Chapter 42

A week passed and, like Willa said, the hunger and exhaustion faded. I began to feel a little more like myself and leaned into a few of the perks of vampirism. Simon and I went on walks each night that usually ended with my fangs in some human's throat. He taught me how to minimize the pain and keep them from bleeding out. By the end of the week, I was choosing my own victims and relishing in the taste of their blood.

Being a vampire came easy to me.

If only I could get my sister or my parents to talk to me.

Addie ignored my calls. Sometimes, Holland answered, so at least I knew she was alive and safe.

I wanted to talk to her. I thought I could apologize for… whatever she hated me for. Our childhood? Me becoming a vampire? I didn't know and couldn't fix it if she didn't answer me.

I skipped up to the café I'd come to think of as mine and Simon's, waving at one of the servers. Over the last week, I'd learned Simon had been coming here for years, and that almost every server knew what he was. It was a little strange to watch them idolize him so obviously. Simon was not oblivious to the attention either. A couple times, he'd simply raised his hand and snapped his fingers while immersed in whatever he was doing on his tablet, and one of the servers had dropped everything they were doing to offer him their wrist.

When I approached Simon's table, he looked up from his tablet and smiled. His green eyes sparkled in the daylight.

"You left early this morning," I hummed, sinking into the chair next to him.

"You were still sleeping at nine," Simon countered.

"First of all," I laughed, raising a finger. "Nine is not that early. And besides, you kept me up all night with that tongue of yours."

Simon winked. One of the servers appeared at our side, setting two mugs and a croissant down in front of me. One was full of coffee, and the other was human blood. I thanked them quietly, reaching for the red one first and gulping it down before anyone noticed. The server took it away instantly.

I tapped the back of Simon's tablet with a sigh. "Are you ever going to show me what you work on?"

"I'm a freelance artist in my free time," he replied.

"I didn't ask you to tell me. I want you to show me," I countered.

Simon chuckled, fiddling with his pen. I expected him to brush me off and was shocked when he turned the tablet over and powered on the screen. I waited patiently as he scrolled through a couple art pieces before turning it toward me.

He drew me.

I sat at the café, wearing the clothes I'd worn on my first day in Paris. I leaned on the table with my chin on my palm and I looked unbearably sad. Simon scrolled to the next image, and it was me at the Sainte-Chappelle, gazing up at the stained glass windows. There was a sparkle in my eyes. The next image brought a burning blush to my cheeks. It was me tied up and laid bare in bed, his belt around my wrists and my legs spread wide. The last one was a bust portrait of me as a vampire, with dark veins under my eyes and fangs in my mouth.

"Simon," I breathed.

"None of them are quite right," Simon said. "It's difficult to capture the light in your eyes, the glow of your soul."

"I knew you were drawing, but I expected stick figures or something," I said, blushing. I pushed the tablet back to him.

"This isn't all I've been doing for the last fifteen days. I had some commissions as well," Simon chuckled.

I picked up my coffee cup and sat back in my chair. "You're charming, you know."

"I do."

I laughed, reaching across the table to place my hand over his. He brought my knuckles up to his mouth, kissing each of my fingers. My smile faded as I watched him and I sucked in a breath. "Thank you," I said.

"For what?" He tilted his head.

"For everything," I breathed, my shoulders slumping. "I mean, you barely know me, and yet you showed me around Paris, made me a vampire, let me stay in your apartment."

"You're enchanting, Lucinda," Simon interrupted me. I blinked in shock. "You have the prettiest brown eyes I've ever seen and a smile that makes my dead heart ache. I'm happy I took a chance on you."

"So, what happens now?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

I shrugged, hating that I was bringing up this conversation again. I couldn't get it out of my head that I wasn't wanted here. My sister didn't want me here, why would a stranger? "I'm a vampire now. You could have kicked me to the curb the moment I woke up. Why haven't you?"

He furrowed his brow. "Did you miss everything I said?" I laughed once. Simon moved his chair closer to mine and rested his arm on the back of my chair. "I don't know what this is between us yet, Lucinda. But I would very much like to find out."

I peered into his pretty green eyes, sucking in a breath. "Okay, that's it," I said. "You said all the right things, so now you have to take me back to your apartment and fuck me."

Simon laughed. He stood quickly, tossing his tablet in his bag. I yelped when he lifted me into his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist, giggling and leaning down to kiss him deeply.

I clung to him as he walked out of the café, slipping around other patrons. The world blurred around us as Simon used superhuman speed to propel himself forward to his apartment building.

"I've got to learn how to do that," I laughed.

He ducked his head to kiss my throat as he mounted the stairs. Simon pressed my back against the front door, fumbling with the keys. I gasped when his fangs brushed my skin. My blood leaked into his mouth, and he moaned at the taste of me. I slipped out of his arms, gripping his shirt and gliding my tongue into his mouth.

Simon squeezed my ass and I giggled, taking his hand to guide him to the bedroom. He stopped me, spinning me so my back was to his front. "You'd like me to fuck you?" He hummed. I nodded eagerly. "How?"

"I want to ride your cock," I gasped.

Simon ran his hand up my throat, tightening his grip. I melted into him as he guided me to my knees. "Stay," he commanded as he stepped back.

I watched as he crossed the room, tugging his shirt over his head. Next, he popped the button of his jeans and shoved them over his hips. My eyes fixed on his hard length as it sprang free from his boxers and my mouth watered. Simon tossed his clothes aside and sat on the edge of the couch, spreading his legs and leaning back. I licked my lips eagerly, waiting for his command.

"Come here, my darling," he hummed, beckoning me with two fingers. I started to stand to cross the room, freezing when Simon clucked his tongue. "Crawl to me."

Shivers shot through me, straight to my core. I was already wet for him, heat blooming through every cell in my body. I leaned forward until both my hands were on the ground and my ass was in the air. Simon's eyes darkened, black veins shadowing his eyes. I crawled forward slowly, deliberately swaying my ass.

I couldn't say I'd ever crawled to anyone before, nor did I ever expect to find it sexy. With every step I took forward, the fire in me grew. My thighs felt wet as they brushed against each other. Simon watched my every movement, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

When I made it to him, I sat back on my heels and waited for further instruction. Simon tangled his fingers in my hair, pulling me up until I was an inch away from kissing him.

"Put your pretty lips around my cock," he breathed against my lips.

"Kiss me first," I replied. "Please. Just once."

He did. His mouth crashed against mine with every ounce of passion he had to offer. I moaned when his tongue glided against mine, our teeth clashing together.

One kiss and he pulled away, tugging on my hair and forcing me back down to my knees. I placed my hands on his thighs, swallowing thickly as I took in the sight of his length. Simon took himself in his hand, pumping up and down a couple of times before tilting the tip toward me and waiting with eyes full of desire.

I closed my mouth over his tip, moaning deeply as the salty taste of him cascaded over my tongue. Simon let me take control. I licked down his underside, flicking my tongue against his sack before dragging it up and taking him fully in my mouth. Simon groaned deeply, thrusting his hips up so I'd take him deeper. I moved my mouth up and down, hungry for more of him.

His moans were music to my ears. I flattened my tongue against him and was rewarded with a shaky gasp.

"That's it, my darling. Your mouth is so fucking good," Simon groaned. I lifted my head, saliva dripping down my chin. He caught me before I lowered my mouth back to him. "Take your fucking clothes off."

I did as he commanded, pulling off my tank top and leggings. As soon as my underwear landed on the ground, Simon gripped my forearms and tugged me onto his lap. I barely had a moment to react before he thrust into me, filling me to the brim.

My cry echoed through the apartment and my head fell back. I leaned back, resting my hands on his knees and rolling my hips onto his length. Inside me, he caressed all the right places, sending waves of pleasure through my whole body.

"Simon," I cried. "Touch me." He obeyed this time, slipping his fingers between my thighs and finding where I burned the hottest. "Oh my fucking god," I breathed.

"Fuck me, my darling. Take everything you need from me," Simon snarled.

"Move your fingers faster," I demanded.

Simon did. I ground my hips against his frantically, feeling him as deep as any man had ever been. With each roll of my hips, I came closer and closer to the high I desperately craved. Simon reached up with his free hand, slipping two fingers into my mouth. My fangs extended and he dragged the pads of his fingers over the tips of them.

The taste of his blood filled my mouth, heightening every sense. I closed my lips over him, barely resisting the urge to bite.

"I'm gonna fucking come," Simon gasped.

I couldn't answer; my orgasm crashed through me and shattered every sense of self I had remaining. I fell forward onto his chest, wrapping myself around him. Simon clung to me and traced his fingers up and down my bare back.

"I'm going to keep you," Simon murmured after we'd caught our breath.

"Not if I keep you first," I replied with a tired smile.