Chapter 6 Vivian

H e didn't run screaming. He didn't try to attack me or drive a stake through my heart. Those are all very positive outcomes from the conversation we just had. It honestly couldn't have gone better, in my opinion.

You might think that immortality would make you more patient, but that is not the case for me.

Greyson has been in his apartment for ten minutes, and it's taking more willpower than I'd like to admit to not go in there after him. But maybe that's my selfishness. I want him in my home, at my whim. Maybe it just has to do with the fact that I'm hungry, starving really, and desperate to taste him. But also that I know he will be safe inside my home, where no other vampire would dare to enter without my permission.

Closing my eyes, I focus my listening behind his apartment door, my curiosity getting the better of me.

I recognize Greyson's voice immediately. "Steven, I don't have time for your bullshit right now, dude. I need to get going. Eat whatever the fuck you want of my food, although it's not like you've ever asked before. Just please, for the love of god, stay out of my room. It's the only part of this place I care about. Or just go to bed already. It's like 2:00 a.m. right now."

His roommate, Steven, laughs, and based on where his voice is coming from, he's in really close proximity to Greyson. "I'll do my best. Where are you going anyways? Did little Greyson finally get a girlfriend?"

"First of all, nothing about me is little. Secondly, I may have allowed you to walk all over me before, but that's done. Thirdly, it's none of your fucking business. Get out of my way."

"Yeah? Who is she? Is she waiting outside for you? I'd love to meet her," he says with disgusting emphasis.

I take this as my cue.

Moving with hyperspeed, I rush into their apartment, race across the room, and stop directly behind his roommate as I lean up on my toes, placing my hands on his shoulders.

"She's right here," I whisper into his ear.

He jumps out of his skin and whips around. "Holy shit! When the fuck did you get in here?" He takes a few calming breaths before looking down the length of my body as a gross smirk lifts his dry, cracked lips. " You're Greyson's girlfriend, huh? Don't waste your time on him, baby. Take a ride on me instead."

Holding his stare, I decide instead of that offer, I'll make one of my own.

I feel the power stretching from deep within my core, out from my body and straight into his, wrapping around his mind and sinking into every cell like a chokehold he won't be able to shake loose.

My words are now his command. "Close your mouth and sit on the couch. Five minutes after we leave, you may return to your normal self."

He nods once, blinks hard, and turns, walking toward the couch without a word.

Perfect .

After we're gone, he'll regain control of his mind and go back to normal, not remembering the order I gave him. His mind will convince him that we spoke casually, and then we left.

"Woah. Did you just do some weird voodoo thing?" Greyson whispers, stepping toward me while watching his roommate mindlessly sit down on the couch.

Searching for his emotions, I open that part of myself to him, and what I find is sweet on my tongue. Pride and arousal.

I giggle. "It's not voodoo. It's a suggestion , a powerful one at that." His roommate rests his hands in his lap, staring straight ahead blankly. "Don't worry. He'll be fine and won't remember my telling him."

"Okayyy." He drags the word out. "Cool."

"Did you want me to add anything else? Make him do something crazy or not do something?" I offer genuinely, looking nearly straight up through his glasses into his deep blue eyes.

He smirks. "I think that'll be enough…for now." He chuckles. "Can I ask you one thing though?"

"Of course."

"Can you promise to never do that to me?" he says softly, holding my stare intently.

"I promise." I state every word emphatically because I mean it from the bottom of my heart.

"Thanks. I've got everything if you're ready to go…" He trails off.

Nodding, I turn on my heels and head back for the door. "Ready!"

Pulling into my manor, I can't help but stare at Greyson as his jaw unhinges and his eyes bulge out of his head.

"Vivian. This place is insane," he gasps, and I wish I could see it for the first time from his eyes.

Feeling his shock and admiration takes my breath away, and the closer we get to the front of the manor, the more intense those feelings become.

Circling around the ornate black fountain, I shift my car into park and speed around to his door, opening it for him. Am I usually this chivalrous? Not at all. But there's something about Greyson that makes me want to impress him. I like his smile, and the little things like this seem to earn that reaction.

"Vivian. There's no way this is your house. You actually live here?" he asks dumbfoundedly.

Nodding, I slide my arm into the crook of his elbow and guide him toward the long staircase leading to the gigantic black double doors. "I do. I've lived here for the last…few years."

"Few years?" He scoffs and pauses as we continue to ascend the stairs. "Do vampires really live forever? I guess I should ask you how old you are. Unless, of course, that's too intrusive."

"How old do you think I am?" I ask, curious about what he's thinking.

"I don't think that's a fair question." He laughs. "You look maybe twenty-one or twenty-two. But I know that can't be accurate. And if the rumors about vampires never aging are true, then you can really be any age and look the same."

"Not a bad assumption. And you are right. Although, I stopped aging at twenty-three. I just happen to have looked twenty-three for the last one hundred and forty years."

He halts and looks my way, studying my face as if he's searching for a mask, a way to reveal what I would really look like. But he won't find one.

Sensing his emotions, I prepare myself to feel disgust or repulsion. But I find neither. Instead, I find the same things I did the night we met—attraction and excitement.

"I have always had a thing for older women," he smirks, and I swear his eyes fucking shimmer in the light.

My stomach flutters, and I feel like a damn teenager from my body's reaction to his light flirting. God, these next two weeks are going to be insatiable.

As we reach the top of the stairs, I unlock the black wooden door and pull it open. "Home sweet home."

"And I thought the outside was impressive," he murmurs breathlessly as we step inside the grand foyer.

"Well, I've had a few years to bring my vision to life." I stand still and watch him wander further into the open space, taking in every inch of my hard work.

A large chandelier hangs thirty feet in the air in the center of the foyer. The gold and white glowing lights are a stunning contrast to the heated dark hardwood floors. Every inch of this manor has been decorated with the utmost care by my very hand. This is my safe place, my sanctuary. One that I don't open up to others very often. But seeing his awe makes me think twice about that, wanting to show it off more in the future. The reds, pinks, creams, and black colors splashed all over the house bring it to life.

"This is beautiful, Vivian," he whispers, and my cheeks warm at his compliment.

It's like he's seeing a piece of myself that no one else does, and it feels strangely raw and vulnerable.

"Thank you," I say softly, moving to stand at his side.

He turns his head, looking down at me, and his focus bounces between my eyes.

He's so hot it's unnerving to stare at him for too long.

His strong bone structure but somehow soft demeanor is so alluring. Then there are those damn eyes that call my attention like a siren at sea, and I feel like if I look close enough, I can see the waves rolling in the depths of his gaze.

A loud meow pulls my focus away from Greyson, and I look toward the source, finding my pretty girl descending the stairs and trotting toward me.

"You have a cat?" he asks, immediately crouching and stretching out his hand.

"Oh, you should be careful. She doesn't like strangers…" I trail off as Lucy strides up to him and sniffs his fingers before leaning into his touch. "I guess you are an exception." An exception to many things.

He talks to her in a cute baby voice. "Aren't you sweet? What's your name?"

"Lucinda, or Lucy for short," I answer his question.

"Lucy is such a cute name," he coos to her.

The second she starts purring, I think I'm losing my mind because she has only ever purred for me, and definitely not for someone she just met. Although I could count on one hand the number of people that have met her.

What is it with Greyson and the Barlowe girls? He makes us melt, I swear.

"How old is she?" he asks as Lucy's eyes drift close while her purrs fill the room.

"She's four years old. I found her as a kitten when she was two. Well, I guess she kind of found me. I came home one day, and she was sleeping on the front steps. We took to each other right away. Eventually, she followed me inside and never left." The memory of that day plays in my mind, and my heart warms.

She is the most important love of my life. I don't let myself get close to anyone anymore, not truly. I let people meet the surface version of Vivian, the parts I want the world to see, but other than Lucy, no one really knows what I'm like. And I prefer it that way.

Not even Ava and Skylar have been to my home. But it has nothing to do with them and everything to do with me. They are two of my closest friends. I've known them for years. We care deeply for one another, but we each have our secrets and respect each other's privacy.

"Will she live forever like you?" he asks genuinely.

Scoffing sadly, I sigh. "I wish. But unfortunately, we don't have the capability of turning animals. If we did, I would have done it a long time ago."

He glances up at me with a tender gaze. "It's incredible that you will get to love countless animals in your long lifetime. You'll be able to make so many of their lives special and meaningful. She may not be yours forever, but you will always be hers."

My eyes well up, but I quickly blink them away, turning my gaze anywhere but his stare. "That's beautiful."

Walking toward the staircase, I change the subject. "We better get you settled into a room upstairs. Right this way."

"Do you sleep?" he asks, reminding me that he has a lot to learn about me and my kind as we begin to ascend the wide, ornate staircase.

Sliding my hand up the cold stone railing, I answer honestly, "We can if we choose to. But we don't need it to survive. It's more of an activity for us."

He follows closely behind me, and I can feel his stare on my body. "Interesting. Do you typically sleep?"

"Depends on the day. If Lucy curls up next to me and falls asleep, I'll usually sleep too. It makes me feel connected to her." As we reach the top of the stairs, I veer right and lead us toward my master suite.

"So, will I sleep with you?" He smiles at me, and I resist the urge to say something extra flirty.

Opening the door, I let him go in first. "You can sleep in here with me. Or there's spare bedrooms if you would prefer that."

"Why do you have so many extra bedrooms?" he asks, eyeing me curiously, a cocky smirk on his lips.

"I used to house newly turned vampires that needed help adjusting to their new world. They would practice their skills here. And practice mimicking humans so they could function in society. I still help some new vampires every now and then, but, umm…I don't really do it anymore. I like to keep my house to myself…" I trail off, not wanting to scare him before he's even settled in.

I can feel his curiosity pique, and I can tell he wants to know more. But thankfully, he doesn't push it further.We need to keep the boundaries where they are. He can explore the inside and outside of my body but he won't get my heart.

The thump of his bags makes me jump, and I hadn't realized I was so zoned into his stare and reading his emotions that I tuned everything else out.

The prettiest smile flashes on his face. "I'm going to stay in here…with you."

Good.

Swallowing hard, I suddenly feel nervous. I haven't felt this out of control before, but I can't help it with him being so close to me. I want him to finish what we started earlier. But I also don't want to push him too far too soon.

"What are you thinking? Regretting your decision to bid for me?" he asks sweetly, and I glare at him as if that's the craziest thing he could have said.

"No. Of course not. I want you here," I murmur honestly, unsure of why I feel this way.

I swore off ever searching for romance again a long time ago. It's better if I'm alone; no one can be used as a pawn against me.

He steps forward, closing me in until the doorframe bumps into my back. "Oh really? You just want me for my blood, right? And maybe my talented fingers too." He waves them in the air in front of my face, and images of our fleeting moment flash in my mind.

His hand presses into the wall by my head as I nod, biting down on my bottom lip. "The only reasons, of course."

The thought of tasting his blood makes my entire body flutter with excitement, anticipation, and arousal. I've never craved someone's blood as much as I do his, and I have yet to even taste it.

I love our playful banter.

Rolling the sleeve of his long-sleeve T-shirt up, he exposes the bulging veins of his forearms. "Drink up."

Fuck, I shouldn't find that as hot as I do.

"Are you sure you're ready?" I ask, pulling his arm up to my mouth.

He nods, and his breathing shallows out as he watches me with burning intensity. His nerves are skyrocketing, but beneath that slight twinge of fear lies unbounded excitement.

Opening wide, I pretend like I'm going to bite down, but I stop and pull away with bubbling laughter.

He furrows his brows.

"Firstly, I don't like drinking from the arm. It can be more painful for you because the veins are a lot smaller. Secondly, you're going to want to sit down."

His eyes widen slightly, and I feel a spike of worry from him. "It will hurt that bad?"

Shaking my head side to side, I push his chest gently until his legs hit the bed, and he drops down onto the comforter.

"I've been dying to get out of this dress," I mumble as I reach behind my back and tug the zipper down.

Pushing the thin straps off my shoulders, I shimmy it over my strapless bra, down my stomach, and past my lace panties until it pools at my feet.

His visceral reaction to my body makes me want to drop to my knees in front of him right now and make him feel as good as his fiery stare feels on me. I can feel his gaze tingling all across me, over every inch that he consumes.

Leaving my heels on, I step toward him and place my hand on his shoulder as I drop onto my knees on the bed, straddling him and lowering myself down into his lap.

"Is this what you'll wear every time you bite me? Because I think I could get used to it." His voice is raspy and low, tugging at my center.

Rolling my eyes playfully, I wrap my arms around his neck. "That could be arranged."

His hands fall to my hips, and the feeling of his fingers on my bare skin makes me feral. Every thought dissipates from my mind as I lean down and brush my lips against his. Once more. And then my restraint snaps.

Rolling my hips, I dip my tongue into his mouth simultaneously, and he grunts from my touch. Every movement makes me want more, and if it wasn't for his human fatigue, I would never stop.

He kisses me tenderly at first, but much like my own restraint, he loses his rather fast. Fisting his hand into my hair, he meets the roll of my hips with his own, his tongue claiming my mouth with every flick. Shivers run through my body, and it takes everything in me to pull away.

Breathlessly, I whisper into his wet, parted lips, "I want to taste you so badly."

His hand drifts up my side until he grabs the bottom of my jaw. "Then bite me already."

Licking my bottom lip, I can feel my fangs wanting to protrude, but I resist them for a second more to say, "You can stop me at any time. It's not like the movies. I'm not a rabid animal. I'm in control of my thirst, not the other way around."

Nodding, he pulls me down to steal another kiss. "I understand."

His heartbeat is so loud in my ears, like a drum beating in my skull. "It will hurt right away, but it will fade quickly."

He kisses me again. "It's okay. I'm ready."

My fangs descend, and every sense heightens.

Sitting up taller, I gently tilt his head to the side. As if I'm looking through a microscope, I see his vein pulsing in his neck, and as if by their own accord, my fangs guide me directly to it.

I brush my thumb back and forth on Greyson's shoulder as I line my mouth up and sink my fangs deep into his neck.

The first few drops of his blood spill onto my tongue, and it's as if I'm feeding for the very first time, drinking liquid ecstasy. I want more, I need more.

Endorphins flood my body, and I can feel Greyson's doing the same.

We are vibrating together to our own frequency. The sound of our heartbeats is the drums, and the blood rushing through his veins is the melody, and I never want to stop listening.