Demetri
Ivy played her violin and I sat in contented silence. She had opened her bedroom window; I suspect so that I could hear her better. She stood at her open window as she played, probably also for my benefit. It did not matter what songs she played. Some were classical, some were more contemporary, all were beautifully played. Sometimes she would play along to a recording so that she could have the full effect of an orchestra behind her.
This woman had enthralled me in a mere few days. I had never felt such a draw to a human and certainly never in so short a time.
I heard the conversation she'd had with her parents. She would soon be looking for accommodation in Seattle. I knew I could find her wherever she went. I had had ample opportunity to catch her 'trace', as I called it. I had only to meet someone once and then I could find them anywhere in the world. Ivy Donovan would not escape me.
She had seemed receptive enough to my advances. When she told me she had been in a relationship with another vampire, I knew it had to be with one of the Cullens. I wondered which one had stolen her heart and why on Earth they would have left her. I was not clear on the particulars but one thing was certain: the Cullen that had let her go had been a complete and utter fool. Their loss was my gain.
All too soon, her three hours of practice were over. I felt such a sense of loss when she stowed her instrument away. I watched as she stretched, arching her back with her arms above her head. She bit her lip – how I loved when she did that – and peered outside, looking left and right. Seemingly satisfied, she looked towards the tree where I hid. She crossed her arms before her, grasping the hem of her shirt. She turned her back to me and slowly, she brought her arms up and pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it aside. I saw the smooth, pale expanse of her back and her electric blue brassiere. My eyes raked over her almost naked torso. I had not expected my Edera to be such a coy temptress and the suddenness had me dazed.
I did not need to breathe and yet my breath caught in my throat. She was so incredibly beautiful and she had just stripped for me. She turned slightly and I saw her lips lifted in a smirk. She reached up and pushed her window shut and pulled the blinds down. My mouth had fallen open. Surely, she could not think that I would not react to such a bold display.
I sprinted the distance between the tree where I hid and her house. I climbed the drainpipe as I had before. The light in her room was off. I tapped on her window. I heard her soft "what the hell?" She turned on the lights and lifted the blinds. Her eyes were wide when she saw my face at her window and she yelped, jumping back. Her heart thundered in her chest.
"Are you okay?" I heard her mom call from the living room downstairs.
"Yes! Yes, I'm fine! I stubbed my toe on my dresser!" she called, still staring at me.
I motioned for her to open the window which she did. There seemed to be a screen in my way so I removed it, handing it to Ivy before swinging myself lightly into her room. She was dressed in her sleep attire of plaid pants and an oversized t-shirt. I imagined her in a short, silk nightgown, vowing to buy her one and I would ask her to burn these old rags.
"What are you doing!?" she whispered, setting the screen aside.
"Did you really think I would just walk away after your little striptease?" I whispered back and gave her a lustful grin.
"You shouldn't be here," she said and I heard her heart rate pick up even further as I took a step closer to her and she took one back.
She matched me step for step until she backed into her bed. I stopped, giving her the space she seemed to want.
"Why do you shy away from me?" I asked. Surely one did not divest themselves willingly unless they wished for something amorous in return?
"I would think that's obvious, vampire," she shot. "I don't particularly want to die." She glanced at her bedroom door as if to make a run for it. I frowned.
"I am not going to kill you. Why would I?"
"Seriously?" she said, giving me a disbelieving look. "Are you saying you don't drink humans dry?"
"I certainly do feed on humans. But I mean you no harm," I said, holding my hands up to signify innocence. "You are far too lovely to do away with." I took a small, tentative step forward.
She still looked dubious and then her heart rate sped up and her eyes widened once more.
"You have red eyes," she whispered, horrified.
I had not replaced the dissolved contacts, not thinking I needed them. I had not intended to come this close to Ivy.
"Jasper told me to run if I ever met a red-eyed vampire," she told me and her voice was strained. She started to skirt the bed, never taking her eyes off me.
"Edera, please. I truly do not wish you harm," I told her. "The red eyes are a by-product of feeding on humans. The Cullens and some other covens have golden eyes because they feed on animals." I could not help the look of disgust on my face. Animal blood was intensely revolting.
She said nothing so I continued, "I assume you mean Jasper Cullen?"
"Jasper Hale," she corrected.
"Was he your ex-boyfriend?" She flinched but nodded, still getting closer to her door.
"Edera, where are you expecting to go?" I sighed. "Once out your door, you would flee out the kitchen and even should you get away, your family would be at risk."
She froze her progress.
"Stay away from my family," she hissed. I was surprised by her vehemence.
"Edera," I sighed, getting impatient, "If I had wanted you dead, you would have been many hours ago."
"What do you want from me," she said at last.
"I told you: I want to hear you play the violin, I want to admire your beauty and I want to make you smile. You are captivating, mia violinista." (My violinist)
I took a step towards her. "Enchanting," I said with another step. "Exquisite," I said with a third step. We were almost close enough to touch.
I came to stand directly before her. "May I kiss you, Edera?" I asked tenderly.
"Do I have a choice?" she asked in a small, defeated voice that I did not like.
"You do have a choice, else I would not have asked for your permission," I reasoned. I meant it. If she did not wish to kiss me, I would not force myself on her.
I waited as I watched her expressions change, clearly fighting an internal battle. At last, she leaned forward to close the space between us and pressed her lips gently to mine. I stood completely still until she slid her arms up my chest to rest on the sides of my face, pulling me to her.
I grabbed her hip to pull her even closer and used my other hand to cradle the back of her head as she attacked me with her mouth. I felt the venom pool in my mouth but ignored it. I prided myself on my self-control. One did not live many centuries without learning how to master one's impulses.
I tentatively ran my tongue over her bottom lip and was surprised when she instantly parted them. I gently let my tongue feel hers. The heat of her mouth was incredible. I did not often kiss human women and wondered why I did not do so more often. I felt Edera's tongue move against mine in slow, languid strokes.
I started to move my tongue more forcefully, delving deeper into her mouth. She became even more enthusiastic and I followed her lead until I heard her moan, "Jasper."
I pulled away suddenly, feeling anger and white-hot jealousy shoot through me. She was thinking of another man while kissing me. I may not have been a human male but it was still an insult, alive or undead.
"Why did you stop?" she pouted.
"Edera, when I kiss you, I expect you to kiss me," I told her heatedly.
"But I was kissing you," she said, clearly confused.
"You said Jasper's name," I told her flatly.
"What?" she gasped and flushed red. She buried her face in her hands. I took them in my own, looking at her.
"You are not over him, and that is understandable, but please do not use me as a replacement," I told her.
"I'm really sorry, Demetri. I didn't mean to do that to you," she did not meet my eyes.
I turned to leave but she stilled me with her hand on my arm.
"Will you stay so we can talk a bit? I know so little about vampires and I've got lots of questions," she looked so hopeful I could not refuse.
Ivy
I felt so ashamed and mortified.
This whole situation was of my own making. I have no idea what possessed me to take off my shirt in front of a man I had only just met. I blamed it on my libido and the fact that an insanely attractive man was very obviously interested in me. I thought he might take it as me rewarding him for not killing me. It was definitely ill-judged and I felt a fool for having done such a stupid thing. But really, it had been an incredibly long time since I'd been laid and I'd be lying if I said he didn't turn me on like nothing else had since Jasper.
When I saw him on my window sill, I could not have been more stunned. If he could do it, it means Jasper could have, yet chose not to. Had Jasper just been respecting my privacy or was he not very into clandestine meetings? True, he spent the weekend with me when my parents were away but didn't seem too interested in sneaking around. I found that Demetri here under my parent's roof with the possibility of being caught was a thrill.
To say I was shocked to find out he had red eyes was an understatement. Jasper had said to run if I met one. I couldn't very well run from him in my own home and I couldn't allow him to harm my family. It's the main reason I had kissed him in the first place. I figured if I were to distract him, he wouldn't attack my family. Even if he said he wouldn't, I still didn't believe him. But he never did attempt to drink my family so my kissing him must have worked.
What I didn't count on was how similar kissing him was to kissing Jasper. They had the same cold skin, the same marble firmness, the same feel of strong arms and hands on me. I kept my own tongue away from his teeth the way Jasper had asked of me. I felt the same stinging sensation on my tongue after ours touched. I allowed myself to get carried away, imagining myself back in Jasper's arms. I really hadn't meant to moan Jasper's name. I understood Demetri's anger. I would have been incredibly insulted had Jasper moaned Alice's name while he was with me.
I went to sit on my double bed with my back against the headboard. I motioned for Demetri to sit next to me and he did, our shoulders touching.
I had so many questions about vampirism and Demetri answered all of them as honestly as he could. I learned about their venom and realized that's why my tongue stung after coming into contact with it. He told me he was the best tracker in the world after I asked if he was a gifted vampire. I thought that might be an exaggeration but let it slide. He told me about mates and how rare it was for them to find one. The whole notion intrigued me. Jasper had never mentioned it, even in passing.
"So it's like a soul mate?" I asked.
"Edera, your parents are climbing the steps," he warned. I bolted over to kill the lights as my parents trudged up to bed. I didn't bother to turn my lights on again and sat back next to Demetri once I heard their bedroom door close.
"It is more than a soul mate," he said. "It is as if all other beings cease to matter beyond your mate. Your soul is knitted to theirs and you would do absolutely anything to make your mate happy and they would do the same for you. If one mate dies, the other vampire becomes a shell of their former self. Their other half really is their other half and when one dies, it is as if a part of you has been amputated. You can never be whole again."
"Can you find another?" I asked, thinking of finding love again after a divorce.
"No. There is only ever one mate for everyone which is why most of us do not find ours."
"Have you ever found yours?"
"Alas, no. I am almost afraid to. I would live in constant fear of losing my mate," he said, picking up my hand and toying with my fingers.
"Can you mate with a human?" I asked, thinking of Edward and Bella. Bella had been a shell of herself without Edward.
"Not that I am aware of. It is between vampires. I feel that a human does not have the emotional or mental capacity to comprehend the level of devotion necessary to being a mate."
"Is it possible for your kind to have sex with a human?" I had to ask, feeling anxious that Jasper didn't want me and made up an excuse not to sleep with me.
"It is possible but it requires an extreme amount of self-control. In the throes of passion, it is easy to forget oneself and accidentally break the human," I heard the effort at humour. I could feel him looking at me but I kept my eyes on what little of our joined hands I could see in the dark, enjoying the feel of his cold skin on mine. I felt relief that Jasper didn't want to 'break the human' and it had nothing to do with him not wanting me.
"Can you walk in daylight? Will you burn if you do?" I asked and he chuckled.
"No, we do not burn but we sparkle," he said and I looked at him then.
"Please tell me that's a joke," I said, really hoping that wasn't true.
"I am afraid it is no jest. We really do," he said, sounding sheepish.
"You just became a lot less scary," I told him, half joking and half serious. He chuckled at that. There was a pause before he spoke.
"Would you ever consider becoming one of us?" he asked.
"Absolutely not. I refuse to kill someone to keep myself alive and I need my family. Jasper said I wouldn't be able to see them if I became a vampire," I said adamantly.
"It is not really all that bad," he coaxed, "You would be even more beautiful than you already are, your violin playing would be second to none, all your senses would be improved, you would become nearly indestructible."
"I don't want any of those things," I said quietly. It was the truth.
"Do you know why the Cullens left?" Demetri asked, out of nowhere.
"You know the Cullens?" I asked, surprised.
"Even amongst our kind they are well known. Most of us cannot understand why they feed on animal blood. It is against our very nature," he explained.
I sighed. "Jasper left me a letter saying it was too dangerous for us to stay together. He insinuated he'd end up hurting me if they stayed," I answered him sadly.
"Exactly," he said and I was confused, "If you were to become a vampire, you would not need to be apart. You could spend all of eternity with someone you love, whether it be him or anyone else."
I had never considered it. It was likely the reason Bella wanted to become a vampire. She made a bit more sense to me now but she was still a lunatic for choosing that lifestyle.
"Even so, I still think I'd rather die a normal, natural death," I said honestly. Demetri said nothing and I felt like I had let him down.
"Edera," he said and I looked at him in the darkness, "I know you are not a threat to divulging out secret but there may come a time when you will need to choose. I hope you will reconsider." His tone of voice was pleading.
"Maybe it won't come to that," I said and he agreed half-heartedly.
I changed the subject, telling him all about EAMS and the anonymous donation. He seemed very pleased; more pleased that I thought a virtual stranger should be but I let it go. I told him about the apartment shopping I would be doing on the weekend and he offered to be my roommate and split the rent. I couldn't tell if he was serious but I was glad the conversation had shifted. I let my mind wander to what life would be like, living with a vampire. It was intriguing.
I shuffled down the bed to lie down. I was getting tired. I could just make out Demetri's beautiful face in the weak moonlight. He smiled softly at me and ran his fingers through my hair. I sighed in pleasure, loving the feeling. I fell asleep to the rhythm of his strokes and his whisper of "Sweet dreams, mia dolcezza." (My sweet)
I took in a deep breath when I awoke. I looked over to where Demetri had been and found him gone. I wasn't surprised. In his vacated place, I saw he had placed a single red rose. I picked it up with a sigh like a ridiculously smitten girl. It was such a cliché but I loved it. Jasper had once given me a bouquet of roses. I had pressed a few petals in one of our Encyclopedia Brittanica volumes and kept them. I retrieved the book from my bookcase and shook it. Five pressed rose petals fluttered to the floor. I looked at them for a moment before picking them up and tossing them in the trash. He wasn't coming back and I needed to move on. No doubt he had already forgotten about me.
"I will never love anyone as much as I love you," he had written. I didn't even need to read the letter; I had memorized it long ago. I rummaged through the mess on my desk and found the letter, slightly crumpled at this point, and retrieved Jasper's cowboy hat from the armchair in the corner of my room. I put the letter inside the hat and stashed both of them deep in my closet on a high shelf. I needed to get rid of any traces of him in my life. I couldn't believe I didn't have a picture of him. He wasn't even in the yearbook. None of the Cullens were. Maybe things were better off this way.
I called Kelly and asked to meet up for lunch. She agreed and we went to the diner. There really weren't that many restaurants in Forks. We chatted for a bit. She told me how her job looking after children was going. She loved it and little kids had always liked her. I told her about EAMS and the mystery benefactor. She was excited by the prospect saying it was a secret admirer. I rolled my eyes, those sorts of things never happened in real life. I had to leave to start packing my things for my impending move to Seattle.
I placed my things in boxes while I had Lisa on speakerphone.
"You got into EAMS! Way to go, girl! I knew you would," Lisa cheered.
"Thanks! But get this: the entire first year's tuition was paid for by someone," I told her.
"You mean you didn't get a scholarship?" she asked.
"No. I was really upset until I got a letter from the school saying they were pleased I had accepted the spot they offered me. I called them and they said they had received the whole year's tuition fee from an anonymous donor," I explained.
"Really? That's as creepy as it is sweet. What, do they want sexual favours in return, or something?"
"That's the thing! It's unconditional. I mean, I have to go to EAMS because I can't get the cash value for it but you know how it's always been what I wanted. I'm going to be moving to Seattle soon to get settled before I start."
"Do you think it might be from Jasper?" she asked, cautiously.
"I thought that at first too but I don't see how. He doesn't know I got accepted," I said sadly. Desperate to change the subject, I asked, "How about you? How's Ithaca?"
"Ithaca is great! It's really lovely here during the summer. I'm not sure how I'll fare in the winter. It's a lot colder here than it is in Washington. But the shopping in New York City makes up for it. You'll have to come and visit sometime!"
"I will definitely take you up on that!"
"There's also a lot of fine guys around here. I'm hoping to snag one and maybe he'll have a friend I can convince you to hook up with."
"Actually, I met someone," I told her, holding my phone away from me, knowing how she'd react.
I was right. The shriek from the other end of the line would have made a banshee proud. I had been deafened many times until I learnt when to predict them.
"Oh my god! Tell me everything! Do you have pictures?" she asked, excited beyond reason.
"I don't have any pictures but I'll try to get some," I promised. "His name is Demetri. He's Italian and let me tell you, there is nothing sexier than him whispering Italian in my ear," I held the phone away again and heard another shriek.
"You lucky bitch!" she cried and i knew she held no hard feelings about it.
"He calls me Edera. It's Ivy in Italian," I grinned.
"Way to rub my face in it, Ivy," she grumbled good naturedly. "Does he have a brother?"
"I don't know, but I'm sure he's got friends," I told her.
"I need to meet them," she said. "We'll go at it like rabbits, pop out some kids and live happily ever after."
I laughed, "I think you're getting ahead of yourself, hon."
"Yeah. But a girl can hope!"
"Changing subjects, I still can't believe you got into Cornell. Did you lie on your application or something?" I teased.
"Hey! I resent that," she laughed, "No, I did not lie. Contrary to popular belief, I do have a decent head on my shoulders."
"Yeah, I know you do but I still think you've got some faulty wiring inside it," I joked.
We bantered and chatted a bit more about inconsequential things. We eventually said goodbye, her saying she was going to give Kelly a call.
I packed all unnecessary things up until suppertime.
"You know my realtor friend, Lucy?" my mom turned to me at the table.
"Yeah."
"She e-mailed me a bunch of apartment listings in Seattle. We've lined up a few showings for Saturday," she told me and handed me printouts of the apartments. They were at the top end of my budget and as such were small but at least they were close to the school. I started getting excited.
"Can I come too?" Lily asked.
"Sure! She can come, right Mom?" I asked.
"Of course you can, sweetie," my mom told Lily and she cheered.
I ended up renting the first apartment I had looked at. It was a cozy little one-bedroom apartment in a safe neighborhood that was mostly tenanted by elderly couples. The landlord was a sweet little old lady whose husband had died a year previous. Her name was Edna and she told me the unit's walls were thick enough that my violin wouldn't bother anybody. It checked off that box. As good as I was, not everyone wanted to hear three hour practices every day. I secretly hoped it would be sound proof enough for some other type of activities as well. Demetri and I had been doing quite well together…
We had been seeing each other often, sometimes in my bedroom. I still hadn't kissed him properly yet, beyond the disaster of our first kiss, and he told me he was happy to wait for me. He didn't rush me even though I knew he wanted more from me. I wanted more too but needed to make Jasper a permanent part of my past. I was nearly there. I was even angry at him for telling me to stay away from red-eyed vampires. Had I listened to him, I would never have been involved with Demetri and that would have been a shame.
Jasper had been a true Southern gentleman but Demetri was a perfect, old-world gentleman. Everything about Demetri screamed elegance. They way he moved, the way he dressed, they way he talked. That he was interested in me boggled my mind.
I was a bit more mature now. After my romance with Jasper, I had learnt a few things about myself. I wouldn't allow myself to be completely swept off my feet by any man, keeping my wits about me. I wanted to be with someone stable. Not that Jasper was unstable – or maybe he was. I could still see his feral expression from Bella's birthday when I closed my eyes – but he did have issues he needed to resolve about his past. He never told me what they were but I felt like they held him back. I also didn't ache when I thought back on our time together.
I had also been coming around to the idea of getting physical with a corpse. Or reanimated corpse, as Demetri often reminded me. If Jasper had even bothered to stick around, I could have told him so and we might still have ended up together. But that ship had sailed.
Demetri and I would talk often about all sorts of things. From what I could tell, he was far more worldly than Jasper. He was erudite and sophisticated. He had a sort of arrogance I had seen when I first saw him in the record shop and if anyone was entitled to have a bit of an ego, it was him. I found his confidence attractive. We often went out to Port Angeles on dates. He often held my hand as we walked and once told me he'd take great pleasure in kissing me in public, letting everyone know we were together. We both knew that we were headed towards a romantic relationship and by that time, I was ready for it. Jasper was a mere memory.
It was finally time to officially move in to my new apartment. I didn't have much to move. I had bought a new couch, a table and two chairs, some used furniture and a new bed. I splurged and bought a queen-sized mattress. It took up a ridiculous amount of space but it's one thing I had insisted on. I had hoped to be sharing it with Demetri. I said nothing about that to my parents, but I had told them about Demetri. We were very open as a family and my parents weren't oblivious to the amount of time I had spent out and about, especially in Port Angeles.
They insisted on meeting him so once all my meagre furniture had been moved in, I invited Demetri over.
My parents and Lily settled on the couch and Demetri and I occupied the chairs. Demetri had already charmed my family with his impeccable manners. My parents had always been sticklers for etiquette with me and Lily and Demetri's refinement did not go unnoticed or unappreciated.
"Ivy, how have you managed to snag such gorgeous boys? Not that you're not a beautiful girl but the boys you bring home are just so…so…" my mom struggled to find the right word, "Perfect. Aesthetically, at least."
I just smiled and shrugged. I peered out the doorway of the galley kitchen to sneak a glance at Demetri talking to my dad as my mom and I were getting some drinks.
"I'm glad you've moved on to someone better. I still can't believe Jasper just left and didn't even tell you where he was going. If I ever see that boy again, I'll give him a piece of my mind. No one treats my baby girl that way," she growled, going all mama bear.
"Mom, you've said that a million times already. It's over and done with; water under the bridge. I've let it go and you should too," I chuckled. I think my mom was more upset than I was.
Lily skipped in then. "Does Demetri have a younger brother?" she asked. I quirked an eyebrow and gave her a look.
"What?" she asked, "I have eyes, you know," she crossed her arms looking a lot like my mom.
My mom and I laughed. "Don't worry, sweetie. We'll find you someone when you're much, much older."
"Will I get boys as pretty as Ivy's?" she asked.
God, I hope not, I thought, hoping Lily didn't end up with a vampire. It was a difficult relationship to have.
"Even prettier," I told her. She seemed satisfied and us girls went back to the open-plan living room.
My dad and Demetri were talking about soccer. It was odd to see my impeccably dressed boyfriend talking about sports like a normal young man. He was anything but.
"Well, it's getting late," my dad declared. The sun had started its descent and my parents had decided to head home. It was nearing Lily's bedtime anyway. This was my first time sleeping in my own place and it was a big deal for me. I hugged my family and said my goodbyes, promising to call every night.
"I put a housewarming gift in the medicine cabinet for you," my mom whispered as she hugged me.
When she pulled away, I saw the smirk on her face and the mischievous glint in her eye. I raised an eyebrow but she said nothing more. I closed the door behind them and turned to Demetri.
"My mom said she left me something in the medicine cabinet," I told him, so I headed to the bathroom with Demetri behind me.
I opened the door, saw what was inside and slammed it shut, my face flaming red, before running out of the bathroom. I heard Demetri open the cabinet and start laughing hard. He joined me back on the couch.
"I love your mother," he managed to say, still laughing.
My mom had gifted me a large box of condoms.
"I guess she likes you too if she's okay with us being together," I told him.
Demetri got off the couch and crouched in front of me with a devastating smile. He took my hands in his.
"We will not do anything you do not want to do. You know this, right?" he asked. I gave his hands a squeeze.
"I know and I can't tell you how much your patience means to me," I told him sincerely. Many men would not be so considerate.
Demetri stood as I did. It was such a graceful motion that I felt jealous. I'd never move as smoothly as he did.
"I liked that fake struggling you did when lifting the couch," I grinned. He could have lifted the entire damn thing by himself but put on a good human act, asking my dad for help.
"I can see why the Cullens like to live among humans. It was amusing," he told me with a smile. His mention of the Cullens didn't even faze me.
I stood chest to chest with him and tilted my head up to look at him. I could see the red irises start to show as his venom slowly dissolved the contacts he wore. I had learnt to compartmentalize his feeding habits. I was uncomfortable when I caught myself thinking about it and tried not to. I had often stared into his red eyes, learning to love the various flecks of reds that I saw there, ranging from deep maroon to bold crimson to vivid scarlet.
I felt Demetri place his hands on my hips. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down for our first true kiss. I felt him squeeze his hands and brought one up to the back of my neck, the cold against my sensitive skin causing goosebumps to form. I sighed into it, loving his hard lips and the way his cold tongue licked my bottom lip. I opened my mouth and let him explore it, enjoying the way our tongues touched. I welcomed the now familiar sting, getting a thrill now that I knew it was from his venom.
He pulled away, meeting my eyes. "Who are you kissing, Edera?" he whispered, staring into my eyes with intensity.
"Entirely you, Demetri…" I paused, "Oh god, I don't even know your last name!" Why had it never occurred to me?! Demetri chuckled.
"Last names do not matter over much to us and I cannot recall my true last name but I use Volturi," he told me.
"Demetri Volturi," I said, testing it out. It worked for me.
"I'm kissing you, Demetri Volturi," I told him. He gifted me a dazzling smile.
"Oh Edera," he groaned and moved to have me sit on the couch and I gasped when he straddled me. His weight was on his knees on either side of my thighs, not on me, and he leaned over me with my head resting on the back of the couch as he devoured me. It took all my willpower not to say 'bite me'. Had he been human, I would have already done so but he told me that one bite and the venom would spread, turning me into a vampire. It was the last thing I wanted.
I pushed against Demetri's rock-hard chest and he pulled back. I panted, gasping for breath, staring into his eyes that were pure obsidian. Jasper's had been the same when he was turned on. I finally caught my breath and pulled his lips back down to mine.
"I'm not done yet," I mumbled against his mouth and heard his growl in return.
I tilted my head as he kissed and licked my jaw. I moaned loudly when he nibbled my ear lobe, not breaking the skin. I had slid my hands under his shirt and felt the impossibly flawless skin of his back. I raked my nails lightly down the length and he made an appreciative sound.
"Lean back," I ordered, pressing against his chest. He leaned away with a curious look. I focused on my hands that were unbuttoning his shirt. I could see his chest rising and falling as he watched. Undoing the last button, I slid my hands up his chest and over his shoulders, pushing the shirt off. He brought his hands behind his back to tug the sleeves off and it gave me an unobstructed view of his perfectly toned torso.
"Demetri, you're so fucking gorgeous," I told him.
"Such dirty words from such a pretty mouth," he said, kissing me deeply. "It is so fucking sexy," he growled.
Hearing him swear was just as sexy as his Italian and I felt a familiar throb below my belt.
"May I?" he indicated my shirt.
"Please do," I held my hands above my head in anticipation.
Demetri took the hem of my shirt and lifted it ever so slowly and I was insanely glad I had worn a pretty bra that made my breasts look great. I hadn't anticipated this but lately had been wearing my nicest lingerie just in case.
He started to kiss my neck and I didn't flinch away the way I had with Jasper. He inhaled deeply and I knew he could smell the blood pumping feverishly through my veins.
"Do I smell good?" I asked, threading my hands into his gorgeous hair.
"Exquisitely so," he mumbled against my neck. I must have been addicted to danger because I knew how dangerous it was to have a vampire's teeth so close to my neck and yet I reveled in it, finding that danger made me more excited than mere sensuality ever could.
He moved his lips further down, nipping the soft skin at the hollow of my throat. He continued downward towards my clavicle, licking the length of each one. The venom cooling on my skin tingled instead of stinging and the feeling went down to my core. I let my head fall to the back of the couch and arched my back in pleasure. Demetri wrapped his fingers around my ribs and back, holding me still in the arched position. He dropped his head even further and kissed the tops of my breasts. I felt one hand slide behind me and hover there, silently asking for permission.
I was almost delirious with pleasure. "Oh god, please take it off," I whimpered.
With a swift flick of his cold fingers, I felt the offending garment slide down my shoulders and get tossed to the side. I opened my eyes to see his expression. I saw pure lust written across his face. I swear I nearly lost it when his tongue darted out to moisten his lips.
"Bellissima," he whispered. "Hands on your head, if you please, Edera." I placed my hands one atop the other on my head so I was fully exposed.
He brought his hands to palm my breasts and I closed my eyes again, allowing sensation to take over. I gave a soft cry when he flicked my hardened, aching nipples. I balled my hands into fists, still held above my head.
"Did you like that, naughty girl?" he asked, knowing full well that I did.
"Yes! Yes! More," I was only just able to say. He did it again and my mouth cried of its own volition, "Pinch me hard!"
He did and I knew that my undies were completely soaking wet and I didn't give a damn. I gave a jolt and a cry as I felt his cold tongue lave one nipple and I dropped my hands to grab fistfuls of his hair, holding him to me. I was starting to feel that stinging sensation again and it felt amazing. Pain and pleasure. He took the erect nipple into his mouth, applying the most delicious suction. He grazed it every so lightly with his teeth and I keened in ecstasy. Jasper certainly had never done that. He repeated the same thing on the other breast and I was a hot mess of trembling, quivering limbs and incoherent cries of pleasure. I trailed my hands down Demetri's back and came to rest on his ass. It felt even better than it looked and that was saying something.
I pushed his ass down onto me and he ground against my hips. I could feel his length against me and slid one hand there to palm him through his trousers. He inhaled sharply and groaned, still attached to my breasts. He pulled away and the lack of his mouth on me was disappointing but he made up for it by putting his hands on my shoulders and throwing his head back in ecstasy, grinding into my hand.
Oh god, I have never seen anything so sexy, I thought, watching him move his hips against me forcefully. He was picking up speed and I let out a surprise yelp as one of his hands shot up and grabbed my hair, roughly pulling my head back and exposing my neck. He grazed my neck with his teeth harder than he ever had before and time seemed to stop. I realized that he was going to bite me and this was how I would die. The pleasure was still coursing through my veins, making it hard for me to think clearly.
"Please don't!" I managed to choke out in fear. I truly didn't want to become a vampire or get drained by one. Repeatedly, I found danger to be arousing but now that death was knocking at my door, I was terrified.
That seemed to shake his focus as he pulled back faster than I could see and suddenly he was as far from the couch as you could get in my tiny apartment.
He had such a distressed look on his face that it broke my heart.
"Edera," his voice was barely above a whisper and it broke as he spoke, "Please forgive me. I nearly…nearly…" he gestured helplessly.
"Hey, it's okay," I told him and rose to go near him but he nearly shouted at me to stay back. It reminded me of saying the same thing to Carlisle when I had discovered what the Cullens were.
Demetri was having trouble staying calm. I could see the subtle trembling of his hands. He was muttering angrily in Italian.
"Demetri," I said his name but he gave no indication he had heard. "Demetri!" I said louder and his gaze snapped to mine with a tormented look. "You didn't hurt me," I said calmly. I didn't understand why I wasn't terrified of him, just terrified of the near death experience. I should have been. Maybe it was because the threat of death was no longer imminent.
"But I wanted to," he said, hanging his head.
"But you didn't," I repeated. I realized I was completely topless and found my shirt, pulling it on. "You didn't break the human," I told him gently. "Actually, the human enjoyed herself immensely," my attempt at levity failed.
"That is not the issue!" he roared and I jumped. "I should have better control! I have walked this Earth for so long that I should be able to restrain myself," he looked up at me and I must have looked frightened because his voice softened, "I am not mad at you, Edera. I am angry at myself."
I gave him a sympathetic look. I approached him cautiously and deliberately. He didn't say anything. He watched as I came up to him and placed a hand against his face. He leaned into the touch and closed his eyes, taking a deep, calming breath.
"It's okay," I said softly.
"I do not deserve your kindness," he said.
"Deserve it or not, it's yours," I said.
"I love you, Edera," he told me tenderly but still upset. "Please!" he began seeing I was about to speak, "You need not say anything in return but I needed you to know," he said. I wasn't going to say I loved him because I didn't. At least not yet. I was going to tell him that everything was going to be alright.
But to hear him say he loved me was quite a shock. I felt such a rush of tenderness flood me when he had said it and though I didn't quite love him, I felt my attachment to him grow at his declaration.
"I could not live with myself if I had hurt you," he said, pained. "I am unworthy of you."
I was silent for a moment. This sounded awfully similar to the letter Jasper had written me.
"Don't you dare leave me because of this!" I said fiercely, grabbing his shoulders.
"How can you still want me around you?" he asked in wonder.
"I care about you, Demetri," I told him, "I want to be with you. We can work this out. Maybe take things slower if that makes it easier for you," I said earnestly. "You waited for me. I can wait for you."
"That means more to me than you can possibly know," he touched his forehead to mine. "I need to go," he said after a moment, going back to the couch to find his shirt.
"Will you come back?" I asked, feeling panicked. I had a real fear of abandonment because of Jasper, damn him.
"I promise not to leave your side until you ask me to go," he told me and dropped a kiss on my forehead.
I released a breath I was holding. "Where are you going?" I asked, pretty sure I knew.
"I am…hungry," he said hesitantly, knowing I wasn't comfortable with his eating habits. I rummaged through the bowl on a side table in the entrance and held out my spare key. He took it reverently. "Thank you." He looked touched. "Don't wait up," he said with a soft smile as he left.
A/N: Okay, this wasn't exactly a lemon but hopefully just citrusy enough for those of you who wanted some action.
For those of you missing Jasper, he's back in the next chapter. Any guesses on how he's feeling?
Thank you my lovely readers! Each and every review/follow/favourite fills me with joy. The only thing better would be Jasper and Demetri hanging out at my place but as that won't happen, I'll have to settle for the feedback from you. ;)