Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

Amber

E ager to put the unpleasantness in the past where it belonged, Amber changed the subject again. “So, did you have a movie picked out? I picked the last one, so it’s your turn. I’m happy with just about anything. There’s a lot to be learned about someone by the movies they choose, you know. Same with the books they read. And you,” she looked around at all the books again, “give off the vibe of a man with good taste. If I do say so myself.”

A cheeky grin crossed Amber's face and she rested her chin on Reuben’s head, enjoying the softness of his hair. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a squeeze. Warmth spread from her spine to her fingertips in a pleasant, tingling sensation.

“Well, I appreciate the compliment, but wait until you hear my movie choices. You might bail on me. I had either Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith or The Proposal with Sandra Bullock in mind. Opposite ends of the spectrum, but both are great options. Feel free to say no.” Reuben leaned into the hug as his stuck hand squeezed Amber’s knee. He would have returned the hug if he weren’t at such a weird angle from cuddling.

Amber looked up and spotted the light sabers again, reached up, and retrieved one. She ran her fingers over the metal grip and solid blade, admiring the quality. “I’ve never had one of these fancy sabers. Once I had one of the cheap collapsible plastic ones, but I have no idea what happened to it.

“It doesn’t really make sense to choose a movie before the food gets here because we’ll be interrupted. Why don’t we have a little test of these beauties while we wait and then I can decide?” She jumped up and stood on the couch, looking for all the world like a grown-up child in her baggy pajamas and beaming grin.

“Mhm. Those collapsible ones were exactly why I had to get these. One good smack with the plastic ones and they would break.” Reuben reached up as well, grabbing Emperor Palpatine’s replica saber. The handle was gold and chrome and the saber was red. His thumb traced the power button, pressing to light the blade. The handle also made noise as it lit up, almost like the real deal.

Reuben jumped away from the couch and grabbed the TV remote. He opened YouTube and pulled up the music for Obi-Wan and Anakin’s fight, then turned around with a smirk as he held his saber at the ready. “Come to the daaark side!” he rumbled, attempting to sound like Palpatine as the orchestral music played in the background. He smirked as they began dancing around his living room.

With lightsaber in hand, Amber knew there was only one answer. “Do you really think you can bring back the Sith?!” she exclaimed, jumping down from the couch and putting in her first swing. She missed, because she was the least sporty human being known to mankind. But that didn’t stop her from dramatically cackling and flipping around for another swing. Once in a while her strikes were true, and once in a while she managed to block Reuben’s.

Reuben might have had super speed, but it was much more fun playing with Amber properly. The sabers tapped together on multiple occasions, both handles bursting to life with battle sounds. As far as Amber could tell, Reuben was having the time of his life.

“I’m already on the dark side!” Amber called, lost enough in her roleplay that she didn’t notice that she was getting dangerously close to the real enemy: the coffee table. One more step back and she found herself stopped suddenly. Well, her feet were. Her top half kept its momentum and she tumbled toward the wooden menace.

Without thinking, Reuben flashed to save her. Amber reflexively closed her eyes and tensed her muscles for impact, only to find herself cradled in Reuben’s soft embrace rather than laying across the tabletop. His arm wrapped up Amber’s back to her neck, cradling her softly. His other hand gripped the edge of the couch while his legs were on either side of her hips.

Any physical space that could have been between them was gone. At first Reuben was frozen, but he slowly began to move to check on her. “Gem. Are you okay? I should have moved that table...”

Slowly Amber’s eyes opened and she found herself face-to-face with Reuben, their noses mere centimeters apart. “I’m fine,” she whispered, her breath hot on Reuben’s face. “Though this is one of the most stereotypical romance novel situations I’ve ever been in.” She did her best to help Reuben get them both standing and made no move to escape his embrace when they were steady.

Steady, until Reuben pressed his lips to her forehead, and Amber's legs turned to jelly. Amber hadn’t hit her head, but any pain disappeared after the magic cure.

“Muwah. All better.” Reuben loosened his grip until their only point of contact was his hand on Amber’s lower back, in case she hadn’t quite gotten her balance yet. It was a good thing Reuben kept his hand there, or Amber certainly would have toppled over.

“You sure you’re okay?” Reuben checked over Amber tenderly.

Instead of stepping away, Amber leaned against Reuben’s hand and nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. And your table is fine too.” That usual cheeky grin covered her face, but her eyes were more intensely focused on the vampire’s face than ever before.

She felt something stirring deep in her heart, something she’d never truly experienced before. Amber thought she knew a little something about love; in fact, she might have said she was a bit of an expert. An expert in describing it. Thinking about it. Writing about it. But as she stared into those intense and worried eyes, suddenly Amber realized she had never known a single thing about love.

It was a terrifying prospect. Suddenly the pair of them were standing at the edge of a high cliff, one step away from falling off completely into an unknown space. It was terrifying, exhilarating, and mysterious all wrapped up in one package.

Amber found herself leaning closer to that perfect face. Her arms wrapped around Reuben’s shoulders and hands worked their way into his hair, tangling themselves in his soft waves. Closer and closer their lips came until mere millimeters away when Amber paused. Did she dare? This close, her entire world became vanilla and sandalwood, snowy skin and jet-black hair.

Her heart pounded in her ears as she stared into Reuben’s gold-flecked eyes. Her lungs seemed to forget how to open, holding her breath hostage. Her eyes traced his sharp nose and his perfect eyebrows. His lips were vibrantly red against a backdrop of expansive clouds. Was it her imagination, or were they slightly pursed?

Screw it, she thought, but before she could move, Reuben took the dive and closed the gap. He placed a tender kiss on Amber’s lips, his hands gripping her band shirt and tugging it toward him.

How many stereotypical things could she have written about the moment those chilled, pillowy lips sought hers and held on for dear life? Zero, because her brain simply short-circuited. Her fingers entrenched themselves in his hair and her body arched toward him, seeking his form.

His hands slid down her shoulder blades and settled on her hip bones, sending a feeling of frosty autumn deep into her core. He pulled her closer and she made no move to resist, instead seeking more. More closeness. More of his teeth running along her bottom lip.

Truth be told, Amber had never kissed anyone, much less a vampire. She wasn’t sure what she should have been expecting, but Reuben’s strong grip and marble lips had caught her off guard. Waves of hormones drowned her brain in a pleasant buzz of natural intoxication.

The pair lingered there for a long moment until Amber had to breathe. She pulled back and was tempted to go for a second or third kiss, but instead rested her forehead on Reuben’s before anything more serious could happen.

Her legs felt a bit unstable and she clung to Reuben to avoid falling over. Was kissing always like this? Because if so, she had really wasted far too much time finding out. She finally found her breath as the vampire pulled away and her eyes opened.

“I don’t care about the table…not the way I’m starting to care about you, Amber.” Reuben’s voice was smoky and wobbly all at once; the kiss had obviously affected him.

Caring about her? What did he mean by that? Amber’s jaw fell open to question his meaning when a disembodied voice broke the moment.

"Your delivery has arrived at the gate, Mr. DeVito.”

Conflicting emotions swirled in Amber's heart and she gave Reuben a squeeze before breaking their embrace and pivoting to sit down on the couch.

Reuben let out a shaky breath. “Curse that intercom! I don’t want the food getting cold, but I’ll have to walk at a normal speed. I don’t want to freak out the neighbors.” His voice was still low and he sounded a bit disappointed that the food had arrived so soon. That’s what he got for being a favorite regular at the Wok In…

“Okay, I’ll wait right here. That way we won’t get distracted on the way and make the walk take longer.” She gave Reuben a smile that didn’t match the turmoil in her stomach and wrapped the blanket around herself protectively. “I’ll be ready for food when you get back!”

Really, Amber also needed a few minutes to process what had just happened. Her brain was a muddle of hormones giving conflicting signals. As soon as Reuben was out of sight, Amber relaxed and stared off into space.

What a strange night this was shaping up to be! She’d had her first kiss, an event she’d always imagined would be nothing but pure bliss. And it was! Yet Jade’s words echoed in her mind, reminding her that she was putting himself in danger by spending time alone with a predator.

Guilt took over in a heartbeat. Reuben wasn’t a monster! He was handsome, kind, polite, and gentle. After all the times Amber had insisted Reuben was another human with an incurable condition, how could she be thinking such awful thoughts? Besides, they’d spent plenty of time together. If he was going to hurt Amber, surely there would have been signs by now, right? Taking hold of that thought, Amber loosened the blanket and allowed herself to breathe more freely.

That left one more sticking point. Reuben said he cared about her. Granted, he compared it to caring for a table so perhaps he meant he felt like they were becoming actual friends? That would be easier to believe if he hadn’t taken the offer of a kiss moments before saying it. And his voice didn’t sound like someone telling a friend they were fond of them, right?

Amber kicked herself for not saying anything in response. “Pathetic loser,” she grumbled, punching herself in the head. “How did you manage to get yourself into this situation? You’ve gotten yourself tangled up in a messy relationship and allowed yourself to start getting feelings for this guy! You even gave him your first kiss! Idiot!”

She let out a loud groan and flopped back against the couch. Was it going to be super awkward when Reuben returned with their food? Or could Amber possibly play it off like nothing had happened?

Rather than allow herself to make the decision, Amber figured she would take Reuben’s lead. Surely Reuben had kissed someone before? He would know the usual protocol for these kinds of things. By the time she heard the sound of the door opening downstairs and Reuben’s footsteps, the author had talked herself into a quiet corner of her mind. Everything would be fine!

* * *

Reuben

T he last thing Reuben wanted to do was leave Amber after something as confusing as their first kiss, but maybe a walk in the chilled night air would do him good. It might organize his thoughts so he could understand what was happening.

Reuben slipped on a pair of tennis shoes and walked out into the night. It wasn’t that far to the gatehouse, only a few houses down and to the left, but it felt like an eternity. Each step contained a desperate prayer that he wouldn’t come home to an empty couch and Amber climbing the back fence.

He ran his fingers through his messy hair, every vulgarity that he knew running on a track in his mind. I screwed everything up. I kissed her. This was a business transaction, and my sappy self KISSED HER. Why am I like this with her?!

Why he caught her was obvious; he knew how fragile humans could be compared to vampires. But more importantly, he felt protective of her. He didn’t know where the feeling came from or when he started to feel that way. Maybe the bullet they dodged with the article unlocked a new level in Reuben’s brain, or the solitude of their week apart. There was a line, but Reuben couldn’t see it as the boundary completely blurred between partner and partner.

He had gotten so caught up trying to be a perfect boyfriend that he forgot to check his emotions at the door. This was no longer just a business arrangement. He should have been keeping better track about what he actually felt for Amber.

And he knew why he’d kissed those soft, warm lips. It had been almost two months now since the deep silence and proximity in the aquarium had tempted him, and they were only holding hands at that point. Tonight Amber had to wrap her arms around his neck and tangle her fingers in his hair…a pleased shiver passed through his core at the memory as his hand instinctively rubbed the back of his head where Amber’s hand had been.

He could feel the warm breath against his lips once more, so close a sheet of paper may not have fit between them. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the phantom sensation. This was supposed to be temporary. There weren’t supposed to be messy emotions involved.

All too soon and all too slowly, Reuben arrived at the guard booth to retrieve the food. Like usual, Reuben took one bag and was about to take the other, but turned back with a glimmer in his eyes. He offered the second to the guard, whose face lit up with a huge smile.

“Maaan! Mr. DeVito, sir, thank you! My stomach was growling just smelling your dinner!”

Reuben’s lips turned up into a soft smile without teeth. “Of course. Thank you for working so hard. I appreciate it. Have a great shift.” He then stepped away from the guard booth and hurried home to his guest.