Page 9 of Charisma
“Sweetness, you’re beautiful. Age is nothing more than a number and a handful of experiences. So no, it doesn’t bother me. Not one bit. I take it you stopped aging when you were turned?”
“Yes, in a sense. We actually continue to age, but it’s so minimal that it takes eons before we actually look older. It takes me a hundred years to age one human year. I do have a question for you though.”
“Ask me anything. I’m an open book for you. Well, except for a few chapters we’ve decided not to discuss. Actually, they’re more like scrawny footnotes,” he hastily asserts when I start glaring at him.
“Okay, I know when I took your blood, it formed our mate bond. Is that all there is to it? I’ve watched our friends mate, but some of the process isn’t first-hand knowledge.”
He actually blushes while slowly shaking his head. “Not exactly. When we, ah, when we have sex, I’ll actually mark you. Bite you. My teeth will be perpetually etched into your skin. At least, I assume it’ll be permanent. We’ll have to ask Rowina, she’s the only vamp who’s bonded with a shifter. Anyway,” he mumbles, dismissively chopping his hand through the air before continuing, “that’s when the final link will snap into place, and we’ll be able to mentally communicate with each other.”
“Oh.” The thought of the two of us entangled in my bed has heat filling my body. I can feel my breasts swell, and desire begins to pool in my belly. I think of another question and blurt out, “Will you want children? With me?”
Vampires can only breed with their true life mates, at least that’s the way it is with our coven. There’s a theory out there that each vamp clan found a witch to make reproduction possible. Some can reproduce and others can’t, so that’s why I believe the rumors to be factual. I’ve dreamed for centuries of carrying a child of my own.
Please say yes. Please say yes,I chant inwardly.
“I wanteverythingwith you, Charisma. Your laughter, your tears, your good and bad days, your orgasms. I want it all. It’s all mine to hold, cherish, and protect. To answer your question, yes, I absolutely want children with you. The thought of you growing round as you carry my seed, and the proof of our love has me wishing you were recovered fully from your injury.”
His words have tears sprouting in my eyes; his words, they’re so sincere, so heartfelt I canfeelthem burrow into the marrow of my bones. “I want that too,” I quietly reply, admitting my innermost desires. I’m suddenly finding myself acting shy with him. Which is odd, I’m a blunt person and have never in my lifetime been timid.
“Let’s get you something to eat so you can regain your strength.” His voice is raspy, needy, and lustful.
“I actually feel pretty good considering, but I could do with a shower.” I jokingly sniff my underarms causing him to release a slight chuckle.
He bends over me, his breath warm. I watch his eyes flame when he sees the way my chest constricts with his nearness. Again, he chuckles, enjoying my lustful quandary. He helps me stand, lightly patting my ass as he directs me toward my en suite as he announces, “I’ll fix us something to eat while you get cleaned up, sweetness.”
Sweetness.The word sends shivers through me as I gather some clean pajamas before I close myself into the bathroom. If he keeps talking to me like that, I’ll be jumping his bones and begging him to mate me.
* * *
“This is pretty good,”I mention, putting my half-eaten plate to the side. “But I’m stuffed. I think you gave me your portion too.” I tease him by pushing my chest forward, wiping a stray piece of fuzz off of my top. My eyes are heavy-lidded as I glance at him, taking his sculpted body in. We’re currently sitting with our backs against my headboard, so close I can feel his body heat emanating from him in such a seductive way I want to crawl into his lap and stay there.Forever.
His rumbling laughter makes me giggle and soon, I’m against his side as we allow the hilarity of the moment to engulf us. Instead of feeling hesitation like I worried I would, I feel as though we’vealwaysbeen this way with one another. It’s as if I’m an extension of him and he’s an extension of me.
We just click.
I finally feel whole. Like a piece of me was missing and he’s filled that gap.
“Thank you,” I whisper when I manage to get myself under control.
“For what?” he asks, looking down at me.
“Being patient. I can’t believe I didn’t realize who we were to one another when you were right in front of me!” I ferociously exclaim.
“You had to ingest some of my blood, Risma,” he quietly states. “If Esmerelda hadn’t done some of her hocus pocus witchcraft shit, I’d still be patiently waiting. But I’m glad she did. If she hadn’t, there’s no telling how long we’d have been shuffling around each other. My bear was getting impatient, but I knew it was important that things happen on their own timeline.”
Sighing, I snuggle closer as his arm wraps around my shoulder. “Me too, Baldwin, me too. She’s meddling, but at least her intentions were pure.”
A yawn escapes which causes him to quickly sit up. “Let me get this stuff put away so you can get some rest.”
“You’re not leaving, are you?” I hear the tremor in my tone, something I don’t think has ever happened. He has me so high strung that I’m afraid if he leaves, I’ll snap.
“Fuck no. I’m just going to take care of our dishes then I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” I say, relaxing back into the mattress. Vampires don’t require a lot of sleep unless we’re restoring lost blood cells, then we could sleep for days as our body knits itself back together.
I intently listen as he fumbles his way around in my kitchen and stifle a snicker since with his shifter hearing being superb, he’ll know I was laughing and figure out my amusement is aimed at him. My nerves kick into overdrive when he returns from his task, a couple of bottles of water clutched in his colossal hands. Suddenly, I want to know if he’s large all over. Wanting to know if the rumors are true that bears are blessed… amply endowed below the belt has me squirming as pure lust flows through my body. No. I need rest. Yes. Rest first.
“You’re thinking too hard, sweetness. Nothing’s going to sexually happen between us tonight. My beast demands we care for your every whim while you heal. We’re going to find something mindless to watch on the television while you curl in my arms.”