Runs in the Blood, Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Anton negotiated the curves of highway 280 with practiced ease. He looked over at Bryn in the passenger seat. "You decided what you want to test drive, my dear?"
Bryn smiled, watching the sky pass through the sunroof. "Haven't made up my mind yet. Maybe the Rav4, or the Explorer. But why did you get a sunroof on your car?"
He chuckled a bit. "I know, my dear. What would a vampire need with a sunroof? The easy answer is that it was part of the options package." His cell phone rang, and he flipped it open one handed. "Hello?"
"Hello, Anton."
"Welcome back, Lindy. I was expecting you to call last night." He noticed her voice sounded slightly hesitant. "Something wrong?"
"Yeah..."
"He left you, didn't he?"
Bryn gasped beside him, mouthing the words, "Smooth, Anton."
He gave her a barely-amused look, before returning his attention to the road and the phone.
"No, he didn't," Lindy replied, sounding annoyed. "In fact, I'm moving in with him--"
"You're what?" He winced as his shout echoed back at him inside the car.
"My house burned down, Anton."
"Wha--how?" His voice had lowered considerably, making Bryn watch his face with curiosity. "When?"
"Last night. And I don't know how, but they suspect arson."
"I knew it--it's him, isn't it?"
"Him, who? Nathaniel?" She made a sound of disgust, keeping quiet for several minutes. When he had to speak her name to get her to talk again, Anton knew he was in trouble. "No, he had nothing to do with this. He was with me, on the other side of the country, remember? Damn it, you're irritating. You'll jump to any conclusion possible just to prove you're right. Get over it, Anton!"
He bit back his first three responses, the ones asking how she could be so stupid. However he counted to ten before speaking again. "Are you okay? And is there anything you need?"
"I'm doing as well as can be expected. I need to take a few more days off to get stuff under control, but I'll stop in the office for a moment to check on things."
"No, take all the time you need. Work will keep. But if you need anything--"
"I'll be okay."
He sighed. "I don't suppose I could talk you into staying somewhere else?"
"Anton--"
"I've got spare rooms. You're always welcome to stay with us."
She laughed. "And listen to you two going at each other like rabbits? I don't think so. I'm fine right where I am. I have my own room. You don't have to worry about him compromising my 'innocence'."
"You think that's funny, don't you?" He could feel his temple throbbing, and actually flinched when Bryn touched his thigh. "I try to be nice, and I get laughed at."
"I wasn't laughing--"
"Have you called your mother yet?" he interrupted.
"Yes. Nate called her last night to tell her what was happening, and I talked to her myself this morning."
"I'm surprised she wasn't on the first plane out here."
"Don't think she didn't consider it. I'm half expecting to find her on the porch." She sighed. "I've got to go. All I've got is what I brought back from the trip, so I've got to do a lot of shopping. I'll call you later on, okay?"
"Okay, Lindy. If you need anything, just let me know. And be careful." He hung up the phone once she had, shaking his head slightly.
"What's happening?" Bryn asked, softly.
"Lindy's house burned down."
She gasped. "But she's okay, right?"
"Other than staying with Nathaniel, yeah, she's all right." When she sighed and pulled her hand back, crossing her arms and staring out the side window, he said, "What?"
"Nothing."
"That wasn't a 'nothing' look," he said, setting down the phone. "So what was it?"
"It's none of my business, Anton."
"Will you tell me what the problem is, already?"
"It just makes me sad, OK? You're holding on to so much anger, and it's not good for you. I don't like to see you hurting. Is there anything wrong with that?"
"Bryn, it's not like that--"
"No, Anton, it is. You've spent how long brooding over what Nathaniel did or didn't do? It looks like he's going to be in Lindy's life for a while, and if you keep brooding, it's going to destroy your friendship with her. And you can't blame him if that happens."
"If I can believe you about the aliens, why can't you believe me about this?"
She turned in her seat. "I do believe you, Anton. I believe he hurt you very badly, otherwise you wouldn't still be feeling this way." She lowered her gaze. "And you must still have some feelings for her, or it wouldn't bother you so much."
"Bryn--"
She held her hand up. "Let me finish." When he nodded, she continued. "Occurrences in our lives can only hurt us this much if we care for the people involved. Otherwise you'd brush it off and move on. So either part of you still loves her...or--"
"Or what?"
"Or part of you still loves him."
He looked at her like she was nuts. "I don't like either of these theories."
"Anton, he was the only thing even close to a brother that you've ever had. And when he wasn't what you were expecting him to be, you got hurt, didn't you?"
"Yes." Anton's voice was very quiet.
"And maybe some of this anger and hurt you're placing on him is a distraction from the fact that you still feel guilty you weren't there the night Ivan was killed?"
"By Nathaniel."
"You don't know that, Anton. You told me that yourself."
"I do know that he hated my father, and tried to do anything he could to destroy him." His hands were tightening on the steering wheel, his white-knuckled grip drawing her attention. "Doesn't that sound pretty damned indicative of guilt to you?"
"You're getting angry again," she said, placing her hand on his arm.
"Damn right, I am!"
"Anton...I understand why you're upset. I really do. If someone had hurt a member of my family, I'd probably spend the rest of my life hoping they'd pay, too."
She ran her hand down his arm, pulling his hand free from the steering wheel and holding it between her palms as she spoke.
"There comes a time when you need to make a choice...between embracing the life you have now, or dwelling on what you lost then. You can't have both, sugar, because one will ruin the other. I guarantee it. Your resentment will only push Lindy away, which will make you miserable...and that will make me miserable, too. It hurts me to see you hurting. And what bothers me even more is the thought of you holding on to all of this anger even after our child is born. That's not the kind of father I want for this baby."
His hand tightened on hers. "What are you saying, Bryn?"
"I'm saying that things can't go on this way, Anton. I know it isn't easy, but you need to forgive him."
"I don't know if I know how."
She held his hand in silence for a moment. "I know it seems like I'm asking an impossible amount from you, but it doesn't have to happen overnight. I don't expect you to wake up tomorrow and decide to give him a big hug. Hell, I don't care if you ever do that. What I want from you--for you--is just for you to let go of the anger. It's hurting you much more than it will ever hurt him. I mean...if you want to hit something, then do it. If you need to get some aggression out, get it out. Don't let it sit inside you, where it's doing the most damage.
"If he's truly as vindictive as you think he is, wouldn't he just love to know how much this is eating you up inside? He'd thrive on it. So show him that you can get past the anger, and he'll have nothing to hold over you ever again."
He gave her a half smile, eyes misting over. "When did you become so wise, my dear?"
"You say that like this is a new thing." She grinned. "All of those hours of Oprah must be paying off."
Bracing her hand on his thigh, she leaned over and kissed his cheek.
"I love you, Anton. I just don't want to have to compete with your other emotions. I'm selfish...sue me."
He patted the hand on his thigh. "I love you, Bryn. And I'll try." He pulled off the freeway and onto the street. "Looks like we're here. Which dealership did you want to start at?"
"God, I don't know." She glanced around at all of the different dealerships, feeling a little overwhelmed. Although most of them stayed open after dark, they wouldn't have long to browse before the places starting shutting down for the night. "Um, that one, I guess," she said, pointing to the nearest entrance.
He pulled off the road, into the Ford Lincoln Mercury dealership. As if they'd just hooked a fish, three salesmen immediately perked up at the sight of the Jaguar. They slowed moseyed over, as if they hadn't a care in the world, all the while admiring the expensive car. She could see them descend in a mob the minute Anton opened the door. Discreetly stepping to the side, she walked to the nearby line of SUV's, and tried to look casual as she compared the sticker prices.
$21,995. $26,065. $32,197. $18,549.
She could feel herself turning a little green. When she heard footsteps behind her, she turned around to see Anton, looking a little relieved to have escaped his entourage.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Anton? These are really expensive."
Anton looked at the sticker. "Actually these are pretty in line for the options that you get on them. Besides, we can negotiate that figure."
"Yeah, I guess," she said a bit doubtfully, leaning back against him.
He put his hands on her shoulders. "Okay, what's wrong?"
"These just seem a bit expensive."
Anton shrugged. "Remember, you're talking to the man who drives the $40,000 car."
"But that's your car...bought with your money." She was glad she wasn't facing him. Damn these stupid pregnancy hormones. She felt like her face was forever leaking. "This is...well, this would be almost $45,000 that I would owe you. That would take me years, maybe even decades to pay back, and who knows what eight million other things I'll owe you for by then."
"Where's this coming from, my dear?" He rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Who said you'd have to pay me back for any of this? If it's the money you're worried about, don't. I have more than enough to see us through several lifetimes. Besides, I intend to spoil you rotten."
"I've never...no one has ever bought me something they didn't intend me to pay them back for. Unless it was like lunch or something." She placed her hands on top of his. "It just scares me. It's overwhelming. I don't know how to react. I feel like thank you isn't enough."
Lifting his head a bit, so his chin was resting on her head instead, he thought for a moment. "What if I thought of a way you could pay me back, that wouldn't cost you anything?"
"I'm almost afraid to ask--"
He grinned. "For every dollar I spend on you, you can give me a kiss in return. With no deadline. You can spend the rest of your life paying me back. How does that sound?"
She let out a little laugh. "It sounds like I'm going to have chapped lips." She turned around in his grasp, standing up on her tip-toes to wrap her arms around his neck. "I guess I'll just have to keep plenty of lip gloss handy."
"Sounds good to me," he said, leaning forward to meet her lips.

"Enjoying yourself, my dear?"
Sabryn grinned back at Anton, glancing away from the freeway. "Yeah. I just feel bad about leaving your car behind."
"Don't worry about it," he said with a dismissive wave. "We can pick it up tomorrow. Or you and George could go back for it after dawn. But I'm curious. Why a yellow Ford Escape?"
She couldn't stop grinning. "'Cause...it's sporty-looking."
"Okay. But you're not sporty."
"Doesn't mean I can't drive a sporty car. Besides, it attracts attention, and I want everyone to know what an amazing husband I have."
He could've said he wasn't her husband yet, but something stopped him. Instead, he just smiled back and watched her drive. She looked a little nervous still, getting used to where everything was. And she was driving slower...which he knew was definitely not normal. But she looked happier than she had since he'd met her, and he couldn't help the sense of pride that filled him with. He hoped he could put that smile on her face every single day.
But he wasn't expecting what she said next. As she drove the car down an off- ramp, she turned and said, "I think we should christen this car, Mr. Rudenko."
He jumped slightly and gave her a lopsided grin. "Already?"
"You know it's going to happen sooner or later. It might as well be sooner."
He leaned over to kiss her. "Eager to start paying off your debt, my dear?"
She laughed, placing her hand on his face and returning the kiss, somehow managing to keep an eye on the road. "Pay it off? No. I don't ever want that to happen. But I might as well put in my first payment or two."
Grinning, he directed her down the road until he found a somewhat private spot for her to park the car. They were in a wooded area, and although not quite securely covered from view, as long as she turned off the lights, they wouldn't have any major problems.
He hoped.
As she cut the lights and turned off the engine, darkness settled around them, leaving them in deep shadows in the interior of the car. Leaning closer, she whispered, "I feel like I'm doing something naughty. Think we should climb in the back?"
"After you, my dear." He grinned lustfully watching her ass as she scrambled between the seats. The moment she was clear, he followed, although it was a tight squeeze. Both settled in the back seat. Putting his arms around her, he pulled her into an open mouthed kiss. "How do you want to do this, my dear?"
"I've got an idea." She reached over the back of the bench seat, unlocking the switch, and folding down the split seat-back. Nodding to the new make-shift bed, she said, "Lay down."
As he scooted over, she folded down the other side of the seat so that they had the whole cargo area to play.
Settling down next to him, she grinned. "Now this is what I call a cool car."
"Mmm." He pulled her closer to kiss her mouth, smiling against her lips as she pushed him onto his back and straddled him. "I take it you want to be on top this time?"
She nodded. "I'm gonna ride you like a wild stallion, sugar."
He grinned as she started to yank his shirt over his head. "And what happens if I buck you off?"
"Then I climb right back on." She leaned down and licked along the column of his neck. "And I'll use my spurs."
"Ouch."
He tilted his head back as she nibbled at him, his hands sliding up her thighs to cup her ass. Pulling her tight against his groin. He let out a low growl as she ground herself more firmly upon him. She grinned down at him, her face barely visible in the moonlight, before attacking his mouth. She kissed him thoroughly, sucking lightly at his lower lip before pulling away.
"Did you ever think we'd be doing something like this last year?"
"Nooo..." Anton's voice was a shaky moan as he slid his hands under her shirt, thumbing her nipples through her lacy bra. "I hoped for this, but didn't dare think..." He choked up. "I love you so much, Bryn."
She smiled, leaning over him. "I love you, too." She moved even closer, kissing his eyes as they closed, running her fingers through his hair. "And I used to think about this all of the time. I didn't think it would happen either, but I wanted it to. I worried that you wouldn't want me anymore, after the way I left. When you showed up at that gallery, you shocked the hell out of me. I wasn't sure if I should kiss you or pinch myself."
After he pulled off her shirt, he tangled his fingers in her soft hair. "Would you settle for me kissing you?"
She leaned over him once more, meeting his mouth. Instead of bracing herself above him on her hands, she settled onto her forearms, cupping his head in her hands. For a moment, all she could hear was their breathing. Panting, groaning against each other's mouths. And when she sat up once more, she could see that the windows were starting to get foggy.
"I used to be jealous of the girls in school who bragged about making out with their boyfriends in their cars." She giggled at the absurdity of it. "Of course, most of them weren't pregnant at the time." Unbuttoning and unzipping her pants, she held his hand just over the top seam of her panties. "Feel...my stomach's starting to get hard."
"Hmmm," he purred, rubbing his hand back and forth. "But I'll bet they were pregnant shortly after. We're just doing things the other way around." One finger slipped beneath the edge of her underwear to stroke her pubic hair.
She held his gaze for a moment, allowing him to keep up the soft stroking, and then it became too much to handle. At least while clothed. Climbing off of him, she shoved down her jeans and panties, kicking them out of the way, before quickly moving to help him out of his pants. She turned around and swatted him, as his fingers tried to tease the inside of her thighs, making him laugh. When he'd lifted his hips and she pulled the fabric out of the way, she straddled him once more on her hands and knees. Pushing her hair to the side as she stared down at him.
"If you want to take this off," she said, gesturing to her bra, "you'll have to do it yourself."
"Yes, my dear." Giving her a devilish grin, he pushed up on his hands and nibbled on her neck before nipping at the strap of her bra. Eventually he caught the strap between his teeth and dragged it down her shoulder. He repeated the process on her other shoulder as well before tugging at the lace covering her breasts. After exposing her nipples, he reached out with is tongue and licked at them lightly.
Suddenly feeling a little boneless, she sat down on his thighs and let him continue. She was shuddering against him, eyes closed, breathing through her mouth. She moaned, wrapping her hands around his forearms, thrusting her chest forward. She couldn't remember her breasts ever being this sensitive, and she was relishing it. Every stroke of his tongue was amplified, like little electrical currents running through her body.
"Mmm...feels so good."
His lips closed around one nipple, and he jumped when he heard her squeak. Sucking lightly, his hands slid up her back to undo the hooks keeping the bra on her before sliding his hand back down to cup her ass. He groaned as her hips thrust against his.
She opened her eyes to meet his gaze, her pupils dilated until almost no blue remained. Lifting her hands up to cup his face, she lifted his mouth to hers and kissed him. Tangling her tongue with his, she followed as she pushed him on to his back. She dragged her breasts against his chest, reaching between them to position herself on his cock. Slowly lowering herself, she sank down the length of him, scratching her nails lightly against his chest until she'd sheathed him completely. She sat completely still for a moment, head hung forward, savoring the sensations.
He held still, resisting the temptation to drive his cock up into her. He let his head drop back to the floor, mouth hanging open. Anton pulled her against his body, groaning as his cock shifted inside of her. His hips gave a light thrust upward, little more than a twitch, hoping she'd pick up the hint and start to move.
She gasped at the movement, shuddering against him. Pressing her forehead against his shoulder, she lifted her lower body slightly on her knees. Pulling herself a few inches off of him before slowly sinking down again. It felt so good, she bit down on to his shoulder. Not hard enough to draw blood, but certainly more than a nip. With a little tilt of her hips, she lifted up again, sinking down to impale herself fully, her movements so agonizingly slow that he could feel every little twitch of her muscles around him.
One hand cradled her head as Anton groaned. "Oh God, Bryn." He wanted so badly to roll her over and thrust madly into her wet, clinging heat. "I thought you said you were going to ride me like a wild stallion, my dear."
She let out a breathless laugh. "I'm working up to it."
Pressing her hands down on the floor, just above his shoulders, she lifted herself up so she could move a little easier. Using her knees and calves for leverage, she pushed herself off of him. Her strokes were shorter, deeper, but more rapid than before. Still slower than he was expecting, judging by the look on his face.
She grinned down at him. "Relax, sugar. I'll get you there. I promise."
Her breasts swinging above him, she picked up her pace a bit, squeezing him lightly with each withdrawal, until every breath leaving her mouth sounded a bit like a moan.
His hips started thrusting, trying to urge her to move faster. Unable to resist, Anton cupped her breasts, rolling her nipples. He groaned when she tightened around him. He almost lost it when she ground herself down on him, whimpering.
"Damn it." She opened her eyes, looking down at him in frustration. "I can't...I need you to finish it. Please?"
"All you have to do is ask, my dear." One hand slid down from her breast to stop between her legs. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are when you cum?" he asked, flicking his finger as he continued to thrust.
She shook her head, biting her lip. It felt good, but it wasn't enough. Not nearly. She spread her legs a bit, hoping that would help, but it wasn't the same.
"Mmph...Anton, I need you on top of me."
Anton groaned and started to sit up. "No," he said, holding her against him when she tried to pull away. "Let me do the work." Moving cautiously he rolled over, keeping his cock inside of her. Thrusting almost before he had eased her down, he settled his weight on his elbows, looking into her eyes. "Better, my dear?"
She slid her hands down to grab his ass, pulling him tighter against her, and nodded frantically. She lifted her legs up high, crossing her ankles to replace her hands on his ass. Moving her hands up to his back, she tilted her head back and breathed through her open mouth. It seemed like mere seconds before she was moaning continuously, squeezing him hard from the inside. And then she jerked her hips up against his and cried out as her orgasm finally flooded over her.
Anton hissed, arching up, barely missing hitting his head on the ceiling of the car. His orgasm exploded over him and he collapsed to lay limply over her. His hand went to her head, gently stroking her hairline. Wearily, he lifted his head and gave a quiet laugh. "We've managed to steam up all the windows, my dear."
She nodded, frowning a little. "I'm sorry."
"It does wipe off, Bryn."
"That's not what I meant," she said, rolling her eyes. "I wanted to do something different. You probably think it's boring doing it the same way all the time. But I couldn't...I couldn't cum that way. What are we going to do when I have a big stomach in the way?"
"Hey, it's okay, Bryn." Anton nuzzled behind her ear. "We'll figure something out when your belly's out to here." He held his hand about four inches above her stomach. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve that I haven't shown you yet."
She arched an eyebrow at him. "Have you been holding out on me?"
"I can't teach you the entire Kama Sutra overnight, can I?"
Her lips quirked as she moved closer to kiss him. "Thank you, for loving me the way you do. And I'm not talking about what we just did...although you do an excellent job at that, too. I'm a very lucky girl."
"No, Bryn, I'm the lucky one. Sometimes when I think about what I almost lost..." He bent down and kissed her, nipping at her lower lip before pulling away. "We'd better get home, my dear. The night's half gone."
She made a face, before deciding to relent. "I guess we do have all day to stay in bed. And I better get Cinderfella home," she said, teasing his stomach, "before he turns into a pumpkin."
"A burnt pumpkin...more like pumpkin ashes."
"Don't put that image in my head." Reaching for her jeans, she gave him one more quick kiss. "The last thing I want to think of around you is ashes."
"Hey...there's an interesting vampire baby name for you. Ash."
"No way."
"What about Ashley? Ember?"
"Forget it, Anton."
"Blaze?"
"Sugar, you have a really sick sense of humor."

Lindy sat in front of Nathaniel's computer, trying to price out laptop computers. Her last one had been left at home, and was currently little more than a melted plastic and metal doorstop. She knew that the insurance money would cover the majority of her losses, but having to purchase so much in such a short time would be more of an emotional stress, not to mention the personal things that she'd never be able replace.
Nate had been watching her quietly from the doorway for a few minutes. She seemed to be sighing a lot more than she was actually shopping. Deciding he'd had enough of just watching, he grabbed the spare chair next to the door and dragged it over so he could sit next to her. She looked up and smiled at him, but even that much left a trace of sadness on her face.
"Do you like shopping?"
She raised her eyebrow. "I guess."
"Well, you're gonna have to start liking it." He reached behind him, pulling his wallet out of his pants. "Because we're gonna go shopping. For lots of stuff."
"Nate, I'll be getting my insurance money--"
"Yeah, and that's yours to do whatever you want with." He pulled out two credit cards, propping them up on the keyboard. "This is our money, to fix this place up. The way I see it, we have about four bedrooms, a living room, dining room, three bathrooms, and a laundry room that all need some serious help. Not to mention that you need somewhere to sleep. As much as I like having you in my bed, it's probably not a good idea for very long."
Before she could respond, he added, "And when we get married, we'll move your bedroom furniture into my room and get rid of mine, so be sure to get a king- sized bed."
She looked back and forth between the credit cards and him several times. "I... I don't know what to say." Tears welled up in her eyes and she felt more than a bit overwhelmed.
"Hey, don't look so scared...I didn't just ask you to furnish the White House." He grinned. "I needed to do this anyway. I'm lucky you're here, because you have much better taste than I do. Unless you're in the market for a Ferrari-shaped bed, because I know exactly where to buy one those."
She managed to laugh a bit.
"So, where do you want to start? I happen to know the Sharper Image has two great massage chairs. If you're into that sort of thing."
"Massage chairs?"
"Yeah, massage chairs. And I want to get one of those home theaters with the big subwoofers. You know, the ones that will wake up the neighbors three houses down."
She shook her head. "Nate, why are you doing this?"
"It's called a home, gorgeous. You usually have furniture in it if you're going to be in it for any length of time."
"You know what I mean."
"I might, but I want you to tell me."
She bowed her head a bit. "Why are you doing this? I mean, I haven't even said 'I love you'."
He used his fingers to tilt her face towards him, making her meet his gaze. "Because I don't need to hear it to feel it. I know you, Lindy. I know this might scare the hell out of you, but I watch you when you think no one's looking. I study you like a book, because I can't take my eyes off of you. I lay awake during the day thinking about you, and I wander around this house wondering what it would be like with you in it. I imagine holidays with your family here, everyone hurrying downstairs on Christmas in their pajamas. I honestly have never imagined, not once, being here without you. And if you think, after all we've been through together, that I don't know you love me...you're crazy."
"Then why can't I say it?"
"For the same reason you thought you were in love with Anton, and why you don't call Jess 'mom.'" He gently stroked her hair back from her face. "You're trying to protect yourself by holding back that last little bit of your heart. I'm guessing you were hurt by the one person who should have protected you - your birth mother."
Lindy's lower lip trembled. "She was a drug addict, from what I've been able to find out. She's the one who gave me to...." She gave up trying to hold back and started crying.
He leaned over and kissed her temple, gently wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "She made a big mistake, didn't she? But she can't hurt you anymore, unless you let her."
She nodded, but wasn't able to say much more for a while. He rubbed his hand over her back, wanting to pull her onto his lap but unsure she'd let him. He settled for scooting closer, holding her head against his chest.
"I've made some big mistakes in my life, too, Lindy. Ones I'm very sorry for, and wish I could take back. But I've also learned from them, and there's one thing I can promise you. I would rather set myself on fire than ever hurt you. If you need more time, I'll wait. If you need space, I'll give it to you. But don't think I'm going to stop loving you, because that will never happen."
She nodded, listening to his heartbeat. "I wish I could say it to you, but I can't--"
"Shhh...you don't have to, Lindy. I know how you feel, I can see it in your eyes." He tilted her head up. "I love you, Lindy, and when you're able to say it, it will be all the more sweeter."
She blinked away her tears and stretched up to kiss him. "I think that Levitz down by the freeway is open until ten. I have an easier time buying furniture if I can try it out instead of ordering it online. Shall we go?"
"OK. You know...I think I may be able to control my hormones and keep from ravishing you, if you'd still like to share a bed? I like holding you, Lindy. And if I get too randy, you can always kick my ass out of bed and tell me to sleep on the couch."
She gave him a shy smile. "And what if I can't control my hormones?"
"Then I'll make you sleep on the couch instead."
She laughed. "We'll see. Let's go find a bed first, ok?"
"Deal."

Anton had finished dressing and was getting ready to go downstairs to check if there was any pressing business that needed his attention. If not, he was going to go out to feed before coming back and spending the first part of the evening working. Afterwards, he and Sabryn were going to make their wedding plans.
The phone rang, and he picked it up, wondering who it was calling this early in the evening. "Hello?"
He almost dropped it when he heard the slightly hesitant voice on the other end. "This is Nathaniel, Anton. May I speak to Sabryn, please?"
His first instinct was to say "hell no!" and hang up the phone after adding something insulting. But he heard Bryn's words from the night before. ["What I want from you--for you--is just for you to let go of the anger."] His lips thinned. "One moment." He lowered the phone, and took a deep breath. "Bryn! Phone call!"
She came out of the bathroom, one hand on her stomach, a frown on her face. "Who is it?"
He merely held up the phone, an exasperated look on his face. Her frown deepened and she grabbed the handset.
"Hello?"
"Bryn, it's Nate."
Sabryn's eyebrows rose, and she glanced at Anton. He shook his head, kissing her on the cheek before heading for the door. "I'll be back soon."
"Um, hello, Nate," she said, turning her attention back to the phone. "What's up?"
"Well, I have a surprise in mind for Lindy, and I need your help." He paused for a moment. "I don't think Anton is going to like this."
"What is it?"
"We're working on fixing up the townhouse. I'd like to have some art on the walls. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you to do a painting for me."
"I'd be honored. Actually, I've decided to go into business painting murals and frescos on people's walls. I could do an actual painting if you'd rather, or paint something directly on the wall."
"That's perfect. And there's one more thing. I want to get Lindy an engagement ring, but I'm not sure what she'd like. I was hoping you could help me, give me a woman's opinion?"
"I'd love to help. Thank you for asking me."
He was quiet for a moment. "Why don't you come on over. I'll give you directions, and then we can decide on the specifics for the paintings when you get here."
"Sure." She grabbed a notepad and scribbled down the directions to his townhouse. "Um, I'll be over in about half an hour?"
"Okay. See you then."
Bryn replaced the phone on the receiver and went downstairs in search of Anton. She found him in his office, signing papers. He looked up as she came through the door. "What did he want, my dear?" he asked in a neutral voice.
"He wants some artwork done for his new home, Anton." She didn't think it would be wise to mention what else they'd discussed.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "And you're going, Bryn?"
"I won't if you don't want me to."
He shook his head. "Don't let me stop you."
She walked around the desk, sitting down on the surface next to his arm. "Don't be a martyr for me, Anton. If it bothers you, I won't go. Just say the word."
"Thank you," he said, chewing on his lip for a minute. "And yes it does bother me...but I want you to go. This is the job you've been preparing for. Go do it."
She tilted her head, looking him in the eye. "You're really trying, aren't you?" She placed her hand on his arm. "I'm proud of you, you know that?"
He placed his hand over hers. "Thanks Bryn," he said with a slight squeeze. "This isn't easy for me. Just, be careful, okay?"
"I will." She leaned forward, placing her hand against his cheek as she kissed him. "I love you, sugar."
"I love you, too, Bryn."
"I should be back in a few hours. Are you going to go out and feed before I get back?"
"Yes, I should."
She was quiet for a moment, watching him. "Would you ever let me watch you do that?"
"Watch me feed?" He hadn't expected her to ask that.
Sabryn nodded. "I know I had a bad reaction when I saw you that one time, but I think I'm ready to see that side of you now. And if you do Transform me, I need to know what I'm getting into."
Anton nodded. "I've never let any human watch me feed, or at least not knowingly," he added. "Let me consider it for a night or two, Bryn. I just need a little time to get used to the idea."
"You're not the only," she said, with a bit of a smile. Standing up, she started heading towards the door. "I'll see you later."
"OK." He watched her leave the office, leaning back in his chair. He suddenly knew he wasn't going to get much work done. Swearing softly, he set down his pen. "Damn Nathaniel Adrik."

Nathaniel waited for Sabryn to arrive a bit nervously. He had encouraged Lindy to go out shopping for the more personal items she needed, such as clothing and cosmetics. So she would be gone while he and Sabryn planned how to decorate the house. Originally, he had thought of having her do a large painting of some sort, but when she said murals, an idea crossed his mind. And the more he thought about it, the more he liked it. He only hoped that Lindy would like it too. The trick would be how to keep her from discovering it...
A knock on the door broke his train of thought. He opened it, and smiled when he saw Sabryn standing there. "Come in, Bryn. I was afraid you'd change your mind and not show up. Did Anton drive you?"
"No," she said, smiling a bit more than usual. "I drove my new car."
When she gestured to the bright yellow Ford Escape parked at the curb, his eyebrows rose. "Nice." He closed the door behind her. "I had an idea while I was waiting."
"Oh, what's that?" Even as she spoke, she took a look around the rooms. She had a plastic shopping bag in her hand, stuffed with a notebook and more objects he couldn't yet see. "Nice place."
"Thanks. Come on upstairs." At her sudden wary expression, he added, "I was thinking of having you paint something in the bedroom."
"OK."
She followed him up the stairs, and into the open room at the end of the hall. The entire house was sparsely furnished. Hard wood floors and painted walls, with little else. The bedroom itself was little more than a bed, a dresser, and a lamp. He sat down on the corner of the bed, glancing up at the vaulted ceiling.
"I don't know how feasible it would be, but I had an idea for a painted ceiling."
"Well, I'm no Michelangelo, but I'll see what I can do. What did you have in mind."
"This is going to sound a little crazy, maybe even impossible...but I want a sunlight and cloud scene, that will turn into a moon and stars when the lights go out." He bit his lip. "Think that would work?"
Still staring at the ceiling, she shrugged her shoulders. "I'd have to do a test painting on some dry wall, first. And I'd need some sort of scaffolding...but it's worth a try. Sounds like a cool idea." She opened up her shopping bag and pulled out some measuring tape. "Let me get some measurements first, so I can see what kind of dimensions were talking about."
Nathaniel nodded. "Um, is it okay for you to be doing this? I mean with your pregnancy, should you be working with paint? I'm already in enough trouble with Anton, and wouldn't want to do anything to put you or your baby in jeopardy."
"I'll wear a mask, so I should be fine. You let me worry about Anton, OK?"
"All right." He thought for a moment. "There's still some scaffolding equipment in the dining room from the electricians. They were supposed to pick it up this week, but I'll call them and ask if I can hang on to it for a while."
She nodded. She was barely listening as she continued to measure the room, making notes in her book. She paused for a moment, pulling a key ring with hundreds of color swatches from her bag. Tossing it towards him, she said, "Take a look at that and see if any particular colors strike you."
Catching it in mid air, he looked back at her. He noticed that ever since she'd entered, she hadn't really looked at him once. It unnerved him. He was used to people staring openly at him. And although he understood her reasons somewhat--she was Anton's fianc�e after all--it still bothered him.
"Is there something wrong, Bryn?"
"It's just a little weird for me being here in your and Lindy's bedroom."
"I see." Nate stood up from the bed. "But there's something else?"
"Yeah. Anton's trying to be accepting, but he's not happy with the whole situation."
"He still hates my guts, doesn't he?"
She finally met his gaze, setting her notebook in her lap. "He's trying not to, Nathaniel. It's just going to take some time."
"Nine hundred years isn't enough?"
She had to smile a bit at that. "I think...he was really hurt. And so he's using rage to cover that up. He's just realizing that it wasn't so much anger as he thought it was. He's kept this buried for so long. Just give him a little while to sort through it. He'll come around."
He shook his head. "You have a lot more patience with him than I ever did."
"Well, he's not my brother, Nathaniel. He's the man I love." She tilted her head. "It's a lot easier to tolerate someone when you want to be with them...not when you're forced to be."
"You've got that right." Nodding towards her notebook, he said, "Do you have all of the measurements you need?"
"I think so."
He held up the color swatches. "How about I take a look at these on the way to the jewelry store. You can drive us in your new car. We better get out of here before Lindy decides to come home."
"Where is she, anyway?"
"She said something about having dinner with her uncle and doing some shopping. She's been really depressed, so I thought some time to herself would be a good thing. The trip we took to see her mom and dads was more emotional for her than she'd like to admit to, and coming home to watch her house burn to the ground didn't help any."
"Do you know how it caught on fire?"
"The fire chief thinks it was arson, but they don't know who did it yet." Nathaniel had his suspicions, though. "Anyway, do you want to drive or shall I?"
Bryn grinned. "I want to show off my new car. You got any problems with that?"
"Nope. I know better than to argue with a woman who's made up her mind."
"Jeez, that's creepy...you even looked like Anton when you said that." When he frowned a bit, she laughed. "Let's go."

She sat in front of a velvet tray, sparkling with diamonds of different sizes, and had three of the engagement rings on her fingers. Not one of them was anywhere near as nice as the one of her left hand, but she didn't bother to mention that. Looking through the rest of the assortment, she moved her hand over as Nathaniel leaned closer for a better look.
"What do you think?"
"I think I like that one better," he said, gesturing to the ring Anton had given her. "These are nice, but kind of generic. Know what I mean?"
"You could get an interesting setting...that might help."
He shrugged. "Maybe." Looking at the rings sitting in front of him, all bulkier and somewhat ugly, he said, "And these men's rings are awful. I could design something better in my sleep."
She glanced at him. "There's an idea. Why don't you design your own ring for Lindy?"
"Is that possible?"
"Anything's possible." Gesturing to the saleslady, she called the woman over to them. "You do custom designs, right?"
The brunette smiled. "Of course. I can't give you details on pricing until I know what you're looking for, but that's definitely an option."
"Excellent. Also, do you have any better men's rings? These are...well, not to our liking."
The saleslady thought for a moment. "If you're willing to look at something a bit nontraditional, I may have something you'd like. Shall I bring the settings and a selection of loose stones as well?"
"Please." Nathaniel sat back in the chair as the brunette took the velvet trays away. "Did you have anything in mind?"
She shook her head. "I'll know it when I see it. How about you?"
Nathaniel shook his head. "I want something unusual for her, something that reflects her personality."
They were both quiet for a minute while they waited for the saleslady to return. She came back from the back room, carrying another velvet tray, and a small pile of white envelopes. As she set them down, her boss hovered nervously behind her, watching the customers.
"Is this for your fianc�e?" she asked Nate, nodding towards Bryn.
"No--yes--I mean, it's for my fianc�e-to-be, but she's not here. This is a friend."
"I see." She set a selection of settings in front of him, and then turned her attention to Bryn. "Here are a couple of our men's rings that aren't in the cases," she said, holding her hand forward. Her fingers had two rings on each. "Not a whole lot of men want to wear jewelry period, let alone with stones. But these are the more unusual of the lot."
Reaching forward, Bryn pulled two of the rings off of her finger, wanting to look closer at the innermost band. It was a yellow gold ring with seven stones in a single row, alternating between diamonds and rubies.
"That one's lovely," the saleslady said. "It matches your ruby nicely."
She didn't bother to correct the woman, but she nodded. It matched her engagement ring almost perfectly, even if they weren't red diamonds, but she was still uncertain.
"I don't know if he would wear something like this," she murmured. Holding it out to Nate, she added, "What do you think?" "He'd probably wear a ring out of a Crackerjack box if it came from you," he commented. He tilted his head to one side, examining the ring from several angles. "Seven stones. It's fitting. I'd wear it."
"Does the number seven have a special significance in your relationship?" the saleslady inquired.
"Yes," Bryn said. "I'll be my fiance's seventh wife."
"Oh...how nice."
She tried to hide her grin at the woman's reaction, even though Nate laughed out loud. Handing the ring back to her, he said, "Hold on to it. We'll get it when I've decided what I want."
"We?"
"Well, I'm going to need to pay you for painting my room anyway. Might as well do it now."
"Thank you." She looked at the saleslady. "Could I get this engraved?"
"Yes. It will take a few days. We have to ship it out."
"I'd like to give it to him today. Can I bring it back later?"
"Certainly." She watched as Bryn slipped the ring onto her left thumb, holding it there, while turning her attention to Nate. "Now, what sort of style were you hoping for?"
"Something out of the ordinary...including the diamond."
"I was kind of hoping you'd say that." She looked at the numbers on the white envelopes she'd brought. Finding the one she wanted, she unfolded the paper to show him the loose diamond. "It's not exceptionally large. Three-quarters of a carat. But it's got a faint blue coloring. Was that the sort of diamond you had in mind?"
"Definitely." He took a look at the price on the envelope and whistled softly. "Can you hang on to that one for me?"
"Of course. Ready to look at settings? These might give you some ideas, but we can still do custom designing if you don't find anything to your liking."
"Hopefully that won't be necessary." Nate looked over the settings on the tray, which all seemed to be variations of ones he had looked at earlier. "Wait a minute. Bryn, what do you think about this one?" He held out for her inspection a gold setting that appeared to be made of two loops of gold wrapped around each other.
"It's perfect! It suits both her and you."
Nathaniel made a face. "Are you telling me I have some sort of twisted relationship with her? Thanks, I think."
"Well, in a way, yes, you do." She grinned. "But no more twisted than the one I'm in."
"Exactly, Ms Seventh Wife."
"Hey, don't get testy." She looked at the ring, and then back at the envelope. "Can we see what these look like together?"
The saleslady nodded, grabbing what looked like a pair of tweezers from behind the counter. Opening the envelope once more, she grasped the diamond and dropped it into the setting. Holding it forward, her boss looking even more nervous than before, she said, "It's lovely."
Nathaniel took the ring and examined it closely. "I think we have a winner. What do you think Bryn?"
"Lindy will love it. When are you going to ask her?"
Nate frowned a bit. "I'd love to tonight, but I don't think she could handle that with everything else going on. I'll have to wait for things to settle down a bit." He turned his attention back to the saleslady. "How much for the rings?"
"The men's ring is $495. The custom one is--" She pulled out a calculator and looked at the envelope for the diamond as well as the mounting. "$10,095."
Nate let out a low whistle before pulling out his Platinum Visa. "Looks like I'm going to be translating a lot of documents to pay those off."
"Yikes!" Bryn watched the saleslady take his credit card and confer with her boss. "You're insane," she said, "but it is gorgeous. I'm very excited for Lindy."
He smirked. "And what about for me? I'm getting the good deal here. I'd rather have her than a whole vault full of diamonds."
She smiled softly, letting out a little sigh. "How are you going to propose?"
"Haven't decided yet. But it's got to be something good. If I'm only going to do this once, I'm going to do it right." He thought for a moment. "Maybe at a hockey game."
Sabryn laughed and shook her head. "Don't you dare."
"I'm kidding. More than likely, it will be on a beach somewhere."
She crossed her arms, her gaze drifting off as she imagined it. "Kind of makes me wish Anton had proposed to me."
"Huh? He didn't ask you?"
"No." Sabryn blushed a bit as he raised an eyebrow. "I asked him the night he surprised me at a gallery showing."
"Hmph. Well, he's a smart man for saying yes and not letting you get away."
"Thank you." She watched him for a moment. "As much as I love Anton, and want to support him, I can't seem to agree with his opinion of you, Nate. Maybe he's right and you're just a really good liar...but I don't think so. You've changed, haven't you?"
"I've tried." He thought about Natasha, and his suspicions about the fire in Lindy's home. "Sometimes it's not as easy to get away from your past as you'd like it to be."
"It does tend to chase you...but it can't change the fact that you've become a better person. Or maybe that you were never a bad person to begin with."
He couldn't seem to meet her gaze under that strict scrutiny. "You better watch what you're saying, or Anton's not going to like it one little bit."
"Maybe he needs to change, too."
He didn't have time to respond before the owner of the store walked over and handed him a bag. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Adrik. Here's your card back. If I can ever be of any assistance to you, please let me know."
"Thank you," Nate said, putting the card in his wallet. "Anything else you want to look at Bryn?"
"I don't think so. I should work on some sketches for your ceiling. Then maybe I can stop by tomorrow and you can tell me what you like better."
"Sounds good." He followed her as she walked out of the store, carrying the bag with both rings inside. "How long do you think this will take?"
"Well, I'll need to do the sketches, and then a test painting. I'll leave that with you overnight, so you can see how it looks in different degrees of light. Then I'll do some preliminary sketching on your ceiling and probably get started painting. So, I'm thinking about three or four days. Is that going to work?"
"The only problem is hiding it from Lindy. I was just going to tell her I was repainting the room, but that wouldn't take four days. I don't know how I'll keep her out of there."
"I'm sure you'll figure out something."
He opened the door to the SUV. "Yeah. I just hope she doesn't freak when she finds out how much the ring costs."
"There's a simple way to keep that from happening," Bryn said, getting into the car. "Don't tell her."
"Ha ha. Like that will work." He fastened his seat belt. "But thanks for coming with me. I know it makes things a bit difficult between you and Anton, but I appreciate it, Bryn."
"You're welcome Nate. Now let's get back before both Anton and Lindy start sending out search parties."
End Chapter Fifteen

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