Author's note: The first moments in this popped into my head and I decided this was a good place to put it. I hope you enjoy! And Please feel free to review and let me know what you think.

Happy reading!

Chapter Twelve

Adrian's hands moved slowly over my naked flesh. His lips brushed mine fleetingly, nipping at my bottom lip. His fangs scraped slowly across my jaw. He took my earlobe in his mouth and swirled his tongue around it as he sucked gently.

His hand dipped between my thighs and started rubbing the aching throb that had become familiar. A moan escaped my throat.

"Sydney?" He said softly in my ear.

My eyes fluttered open. I was fully dressed and Adrian was looking at me in amusement.

"Having a good dream?" He asked, his mouth tilted up to one side.

I felt my cheeks redden. "What was I…?"

"You were just, um, moaning. And writing a little."

"Oh, my god." I rolled over and pressed my face into the pillow.

"I hope it was me."

"It was." I said into the pillow. I turned my head. "How embarrassing."

He chuckled and moved closer to me, draping his arm across my back. "It happens to everyone. Don't tell me you've never had a dream like that."

"I have, but not with you in the same bed."

He kissed me. "If we were having sex, it wouldn't be an issue."

"We agreed not to talk about it for four months." I rolled out of the bed and stood.

He looked at me helplessly. "I wasn't being entirely serious."

"Maybe just a little." I walked out of the door and into his kitchen.

There I was met with Eddie and Jill sitting very close together, hands clasped on the table between them. As soon as I stepped in the room, whatever whispered conversation they were having abruptly ended.

"Hello." I said awkwardly. I took a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and quickly left. I closed the bedroom door and leaned against it. "There's something going on between Jill and Eddie. They're holding hands in the kitchen."

He looked at me critically for a minute. "That's all they were doing?"

"They were having some sort of intense discussion that stopped when I walked in."

He got up and pushed me gently away from the door. He walked out and stomped into the kitchen. "What the hell?"

I followed. The two were now at opposite ends of the room, looking guilty.

"Adrian, don't be angry." Jill started plaintively.

"Don't be angry? You were just sucking face with a guy you couldn't stand to be in the same room with yesterday. Not to mention he's got a girlfriend." He rounded on the guardian. "What the hell are you thinking? You can't play with someone's emotions like that. You can't have it all. End it with one person before you start it with another." He was yelling.

"I think Angeline wants to break up with me."

"And Rose thought Dimitri would never love her again." He countered. He advanced and got in Eddie's face. "Don't play games with someone's heart, especially Jill's." He left, slamming the bedroom door behind him.

Jill cried softly in the corner. Then she ran out of the kitchen and pounded on Adrian's bedroom door. "I kissed him." She said in a choked sob. "Don't blame Eddie for your broken heart." Then she walked away and closed herself in the guest room.

"I'm sorry." The guardian said softly. "I need to take a look outside." He walked away slowly.

I let myself back into Adrian's bedroom where he paced like a caged animal. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head again.

"Do you want to go back to bed?"

"Do you ever stop talking?" He snapped.

"If you want to be angry about all this fine. But don't take it out on me. I didn't do anything." I opened the drawer that contained my clothes and I started dressing.

"What are you doing?"

"You obviously don't want me here." I exchanged my pajama pants for a pair of jeans.

"What? Yes, I do. Stop it."

"When you stop comparing me to Rose—"

"Hold on a minute." He grabbed my arms. "Rose? What does she have to do with any of this?"

"I could never be her. Ever. Even when I tried…" I trailed off when the tears burned at my eyes and nose.

He gathered me in his arms. "No, you could never be Rose. And I like that about you. I love it about you." He smoothed his hand over my hair and back. "Don't leave. It's the middle of the night."

I whispered, "Do you ever think about her? In comparison to me?"

He hesitated. "I did at first. But now she's a friend. Only a friend. Never, ever can she compare to you. You're perfect. Beautiful. Smart. A constant challenge to me. And I love you, Sydney. I want to be shackled to you for the rest of my life. Now if that doesn't mean anything…"

"You're still angry with her."

"You don't get hurt that badly and not still sting when you're reminded of it. And I don't want Jill to have to go through that. It was bad enough when she had to go through it with me." He pulled away and placed his hands gently on the sides of my face, turning it up so I could see his eyes. They were glistening with unshed tears. "I was mad. I am mad. But not at you."

I put my hands on top of his. "I never want to hurt you like that."

He kissed me hard on the mouth. His fangs pressed into my lips and I jerked away.

"I can't do anything right." He mumbled, climbing back into the bed.

"Hey, wait." I got into the bed beside him. "I'm sorry. I forget about your fangs sometimes."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Well, in my dream I was having earlier, you were scraping them across my jaw and I liked it. A lot." I cupped his cheek and stroked it with my thumb. "Maybe you're not mad at me, but you sure are mad at yourself."

He rested his forehead against mine. "Just hold me, Sydney. Hold me and stay with me."

"Until the very last minute, Adrian." I kissed him softly. I lifted my other hand and parted his lips, looking at his teeth in the dark.

He darted his tongue out and wrapped it around my finger, closing his lips around it.

I pulled it away and kissed his nose.

He smiled and pulled me closer. "You can go back to sleep. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"You have to go to work in a few hours."

"I love you, Adrian. Never forget that."

"I won't." He kissed me. "I love you too."

I was just starting to doze off when Sydney's alarm sounded. I let her turn it off and then pulled her back to me. "Can't you call in sick or something?"

"Not working with my mother." She pressed a quick kiss to my lips and then got up. "I could probably get away with it before you moved here and were just visiting. But you and I share a bed every night. There's no excuse."

I watched her gather her clothes. When she turned to leave the room, I said, "I'm sorry about last night."

"I am too." She smiled and then left.

I rolled over and went back to sleep.

Sydney slid into bed behind me a short time later and kissed the back of my neck. "Sit with me while I drink a cup of coffee?"

"Only if you eat something." I mumbled.

She sighed and kissed my neck again. "Anything for you, Adrian." She got up and I followed.

I stretched. "I really need to work out this sleep schedule."

"You do. You haven't slept at all, have you?"

"Just now." I followed her out of the room. "Give me a minute." I ducked into the bathroom and took care of some business, including brushing my teeth.

When I returned to the kitchen, Sydney was removing a slice of toast from the toaster. She sat down with a mug of coffee and the slice of toast. Nothing else.

I sighed. "Seriously?"

"I'm eating, Adrian. Like you asked."

"Just…"

"Stop." She said, reaching her hand out and putting it on top of mine. "I don't want to fight. I don't eat a lot, especially in the morning. Just get used to that."

"Get used to you starving yourself?"

"I'm working on it." She kissed my knuckles and sat back once again with her coffee. "What are you going to do today? After you get some sleep, that is."

"Try to talk to Jill."

She looked at me critically for a while. "She's stronger than you give her credit for sometimes, sweetheart."

I smiled. She'd never called me anything other than my name. If I called attention to it, she would get embarrassed and probably never do it again. So I didn't. "I guess. It's kind of rotten that he's still dating Angeline and trying to get with Jill."

"Jill said she kissed him. If anyone is trying to get with anyone, it's her." She finished her coffee and stood. "I have to go." She kissed me. "I love you."

"Love you." I called to her retreating back.

Jill emerged a few minutes later. "I haven't slept." She sat down beside me and put her head on my shoulder. "I'm an awful person."

I chuckled and wrapped my arm around her waist. "You like him. He likes you. It happens." I leaned my head against hers. "Before anything else happens, though, he needs to break up with Angeline."

"But I don't want to be his rebound."

"If he loves you—really loves you—it's not a rebound."

She kissed my cheek and then sat back. "You're a great big brother, you know."

"I always wanted a little sister." I yawned. "I need sleep. So do you. Let's continue this in a few hours."

"That sounds like a good idea." She stood and stretched. "Good morning." She smiled and left.

I smiled and went to my own room. There was a text from Sydney waiting on my phone. "Made it to work. See you later. Love you."

"Love you too." I sent back and then immediately fell into a deep slumber.

Mom and I chatted almost ceaselessly all morning as we went from one project to the next. I was bent over the engine of an old Buick changing out a belt when Mom suddenly stopped talking.

Then she asked, "Sydney, are you a virgin?"

My grip on the wrench slipped and I scraped my knuckles. "Ouch!" I stepped back and looked at my hand.

"Sorry, I didn't mean…It's just the things you say about Adrian and how you act with him make me think…You don't have to answer." She picked up my discarded wrench and finished up for me as I washed up in a nearby sink.

"I am." I answered. "We're waiting." I wrapped up my hand in a paper towel and walked back over. "Not like we don't want to. We just haven't yet because he's too much of a gentleman and I'm too much of a coward."

She smiled at me as she closed the hood of the car. "Not a coward. Never you." She walked to the driver's side. "And it's admirable. Get the garage door, please."

I walked over and pushed the button to open the door as I thought about the exchange we had just had. I was preparing myself for it to happen, but we had another four months until we discussed it again. But waking up to that dream had me wondering all day if perhaps we needed to go one more step or just keep on as we have been.

I loved falling asleep beside him and waking up with him. Adding sex into the mix would probably make it all that more complicated. And I didn't want complicated right now. Or did I? I had four months to figure it out.