Keila and Varick are the main characters from my paranormal romance/urban fantasy novel. Keila is a psychic warrior that met Varick, master vampire of Portland, on Halloween. They defeated a rival vampire, and had great sex, and found a happily ever after.
This story takes place three days after the ending of All Hallows Blood.
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Nervousness made my stomach roil and my skin clammy. I didn't belong here, in the fanciest clothes I owned, on the arm of a powerful vampire. Rheinlander was too classy, and I stood out. But after two days in bed, we'd eaten all the food I had, and wanted to get out of the house.
So we'd braved the snow to drive to a restaurant the vampire thought I would love. And it was great, right out of a Bavarian fairy tale. Not the kind of place a black-haired Amazon psionicist would eat at on her own, but I trusted Varick's opinion.
He looked fantastic, as always. His suit was entirely black silk, the shirt dark crimson, the narrow tie also black. He wore his hair back in a partial French braid, half of it loose and flowing down his back. The stark contrast of white hair on black silk kept distracting me, reminding me of how quickly he'd done it.
Sapphire eyes glittered as he pulled me closer, sparks racing through my shields from his touch. "My Keila is upset?"
"No," I whispered, aware that my hand trembled in his. I didn't own anything quite as nice as the vampire, and was making do with an old Halloween costume. I was a pirate queen, including a ruffle fronted shirt and velvet skirt split up to my knees. Gazing at the elegance inside the restaurant, I felt under dressed.
The German vampire squeezed my hand, letting his aura entwine with mine. It was a surprise to be aware of his presence. Even after I'd opened my entire soul to him multiple times, he was still mostly closed off to me. I turned to him, relaxing, protected and enveloped by his power. "You look lovely," he told me. It didn't seem fair that his empathy worked on me, but not vice versa.
Before I could reply, the hostess arrived. Tall, brunette, and busty, she blushed at the vampire, then guided us to our booth. Empathy quickly picked up on her emotions, letting me know just how hot she thought Varick was. Without a cloud of other's feelings, she stood out.
"Are we the only people here?" Even whispering, my voice carried. The elaborate carpets, floral displays, and highly polished wooden walls added to the air of elegance. I had an almost reverential need to remain quiet amidst the Old World charm. The painting of the Alps reminded me of traveling through Austria, though I hadn't been there since I was a little child.
"My sister owns the Rheinlander. It is nothing to reserve every seat." No trace of arrogance in his voice; Varick didn't brag about what he had, simply stated fact. And I really shouldn't be surprised the master vampire of Portland, or his sister, owned a German place like this.
We were seated, and a waitress came for our drinks. She too became a little flushed at the sight of the vampire. Everyone seemed to be attracted to him tonight, and it put my teeth on edge. This was my first real date with him, so everyone else needed to piss off. My shoulders dropped when she left, and I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
The booth we occupied was comfortable, just dark enough to be intimate, but lit enough that we could see each other. Beethoven played just outside my range of hearing. Varick brought me to the middle, close by his side, giving us a view of most of the restaurant.
I had no idea how to sit in a skirt, and squirmed, pressing my thighs hard together. My hands stayed in my lap, and I sat ramrod straight. On the edge of my sight, I saw the rise and fall of my shirt's ruffle, becoming aware of just how large my breasts looked in this shirt. Lowering my eyes, I fingered the row of buttons along the fitted sleeve.
"Where is my boisterous one?" Varick asked, unfolding my napkin and laying it across my lap.
I could only pick up the occasional emotion from him, and this was one of them. He was disappointed that I wasn't having a good time. Smiling, I faced him, placing a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry. Give me a moment to take it all in."
Varick lifted my left hand to his lips, slowly kissing my fingers. Our eyes locked, the moment lengthening. His mouth opened, surround a knuckle, tongue tracing along a scar. Every nerve in my hand stood at attention, fire racing up my veins. A strange turn on of mine, but the vampire used it well.
"I want to take all of you in." He licked another scar, nails digging into my palm.
Heat rose to my cheeks, and my mouth went dry. The waitress returned with our drinks, and I turned to take a sip of mine. Varick had been back two days, and already the passion of our previous liaison was back with full force, and I wanted nothing more than to be with him.
And Varick wanted me too.
He kept my hand, giving our order in German. The waitress's lust was obvious, warm across my empathic senses. I stiffened, hand hard on my water glass, not looking back at the vampire. I didn't care what he got us, so long as she stopped flirting with him and left.
"Why so defensive?" His nails traced circles inside my palm. Goosebumps rose immediately, my skin crawling pleasantly. Clamping down on my tongue stud, I glanced back at Varick, forcing my shoulders to untense.
"I haven't seen you in almost two months." My voice was husky, barely in control. "And every woman has wanted to throw herself at you."
He smiled, revealing a curve of fang. "But I do not want them." Nails found a scar inside my wrist. Time dilated, my pulse jumping. He kept working my wrist, and I bit my lip. "You are the only one I see tonight." Varick leaned in, taking a kiss.