All content of this story is copyright {2014} by Desired_Temptation and is my intellectual property. This is purely a work of fiction and fantasy and all characters are eighteen years old or older. None of the events exist or have ever happened. This story is not to be redistributed under any circumstances without my express written permission.
_______Chapter Four_______
(Stella)
Heart pounding, I watched the grin that spread across his lips. He was breath taking when he smiled. Those green eyes seemed to gleam with internal lights and his pale skin almost seemed to glow.
"Stella."
Stomach clenching with sudden desire, I flushed as my dream came back to me with a vengeance. Those green eyes and that rumbling voice, among other things, that had coaxed me towards my climax. Oh god. The dream had done him justice. The husky sound of my name coming from those lips made me sex drip.
"Would you like a refreshment, Stella?"
Blinking out of my flashback, I blushed and nodded meekly. I hoped to god that vampires didn't read minds. If he knew of all the things I was thinking about that concerned him, I think I would die of embarrassment. Sexual fantasies were not something someone wanted a stranger to know about, especially when I just learned his name and knew nothing else about him.
Watching as he raised his hand and gestured towards the black marble topped bar, I couldn't help the sudden sweep my eyes did down the length of his body. Dressed in a short sleeved dark green button up shirt that had a black muscle shirt peeking from beneath the gaping material and black jeans that seemed to hug his hips and thighs but flowed down the length of his long legs. Peeking from a small gap at the bottom of his shirt, I noted the black belt with its shining silver belt buckle that rested above his... oh lord. Licking my lips, my forced my eyes to drop to his black boots and had to admit that he looked spiffy. Yummy even.
Stepping up beside him, I touched the cool stone counter and took in a deep breath. Geez. I was acting like a schoolgirl on her first date with an older guy. Hormones raging and tongue tied. Wondering if the short dark blue dress that hugged my adequate chest and flowed down to my mid thigh was nice enough. True I wore a push up bra to show enough cleavage through the low dip of the front of my dress that I knew my sex appeal was there, but standing next to this chiseled dark beast of a man it made me feel nervous and unsure of myself.
"What are you thinking, sweet mortal?"
Glancing over, I noticed that while I had been staring down at the bar he had been silently watching me. It was slightly intimidating. Where the hell had all my courage and aggressive sex allure gone? I had come into the club with a bounce in my step and a devilish smile to melt him into a goo and now I was the one melting at the sight of him.
"I was just wondering why a guy like you would want anything to do with a wee mortal like me." At least my voice wasn't shaking.
He smiled softly, reaching out to tuck a strand of my straightened blond hair behind my ear. "You're beautiful, that you know, but you spark an interest in me. You're not like most humans I run into. There's something about you that enthralls me."
I flushed at his compliment, surprised by his straight forwardness. Wondering how many times I was going to blush in this man's presence, I muttered the only thing that came to mind. "Oh."
Chuckling, his eyes flashed silver for a moment as he glanced down at my lips. "You look gorgeous, by the way," he rumbled in a husky voice, those mesmerizing eyes raising to meet mine.
Smiling, I looked back down at the bar. "Thank you. You look dashing yourself."
"Dashing," he chuckled, "compared to a beauty like you, I pale in comparison."
I frowned and through him a disbelieving look. " Don't be coy. Have you looked at yourself lately? Mr. Stud-R-Us."
He looked down at himself and a sad smile curved those lovely lips. Longs fingers tentatively touched one of the black gleaming buttons of his green shirt and sighed. "Truth be told, I haven't seen my own reflections in over two and a half decades. Until...I saw the portrait you did of me in your studio, I only had vague memories."
Eyes widening, I stared at him speechlessly. In the back of my mind, I made notice that he admitted to being in my sanctuary, but at the front I was incredible sad for him. I looked in the mirror over a dozen times throughout the day. He hasn't seen what he looked like for over...two thousands years. Shit.
I blinked rapidly. I didn't know if that bit of knowledge was unsettling or if I was amazed at all the things he must have seen happen throughout his long lifetime. It also made think of how lonely that lifetime would have been. All your loved ones and friends dying while you lived on.
"So this is the enchantress that snagged your attention. She is lovely, Sage."
Glancing up at the new male voice that joined our private interlude, I was ready to be pissed at the interruption, but was rather surprised to see a handsome young guy with friendly blue eyes smiling at me from behind the bar. Trying not to frown, I wondered how Sage knew this guy? He looked barely old enough to be in the club.
Grinning, he snaked out a hand and gently took my own into his grasp. Bringing my hand to his lips, he placed a chaste kiss on my knuckles, those blue eyes staring right at me. "My name is Anton and I own this particular club, Stella."
Blinking in alarm, I snatched my hand away from him. How had he known my name?
I felt a cool hand touch the back of my arm and turned to give Sage wide eyes. He was frowning the new guy. "Anton is one of my oldest friends and I apologize if he startled you." Turning those emerald eyes my way, he smiled gently down at me, making my stomach flutter with butterflies.
Anton's laughed, the sound sliding over my flesh. Turning, I stared at him. "My apologies, Stella. I like to shock people, to see how one acts when confronted with something outside the norm."
Leaning towards Sage, I gave Anton a halfhearted smile. "Well, you accomplished that fairly well, but I still want to know how you know my name."
Blue eyes glancing at Sage, he nodded slightly as if Sage had given him some kind of permission to go on. "Sage told you what he is, correct?"
"Yes, but I don't see how what he is has...oh." I sucked in a quick breath when the connection snapped into place. "You're one, too."
Smiling in half mockery, he nodded. "You catch on quick, Stella. Yes, I am like him, though he is a bit older then I. As for knowing your name, it is a gift I acquired when I died and came into this new life. I was always able to read people easily and when I was reborn, that talent was magnified. Reading people's minds comes quite handy."
I frowned, more disturbed then fascinated by his 'gift'. "You can see into people's minds? That's kind of reminds me of a peeking tom."
He smiled, flashing a hint of fangs. "Well, I don't see it quite like that. It is a gift, to allow me to see into people. Know there deepest secrets and desires, their darkest thoughts that are never spoken," he said softly, those blue eyes glinting at me.
I paled. I had been thinking of my dream moments ago, had he seen that? Had he seen my darkest secret? Had he seen that far into me? Would he tell Sage that I was...
Forcing the thoughts from my mind, I stared hard into Anton's eyes, silently begging him to keep whatever he may have learned about me to himself. If I wanted people to know about my own damn secrets, I would have told them myself. I didn't need some bloody vampire spilling the beans when I had no intention of telling anyone, yet.
Those blue eyes watched me silently, his smile slipping as he watched the array of emotions flash through my gaze, probably reading every thought that crossed my agitated mind. "You are a unique human, Stella, and I can see why Sage has fallen under your spell. Strong willed, intelligent, and so brave. A rum and coke kind of girl to boot. Fascinating."
I blinked slowly, not sure where he had gotten that bit of info, but almost relieved that he seemed to had gotten my silent pleas. "I was never into those frilly drinks most woman favor. Whiskey or rum with coke suits me."
Anton suddenly grinned. "A woman after my own heart."
Sage growled softly beside me, drawing my attention to his flashing green eyes and thinned out lips. "Get the damn drinks, Anton. Your throng of admirers seem to need your flirtatious ass with a desperation."
I looked down the bar and spotted the cluster of woman staring daggers my way and sending pleading looks towards Anton as well as Sage. Thank god. At least the peeking tom would be occupied for awhile.
Anton laughed. "Fine. I just wanted to what kind of woman made the almighty Sage fall from his high throne."
Flicking my gaze back towards him, I raise an eyebrow at him. "You make it sound like he's a god or chaste or something."
Anton opened his mouth, but quickly shut it when he glanced over at Sage. Looking over, I caught the hard look Sage was giving him. Interesting. Which comment had caused him to give a silencing look at his friend?
"I'll let Sage tell you that one. Its his story to tell, not mine.," Anton murmured, though my attention was all for the expressionless vampire next to me.
Just from his closed off expression, I knew that the subject bothered him. He had his own dark secrets it seemed. Logically I knew that I should let the subject drop, but it spiked the curiosity in me. I wanted to know what secrets lurked behind those green eyes and hardened exterior.
Emerald eyes looked down at me and some of the hardness in his gaze melted away. Heart suddenly pounding, I had to bit my lip from asking. What kind of secrets did this gorgeous man hold? Why did simply looking at him make me want to strip him of them as well as his clothes?
A sudden choking sound caused me to blink from my gazing and I turned towards Anton's surprised face. I flushed and hastily looked away from him. He better not say a thing about my thoughts or I would murder him in his own club.
Anton burst out laughing, damn vampire. I glanced nervously over at Sage and found him watching me silently, a corner of his mouth curved up in a small smile. My heart skipped a beat. Oh god. Could he read minds too?
