Chapter 11 – Beauty I've Always Missed

It was early afternoon and the house was quiet. Carolyn and David were at school, Roger was at the factory and both Julia and Willie were sleeping off hangovers.
Barnabas had just arisen after sleeping unusually late. He didn't know where Elizabeth was but he knew he could easily find her. Vampire senses were much keener than human ones and he would know her scent a mile away.
He walked down the hallways, taking time to soak in the beauty of his beloved Collinwood. It wasn't long before he caught the scent. The sweet, musky scent of her perfume… mixed with the scent that was distinctly Elizabeth.
The scent led him down another hallway toward the library. He slowly opened the door. She was sitting on the window seat, reading a book.
She looked beautiful with the sunlight caught in her blonde hair and for a moment he envied her. It had been centuries since he had felt the warmth of the sun on his skin without burning.
As he stepped into the room she looked up, a smile curving her lips. "Barnabas…" she said softly, sliding off the window seat. "Elizabeth…" he said with a smile. "I hope I am not disturbing you" he added.
"Not at all…" she said as she walked over to him. "Did you sleep well?" she asked. "Very well" he said, a hint of a grin on his lips.
As she got close to him he reached out and took a blonde curl, letting it slide slowly through his fingers before settling back against her neck. "Such beautiful hair" he said softly. His fingers brushed her neck then slowly slid down the side of it. "And such soft skin…" he added.
Her expression said clearly how much she had been affected by so small a touch. "I bet you say that to all the women" she teased. "I speak nothing but the truth" he said, his dark eyes taking in the line of her slim body then sliding back up to her lovely face.
Elizabeth looked into his dark eyes and was comforted by the sincerity she could see in them. She knew exactly how charming he could be when he wanted to be. Part of her was still wary of getting any deeper into this than she already was.
She smiled as he reached down and took her hand, his skin cool against hers. With him so close it was impossible to keep her mind wandering to the other night. Even though she knew it shouldn't happen again she was so very tempted. Several times since that night they had stolen kisses… but had heard someone coming before it got any further than that. It had both relieved and frustrated her that they hadn't been able to get any real privacy.
Barnabas moved closer and brushed his lips against the back of her hand. Even on such innocent skin his lips felt good and the look on his face as he raised his eyes to meet her again suggested that his thoughts mirrored hers.
His gaze drew her in and she found herself closing the gap between them and pressing her lips firmly to his. She felt his lips part under hers and his arms wrap around her, pulling her closer to him.
Elizabeth felt her pulse race and she knew he would be able to hear it. She wondered if there would ever be a point when her heart didn't go crazy every time his lips met hers. She rather doubted it.

Her arms wound around his neck as the kiss grew less gentle, less careful. More heated and passionate. Yes she knew that making out with a vampire probably wasn't the smartest or healthiest move but she tended to forget about trivial things like that when he was kissing her.
She felt him pull back from the kiss and made a small sound of protest. He grinned and put a finger to her lips. His other hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her gently into a corner behind a shelf. A corner where they would be invisible from the door. Unless someone walked to the back of the room and looked in the right direction they wouldn't see them.
Before she could comment on the fact they were now mostly hidden he had grabbed her around the waist and kissed her again, pressing her against the shelf of books.

Her arms slid back around his neck and he lifted her up so she was perched on the edge of a shelf, her body parallel with his. Several books fell off the shelf but she hardly noticed.
His body pressed firmly against hers, pinning her there as he continued to kiss her hungrily. She could tell from his kiss how badly he wanted her right then. It made her want him even more.
Elizabeth's eyes slid half closed as he moved his mouth to the side of her neck. His soft kisses along her skin brought a small groan from her lips. When his teeth grazed the skin slightly her breath caught in her throat.

For a moment he stopped as he reached down to undo his pants, fumbling slightly in his haste. Once they were undone she brought one leg up to wrap it around his waist. His hand immediately came up to slide along her thigh, pushing up the skirt of her dress.
His fingers slid slowly up her thigh until they reached the crease of her leg. Her head fell back and she couldn't help a groan as he bypassed her underwear and went straight for her bare skin. A look of acute desire came over his face as he felt how much of an effect he'd had on her.
He gently unwound her leg from around his waist to he could quickly slide her underwear off. Her eyebrow rose slightly when he pocketed the scrap of material.
A soft gasp escaped her lips as he pressed his body flush against hers. She could feel his arousal pressing into her. "Barnabas…" she whispered, her voice full of desire and a need so strong it was nearly painful.

She felt his fingers grip her thighs gently and his body shift so he could enter her. Her fingers gripped his shoulders and her leg wrapped around his waist again. Neither of them could help a groan as he slowly pushed his way inside her.
Elizabeth barely had a chance to catch her breath before he started to move in short, fast thrusts. Her grip tightened around his arms as she moved her body in time with his. Tight enough to bruise the skin of a human but not a vampire.
She heard him groan softly, felt the tension in his body as he went slightly faster, slightly deeper. Part of her wished he didn't have to hold back out of risk of injuring her. She knew he would never allow himself to completely lose control with her.

Her body shuddered against his and several moans escaped her lips as the pleasure built up. A few more books tumbled from their places to the ground as he pressed her more firmly into the bookcase.

It was clear from the look on his face and the tension of his body that he was close and she knew she wouldn't last much longer. Her breathing came in pants and soft gasps as she got closer and closer to the edge.
A few more hard, fast thrusts and his body tensed against hers, deep groans leaving his lips. Her back arched and her moans mingled with his as she reached her climax.
Both of them slumped against the bookcase, Elizabeth trying to get her heart rate and breathing back until control. He placed a soft kiss on her lips then leaned against the bookcase and watched her.
"I don't know what it's like for a vampire" she said in a soft breathless voice. "But for a mortal… I don't think it gets much better than that." A smile curved his lips. "Oh believe me my dear it was just as good for me. I may be a vampire… but I am still a man"