and crawled into bed with her.

She put her head in the crook of my arm and snuggled into me. I closed my eyes and forced myself to relax. It was very strange to be holding a child. I had only known her for less than a day and she already accepted me into her life. I had come to terms with the fact that I couldn't have a family of my own, but until this moment, I hadn't been aware of what I was giving up. For the second time that day, I found myself imaging what the offspring of Damon and I would look like.

I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep until I woke up at the sound of the front door closing. Carefully, I slipped off the bed and made my way downstairs, making sure that Miranda was still asleep. I walked into the kitchen and leaned against the island, looking at the fridge that was wide open. "I thought you guys were going to stay at the hotel?"

My entire body froze as the fridge door shut to reveal Damon. "Sorry, change of plans."

"W-what are you... H-how did you..." For the life of me, I couldn't form a complete sentence. "I thought-"

Damon crossed the room and swept me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him close. "I thought I would surprise you," he said and pulled back enough to kiss me soundly. "Surprise," he added when he broke the kiss.

"How did you get in?" I asked.

"I arrived yesterday and Alaric let me in. I told him what I was going to do."

"So you're the one that got them reservations at the restaurant," I stated. He nodded and pulled back so I could see him smirk. My smile faded and I pulled away to hit him. "Would it kill you to answer your phone? Do you have any idea how-"

He cut me off by pulling me to him and kissing me roughly. He kept up his antics until I melted into his embrace. "I know, it was a horrible thing to do, but I couldn't resist."

I shoved him playfully before wrapping my arms around his waist. "I'm so glad you're finally here."

"It was hell without you."

"Mhmm," I returned, rubbing my cheek against his chest. I groaned at the feel of his very prominent arousal. "Too bad Jenna and Alaric aren't coming home tonight."

"Why is that a bad thing?" he asked, whispering in my ear before moving his lips to place kisses along my jaw.

"Because there are children upstairs. Why do you think the parents are staying at a hotel?" I asked. Instead of replying, Damon nipped at my jaw and lifted me onto the island. "Damon... I'm serious."

"So am I. It's been weeks since I saw you last."

I groaned again as his hands slid up my sides and palmed my breasts. "You can't wait one more night?"

"No."

My laugh was cut short as his hands traveled back down and began lifting my shirt off. "Damon, people can see us through the windows."

"So? You've never complained before."

I nudged him and grabbed hold of his shoulders. I pushed him back, cocking my head to the side as he growled in frustration at the display of my strength. "Well, if you can't wait, can we at least move this upstairs?"

He lifted my hands up and kissed me deeply. When he pulled away, he pressed his forehead against mine and shook his head. "As I recall, we're always at our best on the kitchen counter."

I couldn't help but grin. It was true, no matter how many surfaces there were in the place we were staying, nine times out of ten, we ended up in the kitchen. While I was thinking this over, Damon was using the momentary distraction to undo the fly of my jeans. When his fingers grazed my stomach, I pulled my lips from him. "Damon, I-" I stopped to groan as his lips trailed their way down from my throat to my chest, his tongue dipping behind the material of my bra to like my nipple. I moaned as he cupped my other breast, my head tipping back. "Alright, alright. You win."

Barely a second after the words left my mouth, Damon reclaimed my lips and wedged himself tightly between my thighs. "I always do."

Just as he started unhooking my bra, I heard a cry over the baby monitor. Without being told, Damon stepped back and handed me my shirt. I pulled it on as I whisked my way upstairs to Cameron's room. I stopped after opening the door and took a deep breath. He was just dreaming. "God that scared me," I whispered.

Damon pulled me to him, his body wrapped around mine as his chin rested on top of my head. "You can ease his nightmare if you want. I can show you how."

I shook my head. "Jenna gives them vervain every day."

We just watched him sleep for a little while before Damon pulled me into the hallway. Once the door was shut, Damon pinned me between him and the wall. "Now...where did we leave off," he whispered, pressing his lips against my cheek.

I pushed him off of me and tsked him. "No, no. I have to get the baby monitor."

Damon chuckled and pinned me again. "That thing wasn't even on. Did you forget that you have superhuman hearing?"

I opened my mouth to say no, but the truth was, I had. Damon took my momentary silence as an invitation. He reached down and lifted me up so that I could wrap my legs around his waist. With that he carried me down the hall. I wasn't even sure which room was the guest room, let alone how Damon knew. As he deepened the kiss, the urge to ask him dissolved. He set me down on the bed, but I kept my legs firmly locked around his waist. Slowly, he pried himself away from me and sat back.

It wasn't long before every article of clothing had been strewn haphazardly around the room. He resumed his position above me before he started kissing his way down my body. I shuddered as his tongue found my core. He gently pushed it into my opening and slowly licked his way up my slit. I moaned as my hand went to rest on his head, my fingers threading through his hair. He sucked my clit into his mouth as his fingers entered me. My free hand gripped the sheets as my head rolled from side to side. As Damon alternated between fast and slow, I could feel my head beginning to bind. My eyes squeezed shut as my body arched up off the bed.

"Oh God, Damon!" I moaned, trying my best not to be too loud.

He continued his ministrations until I was completely through. He kissed his way back up my body and kissed me deeply. I bent my knees and cradled his body to mine. He reached down between us and guided himself into me. We both sighed with relief. We had been apart for far too long. He moved his lips to my jaw then to my ear. "I'm never going to leave your side again."

"You better not," I replied.

My hands roamed up and down his back, leaving scratch marks and drawing blood. The scent filled my nostrils and my fangs instantly dropped. I groaned as I felt Damon's fangs scraping my neck. "You feel so good," he breathed.

His thrusts weren't as fast as they normally were, but each time he did, he went in deep. He let my body adjust before pulling out almost all the way and driving back in again. "Harder," I whispered, unable to take the teasing slowness anymore.

Fortunately, he heeded my request and picked up his pace. My nails dug into his shoulder blades as he thrust hard and deep. My eyes squeezed shut again as I felt the beginnings of my second orgasm. From the way he was gently nipping at my skin, I knew he was ready to come too. "I love you," he murmured against my skin.

"I love you too," I breathed as his fangs sunk into my flesh, making me come hard and fast. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to be quiet, I leaned forward and sank my fangs into his shoulder. That pushed him over the edge and I could feel my insides being warmed up from his release.

Damon collapsed on top of me, placing featherlight kisses all over my throat, slowly lapping up the excess blood. "God I missed you. Nothing compares to the real thing."

I nodded at that, my fingers playing with his hair. "I couldn't agree more."

Damon chuckled, his laughter vibrating through me. Slowly, he pulled out and moved to lie by my side. I turned to lie on my side and placed my head on his chest. Neither one of us said anything for the rest of the night. We just laid there in companionable silence, enjoying the sensation of being back in each other's arms.