Chapter 12: Next Day

Kimberly felt movement around her and slowly opened her eyes from the most amazing dream. As she slowly stretched out her body she felt a wonderful sensation that made her eyes open quickly. Looking down at her was Ashton's handsome face.

"Good morning beautiful," he said easily as he brushed some of her hair from her face.

"It wasn't just a dream," she said before she could stop herself.

He smiled, "No, it was very real."

She moved to sit up in the bed keeping the sheet with her against the slight chill in the air she knew was normal for a vampire. Quickly she brushed her hand through her hair and rubbed her eyes wondering just how bad her makeup was. "You look adorable trying to put yourself together."

She looked over at him matching his smile, "You were always a charmer."

Ashton sat up in bed with her pulling her hand into him, "Last night didn't go as well as I had planned." Sensing her heart beat pick up he scolded himself inwardly. "No last night was enchanting, you were enchanting. I simply meant that I had intended to tell you of my feelings in a better way but you…you make me stumble over my words."

"I think it's sweet," she leaned into him and placed a kiss to his lips. "And I wouldn't change a thing about last night. Just…"

"Just what?"

She shook her head, "You didn't feed from me. You always used to bite down at least even if you didn't feed. Was there something the matter to stop you?"

Ashton stroked her golden skin beneath his finger as he tried to gather his words to make sense. "I wanted to feed from you. I know you offered me your neck and it is a very delectable neck I know but it didn't feel right. I didn't want last night to be like before."

He took a deep breath finding it easier to make sense of his words when he did. "You are not a freshie any longer and when I bite you, and I very much hope you'll allow me to, I want it to…I don't know how to explain it. I don't want it to be an arrangement as it was in the past but…something more."

Kimberly felt tears fill her eyes as he spoke and stumbled. "I want that too."

He wiped at the tear as it fell, "Is this because you are happy?"

She nodded, "Yes."

"Good," he kissed her forehead. "Why don't you go do whatever you need to do and I'll grab myself a drink and order you breakfast."

Kimberly smiled happily at him as she crawled out of his bed and headed naked towards the bathroom looking over her shoulder just before she shut the door behind her. Things were going so well for her she couldn't believe it.

Mick was the first one dressed and downstairs from the freezer at the loft and poured himself and Beth a glass of refreshment. Staying out pretty late working on the case Kayla had been asleep when they got home all the others picked up without incident. They managed to get just over an hour before getting up to get Kayla ready for school deciding to take their things and head to the loft to rest there before getting straight to work.

Beth came down the stairs quickly holding her phone, "Jean says Grace is still asleep. The pills the doctor gave her for the pain and anxiety really knocked her out."

Mick handed Beth her glass as he drank his own quickly knowing they needed to get to work. Finishing he rinsed it out and wiped his mouth, "After what happened she needs to rest."

Beth finished her blood as well taking Mick's place at the sink cleaning her glass. "I'm going to do some research on the tattoos we saw on the guys. Maybe we'll get lucky and these guys we saw were in a gang."

"You start on that and I'm going to start calling these people who worked at the hotel during the time this could have happened." Mick had his list the kid at the desk had given him.

After a few hours it was becoming clear to Beth that she wasn't finding anything on the tattoos she could remember. She looked over to Mick, "Any luck?"

"Nothing, no one I talked to saw anything. I'm waiting on the afterhours house keeper to call me back."

Leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes Beth let out a deep cleansing breath, "What about the rooms surrounding the crime scene?"

"The room on top was empty, and the room on one side was as well. The police got the information from the…couple," Mick paused for a moment knowing they weren't a couple. "They got their statements but they didn't hear anything."

"What was that? Did you see them?"

"Yeah she didn't look like his type." Mick looked across the room to see the smile on Beth's face, "I walked by and my nose told me she's a working girl."

Beth sat up and looked at him raising her brow for a moment. "Okay I'm coming up empty on the tattoos. I say we focus on what we were originally hired to do. Look into the husband see what we can find out about him and maybe we'll find him."

"I'll get started on that. Can you call Carl and see what they've come up with? He likes you more than he cares for me," he added earnestly.

"Yeah," Beth checked her watch. "Kayla will be getting out of school here in a bit. Valery is picking her up so they can play but remember we told her we'd pick her up by 5."

Mick grinned, "I set the alarm in my phone." Beth nodded and picked up the phone to dial Carl.

To Be Continued…

Evilous