The water is warm and refreshing, and while the bath tub is definitely not big enough for the both of them, it really doesn't matter, not when Kate's naked and rubbing against him, slowly trailing kisses down the length of his body. Richie leans back on the wall, groaning as she starts jerking him off with her hands, and then her mouth is on him, sucking him off, and every coherent thought leaves his brain immediately.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
He's fantasised about this many, many times, but it pales in comparison to the actual sensation of her mouth on his cock.
"Do you like this, Richie?"
What the hell? Is she serious? She can't seriously be asking that question. He mumbles something , tightening his grip on her hair.
"Was that a yes?"
Irritated, he looks down, and finds her grinning up at him, her green eyes twinkling with mischief. Fuck, she's hot. She's beautiful. She's his.
"Yeah, I think you definitely like this," she murmurs, her breath hot and tantalising against him. Her lips close around his cock once again, taking him inside her mouth, working him with her tongue, and it's the most incredible thing ever.
He closes his eyes, giving into her.
An hour later he's sitting in bed, propped up against the headboard, watching Kate while she tears into the pecan pie they ordered a few minutes ago. She's wearing one of his shirts and has a huge grin on her face, and he can't remember the last time he's seen her this carefree and happy. She's beaming with joy, glowing even more than she usually does.
"Want some?" she offers.
"You really want to share?" he teases.
"No, not really."
He chuckles.
She sets the plate aside before climbing atop him, straddling him, and angles forward. Palms touching, fingers threaded together, they simply stare into each other's eyes. Silence ensues but it's not awkward; rather it's strangely comfortable. Their relationship has always been so volatile that this tranquil moment is almost unnerving. Then again, he's probably over-thinking this whole thing like he always does. To distract himself from the insecure thoughts that plague him, he starts unbuttoning her shirt, slipping his hand beneath the fabric to caress her breasts.
"Richie?"
"Yeah?" he murmurs, tracing his tongue alone her collarbone. Her arms encircle his back, hugging him tightly.
"When was the last time you fed?"
He pauses. "I'm fine."
"That's not an answer, Richie."
"And you're not my mother, Kate," he snaps, pulling back to look at her. "You don't need to worry about my feeding habits."
"Yeah well, I love you. I'm going to worry. So stop acting like a jerk about it."
A reluctant smile crosses his lips. "You're going to be one of those nagging girlfriend types, aren't you?"
"Damn right."
She starts stroking the hair on the nape of his neck, her expression filled with so much love and affection for him - him - that he almost has a hard time believing this isn't simply another dream.
"You can feed from me if you need to."
He shakes his head 'no'. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Sooner or later it will happen. We might as well just deal with it now."
He shoots her a look of disbelief. "No, it's not. I don't want to put you in any more danger. We still don't know what the hell is going on with you, remember?"
"But we'll figure it out together. Right?"
There's hesitancy in her voice, like she's still unsure whether to trust him or not. He cradles her face, rubbing his thumb against her skin. "Yeah, together. I swear."
"I have to tell you something. I lied to you before."
"And so it begins," he deadpans.
"I... I didn't leave Seth. He came here with me."
Relief surges through Richie. When she'd mentioned Seth earlier, his heart had felt like it was being ripped away from his body again. "Where is he?"
"We have a room on the fourth floor. He's probably sleeping, or maybe watching some lame old movie."
"Why would you lie about that? You have any idea how much it hurt to think of him being alone?"
"Maybe you'll think about that before making decisions for me again."
"Oh, so you were manipulating me to teach me a lesson?"
"Doesn't feel good when someone plays with your feelings, does it?" She glares at him. "After I heard your message I was angry, and hurt, and I couldn't believe I let myself trust you again. But Seth calmed me down, reminded me how high-handed you can get when you're freaking out."
Before he can defend himself, she clamps her hand over his mouth.
"Just because you're a frickin' genius doesn't mean you get to control people," Kate continues. "Besides, it wasn't a complete lie. A part of me did want to leave Seth, go back to being alone again because it was just easier to shut myself off. But I realised I couldn't. I love him." Her eyes soften, brimming with uncertainty. "As much as I love you. And I can't walk away from either one of you."
Her words are like magic, healing the broken parts of him that he always thought were unfixable. His chest tightens, like his heart is about to explode any moment now. Cupping her face he closes his lips over hers, kissing her tenderly, worshipping her the way she deserves.
Maybe it's because he's hungry, or horny, or just so ridiculously happy but the control he has over the vampire part of him suddenly dissipates and in an instant the culebra takes over. His fangs sink into her lips and she exhales a sharp gasp of pain. Immediately he pulls away, ashamed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Her tongue licks the blood from her lips and he forces himself to avert his gaze from her, to not let her see how much he wants to taste her.
"Look at me, Richie."
He meets her stare, preparing himself for the horror that's sure to be in her eyes. Hell, he still remembers how fucking disgusted he was at his first glimpse of the culebras.
It's his turn to be surprised when she reaches out to touch him, her fingers tracing the ridges on his face.
"Why are you so tense? What's wrong?" she asks.
"I know seeing me like this isn't easy."
"I'm not going to lie. I like it better when you're yourself but this face, this is also a part of you. And you don't have to keep it hidden from me."
"You don't have to say that. I know I probably disgust you when I'm like this."
She holds his face, peering at him closely. "Do I look disgusted?"
"No." It's not a lie. She really doesn't.
"Then shut up and kiss me."
He does just that, pulling her close. His fangs recede, his face transitions back and he grips her waist and rolls over until she's lying underneath him.
"Promise me something," she murmurs.
He nips her chin. "What?"
"You'll be here when I wake up."
"What makes you think I'm going to let you sleep tonight?"
She gives him a soft smile. "Just promise me."
"I'll be here. Don't worry." He flashes a grin. "Now can I fuck you?"
Giggling, she loops her arms around him. "I like it when you talk dirty to me."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Soon she's on top again, riding him, fucking him, and he tells her exactly how much he loves her hot, tight pussy.
Richie wakes up with a start at the sound of Kate's scream next to him. She's thrashing in bed, still asleep, and he holds her down forcibly to calm her. "Wake up, Kate. You're dreaming. It's only a dream."
It's a few minutes before she finally stops struggling against him. Her face is covered in sweat, body limp. Fear courses through him at the thought of her passing out again like she did the last time. "Kate? Open your eyes. You're safe. You're fine. I'm right here," he pleads. "Please."
She looks up at him, starts shaking in his arms and sobbing uncontrollably. "Scott. They're hurting Scott," she whimpers. "I have to help him. I have to go to him."
"It's just a nightmare, Kate."
Pushing him away, she curls up into a ball.
He feels helpless, impotent. How is he supposed to fix this? How can he help her? Panic ripples through him, his nerves are shot to hell. Grabbing the cell, he calls Seth.
His brother's voice is groggy when he picks up. "What?"
"I'm in 1809. Kate's freaking out and I have no idea what to do."
"I'm coming."
Putting the phone down , he turns to look at Kate again. She's still crying, trembling, and there's absolutely nothing he can do. The memories of watching his brother being tortured by their bastard of a father returns to assault him, bringing with it the utter feeling of powerlessness that used to make him sick to his stomach.
He reaches out to hold her in his arms while he waits for his brother.
