Taste of Innocence Chapter 14
I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing following the infuriating girl into the woods but there I was, trailing along behind her like the whipped motherfucker that I had become. Was it seriously less than two weeks ago that I was a happy-go-lucky vampire, fucking and sucking my way through life? My biggest complication then had been what vermin I would eradicate. Those had definitely been easier days.
But were they better days? Do you really wish you hadn’t ever met Bella? Of course I didn’t fucking wish that. I just wished there was some way to make her slightly more fucking cooperative than she’d been up to this point but I didn’t want to do things differently. Bella was mine…it was an incontrovertible fact. We belonged together and I felt that in every fiber of my being. I just wished something could be fucking easy with her.
Yes, I wished said easy thing would be sex but I’d take her eating like a normal vampire or maybe managing to maintain the same mood for more than five minutes at any given time as well. I was truly beginning to worry that she was mentally unstable, beyond being a newborn. I’d have to hack into her school files and see if there was any kind of history of insanity in her or any family members. It would really explain quite a lot.
She grinned at me as we reached the edge of the trees and led the way into the forest surrounding our property. “Do you want to tell me what the fuck we’re doing out here?” I asked somewhat testily. I couldn’t help it though, she was so fucking frustrating.
“Well, I can’t kill Willow,” she told me matter-of-factly, like that should have been common fucking knowledge. Like I hadn’t made Jenks go to the fucking trouble of acquiring a cow for her to eat and then have her turn up her nose at it. What the fuck were we going to do with a pet cow? I didn’t know shit about cows except that they stank and were apparently fucking dumb. And they ate grass. What else? Oh hell no…
“Just so you know; there is no way on God’s green earth that I am going to milk that fucking thing, Bella. She’s your cow so you’re going to have to take care of that.” I got a mental picture of Bella sitting on a stool with her hair in braids, wearing some ridiculously old fashioned blue and white checkered dress and cheerfully squeezing the fucking cow tits into a metal pail. The fact that that image made Edward Junior start to stir was really fucking disturbing. Maybe I should look into my own family history on the mental insanity thing. Or maybe it’s contagious. That would explain a lot.
Bella let out a little giggle that did nothing to help with the situation with my masochistic fucking cock and turned to throw her arms around me. I resisted the hug for a second but felt my resolve break as she burrowed her nose into my chest and squeezed me affectionately. How could I fucking resist that shit? I buried my nose in her hair and inhaled her intoxicating floral fragrance again. Would I ever get enough of her? No. Thanks, asstard, I wasn’t asking you, it was a rhetorical fucking question. I know how whipped I am, thank you very much.
“While I enjoy the hug, Bella, that’s not going to work on me. You have to take care of the damn thing.” I was going to stay firm on this, no matter how good she felt in my arms.
She titled her head up and grinned at me. “I’ll take care of her, but you need to help me figure out how.” How the fuck was I supposed to do that? I’d never been a farmer…I’d never even eaten a fucking farmer, not that I would have absorbed anything from that experience anyway. “Could we look it up on the computer when we get back?”
Thank God for the Internet. “Yes.” I also had something else to look up while I was at it. She may have been fucking with me but damned if I wasn’t going to teach her a lesson. If she wanted a vibrator, she’d get a vibrator. Several of them, in fact. One of us may as well get fucking laid, somehow. You really are a dipshit, you know that? You’ll only be torturing yourself. What if she actually fucking uses it with you in the house? I heard Edward Junior whimper at the thought and bit back a groan myself. Yes, it would drive me to the brink of insanity if I wasn’t already there but she had it coming, right? And it would be fucking hot as hell, even if I wasn’t involved. I could hear and smell and…fuck. May as well reserve myself a suite at Bellevue pronto. It would be worth it though, probably.
“Thank you, Edward!” She let me go and I felt the loss of her touch immediately. Maybe she felt it as well because she took my hand in hers and we descended further into the forest.
“Do you want to tell me what we’re doing here?” If she wanted to explore the land we could do it, but why we were walking like regular fucking humans was beyond me. I wanted to see her run and the sun would be up any minute, not that you could see it through the lush foliage surrounding us.
“Finding something to eat.” Right, of course.
“And just what do you think you’re going to find roaming around here?” If she said a squirrel I would fucking lose my mind, even more so than I already had.
“I don’t know…what kind of wildlife do they have here? I was thinking maybe a wolf? Deer? A mountain lion? A bear?” Fucking hell.
“How in the hell would I know what kind of wildlife they have in Jersey? I can’t say I ever felt the need to know that and I could happily live the rest of my life never knowing. Why don’t we just go back to New York, I’ll find us a nice murderer or two and we can eat and then come back home so you can play with that ridiculous cow some more.”
She stopped and glared at me, dropping my hand and crossing her arms underneath her perky breasts. Fuck she was hot and I couldn’t fucking have her and if I couldn’t have her then I couldn’t have anyone else because she was all that I wanted. I was going to use the opportunity of wandering through the forest to find a proper burial site for Edward Junior, since he was now completely useless. He really deserved more than an anonymous grave in the woods but it was all I had right now…really he should have one of those huge marble shrines that they build for important families. Here lies Edward Junior; he saw, he conquered and he came, a lot. The world weeps over the loss of a legend. 1915-2009.
“You promised that I could try it my way! I haven’t even tried to eat an animal yet!” she shouted, her lip poking out in a pretty pout that I wanted to bite. But I couldn’t because I was not going to face anymore fucking rejection today.
“Did I not get you the fucking animal you asked for? You didn’t even consider eating it. What makes you think you’ll do any better with a deer or a fucking bear? Won’t you like them too? Is there anyone you don’t like, other than me?” I demanded, more than a little pissed off that she kept rejecting every fucking thing I gave her. Immortality, me, blood, the fucking cow, my cock…nothing made her happy.
Bella bit her lip and shrugged. “I don’t know…it’s just, she just stood there, you know? I’ve been afraid that I’m some kind of monster that would terrify everyone and everything that came across me from now on; that for eternity I could never get close to anyone or anything again.” I felt a pang of hurt at her words…did she think that of me? That I was some monster that nobody could be near? I didn’t know what to fucking say so I didn’t say anything at all, just staring at the ground like it might yield some answers. Where was the know-it-all motherfucker when I needed his help? Fucking wuss.
She slipped her hand back in mine and I forced myself to look at her. “I know you’re not a monster, Edward. You’re able to be around people when you want to, but you don’t want to that often it seems. Just to hunt, right? You don’t have any friends or family.” Her voice cracked on the word family and I felt fucking guilt wash over me again. If I thought it would do any good I’d go to Washington and bite her father this instant but I knew she’d never forgive me for that.
“No, I don’t have either of those things,” I told her truthfully. Neither would she. “Humans have a bad habit of dying, Bella. Their lives are finite while ours are endless. You’d just have to sit back and watch them die, and you’d have to do it from afar since you would never age. What’s the point in even trying?”
“I know,” she assured me. “It’s just hard to wrap my head around, you know? No more Alice and Rose dragging me out to bars when I should be studying. No more forced makeovers and gossip sessions. I’m learning to accept that, even though I don’t like it.” Again, I had no words other than sorry. And while I was sorry that she’d had to give all that and more up, I wasn’t sorry that she was here with me now. It was where she belonged and in time she’d know that as well.
“Anyway…I can’t have my family or my friends and I get that. And maybe it’s stupid but when Willow didn’t run away in fear, it just made me feel good, like maybe I could have something, even if it was only a pet. Before you say anything, yes, I know she’ll die eventually. But not at my hand.”
“I’m sorry.” It was still all I could think of to say and I didn’t know if she knew what I was apologizing for but she smiled and squeezed my hand and turned back to the trees.
“Let’s go see what we can find. Can you help me? Do you smell anything that might be an animal?” It was certainly something I’d never tried to do before but I supposed I could give it a shot.
“Even better would be listening for a heartbeat. It won’t sound the same as a humans but a beating heart is a beating heart, right?” I breathed deeply but the only scent I caught, other than Bella’s, was the trees and the dirt. “Let’s head a little bit west and see what we can find. And, Bella? We don’t have to walk. Run with me and we’ll both keep our eyes and noses and ears peeled, okay?”
She gave me a happy grin and I felt a tug on my heart again. I wanted her like nothing else but taking her had driven a wedge between us that seemed impossible to overcome. Would she ever let me have her? And I didn’t mean sexually…I wasn’t a fucking moron. I knew I could fuck her eventually but her body was only part of what I wanted now. It would be so much easier if I just wanted that alone though. This love shit fucking sucked, not in the good way.
“That way,” I pointed and she took off, laughter ringing out behind her as she darted around trees like a seasoned pro. I watched her, her brown hair streaming behind her and her face glowing with something akin to happiness and I had to believe that she would be mine, eventually. There was just no way I’d lived over a century before finding love only to have it elude me. I refused to believe that. She’d love me, she had to. I was fucking irresistible anyway, right?
Bella was about a quarter mile ahead of me when I finally decided to stop watching her and took off after her. Fuck, it felt good to run and let loose again. I hadn’t done this enough. That was one of the problems with hunting in the city; I really didn’t get to use any of my skills. Killing was absurdly easy, all I had to do was follow someone around a corner and have at them. I hadn’t chased down a meal in quite some time. I should have done this country shit much sooner.
I felt the wind caressing my body as I sped through the trees. Bella was fast but I was faster; I didn’t know if it was from having run track when I was human or if I was just gifted in that way just like with the mind reading. Either way, I enjoyed the hell out of the feeling of freedom as I let loose and ran full out. Bella giggled in delight when I caught up to her and we ran side by side, hopping over fallen branches and various rocks. Watching Bella experience one of the truly good things about being a vampire was intoxicating and made me feel more and more like she could eventually be happy with this life. She just needed time and Lord knew I had a shitload of that to spare, even if it was torturous.
Another twenty yards in, I smelled something strange and I signaled Bella with a hand to stop. Much to my utter amazement she actually did. Who fucking knew she could listen? We both paused and looked to the right. There was a faint sound about half a mile away and I knew it was a heartbeat. It was slower than I was used to and I didn’t find the sound remotely seductive like a human’s heartbeat did when I was on a hunt. Still, this wasn’t for me so we needed to check it out. “Do you hear that?” I murmured, too softly for anyone but Bella to hear. She nodded. “It’s an animal, I don’t know what. Do you want to go after it?”
She looked nervous, chewing anxiously on that sexy lower lip of hers, but she nodded resolutely. “Okay then, run quietly toward that sound. Whatever it is, it’s not likely to be as docile as your cow. It will run, but you’re faster than it will be, I’m sure of it.” I really had no fucking idea if this was true, as I’d yet to race against an animal and never planned to, but I knew what we could do and I was fairly confident in my statement. She needed encouragement now anyway. “Go, I’ll be right behind you.” She eyed me for a moment and then took off in the direction of the heartbeat. I admired the beauty of Bella on the hunt for a moment before following silently behind her.
Her blue jeans hugged her tight ass perfectly as she silently leapt over a fallen log and Edward Junior was back at full mast again. She was exquisite, a deadly creature stalking her prey. I knew it would be hot as hell to watch her on the hunt but I hadn’t really expected it to be quite this hot; especially when she was hunting the wrong fucking animal entirely. It didn’t seem to matter though; I wanted her with everything I had in me.
Bella disappeared behind a large boulder and I quickly raced after her, not wanting to miss a moment of her first real kill; Jacob the whiny douche aside. That had been cool as fuck but over way too quickly to truly enjoy it. It was a shame; I would have liked to watch her toy with him awhile first. I’d have to settle for her toying with whatever the fuck smelled so unappetizing. How she could even contemplate eating it was beyond me. It smelled very similar to the dirt and trees, which was hardly appealing.
She came to a complete stop about twenty yards ahead of me and I ran up next to her and halted at the site before me. There was a little stream, trickling gently over moss covered rocks and discarded branches. It was actually a very peaceful spot in the middle of the woods and I thought it would be a good place to come whenever she annoyed the fuck out of me. That meant that I should probably build a fucking cabin out here since I’d probably spend a lot of time in this very spot.
I followed Bella’s gaze and saw a few deer drinking from the stream, a large buck, a female and a baby. I had to bite back a snort of laughter because I would bet money that Bella wasn’t about to slay a fawn. There was a frown on her face and for once I knew exactly what she was thinking. She looked between me and the deer several times and she got more and more frustrated with each glance. I could see her shoulders tensing and her eyes were narrowed into angry slits, probably at my obvious amusement over the situation. But fuck, she had to admit it was funny. She was too damn tenderhearted to kill a baby animal and she refused to kill human scum, so what was she left with?
She whirled away and stalked back through the trees, heading back toward where we were prior to hearing her aborted meal. I followed her, finally letting loose with the laughter, though I kept it silent so she wouldn’t know what I was doing. She turned back and hissed at me so I guess she fucking knew anyway, but come on. It was hilarious.
She climbed on the rock she’d vaulted over earlier but this time she sat down on it and crossed her arms, the frown marring her lovely features. I sat down beside her and waited for the tirade to begin. “Go ahead and laugh some more,” she told me petulantly, that lip poking out again. She must fucking know just how much it tormented me when she pulled that pouting move.
“I think it’s mostly out of my system,” I responded, grateful that she wasn’t throwing punches at least.
“Well then, why don’t you say it? You know you’re dying to.”
Say what? I told you so? Did she think I was that fucking stupid? You are. No, I’m not. I do have a fucking filter occasionally and I have an even stronger sense of self preservation. Since when? Shut the fuck up, seriously. You were nowhere to be found when I needed you so go the fuck away. Bella may be crazy but she’s my crazy and I’m not going to kick her when she’s down.
“Look, Bella, so you can’t kill a little deer family. You just have to look for something else, an animal by itself. Let’s keep looking and give it a try before you give up.” What the fuck was I doing? I was suddenly a spandex wearing cheerleader. Next thing I knew I’d be wearing a sparkly pink tutu and braiding Bella’s hair. Fuck, I was ridiculous.
She looked up at me through her lashes and my fucking cock responded as if on cue. He was like Pavlov’s fucking dogs when it came to her. It had to be witchcraft…maybe that’s how this fucking love thing happened. It was a damn spell she had me under. Do you want to be free from it? Did I? Not exactly, I suppose, I just wanted her. Was that so fucking much to ask?
“Really? You’re encouraging me to keep trying? Isn’t this what you want? For me to fail so we can go on killing sprees together?” She spat the words at me accusingly, because of course she’d gone from sad to mad in five seconds flat. How the fuck could I ever keep up with her mood swings? Perma-PMS…I’d sentenced myself to a lifetime of this insanity.
I sighed and slung my left arm around her. “I’m not going to lie and say I wouldn’t prefer it if you decided to kill humans, Bella. But we came out here specifically so you could try this animal thing and you need to see it through. You’ll always wonder if you could have done it your way if you don’t give it a chance and I don’t want you carrying that around forever.” Seriously, was that me talking? Maybe asshole had taken over and was now my outer voice as well because it sounded like pussy shit he would say, not me. Bella seemed to like it though, because she leaned into my shoulder and sat quietly for several minutes. I enjoyed the feeling of her nestled into my side and the blessed silence that reigned. I’d actually made her feel better, it seemed.
“Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath and sitting up. “I’m ready to try again.” She pushed off the boulder and I climbed down with her. “I want to find it myself, if that’s okay?” She looked at me, her crimson eyes pleading with me to step back and let her take control. I had no problem with that and gestured her ahead. I certainly didn’t mind the view from behind; her tight little body was hardly a hardship on my eyes.
She broke into a full run again as she ran to the south this time. She vaulted over some more large branches and rocks and though I couldn’t see her expression, I could see her joy in her movement. I was ridiculously happy that she was starting to see some of the good that came with being a vampire; it wasn’t all limitations and loneliness. And as soon as she let me the fuck into both her body and her heart, she’d never feel lonely again. I’d see to it.
She halted abruptly and cocked her head, listening for something. I stopped next to her and did the same. Faintly, mixed in with the sound of rustling leaves and the softness of the trickling water, I heard it again; a solid, steady heartbeat, stronger than that of the deer. Their heartbeats had been so soft that it had been impossible to distinguish that there were three of them. This, whatever it was, was stronger and it was definitely alone and fairly close by.
Bella sniffed the air and I followed suit. There was a more distinctive odor this time; definitely not a deer. It was a darker scent, tangy with a hint of spice. Danger. It was an animal, no doubt about it, but it seemed like something stronger, a predator just like we were. I had no idea how I fucking knew that but it was the same thing with some people; particularly the ones I killed. There was something in the blood, some flavor that hinted at the madness within I guess. This animal had that same kind of scent attached to it and I was surprised to find myself both somewhat drawn to the scent as well as nervous about it.
What the fuck was that about? Bella could handle herself; it didn’t matter if a fucking dinosaur awaited her, it wouldn’t cause a scratch. But she raised my protective instincts at all times and I didn’t like the thought of her being near whatever that was. And then the most fucked up part of it was that I wouldn’t mind a taste of whatever it was myself. What the hell was that? I had never had the urge to drink from an animal and I sure as fuck was not going to give into it now. Still, the scent was moderately appealing. It had nothing on human blood but I imagined it would be a semi-decent substitute.
And that was fucking disturbing as well. For all my encouragement and wanting Bella to try, I didn’t really want her to succeed and if the scent held appeal to me, then surely it did her as well. She’d yet to move but her nostrils were flaring, which was rather fucking cute, and she stared in the direction of the unknown animal as if it was all that existed for her in that moment. Much like when I was about to feed from a human. This fucking sucked. I waved goodbye to yet another dream of us killing side by side. One by one Bella popped all my fucking fantasy balloons until there was nothing left besides sex, and that one was deflating rapidly.
Quit your fucking whining, you’re turning into one of those broody TV vampires that you claim to hate so fucking much. The hell I am! Just because I’m unhappy to see my dreams go to shit doesn’t mean I’m brooding. The hell it doesn’t. You don’t even know if she’ll like whatever it is. Just because the smell doesn’t disgust you doesn’t mean it’ll taste any good. That was true and I was slightly mollified, but I knew Bella and I knew my luck lately so I was preparing for the worst. And there was nothing fucking wrong with that.
Bella reached over and stroked my hand and I stared at her in surprise. Sometimes I thought she was the fucking mind reader. How did she know I was…alright, I was fucking brooding, so what? I gave her what I hoped was a supportive smile and turned my hand over and squeezed hers and nodded her toward the scent. She needed my reassurance right now, despite my misgivings about her going up against whatever that thing was.
She answered my smile with a blindingly beautiful one of her own before raising my hand to hers and kissing the back of it. I jolted in shock as she dropped it and took off toward the aroma. It took me ten whole seconds to function again, my body having rooted itself to the spot at the touch of her lips on my skin. What the fuck was that about? She’d just cockblocked me hard in the bedroom and now she was kissing my hand like some prince from a black and white movie. Jesus Christ, she was fucking confusing.
And right now she was also pretty far ahead of me and I didn’t want to miss a second of her first hunt, even if she was hunting the wrong fucking thing. I raced after her, getting within ten yards but hanging back. I remembered, all too vividly, what my first hunt had been like. While the prey had been different, the emotions likely weren’t. I’d nearly taken off Victoria’s head when she got too close to me as I bore down on the sweet scent. Bella’s penchant for kicking my ass would not come in handy in this situation so I hung back a little.
I watched as Bella scrambled atop another boulder and crouched down. Fuck she was gorgeous, her red eyes narrowed into slits as she eyed the creature she was about to make into her first solo meal. I approached gingerly and heard a slight growl coming from her but she remained intently focused on whatever was down the slope. I stayed out of harm’s way as I edged about five feet away from her and glanced around the gray rock.
Holy fuck, it was a black bear. It was rubbing its back against the bark of a large elm tree and grunting in what could only be described as pleasure. The wind blew its scent straight toward us and I felt my body tighten with the urge to strike. Seriously, what the fuck was wrong with me? That bear had nothing on a human…clearly I needed to get back to the city and hunt pronto. Since I had some other things to do, I’d go tonight, once I knew Bella was sated. Well, her hunger at least. I’d like to make sure other things were satiated as well but she was ridiculously fucking uncooperative on that front.
I checked the urge to go after the bear myself and watched Bella. Her eyes had gone black as the scent of the animal washed over us and any interest I had in the creature below was completely gone at the sight of her. She was completely focused on the bear, her body tensed and ready to spring at any time. I licked my lips, a new hunger driving me, and took a step toward her.
She let out a low, guttural growl that had Edward Junior at full mast again. Fuck, she was gorgeous when she was warning me away from her prey. She’d be glorious if she ever went at a human. I had a mental picture of her throwing me into a wall with one hand as she pinned her prey with the other and it was hot as hell. Was it too much to ask that I get to experience that with her? Watch her drain some insignificant human and then use the rest of that pent up aggression on me…I would give everything I had for that to happen.
I froze at the sound coming out of her throat, for though I wanted to touch her more than anything I valued my limbs too much to risk it. The bear stopped rubbing his ass all over the fucking tree and looked up at Bella crouched above him. He let out a growl of his own but didn’t run away from her, as he’d yet to catch her scent and didn’t realize that there was more to her than met the eye. Her lips curled into a sneer as she let out an even louder noise in response to the bear’s challenge. I bit back an instinctive growl of my own, not wanting to draw attention to myself. This was their battle, I was just here to witness it and fuck if I wasn’t hard as a rock from the verbal sparring alone.
The bear’s black fur bristled as it took a few lumbering steps closer and rose up on its back feet, almost giving her a come-ahead gesture with its giant paws. Bella didn’t take long to think about the invitation, springing off the rock and launching herself straight into the bear’s waiting arms. Fuck, it was just like when she’d attacked me after I purposely spilled that blood on myself and I felt a little envious of the creature as she barreled into his embrace. And that was fucking ridiculous, being jealous of Bella’s meal. But I wanted her to tackle the fuck out of me just like that.
The bears claws attempted to find purchase in Bella’s head but did nothing more than scrape over her skull ineffectively, though an ear-splitting sound accompanied the move, like nails on a fucking chalkboard. I gritted my teeth as the noise assaulted my ears and felt relief when Bella jerked her head out of his hold and snapped at his neck. The bear tried to jerk his head away but her tiny hands reached out and grasped at his face.
She didn’t flinch as his strong teeth snapped at her small bones but I did, my own hands grinding into the rock as I fought to hold myself in place and not interfere in her hunt. Still, I was fucking petrified along with being insanely aroused. I didn’t think the bear could harm Bella but it was possible that he was strong enough to remove one of her limbs and I didn’t want her to ever experience that kind of pain. I’d been there and done that thanks to Victoria and I would cut off my own arm before I let Bella go through the pain of having her body put back together.
Bella seemed wholly unconcerned with her proximity to sharp teeth though and again she instinctively lunged for the bear’s throat. The movement toppled both of them over, so that they were rolling on the ground, each one trying to seek the leverage to end the other. They slammed into the very tree that the bear had been using as a scratching post and it broke with a deafening crack, falling in the opposite direction that they continued to roll.
I climbed onto the boulder so that I could throw myself into the fray if needed and watched the show below me. The bear was a fighter but Bella was stronger and her teeth sank into his arm as he attempted to swat her off him. He let out a loud roar of pain that echoed through the trees and his other paw again struck Bella in the head. I winced at the loud cracking sound but she stayed intact and continued her assault on her overmatched opponent.
Now that I no longer feared for her life I was able to enjoy the spectacle for what it was and Edward Junior continued to fight against my jeans zipper. Clearly he wasn’t quite ready for the retirement I’d envisioned for him only an hour or so ago. I patted him through my pants and gave him a mental apology at my overreaction to yet another cockblock. I would have her. I had to. Look at her, fearlessly wrestling with a bear because she wanted to be a good person and not take human lives. How could I not love a person like that? I’d never stood a fucking chance, had I?
Bella’s teeth pierced the bear’s skin again, this time on his left shoulder, close to the jugular but not quite there. He bucked against her but she held on like a champ and tried again, this time her teeth finding purchase just where they needed to be. The bear thrashed underneath her and I admired the way she held on tenaciously, her throat moving as she swallowed the blood. The bear’s struggles grew weaker beneath her and I watched as its eyes glazed over and its paws fell to the ground with a loud thud.
Bella continued to drink, making a bit of mess if I was honest, not that that wasn’t fucking hot as hell. Seeing my girl covered in blood, even if it was an animal’s, made me whimper with want and need. I held onto the boulder to keep myself from going to her, from throwing her down next to the bear’s carcass and ravaging her right on the spot. I would lick every single drop of that semi-appetizing blood from her lips and her neck, work my way down her body and lick every inch of her, until I tasted nothing but pure Bella. She was better than the best blood and I hungered for her as she continued to drain the bear completely.
Bella let out a little grunt and I could tell there was little blood left so I hopped off the boulder and approached her slowly. She whirled around as I got close, her black eyes snapping at me as she let out another ferocious growl, clutching the carcass to herself possessively. I held up my hands in supplication and stopped walking, shaking my head as I let her know without words that I wasn’t taking her kill away from her. I knew she was not in the state of mind to listen to anything I had to say and could only hope that my gestures were enough.
They seemed to be because she sank her teeth into the fur again and I stayed where I was, watching her suck the last few drops out of her victim. She bit the other side of the neck but that was fruitless as there was nothing more to get and she threw the body down with an angry huff. I stayed where I was as she slowly unfurled herself off the ground and got to her feet. She was seven feet away from me and though I longed to cover the distance, I didn’t, waiting to see if she’d come to me.
Her ebony eyes met mine and her tongue darted out to lick the blood off her lips. I didn’t even try to suppress a moan at the sight of her pink tongue moving slowly over her lips as she savored the taste. She kept that up as she walked slowly, torturously slowly, toward me. My hands balled into fists in an attempt not to reach out and grab her as she got to within an arm’s length and stopped.
There was blood on her neck and collarbones, as well as staining her blue t-shirt. I reached a tentative finger out and ran it softly over down her throat, all the while those black eyes stayed focused on me. I brought my finger to my lips and put it in my mouth, tasting that tangy flavor I’d scented in the air. It wasn’t bad and I wanted to taste more so I ran two fingers over her throat and sucked the blood off of them. Bella just watched me, her eyes seeming to darken even more at the sight of me tasting her kill.
I reached for her again and she reached out and grabbed my shirt with her right hand, pushing me away from the bear. I wondered if she was still protecting her kill as I let her guide me backwards until my back rested against a tree. I watched and waited as she stepped closer to me, only two inches separating our bodies. Edward Junior was more than a little aware of her proximity, trying his damndest to bust through my zipper and get to her.
I reached out and caressed her cheek, smearing some blood over her silken skin and wishing I could just…
“Lick it off me,” she demanded huskily, her voice still carrying some of that sexy growl.
Had I heard right or was I completely fucking delusional now? “What?”
“Lick it off me,” she said again, her coal eyes snapping at me.
Fuck yes!
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