Just Us Chapter 49
The difficult, dangerous and complicated was never just going to go away.
Here is the next bit. Thanks for the reviews and comments, they mean a lot. I love sharing my Moonlight fantasy world with you all.
Enjoy penni :)
Beth woke up reaching out for Mick but he was gone. She vaguely remembered him telling her that he was going but she had been too tired to fully register what he had said. She did remember his lingering kisses though. She yawned and stretched languidly, arms above her head, toes pointed, feeling wonderful as a satisfied smile spread across her face. She sat up in bed noticing the note on Mick's pillow.
Sleep well baby, I'll be at Josef's for a while then home for some cooling off if you need me. You look so beautiful sweetheart. I love you, so much. Call you later. M
She lay back down and stretched herself out over the bed. She grabbed Mick's pillow and hugged it against her body. It smelled like him. In the past week she had made it her business to do normal things, human things, without him. She had missed him so much and wished that he was still there with her, holding her, kissing her in that special kind of way he had where he turned his head one way then the other. She didn't have to get up early today so she snuggled under the covers and let herself drift off to sleep again.
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Dawn was breaking when Mick and Josef got back to the compound. It had been a cool night and the need to get out and burn off some energy had them going for a run in the hills, vamp style. Josef had always found working out in the gym tedious and running all over LA in the dark was fun. They kept off the beaten track so there wasn't much chance of anyone seeing them. Even if they were seen they could always claim to be practicing the extreme sport of parkour. All the rage overseas, it was touted as being a method of moving around obstacles with speed and efficiency that used vaulting, rolling, running, climbing and jumping to challenge participants to identify and use alternate ways to move through all kinds of environments. Josef scoffed that it was cleverly 'invented' by vamps to explain an indiscretion that had been witnessed by humans.
The vampires rested against their cars that were parked side by side in the driveway of Josef's home. Mick pulled two bags of blood from a cooler bag in the back of his car and offered one to Josef, which was politely declined. Josef wanted the fresh stuff and unless that was Beth's freshly donated, highly prized blood in that bag, which wasn't very likely; he could wait till he could access his own supply inside the house.
"I've got to say it, you're not half bad for a guy who is over 400 years old." Mick was really impressed. He trained hard to keep himself fit and he was exhausted. Josef, on the other hand, looked tired but had barely raised a sweat.
Josef looked insulted "Hey, I'm a very young four hundred. Let's see how well you scrub up after a few centuries."
A few centuries? After over fifty years being immortal, the thought of living for centuries still amazed him. Josef had told him once that the first hundred was the hardest. What would the world be like in a hundred years from now? Would he even care if Beth weren't there to share it with him?
"Come on inside, I've arranged a massage for us." Josef favoured the kind of massage that involved scantily clad masseuses who were excellent at their jobs but also willingly provided all kinds of services, for an extra fee of course. He knew Mick wouldn't go for it, he never did.
"No thanks, I have to get back. I need some freezer time before Beth comes over this afternoon."
"Comes over? I thought she's been staying with you at the loft."
"On and off. Since I explained to her about the excessive biting thing last week, she's been fighting it. Beth is determined to prove to me and to herself, that it doesn't have that much of an effect on her."
They shared a grin. A spirited show of independence was so typical of Beth.
"Ah, I thought I caught a whiff of separation anxiety coming off you. Actually Mick, that whole thing was a great strategic move on your part."
Mick looked puzzled. "What strategy? I wanted her close, to feel like she needed to be with me for every selfish reason there is."
Josef nodded knowingly. "It's good practice for later on, you know the whole sire/fledgling thing..."
"Josef…"
"Okay, okay, you're not ready for that particular conversation yet but I know you've thought about it, admit it."
"I admit that the closer we get the more I can't picture all those centuries you talk about without her with me. I don't know Josef, it's such a big decision for both of us." Mick said wearily He never thought in his wildest dreams that he would ever turn anyone, certainly not Beth.
"I have tickets for the ballet on Friday night I thought I'd ask Beth if she wanted to go."
Mick gave him a look.
"What? You know Mick, for a musician your appreciation for the classical arts is sadly lacking."
"I like what I like. Why don't you take one of your girls?"
"Mention ballet and they think of cartoon mice wearing pink tutus." Josef huffed. "I may have to rethink my freshie recruitment policy."
Mick chuckled. Josef's latest crop of freshies were beautiful but not the sharpest tools in the old shed. Talk about a generation gap. He looked at his watch, he had to swing by the morgue and the market for supplies before he could hit the freezer. "I'll mention it to her."
"Yeah, sure you will. By the way, Chris Barrett is back in town."
Mick frowned. "I know, Beth is having lunch with him today."
Josef raised his eyebrows knowing that Mick didn't like Barrett much. "You okay with that?
"Yeah, I can't say that I'm thrilled at the idea of them spending time together but Beth really likes him, she finds him interesting to talk to about us, vamps I mean, history and all that."
"He is an interesting guy, handsome too, the freshies really go for him." That comment earned him a glare from his friend. "It's probably not a bad idea that she spends some time with him. Lets' face it buddy, who else has she got to talk to? You don't tell her anything; you won't let me tell her anything. Boy I could tell her some stories…"
"Beth doesn't need to hear any of your stories. I think you make half of them up for your own amusement anyway." Mick smiled at the smirk on Josef's face. It wasn't like he could call him out. "I've got to get going, nice chatting with you as usual.
"Have fun staring soulfully into each others' eyes or whatever it is you two do when you're alone." The thought suddenly amused him. " I know, you make her popcorn and watch movies on the classic channel…you take her for long walks on the beach …you read her poetry…no, no, you bake cookies together…or go bowling?
Josef was really laughing at him. It wasn't often that he laughed out loud like this.
"I'm surprised you haven't bored her to death by now. No wonder she wants to hang out with Barrett."
If Josef only knew what they had been doing before he left her curled up feeling totally loved and sleepy in her bed...
…Beth bit on her bottom lip as a fresh wave of heat went through her. Mick had left her dangling on the edge again and she groaned feeling a mix of pleasure and frustration.
"Are you trying to kill me or just drive me insane?" Her voice was low, strained and barely a whisper.
She felt his lips move away from her throat and his hands tighten around her rib cage, his thumbs fllicking the underside of her breasts. It probably wasn't the best thing to say to him but she wasn't capable of thinking clearly at this point.
"Neither, I'm trying to distract myself from biting you…again." God knows he wanted to. His lips now rested against the smooth skin of her stomach. Beth moved a little sending a ripple of sensation right through him. He breathed her in. Beth…
"I don't know how much longer I can take this …oooh… teasing sweetheart." His fangs brushed along the top of her breast. "Ohh Mick…." Her eyes closed, her head fell back as he lifted her into a better position.
His hands moved down her body and he pressed into her hips with his own, his hands guiding, pulling and pushing her. His hands dug tighter into her hips telling her he was ready to go with her. Beth opened her eyes and looked at him, her hands came up to caress his beautiful vampire face. They kissed and felt it begin….
Mick shook his head to re- focus his thoughts and got into his car. "Okay, laugh all you want but at least I know the name of the woman I'm going to be with tonight."
"Hey, be nice. It's two women and I know their names…AB negative and B positive." Josef snickered at his own joke.
"Bye Josef." Mick started the engine and headed home.
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Across town Ben Talbot woke up in a hotel room with a beautiful naked woman sleeping next him. He shook his head trying to remember the night before but there was nothing but the faint memory of leaving a party with a woman... but not this woman. He couldn't even remember her name. He looked around the room leaning over to the bedside table for the room service menu and groaned, realising that he was in a suite at the infamous Chateau Marmont. It was the last place you wanted to be if you if you didn't want to be seen. The paparazzi flocked there daily for pictures of the celebrities that came and went at all hours of the day and night. He scrubbed his hand down his face and got up from the bed, looked around for his clothes for something to put on and headed for the bathroom. He didn't like what he saw in the mirror looking back at him. Had he had that much to drink?
The room smelt of booze and sex. He had to get dressed and get out of there as soon as possible When he walked back into the bedroom the woman was dressed in expensive red lingerie, reclining seductively across the huge king size bed.
"Good morning darling. Did you sleep well?" Whoever this woman was she looked and sounded like a high-end hooker. Images of him having sex in this room came and went in his mind. He just wanted to get out of there, it didn't feel right, the woman didn't feel right. This was more than one of his regular hook ups.
"Yes I did but I have to get going." He sat on the end of the bed to put on his clothes but the woman had other ideas and was soon draping herself all over him, kissing his neck and shoulders. He felt himself become erect at her touch despite himself.
"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy our little party last night lover. I won't believe you?" she cooed in his ear.
"Party?" Ben struggled to remember something, anything.
"Come now Ben, don't you remember our little get together last night?"
He stopped buttoning his shirt as another woman entered the room from the living area. It was the woman he left the party with. "Lucky I got it all on video then isn't it? We can have this online in no time. I'm sure the public would just love to know what Ben Talbot does when he is not in the courtroom."
How had he let himself get caught up in this mess? "What do you want?" he asked cautiously.
The two women laughed wickedly and Ben knew things had just gotten a whole lot more serious.
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That afternoon, Josef looked up from his computer as Beth strolled into his office unannounced and smiled. He could smell Mick all over her with a layer of her own special scent underneath, or was it over the top. No wonder his friend was smiling so much these days.
"Hey, Josef." She threw her bag on the floor and sat in the chair across from him at his desk. "I wasn't sure you'd still be up."
"Beth. What brings you here?"
"Well, I didn't get a chance the other night to thank you for the flowers. They were beautiful."
"I'm glad you liked them. Mick said you were having lunch with Christopher Barrett today. Was there something else?"
Beth got the hint that she had come at a bad time. Now that she was there she wasn't going to waste the opportunity to find out what she wanted to know. "I am but I wanted to drop by and ask you something."
"Ask away, I have a meeting shortly so it'll have to be quick."
"Why all the interest in Ben Talbot? Why are you following him so closely? Is there something going on that you're not telling us?"
Josef grinned looking back at Beth with admiration. She certainly didn't hold back when she wanted answers. "It's a hobby."
Beth wasn't amused. "Is that all you've got to say? It's a hobby?"
Josef only nodded in response.
Beth wiggled in her chair feeling agitated. It was hard to get information from Mick but Josef was another kettle of fish all together. At least she could get flirty with Mick to try and get something out of him.
"I don't believe you for one second Josef." She looked at him accusingly. "Is Ben's car going to suddenly explode while he's driving along the freeway one day just like Chelsea Nolan's did.? Is he another loose end that needs to be dealt with?"
Josef looked annoyed but quickly reined it in. "There is no need to be so dramatic Beth. It was an accident. Do you really think that Mick would have let it go if he thought for one minute that it wasn't?"
Beth shook her head but didn't say anything. She had asked around, talked to some of the police, paramedics and firefighters who had been at the scene. Mick had even taken her to see Guillermo to ease her mind. The toxicology report showed enough traces of alcohol and drugs in the van driver's system to make him incapable of being in full control of his van. They all said the same thing. It had been a tragic accident.
Josef decided to throw her a bone. "I'm just keeping an eye on him Beth. He was there in Anders lab with you when we came to rescue you. He heard things that he shouldn't have. I'm just making sure that he doesn't put two and two together and end up with vampires."
"Ryder and Logan monitoring his movements and phone calls?" Beth ventured, trying to get more out of him now that he was talking.
"I'll admit that was a little excessive. It's nice to have something on the law enforcers in this town, just in case we need to hold something over their heads. You never know when you need some dirt to get out of a sticky situation." Josef smirked. "Talbot has a dark side to him, it's been rather entertaining to watch but I think we can leave 'Ben' to take care of his own demise."
He looked at Beth carefully. Why did she care so much about Talbot? "Let me ask you a question Beth. Do you have any romantic feelings for Talbot? Don't lie to me, I'll know if you do."
Beth stood and glared back at him. "God no! I'm just worried that he knows something and that he will go after Mick. He is so caught up in this silly idea he has gotten into his head that Talbot is after me, that he doesn't see anything else."
Josef believed her. She didn't know about the list, the photos and the file that Talbot had locked in his office draw. Her only concern was for Mick.
"He has bits of information but he doesn't know how they connect. He isn't a threat to Mick or any of us. You let me worry about Talbot. It's what I do."
"All right Josef. If you say everything is okay, I have no choice but to believe you." She stopped when Josef called her name when she got to the door of his office.
"I won't let anything happen that endangers Mick, or you for that matter. If you don't believe anything else I've just told you, at least believe that."
Beth smiled and nodded. "Thank you Josef, I know you wont."
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AN: This is just the start of Ben Talbot's woes, he still has to face off with Mick St John . That big showdown is still to come...
