Chapter Four
Deft fingers smoothed over the soft curves of her hips whilst warm fingertips cruised the goose-pimpled flesh of her inner thigh. Her back arched and she suppressed a moan when a featherlight touch skimmed her breasts leaving her chest heaving as she exhaled a shaky breath. The cool cotton sheets on the soles of her feet were starchy on soft, refreshingly cool against burning heat, gently tickling the exposed flesh of her arms, calves and thighs. The crumpled material moved gracefully beneath her as easily as the strands of her hair caught up in a summers breeze, the quiet rustling as alive as her shaky, uneven breaths.
Soft, pale pink, alluringly curved lips grazed her neck and she shuddered, her nails digging into strong shoulders, afraid that if she lost her grip, she'd lose him. Delicious hardness met the soft, warm, damp mound between her legs, and she whimpered when every nerve in her body seemed to come alive. Her skin burned -much like the fire inside her- stoked and kindled by his featherlight caress, his smooth wet tongue and that sweet, glorious hardness.
"You're mine Flick..." his honeyed drawling voice breathed against her ear and she melted.
"I'm yours," the words slipped easily from her swollen lips. The feeling of a smooth, warm hand, sliding slowly up her thigh had her heart jack-hammering and her thighs parting willingly, welcoming the blissfully pleasant pressure that now rested between them. That sweet hardness teased her slick folds and a moan, laced with sensuality and lust tumbled from her lips.
"I need you..." she whimpered, begging to feel release, needing so badly for the fire inside her to be tamed.
Flick awoke in a tangle of sheets, her skin flushed and sticky with sweat as a dull ache radiated between her thighs and the seemingly ever-present gnawing feeling in her core pulsed with every intake of breath. She blew a cool breath up towards her forehead in a poor attempt to lessen the sheen of sweat lining her brow. She'd had her fair share of horny dreams but she'd never experienced one so explicit before and the feelings that it had stirred inside her still lingered even in her wakened state. Paul was having a greater effect on her mind and body than she'd initially thought and she was beginning to understand that perhaps her feelings towards him ran deeper than just an intense physical attraction.
She was slightly caught off guard when the thought of her explicit dream becoming reality didn't make her anxious, in fact, it sent a sensual thrill rocketing full circuit around her body, making the hairs on her arms and neck stand on end. Her mind wandered to their passionate kiss last night, feeling the ghost of his jean-clad erection pressing against her hip and she found herself longing to find out how it would feel for real, skin-on-skin. She exhaled a lusty breath.
Why was she so hooked on this guy? Why did she feel so inexplicably happy and warm in his presence?
Flick sighed, palming her forehead as she attempted to shake off the lingering haze of horniness and with a groan, she rolled out of bed, padding down the hall to the bathroom in desperate need of a cold shower before she ventured to the kitchen in search of a caffeine fix.
~/~
"I hope you don't mind me just calling you up out of the blue like this but I missed my traitorous best friend. I wanted to check in and see how you were doing out in bum-fuck nowhere, is it hell? Shall I send a ticket for the next Greyhound out of town?" Flick's best friends voice trilled down the line as Flick leant against the alcove, absentmindedly coiling the phone's cord around her finger.
"I miss you too dude but honestly it's not as torturous out here as I thought it would be," Flick chimed, a coy smile working its way onto her face when Paul's impish grin popped into the forefront of her mind. "Tell me, have I missed anything since I've been gone?"
"Not really-" Danny sighed, "-oh aside from Will getting into a fight with Tommy, apart from that it's totally uneventful."
"Hold up, rewind – Will got into a fight with Tommy, why?"
"It was over some dumb valley-girl with a bad perm and the fashion sense of fucking Sarah Jessica Parker," Danny scoffed. "Tommy was talking his usual bullshit, teasing Will that a chick like Dara -fucking Dara, what kind of name is that anyway?- would never go for a nerd and Will just snapped and punched him. I'm not gonna lie, I was rooting for Will all the way, Tommy can be a first-class douche."
"Boy's-" Flick rolled her eyes, "-Will didn't get hurt, did he?"
"No, he came off pretty good," Danny assured her. "Anyway, enough about what's going on here, what's new with you? You sound perky," her friend teased.
"Oh, I do?" Flick felt herself blush, chewing on her lip.
"Yeah – so who is he?" Danny countered slyly.
"Excuse me?" Flick coughed, caught off guard. Was she that transparent?
"The guy that's got you all distracted and full of deep meaningful sighs. When did it happen? Where did it happen and why the hell am I only hearing about it now?"
Flick laughed incredulously, shaking her head in amusement. "It's only been a few days… I was at this sub shop with Sam and he was there with his friends and we just kinda locked eyes and…" she paused. "Shit, it was like the whole world just stopped, you know?"
Danny squealed and Flick had to hold the phone away from her ear to save her bursting her eardrum or getting a dose of tinnitus.
"We just stared at each other for what felt like forever… Shit Danny he's drop dead gorgeous, funny and a complete stoner – pretty much my dream guy but he's older and more experienced and well… I'm kinda waiting for everything to turn to shit because he sees me as some dumb kid…" she sighed.
"Don't talk shit Flick, you're a hottie and it isn't like you're innocent," she could hear Danny smirk down the line. "What's he look-like? What's his name? How old is he?" her best friend bombarded her with giddy questions.
"His names Paul, he's twenty-four and he's literally the hottest guy I've ever met. Tall, crazy dirty blonde hair, mischievous grey eyes – he's a total stoner."
"Swoon," Danny trilled.
"Shut up," Flick laughed, only just noticing that her brother Sam was stood smirking by the fridge, making kissy faces when they locked eyes. "Hey Danny I've gotta go, Simon Lebon just walked in."
Danny laughed. "When's he gonna come out of the closet? Anyway, you can fill me in on all the horny details later, don't forget me Flicka-doodle."
"I'll make a conscious effort not to but I can't promise I won't get distracted," Flick smirked. "Talk to you soon!"
"Laters beauts."
With a click the phone line went dead and Flick turned her attention to her younger brother, crossing her arms over her chest with a scowl. "How much did you hear?" she arched her brow.
"Enough to know it didn't take you long to spray the locals with your pheromones," Sam smirked. "But in all seriousness, isn't it kinda icky that some dude in his mid-twenties wants to hang with a seventeen year old?"
"You don't know anything," Flick dismissed,
"I know that if you sleep with him it's statutory, you're jail-bait Flick, the guys a perv," Sam shook his head in distaste.
"Age doesn't mean anything when you have a connection with someone Sam, you wouldn't know anything about it seen as the only connection you have is with your fucking wardrobe," Flick countered haughtily, storming out of the room in a huff.
Paul wasn't a pervert, he didn't just want her for her body, they had a connection that ran deeper than something so superficial, right?
~/~
Sam waltzed through the door of the comic store still feeling uneasy about the conversation he'd overhead between his sister and her friend back in Phoenix. Flick had given him the silent treatment all day even when he'd tried to apologise for hurting her feelings. He hadn't wanted to imply the guy only wanted her for sex but Sam couldn't comprehend what a guy his age would want with his sister, surely there were enough women his own age in town? Why did he have to target Flick? Was it because she was something new, a challenge? An initiation perhaps? Sam didn't know, all he did know was that something didn't feel right about it.
He found Edgar and Alan busy neatening the stacks of comics on display. "Guys, can I ask you something?" Sam spoke up, his fingers trailing over the edge of the nearest shelf.
"What?" Edgar frowned, peering over the shelf he was fussing over.
"I overheard a conversation between my sister and her friend and well, she's met a guy out here and she's gaga about him…"
"Yeah so? Chicks are always fawning over the guys out here, especially the ones with pimped out rides and jeans tighter than Axl Rose," Edgar scoffed.
"I get that but guys, somethings off about it…"
"What do you mean?" Alan interjected, his interest seemingly peaked.
"He's apparently twenty-four and my sisters only seventeen…" Sam frowned.
Alan and Edgar shared a pointed look before turning their attention back to their distressed friend. "Did you catch the guy's name?" Edgar inquired curiously.
Sam wracked his brain, trying to remember the details he'd overheard. "I think she mentioned the name Paul," he shrugged.
"Paul…" Alan mused before his frown turned to wide-eyed horror.
"Lost Boy, Paul?" Edgar screwed up his face in disgust.
"Lost Boy?" Sam stared at the brother's confused. "Do you know this guy or something?"
"You know we told you that Santa Carla is full of bloodsuckers?" Edgar urged.
"How could I forget?" Sam scoffed, shuddering as he remembered the gory images of the comic book the two brother's had palmed off on him.
"The Lost Boys are those bloodsuckers," Alan added.
"Be serious!" Sam laughed.
"We're dead serious," Edgar deadpanned.
Sam glanced back and forth between the two brothers, noting the sincerity in their eyes and the obvious concern on their faces. "We have to tell Flick, if it's true… oh God if it's true, what if he hurts her?" he panicked.
"It's not that easy Sam, we can't just run off and tell your sister her boyfriends a vampire, all that's gonna result in is you getting laughed at and your sister being pushed further into their hands," Alan countered solemnly.
"Then what do we do?"
"We wait and we warn her, he's bound to slip up at some point, and when he does, we'll have all the evidence we need to make her see we're telling the truth," Edgar stated.
"I hope you're right Edgar, we fight like any other brother and sister but Flick doesn't deserve to be lied to or made a fool out of, she'd already been through so much with our dad walking out…" Sam frowned.
"We're on your side man," Alan assured him whilst Edgar clamped his hand on Sam's shoulder.
"Do you think you could get your sister to hang with us tomorrow? If we plant the seeds of doubt early, we've got a better chance of her realising something weirds going on, on her own," Edgar strategized.
"I'll try but I can't promise anything, I'm not exactly her favourite person to hang with plus she already thinks you two are weirdo's after seeing that comic you gave me."
"Just make it happen man, her mortality depends on it," Alan stated seriously, making Sam's blood run cold.
~/~
Flick was leant against the rails of the pier, her eyes tracking the bustling crowds of the boardwalk when she spotted a familiar head of feathery brown hair, grimacing when she caught sight of a flash of sequined silver and a mass of chestnut curls trotting alongside the familiar figure. Her brother was out with that stuck up chick again and Flick found herself wishing she could blend in with the shadows. She didn't want her brother to see her loitering by the pier on her own, it would only lead to questions she wasn't so sure she wanted to answer, not after Sam's comments that morning.
Thankfully, Michael was too busy mooning over his latest piece of ass to notice her and ended up being swallowed by the sea of bodies. Flick kicked at a stray soda can, patting the pockets of her jeans and cursing herself when she realised in her eagerness to meet Paul, she'd left her cigarettes at home. She glanced over at the boardwalk once again and her heart leapt into her throat when a flash of blonde hair caught her eye. Her cheeks ached from the force of her smile as Paul weaved through the crowds, his twinkling grey eyes focused solely on her despite the fact that almost every girl in the near vicinity was batting her eyelids and flicking her hair, obviously hoping to be noticed.
"Hey gorgeous," he grinned, stooping to plant a playful kiss to her lips. "You good?"
"Yeah," she smiled shyly, chewing her lip. "You?"
"Can't complain," he shrugged, "though I've been dying to see you all day…"
"Shut up," Flick giggled coyly.
"I'm wounded babe, wounded," Paul stated exaggeratedly, clutching his chest. "I'm starving, have you eaten?"
"If you class a bag of potato chips and a sleeve of Oreo's eating then yeah," she laughed.
"We can do way better than that," Paul rolled his eyes. "You like pizza?"
"Do fish shit in the ocean?" she countered and he barked a laugh.
"I'm just gonna take that as a yes," he grinned, taking her hand as he lead her towards the top end of the boardwalk.
Flick could see a brightly lit pizza joint a few feet away, its overly bright neon sign almost blinding while the aroma of freshly baked dough and melted cheese hit her in one big mouth-watering wave. She and Paul had fallen into a comfortable silence when a loud, chipper voice hollered in their direction. "Hey baby, you got some fries to go with that shake?"
Flick looked up at Paul to find his lips curved up in an amused smirked before he turned to face the opposite direction. She followed suit and spun around, an amused grin spreading across her own face when she saw Marko, Dwayne and David sauntering over to where they stood. "Which one of you assholes hollered such a disrespectful comment at my girl?" Paul grinned wickedly and Flick's stomach flipped.
His girl…
"That would be me," Marko grinned, pointing to himself. Flick shook her head in amusement, it was easy to see that the cherub faced blonde was trouble with a capital T. Just like the rogue standing beside her.
"Don't listen to Marko Flick, he's a fucking pervert," Paul smirked, slapping Marko upside the head.
"And you're a fucking muppet but you don't see me bringing it up in fucking conversation limp-dick," Marko retaliated with a jab to Paul's ribs.
"Excuse these two Felicity, they have neither the brains nor the decorum to fuel a flea's go-kart one lap around a fucking cheerio," David rolled his eyes and Flick huffed a laugh, biting her lip to stifle any further giggles.
"Ah put a fucking tit in it Sutherland you self-righteous asshole," Paul scoffed. "You might think you're the brains of this whole operation but we-" he pointed to himself, Marko and Dwayne, "-are the fun ones and the only time Flick would enjoy your company is if she needed a fucking nap."
Marko cackled a laugh whilst Dwayne snorted and David scowled. "Fuck you McCarter you backcombed little bitch," he retorted and Flick couldn't hold back her laughter any longer and burst into a fit of giggles, earning an amused smirk from the four boys.
"C'mon babe, lemme buy you a slice," Paul winked, slinging his arm around her shoulder as he led her towards the restaurant.
~/~
"So Felicity-" David stated, twisting the bottle of beer he held between his fingers by its neck, "-how're you finding Santa Carla so far?"
"It's definitely different to what I remember as a kid but then again, I don't think I've been here long enough to fairly judge it," she answered around a mouthful of gloriously cheesy pizza. "Though some of the people out here are pretty odd…" she frowned, recalling her conversation with Sam about his newly acquired friends.
"Should we be offended?" Marko quirked his brow with an impish smirk.
"No, I don't mean you guys," she shook her head. "I meant more like my brother's new friends. The two brother's that run the comic store, they're pretty damn weird," she explained.
"What makes them so weird?" David questioned.
"According to my little brother Sam, Edgar and Alan believe this place is apparently run riot with vampires."
"Murder capital of the world," Dwayne winked whilst David's eyes flashed.
"And that doesn't scare you?" David pressed.
Flick wiped her greasy fingers on her napkin. "No because I honestly don't believe it. Those guys are whacked. I mean, suppose vampires did actually exist – why would they want to live in Santa Carla, California? I would be more inclined to believe it if I lived somewhere like Salem, but here? I just don't think this place screams vampires. Oddballs, weirdo's and possibly serial killers but not vampires."
"Santa Carla is the perfect place for vampires," David disagreed whilst Paul remained oddly stoic and silent.
"It's a vampires paradise," Dwayne added.
"A bloodsuckers wet dream," Marko chimed.
"Sex, drugs and alcohol on tap – tourists flocking in every month of the year. Who'd really notice a few tourists going missing every now again? Not to mention all the run-aways and nomads that flock here, drawn in like manic depressives to a noose. All the low-down skidmarks of society just waiting to be picked off, one by one."
What David was saying actually made sense when she thought about it, which ultimately left her wondering why he and the boys were so adamant that the stories were real. Did they believe it? Or were they just trying to scare her as some kind of initiation? "Though I can see your point to a degree, I'm still reluctant to believe vampires exist, especially when my brother's palmed off with some dumb comic called 'destroy all vampires' and told it could save his life. Save his life how? By convincing you to wear a garlic necklace and carry a water pistol loaded with holy water?"
"If vampires are real-" Dwayne began, "-those kids have it all wrong," he shook his head with a knowing smile.
"What do you mean?" Flick asked, noticing the flicker of unease in Paul's pale grey eyes.
"Well for a start, the whole garlic thing is redundant, it's just fiction. I bet the comic also tried to convince you that a vampire doesn't have a reflection and needs to be invited into a place before it can enter, right?"
Flick nodded as she nibbled on a slice of pizza.
"Well, see, the whole vampire not being able to enter a place unless invited historically stems from folklore about spells and incantations that were put in place to ward off vampires and other evil entities, particularly among the Native American tribes. Which then leads onto the whole crucifixes and holy water issue, they're a deterrent but they wouldn't kill a vampire. In fact, some powerful vampires are unaffected by either…" he explained, his eyes momentarily drifting in David's direction.
"Anyway, the reason why people think these things are true is because they associate vampires with demons, right? And what do people call on for protection from a demon? God, right? So that's why people think that religious items have an impact on the evil creatures. The only thing they possibly got right if they did their research is that sun light will burn a vampire which is why they're considered nocturnal creatures. However using some kind of UV light to kill a vampire would be easier than trying to coax a vampire into the daylight and just so you know, the only way to kill a vampire is to directly pierce the heart."
"He's the fountain of fucking knowledge," Marko scoffed.
"How do you know so much about it?" Flick frowned, startled by his in depth knowledge on such a mythical subject.
"I'm Native American, it's all ingrained up here, I grew up with tons of legends about this kinda shit" he tapped his temple with a smile.
"Oh," Flick stated, intrigued by the newly acquired information.
"Regardless of what we inherently choose to believe or disbelieve, we must take into account that not everything is always as it seems…" David shot her a pointed stare, leaving her feeling like he knew something that she clearly didn't.
"What's wrong with being a vampire anyway? Immortality sounds like a sweet deal, don't you think?" Paul smirked.
"It's only forever, not long at all…" Marko grinned, his baby blue eyes flashing with mirth.
~/~
"I hope the boys didn't freak you out," Paul frowned, grazing his fingers down the curve of her waist and Flick felt her skin flush with heat.
"Nah, there are scarier things out there in the real world than the threat of mythical bloodthirsty creatures," Flick shrugged.
"Yeah? Like what?" Paul countered curiously.
"Rapists, serial killers, unplanned pregnancy," she reeled off and Paul chuckled. "What about you, what does a guy like you fear?" she asked, meeting his captivating grey eyes.
"Boredom," he grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Where'd your friends go?" she frowned, glancing over her shoulder in confusion. How'd they manage to slink away so silent and unseen?
"They headed over to the club, what do you think, can I buy you a drink?" he crooned, brushing her jaw with the pad of his thumb, the cool metal of his thumb ring a stark contrast to her flushed skin.
"Did you forget I'm ridiculously underage?" Flick stared up at him, her stomach twisting knowing she was drawing attention to the obvious age and experience gap between them.
"You're with me which means you've got a free-pass into the world of debauchery," he smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief.
"Does it come with a price?" Flick teased.
"Nah, but you could always give me a kiss to show your gratitude," he grinned impishly, earning a burst of coy laughter.
~/~
They reached the nightclub -Eclipse- and virtually breezed past the bouncers manning the door; their hulking physique obviously no match for Paul's cocky, confident presence. They descended a set of narrow, dimly lit stairs into a small, cramped area, the heavy bass of the music blaring from hidden speakers seeming to reverberate in her bones, making her body hum and vibrate with pulses of energy. The bottom of the stairs tailed off into two directions; to the right was a long sparsely lit corridor which was home to the washrooms and stock room whilst following the corridor straight forward brought them out into a deceptively large space.
The atmosphere of the club was tangible; the vibration of the bass like a set of dextrous fingers ghosting her skin, leaving a path of tingling electricity in their wake. The flashing strobe lights intermittently bathed the writhing, sweaty bodies on the dancefloor in a phantasmal bluish light, giving their skin a pale, silvery glow. The music booming from the over-sized speakers enticed her body to move and she couldn't deny that the overall atmosphere of the club was drawing her in and she was eager to join the contorting bodies on the dancefloor.
Paul lead her towards the back of the club, steering her through the thick sea of bodies to a private booth. The booth itself was obscured in the shadows of a dark corner where the strobe lights didn't quite reach and within the booth lounged three familiar enigmatically cool figures. Paul ushered her into the booth, lowering himself to sit beside her. "My round," Marko grinned, swiftly vanishing into the dark, heaving abyss of bodies.
Paul coolly leant against the seat of the booth and fished out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket, slipping one between his lips. He held out the crumpled packet in Flick's direction, quirking his eyebrow in silent question. "Thanks," she smiled, sliding one of the thin paper sticks out of the creased packet, lifting it to her lips between parted fingers. Paul ran the flame of his lighter over the cigarettes tip and she inhaled deeply, feeling a sense of satisfying calm wash over her.
"I have to say, I'm surprised to see you again, I thought we might have scared you off after our earlier conversation," David arched his brow in Flick's direction, flicking the build-up of ash from his cigarette into the purple Pyrex ashtray sat in the middle of the water-marked table. "Perhaps I underestimated you," he added, resting his arm on the back of the seat.
"There's no perhaps about it, you obviously did," Flick retorted confidently and Paul snickered whilst Dwayne grinned.
"You heard her Dave," Paul stated smugly, tucking her beneath his arm, the tips of his fingers drawing faint patterns on her shoulder and Flick sank further into the seat, breathing in Paul's unique scent, something sweetly musky with an undertone of something earthy, it was intoxicating…
"Of course she's not scared of something that doesn't exist," Dwayne smirked almost mockingly, his eyes drifting the curves of an auburn-haired girl's body as she teetered passed in a tight dress and a pair of ridiculously high stiletto's.
"Ah yes – why should you fear the creatures of over-active imaginations? The possibility of immortals is merely something that exists within the pages of poorly illustrated comic books, right?" David mused just as Marko sauntered back to the booth with a tray of tequila shots, a bottle of bourbon and a round of beers.
Flick shrugged, unsure what she should say and wanting to stave off further conversation of something so unfathomable, a little unsettled by the knowing flicker in David's piercing blue eyes. "Time to get trashed," Marko cheered breaking the air of tension that had somehow settled over their heads and David rolled his eyes, grabbing himself a beer whilst the rest of the group picked up a shot of tequila. Flick licked the back of her hand, shaking the salt over the trail of saliva. She drew her tongue over the line of salt on her hand and downed the shot, chasing it with a wedge of line.
"Would you rather have your old man walk in on you whilst you're ramming your dick in a chick's ass, causing you to pull out in surprise and the chick shits all over your stomach or would you rather be eating a chicks ass and she sharts in your mouth?" Marko asked, grinning around the rim of his beer whilst Flick retched in revulsion eliciting a bark of laughter.
"You disgust me," David screwed his face up in distaste, setting his beer down heavily on the scratched table top. Dwayne snorted, swallowing a mouthful of bourbon.
"Dude, I think I'd rather take my old man walking in on me fucking a chick in the ass and getting shat on than having a chick shit in my mouth," Paul chimed.
"He's right, at least you could dive straight in the shower, getting shit in your mouth is gonna stay with you forever," Dwayne grimaced and both Flick and David baulked whilst Paul cackled a laugh.
"How are you so easily disgusted Dave? You've got no issue with punching someone's fucking eyeballs into the back of their skull but you draw the line at a bit of fucking shit?"
"I don't know how the fuck you can find pleasure in sticking your dick or your tongue in a chick's ass, especially the kind of chicks you dirt-bags hook up with. I can imagine you've had shit covering your dicks on more than one occasion, those bitches look like they don't know how to fucking wipe," David shuddered.
"Fucking hell, you and Dwayne are frigid as fuck," Marko scoffed and Paul snickered.
"Just because we don't like sticking our dick in a chick's ass, that makes us frigid?" Dwayne scoffed.
"It makes you fucking vanilla dude," Marko smirked, draining the last dregs of beer.
"I'm far from fucking vanilla but I will not, nor will I ever, put my dick or my mouth anywhere near a chick's asshole," David stated, flicking a soggy beer mat across the table.
"Same," Dwayne agreed, tossing back the last mouthful of bourbon resting at the bottom of his glass.
"What about you Flick? Would you take Paul's dick in your ass?" Marko grinned, chewing his glove strap and Flick's eyes widened, her cheeks heating with embarrassment.
"Dude fuck off, you're embarrassing her," Paul launched a soggy lime wedge across the table.
"I do apologise Felicity but I'm afraid conversations like these are common place in the company of these two delinquents. I'd suggest you develop a thick skin and a strong stomach. Especially if you choose to continue your relationship with Paul," David advised, pouring bourbon into an empty shot glass and Flick felt her stomach flutter. Were they in a relationship?
"She ain't denying that she might," Marko interjected slyly.
"One more word Marko and you'll be rimming your own ass when I rip out your tongue and shove it in your fucking hole," Paul sneered and Dwayne snorted a laugh whilst Marko quirked his eyebrow in amusement. Flick peered up at Paul from beneath her lashes, her bottom lip finding its way between her teeth as she studied him. She'd never felt so safe and protected around anyone before but Paul seemed to cloak her in an invisible blanket of warmth and safety and she honestly never wanted the cosy, comforting feeling to end. It didn't even seem to matter that he obviously had a violent streak in him. It didn't seem to matter that he was a lot older and obviously a lot more sexually experienced.
Naïve or not, Flick was lost in him and she wasn't so sure that she wanted to be found.
~/~
Paul stubbed out the tab of a burnt-out cigarette and caught her by the hand. "Wanna dance?" he smirked roguishly.
"OK," she grinned, her shyness lessoned by the copious amount of liquor she'd thrown back as she followed Paul to the packed dancefloor.
Flick quickly lost herself in the atmosphere of the dancefloor; it was electric, rhythmic and seductive. Though Paul was a fair few inches taller than her, her ass seemed to fit perfectly against his crotch, allowing her to feel the hard outline of the bulge that she'd noticed had started to develop as their bodies writhed and ground against each other. Paul's hands wandered over the curve of her waist and down the width of her hips, snaking down her thighs and the feel of his deft fingers exploring her body caused a pool of heat to settle low in her stomach.
Her body snaked and twisted in a sensual rhythm whilst Paul pushed back against her while his lips found the crook of her neck and she had to stifle the moan skirting the tip of her tongue. Flick's breath hitched as his lips nipped at a sensitive spot on her neck whilst his fingers dug into the soft flesh of her stomach. The heavy bass of the current track slowed, switching to a song much slower in tempo. Paul turned her in his arms, wrapping his arms around her waist as his hands came to rest on the small of her back and she linked her arms around his neck. He smiled down at her, his eyes twinkling beneath the blue-tinted strobe lights and Flick returned his smile, her eyes roaming down to his plump, enticingly curved lips.
Flick stretched onto her tiptoes, drawing his head down to meet her, capturing him in a soft, tender kiss. His arms squeezed around her waist as he applied further pressure to her lips, his tongue teasing, his teeth sensually nipping at her bottom lip. Their bodies became one, moving in tandem in time with the music while their mouths moulded. The down tempo music switched back to a heavy bass and a dirty beat and Flick twisted her body in Paul's arms, guiding his hands back down to her hips whilst his lips nipped her neck. She seductively moved her ass against the hardness straining against Paul's zipper, feeling him pull her back into him, pushing himself into her.
"I want you Flick…" Paul breathed against her ear and her stomach fluttered giddily.
Unable to take much more of the tangible sexual tension that had built to almost unfathomable levels between the two of them, Paul led Flick back to the booth, shifting a little uncomfortably in his seat and she felt her cheeks heat knowing the reason for his discomfort. "What do you say we take this party on the road? After all, the night is young…" David suggested as Paul and Marko cheered, already rising from their seats.
"Wait, what time is it?" Flick frowned as she rose to her feet. She'd lost all track of time.
"Around two-" David shrugged, "-why, is there somewhere you need to be?"
Flick eagerly shook her head, her desire to prolong her time with Paul for as long as was physically possible almost overwhelming. If she wasn't so conscious about being labelled an easy ride, the feelings he stirred within her made her inclined to invite him home for the night, or at least for a few hours until the throbbing in her core and between her legs had eased. "Nah," she smiled, following David, Marko and Dwayne out onto the boardwalk with Paul bringing up the rear.
Much to Flick's embarrassment, as soon as the warm, humid night air hit her, the effects of the alcohol pummelled her full force. She staggered backwards suddenly feeling light headed which subsequently caused her to lose her footing. She was prepared for her ass to kiss the boards when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her, gently guiding her back onto her feet. She turned around to meet Paul's amused stare. "Once again coming to my rescue," she teased with a smirk.
"Like I said before, I won't object to you calling me your hero," he grinned down at her with an impish twinkle in his eyes, stooping to softly nudge her lips.
"I bet there's plenty of other things you wouldn't object to her calling you beside her hero, huh man?" Dwayne smirked.
"Stud…" Marko winked.
"Asshole," Paul flipped the two friends the bird as Flick giggled.
"Who's up for a game of tag?" David asked slyly, cocking his brow whilst sliding a cigarette between his lips. Both Marko and Paul whooped and cheered, practically bouncing up and down on the spot like two excited puppy dogs. "What do you say Felicity, do you wanna play?" he smirked, staring at her intently.
Tag? How old were they?
Eh, who was she kidding, she was always game for some childish fun…
"I say count me in," she shrugged casually.
~/~
When David had suggested the game of tag, Paul had almost snorted with laughter when he heard Flick's innocent thoughts about running around the boardwalk giving chase to each other. Nothing was ever that simple or innocent, the Lost Boys didn't play by the rules, they made them up as they went.
Arriving back at their rides, Flick seemed to have developed a look of confusion, glancing at the row of bikes in bewilderment. "I thought you said we were gonna play tag?" she asked with a frown; her alcohol hazed mind unable to conjure a good enough reason why bikes would be involved in the playground game.
"Oh we are but the thing is… it's not just any old game of tag – what would be the fun of that?" David smirked wickedly.
"Yeah babe, I'm sorry but your mind is way too innocent," Paul chuckled.
"You remind me of the babe," Marko chirped.
"What babe?" Paul grinned.
"The babe with the power!"
"What power?"
"The power of voodoo!"
"Who do?"
"You do!"
"Do what?"
"Remind me of the babe!" the two blondes playfully sing-songed.
David rolled his eyes at the boys antics in what looked considerably close to exasperation whilst Dwayne smirked, shaking his head in amusement. "You could give the Goblin King a run for his money with that damn hair and penchant for overly tight trousers," David commented with a side-ways glance in Paul's direction and Flick bit her lip to stifle the giggles bubbling their way to the surface.
"Don't forget the bulge," Paul winked and both Marko and Dwayne snorted whilst Flick's eyes involuntarily drifted to Paul's crotch. Paul had to stifle his smug smirk when he overheard Flick's personal thoughts about him having every right to brag if what she'd felt back at the club was anything to go by.
"You know, I used to be a professional tag player back in elementary. They called me the artful dodger – I was untouchable," Flick joked, bringing the conversation back on topic as she shook off any errant thoughts of what he was packing in his pants and Paul found himself smiling down at her fondly.
He liked her sense of humour, it was playful and slightly sarcastic.
"Well Artful Dodger, I think your invincible streak is about to run out-" David smirked, "-you're playing with the big boys now."
"Dirty," she smirked, cocking an eyebrow and Paul snickered as did Marko and Dwayne while David kept his face stern. However Paul didn't miss the twitch of his lips or the flicker of amusement in his eyes.
"You want to hear the rules dodger?" David asked, brushing at an invisible speck of dirt on his jacket.
"Sure, hit me with it," she nodded.
"The rules are simple - each player has to stay on their ride during play. You have to tag each other the same as in regular tag and the first to fall off their ride is the loser and its game over. No moves are illegal, you do whatever it takes to knock the parrot off its perch so to speak."
Paul could feel her pulse spike while David explained the rules, her mind racing with images of various dangerous scenarios their modified game could result in. He could tell she was anxious even if she was doing her best not to show it. He was fully expecting her to decline the offer to play and Paul knew that David did too, he was testing her reactions to danger, to the abnormal and if she wasn't up to the challenge, David would never accept her as part of the pack. Just the thought made Paul's chest tighten. She was his, even if she didn't know it yet…
David must have tuned into his pack brothers thoughts as he regarded Paul intently, his piercing blue eyes blazing with a mixture of apprehension and obvious amusement. "I don't have a bike…" was all Flick said.
"On this occasion I'm willing to make an exception and you can ride with one of us – play as a duo," David offered slyly.
"Who do I ride with?" she replied almost instantly.
"The choice is yours dodger," David grinned.
Paul watched a little nervously as she looked at each of the boys in turn. Dwayne and Marko were hollering for her to team up with them but she merely smirked at their suggestions and when her eyes met his, she seemed to be staring into his very soul. It freaked him out how much of an affect she had on him, no chick had ever buried herself this deep before…
"I choose Paul," she smiled shyly and Paul couldn't hide the grin on his face seeing her cheeks blush a deep shade of pink.
"Are you sure about that?" David questioned.
"Yeah," she nodded determinedly.
"Bad move little lady, Paul can't ride for shit!" Dwayne teased.
"Yeah girl, all you'll be dodging is a concussion," Marko added with a mirthful grin.
"I'll take my chances boys – you just worry about keeping your asses on your own seats," Flick retorted.
"Them's fighting words little sister," Marko's grin widened.
"Ladies don't start fights, but we can finish them…" she smirked and both Marko and Dwayne chuckled in unison as Paul found himself smirking.
He liked that she was a little gutsy…
"Feisty," David drawled, his eyes lighting up in amusement.
Without wasting anymore time, the boys all mounted their rides and Paul felt like he was going to combust into a wall of flames when Flick slipped her arms around his waist once he'd helped her onto the back of his bike. "On your marks," David started, revving his engine.
"Wait! Hold up! Who's it first?" Marko asked.
"Seen as you asked, then count yourself it."
"Sweet!" Marko cheered triumphantly.
"On your marks… get set… Go!" David hollered as their tires screeched against the wooden boards; the acrid scent of burning rubber filling the air as the boys shot in the direction of the beach.
"Oh shit…" Paul heard Flick shout, her grip tightening around his waist.
"Hold on tight babe," Paul told her, grinning when he felt her relax with the sound of his voice.
~/~
Flick couldn't believe she'd agreed to such an outlandish game of tag, Sure, she was always the first in line for an adventure or a little mischief, but this was big time, this was dangerous. However, the weird thing was, Flick felt strangely at ease with the group of bad boys, her immediate instincts of danger that she'd initially felt were quickly fading with each minute she spent in their company. Stranger still was the innate feeling that she'd known them all a lifetime – especially Paul, it was like he was made just for her. The pack of rogues seemed to bring out the side of her that always seemed to get her into trouble; the carefree, fun-loving, couldn't give a shit side. Recently, being in such a broken home environment had slightly pissed on her inner fire and she'd found herself slipping into pessimism and sombre moods – she'd been starting to give up on having any fun.
She needed them… the errant thought struck her as odd. What made her think that she needed four people she'd effectively never met until she'd shown up in Santa Carla? They didn't truly know her or her story and she sure as shit didn't know theirs either. However, there was a voice deep inside her -the one that rattled her core- that told her she needed them.
I belong with them… Flick almost fell off the back of Paul's ride when the voice in her head whispered the absurd notion. He glanced over his shoulder, wordlessly asking if she was alright. Flick nodded shyly, feeling her mouth curve up in a smile, earning a flash of pearly white teeth.
She chastised herself for being stupid, turning her attention to keeping her balance as Paul dodged a side swipe from Marko, laughing when Marko scowled at his near miss, watching him take after Dwayne with renewed enthusiasm. Unfortunately, Dwayne wasn't quick enough to dodge Marko's side swipe and found himself being tagged along with almost being flung from his ride. Yet by some work of genius, he managed to correct himself whilst hollering insults at Marko. Dwayne didn't look at all phased at his near crash as he turned himself around in the sand and shot towards Flick and Paul, his face lit up in a manic grin as Marko cat-called and David smirked.
Dwayne stuck out his arm once he neared Paul's bike and just when his hand was about to connect with Flick's shoulder, Paul pulled back, skidding in the sand, leaving Dwayne hurtling forward at full speed, high-fiving the air. Flick giggled against Paul's back, relishing in the victory of their narrow escape. Somehow, Dwayne managed to tag David during a crafty doughnut whilst Flick marvelled at the fact his feet never touched the sand. The boys had some serious balance and agility.
All too soon, David was heading in their direction with a wicked grin on his face. He drew closer, he and Paul practically riding side by side. Flick could see David's hand reach out towards her as he wickedly chuckled, the sound of his laughter making her head spin. Suddenly feeling off-kilter, Flick felt herself slipping from the seat which obviously caught Paul off guard, causing him to jam the brakes. The next thing she knew, she felt herself flying through the air, landing with a heavy thud in the cool sand.
"Shit, are you alright babe?" Paul's concerned voice cut through the haze in her mind and she found herself staring up at four sets of eyes; three in varying shades of blue and one rich, chocolate brown.
"Yeah, I just got a bit light-headed," she huffed a laugh, palming her forehead, noticing Paul shoot David a pointed look. What was all that about?
"Well it looks like the artful dodger talks a good game but can't quite back it up," David teased, the corner of his mouth curled in his trademark smirk.
"Yeah, yeah, you won by default," she laughed, shaking her head as Paul helped her up onto slightly shaky legs.
"Is that a fact?" he replied, amused.
"Sure is," she nodded, brushing sand from her clothes.
"Told you Paul can't ride for shit," Dwayne chuckled, shoving Paul's shoulder.
"Another one bites the dust," Marko grinned.
"I think I should get you home babe," Paul chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"It's past your bedtime," David taunted and Flick flipped him the middle finger, earning a devilish grin.
"C'mon babe, don't want you eating dirt again," Paul playfully teased, kissing her jaw before leading her back to his abandoned bike.
~/~
The bike rolled to a stop at the bottom of the drive and Paul cut the engine, kicking out the foot stand. Flick slid off the back of the bike and moved to stand by Paul's shoulder, thoughtfully chewing her lip as she glanced between the seemingly empty house -well it was either empty or everyone was asleep- and Paul's handsome profile. Paul slung his leg over the set, positioning himself so he was perched on the edge of the seat before drawing Flick between his legs. "You sure you didn't hurt yourself back there?" he asked, searching her face.
"I may or may not have bruised my ass but it's nothing I can't handle," she smirked, looping her arms around his shoulder, toying with the ends of his wild, dirty blonde hair.
"Do you need me to rub it better?" he drawled, his hands wandering from the small of her back to the curve of her ass and a pool of heat settled low in her stomach.
"Do you wanna come in for a while?" she blurted, the spark of desire he'd ignited within her from such a simple suggestive touch overriding any thoughts of things moving too fast.
"Are you coming on to me right now?" Paul quirked his brow with an impish smirk.
"If I was?" she countered, her eyes drifting to those insatiable lips.
"Then you should lead the way babe," he crooned, skimming a teasing kiss to the underside of her jaw.
~/~
The second the bedroom door clicked closed, Paul had Flick pinned up against it, trapping her in a passionate kiss. The house was silent aside from her heavy breathing and Paul's low hums of satisfaction and she found herself unable to focus or care about anything other than the man kissing her in a way that left her lips scorched. He released her and she fell back against the cracked wooden panel, panting. "Shit, do I have beer breath?" her eyes widened, resisting the urge to breath into her own cupped hands for clarification.
"Nah and even if you did, it wouldn't stop me kissing you, believe me," he assured her, pressing himself up against her. He smoothed his hands down the dip of her waist, following the curve of her hips as he ghosted wet, open-mouthed kisses down the length of her neck. He slid his hands over the soft mound of her rear, hooking them in the crease of her thighs and lifted her into his arms with a startling ease whilst guiding her legs around his waist. He carried her across the room, lowering her down onto the bed where she braced her hands against the mattress as Paul slowly worked her t-shirt over her hips, leisurely guiding it the rest of the way over her body before gently tugging it over her head, whipping off his jacket in the process.
His eyes drifted hungrily over the satin soft flesh of her breasts that spilled out of her lacy padded bra. Paul dipped his head, ghosting his lips over her chest, trailing his hands back up her waist to cup her breasts, his thumbs grazing her peaked buds that strained against lace. Flick hummed with pleasure, sexily biting her lip as her head dropped back against her shoulders as he teasingly fondled her breasts whilst he nipped and sucked her throat.
Paul tugged her ankles, drawing her closer to him as he shuffled between her thighs, raising one leg up over his waist as he slid his hand up her thigh, capturing her in a heated, wet kiss whilst his rock-hard cock nudged against her warm, soft mound. Flick's fingers tangled in his hair as her tongue teased his mouth between lusty breaths. Her hands smoothed down his back, rounding over his hips before tugging at the hem of his t-shirt. Paul sat back on his heels and tugged off his shirt, smirking smugly when Flick's eyes darkened with desire as they roamed the firm, athletic contours of his torso.
Paul trailed wet, hot kisses down the length of her stomach, his fingers hooking beneath the waistband of her jeans, tugging the stiff fabric down over her hips as his lips sought the newly exposed flesh beneath. His mouth inched lower as his fingers tugged her jeans further over her hips, his lips barely coasting her pubic mound eliciting a low whimper as a full body shiver ran full circuit throughout her body. Paul suddenly stopped, sitting back on his heels as he groaned, palming his forehead.
"What's wrong?" Flick frowned, attempting to catch her breath.
"This is wrong," Paul stated, gesturing between the two of them and Flick couldn't control the sudden stab of rejection that hit her square in the chest. Paul must have sensed her hurt as his face fell, shuffling to straddle her outstretched legs. "I don't mean we're wrong babe," he shook his head, cupping her jaw. "I just mean the situation is wrong, you're drunk and it's a dick move if I do what I really fucking wanna do right now," he clarified, softly nudging her lips.
"But I invited you in…" Flick murmured.
"I know but I feel like I'd be taking advantage of you if I stay any longer. Do you really want your first time to be a drunken fuck?" Paul arched his brow, catching her off guard.
"How do you know it would be my first time?" Flick swallowed, her cheeks heating with shame.
"I just know babe," Paul gave her a small smile. "Listen…" he sighed heavily, momentarily averting his eyes like he was trying to work up the courage to say what he had to say and Flick felt her stomach coil into one hard knot.
"I really fucking like you, OK?-" he flustered, combing his fingers through his hair, "-and I really don't wanna fuck up by thinking with my dick just 'cause you give me the green light. You deserve better than that babe… do you get what I'm saying?"
Flick couldn't stop the affectionate smile from spreading across her face, her chest flooding with warmth whilst the knot in her stomach unfurled. "I really like you too," she whispered shyly.
"What's not to like?" Paul joked, lightening the mood and Flick huffed a laugh. "So… I'm gonna go now and you're not gonna hate me, yeah?"
"No, I don't hate you," Flick assured him, beckoning him into a lingering kiss.
"Good," he smiled against her lips. "How about I take you on a proper date tomorrow?"
"I'd like that…" she blushed.
"Alright, I'll pick you up at 7," he smiled, drawing her into a succession of playful kisses. "Night babe," he flashed her a boyish smile as he grabbed his jacket, heading for the door.
"Night Paul," she returned his smile, watching as he slipped out of the room. Once alone, Flick flopped back against the cool sheets, a dreamy smile plastered on her face as she succumbed to the effects of the alcohol still flooding her system and promptly passed out.
~/~
Paul strolled down the incline to the cave, kicking at the loose stones littering his path, exhaling a weary sigh. He could feel his fated connection to Flick growing stronger every day and knew the warmth that flooded his chest every time he was near her was his growing affection and he was starting to worry that everything was going to turn to shit and he'd lose her the minute she learnt the truth about him. Though she didn't seem phased by the talk of vampires and immortals in the slightest, Paul knew it was likely because she truly didn't believe it. It was a whole other ball-park coming face to face to the truth and just thinking about it set him on edge.
"The wanderer returns," David's sly voice spoke up from the shadows.
"How's your soul-mate," Dwayne teased, his brow arching with a crooked smirk.
"You two done the nasty yet? You ain't been gone long, what happened? Got too excited?" Marko coaxed with a shit-eating grin.
"No," Paul sighed. He could still smell the scent of her on his skin and it was driving him crazy.
"Seriously? Fucking hell," Marko gawped in disbelief. Paul didn't blame his closest pack brother for his evident shock due to the fact that if it was any other chick, he'd have charmed her into bed within hours, whether just for sex or for the kill afterward. This was honestly the first time that he'd walked away from a chick and what made it even more torturous was the fact that she was his and he wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anyone in his lifetime, mortal or immortal.
"Does she not succumb to your inherent charms brother? I must say I'm surprised," David cocked his head curiously.
"It's not like that…" Paul pouted, slumping down on the old, battered couch.
"Then what is it man? Tequila dick?" Dwayne questioned.
"Fuck off," Paul scoffed with a chuckle. "No I just… I dunno… she was drunk and I didn't wanna take advantage…"
"N'aww is she a bit of a Sandra Dee?" Marko smirked, biting his thumb nail.
"Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee. Lousy with virginity. Won't go to bed, till I'm legally wed. I can't, I'm Sandra Dee..." Dwayne sang playfully.
"Elvis, Elvis, let me be, keep that pelvis far from me. Just keep your cool, now you're starting to drool. Hey, fungu, I'm Sandra Dee..." Marko joined in whilst David smirked in amusement.
"You're both assholes," Paul smirked, shaking his head in amusement. "Yeah, she's a Sandra Dee but not in a prudish way, just in the innocent way…" he clarified.
"Ah…" David nodded in understanding.
"Well shit, you must really like her to give yourself blue balls," Dwayne stated incredulously.
"She's my mate man, how can I not fucking like her?"
"Being your mate doesn't guarantee that you'd connect in every way, she could be your mate and you'd still want to fuck her but at the same time you could hate her… it all just depends," David shrugged.
"And they called it puppy looooveee," Marko warbled and Dwayne snorted a laugh whilst Paul scowled.
"I don't love her," Paul stated resolutely.
"Yet-" Dwayne countered, "-it's only a matter of time, especially if you're doing such uncharacteristic things like considering her feelings, respecting her-"
"-And wanting to make her first time special, you sappy bastard," Marko mocked.
"I never said I wanted to make her first time special-" Paul argued, "-I just think she deserves better than a drunken fuck and waking up in the morning with stained sheets, a hangover and between her legs stinging like she sat on a swarm of fucking bees…"
"N'aawww," Dwayne and Marko chimed in unison whilst David chuckled, shaking his head in obvious amusement.