Chapter Fifty-eight Dinner was going to be late. Bryn washed her hands, careful to scrape under her fingernails, then pulled the chicken out of the fridge. It had been marinating in limejuice for longer than usual, but she hadn't been able to help getting distracted. She just hoped Anton wasn't too hungry. She was chopping the rest of the ingredients as she heard his car pulling into the garage. She could feel her heart speed up a bit. Setting down the knife, she stepped around the counter and headed towards the hall to greet him. Anton stepped into the foyer, greeting Petunia. He had been out hunting before stopping by the office for a short while even though it was closed. Chandra was adapting nicely, and everything seemed to be going smoothly as he looked over the paperwork on his desk. There were still some timecard discrepancies that he couldn't make heads or tails of yet, but Anton's mind wasn't on solving it. Instead, he headed home, looking forward to spending the rest of the evening, and all of the day with his wife. Sorting though the mail that had been left by the front gate, he called out. "I'm home, my dear." "Hey," she said, walking around the corner and nearly tripping over Petunia. She mock growled at the dog, which quickly moved out of the way. Bryn reached out and hugged Anton tightly, pushing up onto her toes for a kiss. "Dinner's going to be late. I'm just starting it now. Amanda came over, and we had a short lesson...well, it was supposed to be short, anyway." "Snarling at Petunia, my dear? I think you're spending too much time with the werewolves," he teased before kissing her again. "Don't worry about dinner being late, Bryn. I can wait a bit." He kissed the top of her head. "How's she doing? Does she have any talent or are these pity lessons?" She made a face. "No, they aren't pity lessons! I wouldn't do that. She's very good at sketching. We're still working on the painting. I'm not sure that I've given her much of a chance to paint--I'm too busy doing all the work myself." She looked chagrined. "Speaking of...come here for a minute." She grabbed his hand and started walking towards the library, slowly turning the dimmer switch once she reached the doorway. The room gradually filled to full daylight brightness, revealing not one but two finished paintings. Lindy's portrait, and a new Impressionistic depiction of a beach at sunset. "I got a little bit of inspiration and couldn't stop myself." "They're beautiful." He stared at the paintings, his heart gladdened that she was painting again. Lindy's portrait was stunning, her human and wolf faces staring in opposite directions, hair and fur blending. But it was the beach that his eyes kept coming back to. "Is that Santa Cruz, my dear? Or just any beach on the west coast?" She smiled. "It's Santa Cruz. Or at least it's as I remember it. I tried to imagine it as it looked just before we met, when I first arrived for the concert. It was so pretty at sunset; I thought it couldn't get any better. But it did." She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt--his shirt--shifting a bit restlessly on her feet. "Do they look okay?" "Yes, Bryn. They're beautiful." He put an arm around her waist. "You've got such an incredible talent, my dear. Looking at this picture, I can almost remember what it feels like to have the sun caress my skin..." He trailed off, hugging her tight. She squeezed him in return, feeling immensely relieved and happy to have him proud of her. As much as she'd appreciated that he was worried about her, for not painting, the idea of him being disappointed in her shamed her. She pressed her face against his chest, letting out a sigh. "I'm glad you like them. I do feel better now that I've done them." "I'm glad, my dear. And I can't wait to see what else you create." He lightly kissed her lips. "Have you thought about trying to show your art somewhere? It seems to be a pity that it's kept locked away when it cries out to be appreciated." "I don't know..." She stared at the buttons on his shirt, twisting them with her fingers. "After that last showing, I'm not all that sure I'd be that successful. And it didn't have anything to do with you showing up. There wasn't much interest there at all. Barely anyone showed up, let alone bought anything." He caught her hands, pressing them to his chest. "Is that why you create, Bryn? Is it about the money or you getting the pictures in your head out on canvas? If you're motivation is money, that's okay. But I always had the feeling that you were putting your emotions out for all to see. And what good are emotions if you keep them to yourself?" He gently squeezed her hands. "If you don't want to, that's okay, my dear. But if you want to, I'm here to help." "It's not the money...at least, not anymore. I just--most people judge an artist's work on how popular they are, and how much they sell. And I'm afraid no one will like them. It's not as easy at it sounds. Art is very personal, whether it's painting, writing, or singing. It's like putting your soul on canvas and waiting to see if it will be accepted or rejected. I don't handle rejection very well." He gently stroked her hair. "I think I understand what you mean, my dear. I'm not going to push you into doing it if you don't want to, my dear. And if you decide you want to, I'll be behind you one hundred percent." He tilted her chin up so he could gently kiss her lips. She lifted herself up as high as she could, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, to kiss him in return. She let out a soft sob-like breath against his lips, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. If she could've hugged him any tighter, she would've. Pulling back just a fraction, she whispered against his lips, "Sometimes I wonder what you see in me. As far as I can tell, you're stronger than me in every way possible. And I'm so lucky to have you in my life." "No, Bryn, I'm the lucky one," he whispered against her lips. He gently rocked her back and forth. "I see a woman who has come through such adversity and who is so strong, and yet cannot see it herself. A woman has such an incredible gift, and seems blind to it. A woman who could have any man she chose, and for some reason has chosen to be with me." He pressed his lips to her forehead. "I love you so much, Bryn. And I am the lucky one because, despite all the mistakes I've made, you return to me." She sucked in a deep breath, and then smiled at him. "I keep coming back because you make me sound so wonderful when you talk about me." She let out a little laugh. "You know why I come back, Anton. I love you unconditionally and nonjudgmentally. Everyone makes mistakes, and I'm not going to hold yours against you. Now, if I could just learn to use the same theory on myself, everything would be perfect." Reaching for his hand, she said, "Do you want dinner now, or do you just want to lie close to me and maybe order a pizza?" He smiled tenderly, squeezing her hand. "I hate to have all the work you've already done on dinner go to waste, but lying close to you sounds good. Or I could help you in the kitchen." He kissed her lightly. "Well, I guess it shouldn't take too long to finish it, if you help me. If you don't mind peeling and slicing some potatoes, that is." She started leading the way out the door, tugging him behind her. "You know, I don't even think I've ever asked if you like my cooking. Or what things you like or don't like...do you like coconut? If I ever make something you don't like, don't be too polite to say so, okay?" "Depends on what the coconut is in, my dear. And I promise not to be too polite." He followed her into the kitchen, pausing to pull her backwards against him. His hands slid over her sides to cradle her stomach, fingers splayed. "And you'll do the same for me, Bryn? If I make something, or say something, or do something you don't like, you'll let me know?" She tilted her head back and turned it slightly to meet his gaze. "Yes, I'll try to. I know I tend to hide my feelings sometimes when I'm upset, but I'll try to be better about not doing that." She smiled. "And the coconut is going to be in our dinner. It's part of the coating for the chicken--unsweetened coconut, limejuice, chopped almonds, and Parmesan. With scalloped potatoes in a garlic cream sauce." "Mmmmm...sounds delicious." He bent down and nibbled at her neck. "And what's for dessert, my dear?" he whispered in her ear. "How about chocolate-covered you? Sounds good to me." He let out a low rumble. "I think we can arrange that." He abruptly released her. "The sooner we get dinner made, the sooner we can move on to dessert." By the time he recognized her scent, it was already too late to casually slip into the shadows. His senses weren't as quick in human form, never had been, but that wasn't the only reason for his slip-up. Something about her had changed. He could feel his hair standing on end, wariness giving him the urge to tuck his tail between his legs. Until he realized what the difference was. [She smells like a vampire.] Marrok turned in his bar stool to covertly study the tall blond from the corner of his eye. He hadn't been expecting to run into Alinda Adrik here. If it wasn't coincidence that she was here...could she have possibly been tipped off to his activities of late? The sudden flash of Natasha Falconieri's face in his mind forced him to stifle a growl. She sat at one of the booths near the bar, idly watching, but not really noticing people walk past. She was waiting for Nathaniel to return from his hunt. Every so often she'd get a mysterious smile, and raise a hand to touch the diamond pendant hanging from her neck. That rock around her neck was blinding him. It glowed like a beacon, even in candlelight. But it wasn't distracting enough to draw his attention away from the scar on her neck. It was small, barely a fraction of an inch, but it looked clear as day on the woman he'd studied so well. [Rotten bitch.] He wanted to rip her to shreds, but it wouldn't change anything for him. [Face it--vampires are raising your kid.] "What the hell's wrong with your face?" Marrok turned his attention back to Robert, the hotel manager and one of his few friends. "I don't know--what's wrong with my face?" "You look like you just got bitch-slapped." "Close enough. I have the feeling this is the beginning of a very long, very bad night." "Excuse me, ma'am?" Lindy pulled out of her daydream to look at the waitress standing in front of the booth. "We need to reserve the booths for couples and groups." Lindy nodded. "My husband will be joining me shortly." In fact, she was wondering where he was at the moment. The waitress nodded and moved on. Lindy's eyes swept over the room again. If she didn't know better, she was sure one of the men sitting at the bar hadn't taken his eyes off of her all night. But unlike the way Nate's gaze followed her, this man's sent a cold chill through her, although she wasn't sure why. "Sorry that took so long," Nate said, drawing her attention as he slid into the booth across from her. "Well, I'm sure you won't want to know how I did it, but I think I've got enough blood for both of us tonight. So...did you order?" "No, not yet." She picked up the menu and started thumbing through it. "Nate, is there a guy at the bar staring at me? The guy at the far end." Nathaniel scanned the bar, frowning. "There's nobody there now." Lindy turned slightly, glancing along the row of stools. Sure enough, whoever he was, he was gone. She turned back to Nate, a slightly embarrassed smile on her face as she shook her head. "Maybe I'm just paranoid." He reached across the table to squeeze her hand. "I don't think you're paranoid, Lind. Any guy in his right mind would be staring at such a beautiful woman." He grinned at her. "I think I'm going to have the bread pudding. What about you?" "The raspberry chocolate cheesecake." She didn't quite buy Nate's explanation, although she couldn't say why. But dismissing it from her mind, she looked at her husband's flushed complexion. He had to have fed extra, possibly taking a second victim to make sure he had enough blood for the both of them. "So, what are we going to do after I feed? Check out some of the vineyards?" "That would be nice. Maybe we could try to arrange a private tour of one of the wineries." He watched her for a moment. "Then I'd like to go back to our room, give you another present, and then make love in our in-room spa. After that, we'll decide when we want to leave. It could be tomorrow night, or a week from now. Whatever you want." Another shudder ran through her, this time a pleasant one. "I like the sound of that, Nate. Another gift though?" She lightly touched the diamond around her neck, smiling. "You didn't get me the matching earrings, did you?" He grinned. "Not yet. It's one I brought with us, in the suitcase. There are actually two more, but I think I'll make you wait on the last one until we get home." The waitress arrived to take their order, to which they added some sparkling wine. Retrieving the menus, she headed back to the kitchen. Nate turned his attention back to Lindy, stroking his thumb over her hand. "So...did you give in and call your mother yet?" "No, not yet. And no, I didn't call Bryn or Anton either." She couldn't keep the trace of smugness out of her voice. "Good." He gave her hand a little squeeze. "You called one of your fathers, didn't you?" "You caught me," she admitted. "Walter wanted an emergency number we could be reached at, so I called his cell phone. But that was only for a few minutes." He nodded. "Well, I'm impressed. I thought for sure you would've called about Liam by now." He gave her a little smirk. "You lasted longer than I did. I called about twenty minutes ago." He nodded again when she laughed at him. "Liam's fine. He's been a little cranky, but it's probably because he misses us. It took Mom almost an hour to put him to sleep last night, but once he was down he slept all night. And apparently he Changed for about an hour this afternoon because Petunia was around, but he changed back once he got hungry." "Well, that's good. I'm amazed at his control. And I'm glad to hear that he's okay." She reluctantly released his hand when the waitress returned with their desserts. Lindy picked up her fork. "As much as I'm enjoying the time alone with you, Nate, I miss him." "I know. I miss him, too. I keep thinking we're going to miss something good, like his first word. But I'm sure we'll hear all about it if we do." He took a bite of his bread pudding, moaning in pleasure as he bit into a juicy raisin. After a moment or two of silence between them, he said, "Do you ever think about wanting more? Maybe a little sister or brother for him?" "Yeah," Lindy said. "I think about it now and then. But unless we stumble across another werewolf pup, I don't see how it will happen. As much as we'd love him or her, I don't feel comfortable putting a human child into this situation. It's going to be hard enough for us to raise Liam as a werewolf. But I'm glad that he's going to have a cousin, at least." He took another bite of his dessert and watched her. "And what if that human child were Changed?" She stared at the forkful of cheesecake in her hand. "I don't know. I don't think I could ask Mom or Alex or Walter to Change a child. And I'm not sure they'd agree to it either. It's not easy growing up as a werewolf Nate. But if it happened, would I turn that child away? No." "So, in other words, 'be open to any possibility'? I guess I can live with that. I just don't want you to feel as if you've missed out on anything, Lind. And I'm not going to stop you from getting whatever you want." She smiled at him. "Whatever I want, huh? Well, for starters, how about a bite of your bread pudding?" She leaned forward over the table when he offered her a bite. "Mmm... that's good." She settled back down onto the seat. "Let me think about it, Nathaniel. Maybe in a year or two, when Liam's a little older, I may feel differently." "All right." He sat back in the booth, letting out a puff of air. "Hurry up and eat. All of this extra blood is making me horny." Lindy grinned. On the other side of the partition, Marrok fought the urge to gag. [Two corpses fucking...I wonder if there could be anything more disgusting.] Anton pushed the plate away with a slight groan. "That has got to have been the best chicken I've had in a long time, my dear. Where did you learn to cook like that?" Sabryn grinned. "Believe it or not, I make it up as I go along. It was an experiment--it could've been awful. Luckily, it wasn't." She set her fork aside, then lowered her plate to the floor so Petunia could lick up the sauce. Pushing her chair back, she walked over to where he sat and leaned against the table. "Still have room for dessert?" "I think so, my dear." He gently pulled her over to sit in his lap, if only for a moment. "What would you like to do after dinner, my dear? Watch a movie? Work on another painting?" "Hmm..." She thought about it for a moment, squirming slightly in his lap. "I think I know of a movie I wouldn't mind watching. You did get that video from Lindy's office after we made love on your desk, right?" "Yes," he whispered, kissing her neck. "It's tucked safely away in the dresser upstairs. Want me to get it after dessert?" His hand slid up and down her back as he kissed her ear. "Watch me take you, make you moan?" Her breath sped up, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Yes. I want you to get it now. I want to watch it while we feed each other ice cream. And I want to suck your cock while listening to us in the background." He shivered as his hand slid up to cradle her head. Pulling her head closer, he leaned forward and kissed her, slipping his tongue into her mouth. He stroked along her roof of her mouth before withdrawing to nip at her lower lip. "Go get the ice cream, my dear. Do you want it upstairs in our bedroom, or in the living room?" "On the couch," she said, softly, "like the last time we watched a video together, at my brother's house." She gave him one last kiss, then pushed off his lap. As she collected the plates and headed towards the kitchen, she said, "If you like strawberry cheesecake ice cream, I'll be ready when you are." He watched the sway of her ass when she retreated. "Oh, I'm ready right now," he whispered under his breath. Pushing up from the table, he stiffly walked up the stairs and into the bedroom. Pulling open the top drawer he reached under several layers of socks to pull out the videocassette in its brown container. Shutting the drawer, he went back downstairs and into the living room. Hitting the power button on the VCR, he popped in the tape before settling back on the couch. Anton grabbed the remote and began fast-forwarding, stopping at the point just after Lindy and Nathaniel left the room. "Bryn, I'm ready." She let out a giggle, quickly putting away the ice cream carton and grabbing a spoon. She hurriedly retrieved the ice cream, and walked to the living room. "Do you ever wonder if there's such a thing as too horny? Because I'm beginning to think we both fit into that category, Anton." She sat down next to him, casually draping a leg over his. He smiled lazily at her. "Perhaps, my dear." Grabbing the bowl and a spoon, he scooped out some ice cream and offered it to Bryn. "Although, I have a feeling once Max is born, we are going to wish that we had the time to be too horny." As she lapped the ice cream off the spoon, he slowly ran his hand up her leg. She smiled around the spoon, and then reached down to scoop up a bite of ice cream for him. "Oh we'll have the time to be horny. We just won't have any time to do anything about it." She placed the spoon in his mouth, and then reached over with her other hand to press Play on the remote control. Slowly he pulled the ice cream off of the spoon, letting it slide out of his lips. His eyes slid back to the television. On screen, Bryn was writhing on his lap, starting to unzip the denim vest she was wearing. His hand wandered up her leg, stopping midway on the inside of her thigh. "Less than three months ago, and yet it almost seems like another lifetime, my dear. But I love you just as much, if not more." She smiled brightly at him, scooting closer to rest her head on his shoulder. She casually lifted the hem on his shirt, sliding her hand over his warm chest. Her fingertips grazed his nipples, making them even harder. On the screen, Lindy walked back into the room, forcing Bryn to quickly zip her vest back up. They talked for a moment, while she squirmed on Anton's lap, then Lindy left and locked the door behind her. Wasting no time, Bryn quickly unzipped her vest again, her heavy breasts falling into view once more. They both let out a small moan as his hands covered her, lifting her breasts in his hands. "I hardly remember them being that size. They're so much larger now. I'm surprised I could find bras big enough to fit." He brushed his lips against her hair, his hand stroking back and forth between her thighs, creeping higher with each pass. "I wouldn't mind at all if you never wore them again, my dear." His lips brushed down along her hairline. Mimicking his movements on screen with only one hand, he slipped his arm down behind her back so he could wrap around and massage her breast. "Though if you haven't noticed, I can still get my arms around you." She smiled again, ice cream practically forgotten. She moved the bowl to the coffee table, then grabbed one last spoonful, popping it into her mouth, before turning and pressing her lips to his. She pushed her tongue into his mouth, sharing her ice cream, letting her hand stray down to cup his crotch. Anton gasped, both from the coldness of the ice cream and her hand caressing him through his jeans. Although it was an awkward move for him, he slipped his hand under her blouse, sliding it up her body as he sucked on her tongue. Sliding the bra strap off of her shoulder, he pulled the cup down, freeing her breast. Shifting his hand between her thighs a little higher, he brushed lightly against her sex. She let out a soft moan, then pulled away from him abruptly. She didn't want to get too excited already. There was much more she had in store. Turning in time to see them on the screen, she watched him stand between her legs and bend to kiss her, while she wrapped her legs around his waist, and held him close. Giving Anton a grin, Bryn slid off his lap and knelt on the floor. She tugged him towards her a bit, then went to work on unbuttoning his jeans. "Have I ever told you how beautiful your cock is?" She tugged his jeans and boxers out of the way, letting his cock stand up proud and tall. She lightly ran her finger up its length, smiling at the way it seemed to follow her touch. "It's so thick and hard, just slightly curving towards your belly. The head is so broad and smooth, soft to the touch and yet so firm. And your balls, they're so heavy." She rubbed her cheek against the side of his cock. "You're like a work of art. I'd love to paint you nude some time." Anton moaned. "I'd pose for you, Bryn, but I'd be afraid we'd never get any actual painting done." Through heavily lidded eyes, he watched on the video him mount her. He then looked down at his wife kneeling in front of him. Gently he reached down to stroke her hair. He wanted so badly to pull her back up onto his lap and run his hands over her. She heard herself moan on the tape and squirmed between his legs. Leaning closer, she sucked his cock into her mouth and swirled her tongue around the head. She smiled as he groaned, flicking her tongue back and forth across the slit, up and down, gently worrying the sensitive area. Rewarded with the light trickle of his precum, she sucked heartily at him. Moving her head and hand up and down to cover the length of his cock. He moaned, thrusting up into her mouth. His hands caressed her head and face, all he could reach in this position. "Bryn," he whispered softly. "Do you have any idea how wonderful you are? You're mouth is so hot, so wet. Your tongue so agile. I could cum sometimes just from you kissing me." She pulled away slightly to look up at him, continuing to stroke him in her hand. "Do you want to cum in my mouth?" "Yessss," he hissed. He arched his head back as her strokes sped up. As her mouth wrapped around his cock again, his hips began thrusting. She moaned around him, pressing her hand down on his hip to keep him from thrusting too deep. She sucked firmly on him, sliding her other hand down to caress his balls. Rolling them lightly, she pressed her fingertips to his perineum, rubbing in small circles, watching his face. It took only a few more strokes of her tongue before he started spurting in her mouth, and she swallowed greedily. Unwilling to waste a drop. Anton let out a loud groan, sinking back into the couch. He sat there, trying to catch his breath while Bryn gently cleaned him. His hips gave an occasional thrust as he softened. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes. "Get back up here, Bryn." When she started climbing up his body, he put his arms around her, pulling her body against his as he kissed her. She leaned against him, cupping the side of his face as she let him explore her mouth. She could hear them getting cleaned up on the video tape, and couldn't help a slight twinge of disappointment that video was so short. Then again, they hadn't exactly been able to take their time when everyone had known exactly what they were doing in that office. Pulling back from his kiss, just barely, she whispered, "I love you. And I hope I make you proud to be with me at the Gathering." "I'm always proud to be with you, my dear." He gently traced his fingers over her lips. "And I'm going to be there with the most beautiful woman in the world on my arm." He turned slightly, leaning her back flat against the cushions. His hands started unbuttoning her blouse. "The woman I am madly in love with." He pushed the fabric to one side, peppering kisses over her stomach. "The woman who is giving me a child." Turning his head, he rested his cheek on her belly, suddenly pulling back as Max kicked. "Who is apparently going to be an incredible soccer player." She giggled, rubbing her hand over the spot briefly. She reached up to wrap her hand around his neck, urging him closer again, pressing him back to her stomach. "Talk to him, Anton. He likes the sound of your voice." He gave a short laugh, gently kissing her stomach again. "Hello there, Max," he said softly. "I can't wait for you to get here so I can talk to you face to face. And I've got to be honest with you. I've been around for a long time, but this is the first time I'm going to be a dad. So I hope you forgive me if I make any mistakes. I'll learn from you, and you'll learn from me, okay?" Although he wasn't kicking Bryn could feel Max moving around continuously inside her, responding to Anton's voice. She smiled softly, stroking Anton's hair. "He's going to be a great dad, isn't he, Max? He's going to love you so much, and make you feel so special. Just like he does your mom. You're very lucky, Max." She smiled again. "So am I." Anton smiled back at Bryn. "And so am I, Max. I am unbelievably blessed with the both of you. And I have to apologize if I've made you dizzy." One of Anton's hands crept up the inside of her thigh. "Mom and Dad can't seem to keep their hands off of each other." Bryn laughed out loud. "He was probably wondering why he keeps getting his head knocked against the wall." She spread her legs slightly, shivering lightly at the touch of his hand. "You're going to have to get used to it, Max. Mom and Dad love each other very much. We like to be as close together as we can." "Yes we do," he said, kissing her stomach again. His hand slipped upwards to cradle her sex, and he shivered at how wet she still was. He gently rubbed his fingers up and down the length of her, wanting to make her feel every bit as good as she had him earlier. She whimpered, feeling her panties sticking to her. She couldn't seem to stop shifting her hips, moving his touch over her crotch. She lifted up slightly when he reached for her waistband, peeling down the wet fabric and sliding it down her legs. Moaning softly, she watched his dilated eyes as he slid his fingers over her wet folds, spreading her open to his view, and lightly swirling his thumb around her clit. She spread her legs wider, scooting closer to the edge, anticipating his next move. Climbing down so he was now kneeling on the floor, he continued to stare at her sex, pink and shiny. He leaned in closer, inhaling deeply before painting a stripe up her with his tongue. His thumb continued to circle her clit as he lapped at her. Feeling her squirm impatiently, he thrust his tongue inside her, pressing his thumb down directly on her clit. She let out a loud cry, her thighs twitching as she watched him. She couldn't see exactly what he was doing over her round belly, but watching his head dive between her legs was almost too much to bear. Allowing him to continue for a few seconds more, she then tightened her fingers in his hair, and breathlessly cried, "Stop, please!" She panted, wriggling with desire. "I want you inside me, Anton." He let out a moan under his breath. He had been hardening again as he licked her. After one last loving caress, he withdrew his tongue. He reared up on his knees and pushed his cock into her welcoming heat. Taking a firm grip on her hips, he thrust into her, trying to give her what she wanted. She moaned loudly, her sex immediately gripping him tightly. She felt as if whatever emptiness there was inside her had just been filled, wonderfully and tightly coupled with his body. Reaching down, she held his sides, pulling him towards her, keeping him squeezed between her legs. Crying out with every thrust he gave inside her, she began trembling long before she fell into orgasm. Then she spasmed powerfully around him, shouting with pleasure. He also threw his head back and gave a loud cry, shooting deep into her. Gasping for breath, he leaned forward over her, supporting his weight on his arms. He looked deep into her hooded eyes before kissing her. "I love you so much, Bryn." She gave a soft sigh of contentment, and then kissed him again. Gently stroking her tongue against his, then sucking his upper lip. "I love you, too, Anton." She stroked his face with her thumbs, smiling at him. "What do you say we go upstairs and cuddle up under the covers, nice and warm, and watch a funny movie? I feel like laughing, because you make me so happy." "And you make me happy, Bryn." He smiled back at her, giving her one quick kiss. "That, my dear, sounds like a wonderful way to spend the rest of the evening." Standing up, he offered her his hand he helped her to sit up. Once their clothing was pulled up enough so they could walk, arms around each other's waist, they wandered upstairs and to their bedroom. After finishing their desserts, Nate led Lindy back to their room. Although she had eaten, she still felt hungry, a hunger she was learning to identify as her need for blood. As they walked down the hallways, she could smell the blood in the people they passed, hear their hearts pounding. It called to her, but she couldn't hunt them yet. But the hunger in her was building to a fevered pitch. The moment they were inside the room, as soon as their door closed, Lindy pushed him up against the wall. Her jaw dropped open, revealing her fangs, as her eyes flamed. Striking quickly, she sank her fangs into his neck and began to drink. Nate let out a loud grunt, surprised by her strength. Struggling to regain control of the situation, he crouched slowly, slid his hands behind her thighs, and lifted her up until she wrapped her legs around his waist. His arms shook as he carried her, carefully, across the room and to the bed. He sat down, making sure not to dislodge her, not that he thought he could, on the bed. Then he let himself relax, wrapping his arms around her and soothingly rubbing her back. He closed his eyes, a deep-seated sense of relief washing over him. She continued to suck on his neck, making contented, soft moans. She drank until the fire that ran in her blood was sated. And still, she continued to drink for a moment or two more, bliss making her movements languid. She released his neck, but kept her forehead pressed there, not quite ready to face him. Not that she was ashamed that she had fed from him, but that she had done so without asking. He kissed her neck, still rubbing her back, then stood up and carried her into the bathroom. He set her down on the counter, lingering to kiss the top of her head, her ear, and her shoulder. "You feeling better? I can start the bath if you want?" "Um, yeah, I think that would be good." But before she could step away, she put her arms around him. She kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry I didn't ask first, Nate." She lightly kissed his lips. "I just couldn't control it any longer." He sighed. "Lindy, you're going to drive me crazy before our first wedding anniversary. Stop apologizing to me. We already discussed this earlier tonight, both before I went to feed, and at the bar. We both knew you were going to feed as soon as we got back to the room. You have nothing to apologize for." He kissed her again, giving her a meaningful look. "Now relax, and start taking off your clothes, because I'm ready for that bath." "Okay." She made a face at him as she started to unbutton her blouse. "I'd apologize for apologizing, but you'd just tell me not to." Letting her blouse drop off of her shoulders, she hopped off the counter and started unbuttoning her slacks. He grinned, pausing to watch her for a moment. He had to force himself not to touch her, backing up to sit on the rim of the tub. He turned on the faucet, checking the water temperature before plugging the drain. Then, with one last lingering look at her, he walked back to the living room, opened the minibar, and grabbed the box of gourmet chocolate truffles for them to share. She sat down on the edge of the tub, watching it fill with water. Now that she had fed, she felt calmer. Something about the guy who had been staring at her earlier still bothered her, but she pushed it to the back of her mind. [Nate's probably right. That and the fact that I needed to feed probably made me think I was seeing things that weren't really there.] Seeing the tub was now almost full, she shut off the water. Pulling her hair up in a loose bun, she then got into the warm water. She shut her eyes, smiling as her muscles relaxed. When he walked back into the bathroom, he was already nude and fully erect. He smiled when he saw her lying in the water, her breasts barely covered by water, her eyes closed in bliss. Quietly nearing the tub, he pushed the button that turned on the jets, startling her, but she quickly let out a groan of approval. Nate set down the box of chocolates on the rim of the tub, then motioned for her to scoot forward so he could step into the water behind her. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her knees. Waiting until he settled, his legs framing her, she then leaned back against him. Turning her head, she kissed his neck, just where she had bitten him earlier. "So what do you want to do the rest of the night? Try to see a winery? Or just stay in all night?" "Hmm. As much as I'd like to see a winery, I think it can wait until tomorrow night. It would probably be easier to make arrangements in early evening, anyway. Besides, now that you're naked, I don't want you to get dressed again." He nipped at her earlobe, and then kissed it. He let out a low groan, slipping lower in the water until they were reclining slightly. "As far as I'm concerned, we can stay in this tub for the rest of the night. This feels wonderful." She continued to kiss his neck before nuzzling against him. She felt warm and protected in his arms, and the feel of the water playing over her skin felt divine. She sighed in deep contentment. One eye slid open to see the candy box resting on the edge of the tub. "Chocolates?" She looked up and gave him a small grin. "Feed me one?" He reached for the box, breaking the seal and ripping off the paper wrapping. Lifting the lid away, he revealed twelve different golf ball-sized candies, some dark chocolate, some white, and some milk. He picked up a dark chocolate, covered in cocoa powder, and lifted it to her lips. Lindy let out a moan as she bit into the espresso-flavored truffle, and Nate couldn't help but squirm beneath her. She continued to eat the candy, nibbling delicately until it was all gone. But before Nate could pull his hand away, she grabbed it, sucking the chocolate off of his fingers. She couldn't help but smile as the squirming beneath her took a more desperate urgency. Releasing his hand, she picked up one of the white chocolates and turned to face him. "Your turn." He was panting softly when he opened his mouth, seizing her wrist, and pulled her hand closer to bite into the sweet candy. He moaned as the taste of hazelnut paste filled his mouth, melting on his tongue. He watched her face as he continued to eat, then pulled the chocolate out of her hand. She watched avidly as he pushed her hand out of the way, tracing the melting truffle over her skin. He drew the candy over her sternum and down her cleavage, then leaned closer to lap the hazelnut off her skin. She gave a little whimper feeling his tongue brush over her skin. She twisted so she was now kneeling in front of him, hands gripping the side and back of the tub to help support her weight. Lindy bent her head to nuzzle his hair as he continued to lick her, even though most of the truffle was now gone. The remainder of the chocolate was melting between his fingers. He pulled back slightly to look at her, smiling at her heavy-lidded gaze. He continued to watch her as he smeared a large gob of chocolate onto her nipple, and then pulled the sticky peak into his mouth. Sucking firmly, he pushed his fingers into her mouth, letting her lick away the remaining sweet. She moaned around his fingers, sucking on them just as hard as he was on her nipple. As hard as she wanted to on his cock. She let out a gasp when his free hand slid down to clasp her ass, pressing her harder against his groin. She shifted her legs now to straddle his. Nate let her nipple escape his mouth with a soft pop, moving his mouth to the other side. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, pressing her breast more firmly against his mouth. He let his hand slide lower, between her legs, barely skimming over the outside of her sex. He could feel her moisture, even with the water flowing around them, and he gently rubbed the slickness back and forth over her labia. Lindy let out a soft cry, squirming against him. The water and his touches were drawing tingles from deep inside her body. She forced one hand between their bodies so she could rub her fingers against his nipple. "Nathaniel," she whispered, breathing heavily. "What do you want, Lind?" he asked, his voice husky with arousal. "Do you want my fingers inside you?" He rubbed a finger around the tight opening of her sex, threatening to pull it away or shove it inside. "Or my mouth? Do you want my mouth on you, licking your clit, fucking in and out of you?" He licked his lips deliberately, drawing her attention. "Or do you want my cock? Would that make you feel good?" "Yesss..." she hissed, rubbing against his body. "Any of it, all of it," she whispered. Tendrils of hair escaped from the bun, not quite masking her dilated eyes. "Whatever you want to do. Just please," she whispered against his mouth. "Make me cum screaming your name." He kissed her deeply, holding her head while he attacked her mouth. His cock was painfully hard, rubbing against her belly and breaking the surface of the water. As much as he wanted to fuck her now, he wanted this to last a while. And he knew he was likely to cum quickly once he was inside her. He'd been turned on since she sank her fangs into his neck. "Turn around," he whispered, waiting until she did as he asked. She turned to face away from him, remaining on her knees as if waiting for him to mount her from behind. "Lay back against me, put your feet up on the rim of the tub." Shuddering, she settled down into the water, pushing her legs out from beneath her, and settled back against him. Once her feet were on the rim of the tub, Nate pushed his legs between hers, opening her thighs wider, sliding down until his cock bobbed against her spread open sex. Yet instead of pushing inside, he started to play his fingers over her labia, tickling her clit, worrying the opening of her sex with the tip of his finger. She arched back against him, gasping. Grabbing his free hand, she guided it to her breast, nuzzling his neck as he began massaging it. Reaching between her legs, she pushed the finger teasing her into her sex, and then gently encircled Nate's cock. Slowly she began to pump her fist against him. "God, Lind!" He couldn't help the light thrusts of his hips beneath her. Withdrawing his finger, he pushed in another one, pushing both deep to get them slick, them quickly pumping them in and out of her until she couldn't keep still. He pinched her nipple with his other hand, lightly pulling on it, then twisting it between his fingers. It wasn't long before the grip of her fist became too much for him, and he pulled his fingers out of her to seize both her wrists. He gripped her in one hand, using his other to grab hold of his cock and guide himself to the opening of her sex. He thrust swiftly inside, forcing a breath out of both of them. "Hold still, still, still, still..." He whined with the need to thrust frantically inside her. "God, baby, you feel so good." She squirmed in his grip, trying to force herself further down on his cock. Her breathing was ragged as she felt him stretch her wide open. The water playing over her sex and then his other hand rubbing lightly around her clit made her squeal. Her wrists still gripped firmly in his hand, there was little more she could do but writhe on him. He panted heavily, letting go of her wrists and sliding his hands down to hold her legs open wide. He started to thrust, planting his feet against the bottom of the tub for leverage. He shoved into her in sharp, short strokes, deep inside her, pushing her inner labia in and out with each plunge and withdrawal. Her clit was erect and exposed, being bathed by the jetting water swirling between her legs. "Damn, I love fucking you..." She couldn't respond to him, too excited to do anything but give sharp gasps. She grasped the sides of the tub, rocking her body against his. The swirling water and his thrusting cock was rapidly becoming too much for her. "Nathaniel," she cried out, the muscles of her sex clenching down hard on his cock. "Ohhh!" He slammed himself deep inside her, jetting his semen in thick spurts against her cervix. He continued to pump in and out of her, drawing out her orgasm, his thumb sliding back and forth over her clit. When they were both gasping and he finally felt the last of her spasms, he lowered his hand to hold himself inside her. Loving the little twitches her sex gave as it relaxed. He buried his face against her neck, his breath hot and rapid. "You're so incredible, baby. So incredible." She slipped a hand down to rest on the one between her legs. Shifting slightly, she turned her head so she could look at him. "You're pretty incredible yourself, Nathaniel." She pressed her lips against his forehead. "I don't ever want to move again," she whispered. "Think we can stay like this for the rest of our lives?" His breathing slowing, he sighed softly. "I wish. Although I think we both would have to use the toilet sooner or later. And I know we wouldn't be able to stand being away from Liam for another whole day, let alone a lifetime." He kissed her ear, letting his lips linger there. "Besides, I think you might want to open that other present pretty soon. Unless you can handle the suspense." "Well, since you put it that way..." Reluctantly she let his cock slip out of her. Slowly she let herself sit up, giving a sigh as she did so. Getting to her feet, she stepped out of the tub and grabbed one of the towels. "You going to stay in there the rest of the night or what?" she asked, rubbing the towel over her back. He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I didn't mean you had to open it this second. But since you're already up, you might as well." He pushed to his feet, taking her towel and drying her himself. He kissed her softly, letting the towel slide down to cover her ass, gently squeezing her in his hands. "If you could have anything in the world--something you don't already have--what would it be?" Lindy thought about it for a moment before answering. "It sounds silly, and I know there's no real way to find out, but I would like to know about my family, my biological family I mean." She leaned against Nate, hands on his chest. "I guess I've been thinking about it more because of Liam, how we're both in the same boat. We're not sure who our parents are, and I'm not sure either of us have a way to find out. I know my mother abandoned me, but I don't know if my father even knew I existed. Or if he was or is desperately searching for me." She wiped a tear away from the corner of her eye. "But that's not exactly something you can give me, is it?" He wrapped the towel around her shoulders, holding her tight. "I can sure try. When we get home, I can put in some calls, get things started. Even if we come up with nothing, it's better than not trying." He lifted the towel to rub the loose tendrils of her hair. "I sometimes wonder if we're doing the right thing with Liam. He had someone looking for him, Lind. Someone very desperate to find him. I'd do anything to find the children we lost so long ago. And I'm afraid we're keeping Liam's family from finding him." "I'm not sure that's a bad thing, Nate. Look at what that werewolf did to Chandra. It was dumb luck that she's still alive." Lindy sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. "But he may have other relatives looking for them. There's no way we can tell, and unless they try to contact Chandra or Mack, I don't think we can find them." Nate nodded, letting out a sigh. "I just wonder if that attack was prompted by fear. I wouldn't be any less capable of it myself, if I were in that situation. In fact, I'm sure I'd be very dangerous if anyone stood between me and my family." Lindy nodded her head. "And so would I. But there's no way we can know." She slipped her arms aro