Chapter Fifteen: I've Got You Under My Skin
"I've got you under my skin
I've got you deep in the heart of me
So deep in my heart, that you're really a part of me
I've got you under my skin…"
Ooo0ooO
When I woke up the next morning, Klaus wasn't in bed with me. Turning my head slightly, I saw him sitting in a chair, drawing in a large sketch pad. He looked up, his deep blue eyes smiling.
"Good morning, sweetheart," he said. I smiled at him sleepily.
"Good morning. How long have you been up?" I asked, propping myself up on my elbow. Klaus set aside the pad and placed the pencil he'd been using on top of it, brushing off his hands.
"Awhile." I sat up and he leaned over, kissing me softly. I felt butterflies flutter in my belly foolishly. Raising a hand to his cheek, I held him there for a moment longer.
"Can I see?" I asked against his lips. He wrinkled his nose and rubbed it against mine and I giggled.
"No," he said in a teasing tone. I pouted and he kissed me again.
"Don't pout," he told me, raising his brows. Grinning, I wrapped my arms around his neck and yanked him down on the bed. He caught himself so he was braced above me. I played with his necklaces.
"You never told me the story behind these," I commented. Klaus glanced down at them and the corner of his mouth lifted.
"Another story for another time," he answered. Sighing, I nipped at his lip before slipping one of the chains off his neck and over mine. He looked down at me for a moment, and I thought he was going to protest.
"It suits you," he said instead. He leaned down to kiss me thoroughly again. I sighed and ran my hands through his hair. Then he crawled off me, drawing me up with him. The necklace slid down so it rested between my breasts comfortably.
"Do you want some breakfast?" Klaus asked, running a hand down my arm soothingly. I shivered slightly.
"I could go for a bite," I answered teasingly before leaning up to bite his neck lightly. His head lowered so our lips were centimeters apart.
"Annabelle, you are my insanity," he whispered. His arms encircled my body softly and I placed my hands on his shoulders. His lips captured mine slowly. His tongue danced along mine and I moaned, my hands tightening their hold. Klaus's hands fisted my shirt tightly and I heard the fabric rip slightly.
"Sorry," he mumbled against my lips. "Claws." I laughed breathlessly. With ease, I let my claws come out as I ran them through his hair, down his neck before tracing his lean shoulders lightly. He shivered. Shooting him a wicked grin, I shoved him against the wall and recaptured his lips, digging in my nails. He groaned and I felt the prick of his claws in my hips.
Our teeth, or perhaps now fangs, clashed as our tongues battled for dominance. Klaus turned me quickly and lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He dragged at my bottom lip and I growled, arching against him.
When we pulled apart, we both struggled to catch our breath. His eyes were a burning gold, blazing with desire, staring into mine that were probably the same hue. I felt the wolf right under my skin, itching to explode free, to claim what was ours, only ours. My Klaus.
Klaus set me down gently and I glanced down at the sketch pad curiously. Klaus tsked me and pulled on my hand, leading me from the room down to the kitchen.
"What would you like to eat?" he asked. I slid into one of the barstools along the island and Klaus leaned against the other side. I smiled at him.
"Are you going to cook me breakfast?" I asked.
"Well," he said, shrugging, "After being alive for over a thousand years, you pick up a few things… Cooking being one of them." I cocked my head to the side.
"Where did you learn to cook?" Klaus's eyes blurred a little as he thought back.
"Many years ago, first in Paris then in Italy. I was taught by the best of the best," he told me.
"Of course," I said, looking at him with amusement. Klaus chuckled.
"Surprise me," I said, resting my face on my hands.
"As you wish," Klaus replied, before turning around. He opened a drawer and pulled out a little remote and clicked a button. Music filled the air, slow and beautiful.
"You're a falling star, you're the getaway car
You're the line in the sand when I go too far
You're a swimming pool, on an August day
And you're the perfect thing to say…"
I laughed. "I didn't know you were a Michael Buble fan," I teased. Klaus shot me a smile over his shoulder as he cooked something I couldn't see. But from the smell, I could tell it was going to be delicious.
I began singing along.
"And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, you make me sing
You're every line, you're every word,
You're everything…"
To my pleasant surprise, Klaus began singing in a low voice along with me.
"And I can't believe that I'm your man,
And I get to kiss you baby, just because I can
Whatever comes our way, we'll see it through
And you know that's what our love can do…"
We kept singing until the song faded away and an instrumental song came on. I smiled adoringly at Klaus's back, resisting the urge to sigh like some love-struck teenager.
When he finally turned around, he presented me with a spinach omelet with turkey bacon and hash browns. He poured me a glass of orange juice before pouring himself a glass of blood from a blood bag. He sat next to me and I took the first bite.
The flavors were like a symphony on my tongue and my eyes rolled to the back of my head in ecstasy.
"How did you make this taste so amazing?" I asked, digging in.
"My secret," he responded in that vague way of his. Deciding to let it slid, I ate with enthusiasm. Once I was done, I sat back and sighed. Sipping my OJ, I glanced over at Klaus, whose plate was empty as well. I nearly choked with laughter when I saw he was watching me the same way I was watching him, all while sipping his blood.
"Blood and eggs, must be super tasty," I said, wrinkling my nose slightly. Klaus laughed.
"Well one I need to survive, the other I simply enjoy," he said, smirking.
"And you don't gain an ounce I bet," I huffed. Klaus reached over and trailed a finger down my shoulder, along my ribcage. I shivered at the electrical feeling of his touch.
"No, but it looks like you need a few still," he said softly. I scoffed and rolled my eyes.
"I hope you do realize women would kill to be as skinny as I am," I informed him. He sighed and shook his head at me.
"Surely they wouldn't take another human life for that reason," he said. I smothered a grin.
"Oh, I don't know. People are crazy these days. I mean, thank God we aren't human, right?" Klaus's brow quirked and he smiled slowly.
"Indeed." He rose and took my plate with his, and placed them in the sink. I jumped up.
"Let me help," I said. "I wash, you dry." I walked over and nudged Klaus to the side with my hip. I giggled when he nudged me back playfully.
I lathered up the dishes and scrubbed them with a soft sponge, before rinsing the bubbles and crumbs away. I handed Klaus the plates and he dried them quickly before putting them away. I turned and leaned against the sink, watching him with a small smile.
"You must stop staring, darling," he said, looking over his shoulder. I stuck out my tongue at him. Klaus's eyes flashed with amusement before he turned back and stepped towards me slowly.
"Do you find something amusing?" he asked in a deadly, yet still playful, voice. I bit my lip and nodded. He trapped me between his arms and leaned in close. I tilted my head up so our lips were barely brushing.
To my shock, Klaus then sprayed me with the extendable hose from the faucet. My hair and top got soaked within a matter of seconds and I squealed, jumping away from the water. He laughed, and I mean really laughed, a full, carefree laugh I have never heard from him.
"Klaus," I said dangerously, "You're going to pay for that!" I leaned forward and cupped some bubbly water from the sink and quickly doused him. He stared at me for a moment and I giggled, unable to take the sight of Klaus's serious face covered in bubbles.
Before I could take my next breath, he had me pinned to the wet kitchen floor. He leaned in and began rubbing his face all over mine. I laughed and squirmed but I still got covered in bubbles and some soap. Then his lips met mine and everything got hot.
We rolled across the floor and bumped into the cabinets. I laughed breathlessly as I straddled Klaus before kissing him again. My tongue slid along his slowly, causing prickles of fire to dance down my spine. Then I was back on my back, with Klaus dominating the kiss. His teeth scraped down my throat and I threw my head back. I felt my nipples harden and his thumbs brushed them through the cotton tank. He took one into his mouth through the shirt and I cried out, arching against him. With one hand bracing himself, the other trailed down my side, before ripping away the top. Naked from the waist up, I stared up at Klaus. His eyes were dark, flecked with gold as the wolf slowly took control. I felt mine surge up to meet his as our lips met again.
I nearly jumped into the air when his mouth closed over my breast again, suckling. I felt him bite down gently, and shivered when I felt his fangs. His teeth didn't break my skin but teased along with his tongue. His wicked lips left my chest to trail down over my ribs, my belly. I gasped when his tongue flicked over my belly button.
His hands grasped my pajama bottoms and yanked them down and out of the way. I felt no shame or embarrassment with my nudity. Klaus stared at me for a long moment.
"Klaus?" I whispered. His wolf eyes met mine.
"Beautiful," he murmured. Then his lips began their slow, torturous descent.
Klaus lifted my thighs and settled them apart. His lips brushed the inside of my right thigh, and then trailed down. My hands slapped against the wooden floor and I clawed them with my sharps nails, crying out. I screamed when his tongue slid along my slit oh so slowly.
Klaus ran his tongue over my clit and I groaned, feeling delicious pulls in my belly. I felt his hands trial down my thighs to my center…
A knock on the door interrupted us. Klaus's head shot up and he growled. All I could do was stare at the ceiling in disbelief. Klaus looked back at me and sighed in disappointment.
"I should go see who that is, before I rid off their head," he said darkly. His eyes had yet to change back to blue. I sat up and pulled on my pants quickly. I glanced at my torn shirt and shook my head.
"You owe me two new shirts," I told him. Then I motioned towards his. "Gimme."
Klaus complied, taking off his shirt so I could put it on. I tried not to stare at his marvelous body. I stood up with him and I placed a hand against his wiry chest.
"Let me," I said cautiously. At my touch, his eyes finally cooled down and he nodded.
Walking out of the kitchen, I headed towards the front door. When I opened it, I was slightly surprised to see April Young standing there. She blinked at me a few times then smiled.
"Ah, hi, Anna," she said in her nervous tone. I smiled.
"Hi April. What brings you here?" April glanced at my borrowed shirt and bit her lip, blushing.
"I just…um, wanted to know if you'd like to get lunch sometime this week?" I raised a brow in amusement.
"You decided to come out here to ask me that instead of calling?" I teased. April blushed darker, turning a deep shade of red.
"Oh, well, I was already driving… I went to the cemetery to place some flowers on my father's grave and I figured… Well, I didn't know you'd be…Um…" she trailed off. Poor girl.
"No, it's all right. Sorry I'm not dressed right now, I ah, slept late," I explained, giving her a grin. I felt a tingle along my spine and sensed someone standing behind me. Klaus's arm wrapped around my waist.
"We do that often," he agreed, with a hidden innuendo in there. I jammed my elbow into his ribs, shooting his a glare.
"Klaus, be polite," I scolded. His lips curved and I struggled not to shiver and think about where his lips just were…
"My apologizes, Miss Young," he said. April gave him a fluttery smile.
"Oh, it's okay. I should have just called instead of dropping by unannounced." Klaus scoffed.
"Nonsense! You are welcome anytime," he said. April's eyes widened slightly and she looked shocked yet pleased.
"Oh! Ah, thank you. That's really cool of you. Um, well, I gotta go, but I'll see you around, Anna," she said, before waving and turning around to walk off.
I turned to face Klaus and shook my head at him, crossing my arms. "You really need to stop scaring off the locals," I told him. Patting his face, I sauntered off towards the living room.
Klaus closed the door. "Excuse me," he protested, "I thought I was a perfect gentlemen." I turned my head so I could roll my eyes at him.
"Try harder next time," I scolded lightly. I picked up a Stephen King novel, The Shining, and settled down in a chair. Klaus stared at me.
"Mind if I have my shirt back?" he challenged. I ignored him, flipping through the pages at random, sniffing.
"Annabelle," Klaus warned. With a dramatic sigh, I stood up and put the book side. Walking over to him slowly, I slipped the shirt off and handed it to him, before I continued towards the stairs. Klaus remained frozen.
"I'm going to shower," I called over my shoulder. When I saw he still hadn't moved, I grinned in victory.
When I was done showering, I changed into a pretty pink dress. I buckled a thin brown belt along my waist and put on some matching brown boots. I put Klaus's necklace back on, but slid it under the dress so it lay warm against my heart. Deciding against makeup, I braided my hair loosely over my shoulder.
"Still need to get it cut," I muttered to myself. Walking out of the room, I called out.
"Klaus! Do you know where I can get my hair cut?" He appeared out of nowhere, dressed in dark jeans and a black t-shirt with leather shoes.
"Why do you want to cut your hair?" he asked, reaching over to trail his fingers down the braid.
"Because it's too long," I explained. Klaus frowned.
"I think it's not," he said, his voice disapproving. I rolled my eyes to the ceiling.
"It's just hair, Nik, if I get it cut it will grow back," I said impatiently. Klaus was still frowning while playing with my hair.
"Very well," he consented, "I'm sure there is a place in town you can go to." I grinned.
"Awesome. I think I'll go with April. Ah, which reminds me…" I whirled and walked back into my room. I typed a quick text to April, asking if she wanted to have a girl's day later this week. Her response was immediate and positive.
Walking back out of the room, I saw Klaus watching me with a quiet look on his face.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"I hired someone to search for your brother." My eyes widened. Shock, joy and pleasure zoomed through my body. I launched myself at him and he caught me with ease.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I blubbered, struggling not to cry. Klaus chuckled and stroked my back.
"You're welcome, sweetheart," he murmured into my ear. I smiled and pulled back before placing a warm kiss on his lips. Klaus leaned his forehead against mine and sighed, closing his eyes. I watched him, stroking the back of his neck.
When he pulled back, his expression was calm. I smiled slightly and placed my palm against his cheek. He leaned into it, like he always did, as if he drew comfort from my touch.
"It's almost Christmas," he whispered suddenly. I thought about it and realized he was right.
"Can we go get a tree?" I asked with excitement.
"I haven't celebrated a Christmas in nearly 900 years," Klaus admitted, looking somewhat embarrassed. I gaped at him.
"Why?" I asked in shock. He shrugged.
"I had nothing to celebrate about," he said simply. Then his gaze focused on me, intense and dark. "But I think I do this year."
"Klaus," I murmured, touched. I kissed him again before hugging him close. He buried his face in the crook of my neck and inhaled shakily. I could practically feel his turning emotions under the surface, so real and strong. I held him closer.
"We are going to celebrate," I told him. "There's going to be a tree, and eggnog, and presents, and Christmas cookies. We'll have a big dinner and listen to holiday music and on Christmas morning, you'll kiss me under the mistletoe and we'll do it all together. You and me."
Klaus's arms tightened around me and I felt his lips curved against my shoulder.
"You and me," he repeated softly. I smiled and buried my face in his neck.
"Of course." My voice dropped to a whisper. "My Klaus."
"Annabelle," Klaus said, his voice thick. He pulled back and I swore I saw tears in his eyes before he kissed me passionately.
"My Annabelle," he sighed.
"Always," I told him before pressing my lips to his again.
Ooo0ooO
Author's Note: Merry Christmas everyone! Or Happy whatever-holiday-you-celebrate! I decided to add in this chapter as my gift to you and I hope you enjoyed it!
Let me know what you thought of it!