Out of the Box 4

  Out of the Box 4

  Kallysten

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright © 2007 Kallysten

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  The right of Kallysten to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  First published September 2007

  All characters in this publication are purely fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Edited by Mary S

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  Out of the Box 4

  My Lady Aphrodite,

  I’ve finally admitted to myself that I am addicted. That’s the first step, I have heard. But how could I not be? With every new night we spend together, Anando keeps surprising me, thrilling me, enthralling me. More than that, though, he keeps seducing my body and my mind, without even trying. He keeps changing what I felt the first time I saw him—pure, raw lust—into something deeper, something I wasn’t looking for when I first went to On The Edge. Something that I never would have expected to find with a vampire. Something that, in all truth, I’m not ready for.

  I pulled some surprising answers from him when he put himself beneath my rule, and I decided to take some time to think about all of it, about him and me and what I wanted from our escapades. Anando, though, had other plans.

  In the middle of the week, I received a package from him. The mail carrier left it propped against my apartment’s door, and I found it after coming home from work. It felt very light when I picked it up, and I tried to figure out what it was on my way to the kitchen. My mother sometimes sends me gifts, but not without reason or warning, and I hadn’t ordered anything for myself.

  I slid a knife along the tape and opened the package. A few layers of silk paper wrapped what, at first, I thought was underwear, but when I picked up the two pieces, I realized they were a bathing suit. Red, rather minimalist—it was certainly skimpier than any swimming outfit I had ever worn. I knew already who had sent me this. It definitely wasn’t my mom, and if not her, there was really only one other option. Regardless, I looked for a card or note, and sure enough, when I found it and looked at the signature, it bore Anando’s name.

  Up for a swim, Virginia?

  I’ll see you Friday night.

  My first reaction was denial. I was not going to wear those scraps of fabric in public. Then I realized that it was unlikely that anyone but Anando would see me wearing the bikini—it wasn’t as though he would take me to a sunny beach, after all—and Anando had seen and touched every inch of my skin. I gave the suit another look and tried to imagine myself in it. I couldn’t. It just looked too small to fit me.

  I prepared dinner, turning back every so often to look at the box until I got annoyed with myself and went to put it in my bedroom. Even so, I kept thinking about the suit and Anando’s message, and wondered what it all meant. Three times I had gone to him, and three times we had opened his box of playthings for a night of sensuality and pleasure. This—the gift, the cryptic message, even the date—was out of the ordinary for us. Then again, I was still trying to figure out what ordinary meant for Anando, and in any case he had said himself that what was going on between us was unusual for him. Maybe this was all as strange and nerve-wracking for him as it was for me. Somehow, that idea was reassuring.

  For a couple of hours, I tried not to think about the bikini or Anando, but in the end it was useless. I went to the bedroom and picked up the suit again, this time to try it on. To my surprise, it fit perfectly. I looked at myself in the full-length mirror. It looked sexy, but not indecent, hinting at more than it revealed. I couldn’t wait to see Anando’s reaction when he saw me in it. Two days until Friday night—they were two long days. As before, the thought of seeing Anando again was driving me to distraction, but this time I was even more on edge than I had been before. This time, he was the one in control from the start, and like the very first night I had spent with him, the very first night I had offered myself to him, I was blind as to what was going to happen.

  I was so distracted, in fact, that on Friday morning I forgot one important part of my morning routine. I had slept fitfully, waking up several times during the night, and I overslept. I woke up with just enough time to hurry to work if I skipped breakfast and took a really short shower. Rushing as I was, I forgot what I had been very careful to do every morning since I had allowed Anando to bite me: conceal the bite marks at the juncture of my neck and shoulder. I have always liked wearing scarves, and they are a good way to hide my scars, as is concealer made for that very purpose. But I left my apartment without either of these, and I didn’t realize it until some time after noon.

  When I did, I remained frozen in front of the sink, water still running over my hands. In the mirror, my reflection looked shocked. The scars on my neck seemed glaring. In retrospect, they really weren’t that red or noticeable, but realizing that they’d been exposed for anyone to see for hours made my stomach flip in a rather unpleasant manner. I could understand, suddenly, a few raised eyebrows and surprised looks thrown my way. No one had said anything, but they had noticed, I was sure of it. It was too late to try to hide the marks now.

  For the rest of the day, I kept waiting for the remark, the question, the shocked exclamation—kept waiting for what was bound to happen eventually. When it did, it came from Kara, my supervisor.

  She called me into her office and started reviewing my latest assignment. I began to relax, thinking that was all she wanted to talk about, but just as I was about to leave, she cleared her throat and took on that expression of hers that reminds me of my mother.

  “Ginny, I wanted to ask you… Is everything all right?”

  My heart skipped a beat, and I had to force out an answer.

  “Everything’s fine.”

  Her eyes strayed to my neck. “Are you sure? You know, we’re all family here. We’d hate to see you hurt.”

  That was when it hit me. I didn’t care if my colleagues or anyone else knew that a vampire had bitten me. Not only that, that I had let him bit me, asked him to do it. What I did care about was seeing Anando again. For two days, seeing him had been all I could think about. Until I did, the world could go to pieces around me, and I couldn’t manage to care. It was unsettling to say the least, and the realization left me more upset than having accidentally exposed my scars for others to see.

  For the rest of the day, I tried to keep my mind on the task at hand. I finished my work, went home, had a light dinner, and got ready. I hesitated about what to put over the suit. Comfortable jeans and t-shirt, or a dress? It had been a hot day, and even though the sun had set now, the air was still warm. I went for the dress. No sooner had I slipped it on than Anando was knocking on my door. He was dressed in tan slacks and a white t-shirt that contrasted against the warm coffee tone of his skin. He gave me a dazzling smile, even as his eyes trailed over me, leaving goose bumps in their wake.

  “’Evening, Virginia.”
His voice was a purr. “Ready?”

  My Lady, only you know how much I was!

  We descended the stairs side by side. My heart was hammering in my chest.

  “Did you like the bathing suit?”

  “It wasn’t something I would have bought for myself,” I admitted. “But it fits well.”

  “I’m sure you look gorgeous in it. You look gorgeous in anything you wear.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “And in nothing at all as well.”

  I had thought my heartbeat couldn’t go any faster. I was wrong.

  By the time we got to the car, I had myself back under control, enough to begin wondering again what he had in mind. As always, he opened the door for me and closed it again once I was seated in the passenger seat. A perfect gentleman. I waited until he started the car before I asked:

  “So, where are you taking me?”

  The corner of his mouth curled up, just barely, as though he were trying to hide a smile.

  “It took you longer to ask than I expected.”

  “And you’re not answering my question. Should I have packed a travel bag?”

  This time, the grin pierced through. “Clothes are overrated, if you ask me.”

  “And yet, you got me a swimsuit.”

  “Which I fully intend to peel off your body before long.”

  I ignored the rush of heat coursing through me and tried to pull more information from him. “Does that mean we’ll be there soon?”

  His only answer was to grin. I didn’t wonder long, however; the road was becoming familiar the closer we got to his house. I’ve got to admit I was a little disappointed when he drove up his driveway to park by the garage. I didn’t understand why he had bought me a bathing suit if it was to take me home. But when he unlocked the wooden gate that closed off his backyard, the fence too high for me to see what was beyond, and ushered me through, I did understand. I had seen a large part of his house during my previous visits, but I had never caught a glimpse of the backyard.

  “You have a pool!”

  He laughed quietly, probably at the incredulity in my voice. “I have a pool, indeed. And not just that. Come with me.”

  He took my hand as he spoke; his touch, light but electric, sent a shiver down my spine. With slow steps, he guided me along the side of the bean-shaped pool. The pattern of the large flat stones laid out around it seemed much too random not to have been carefully planned. Beyond them, the freshly cut grass let out a heady scent. I wondered who had mowed it, but not for much longer than a second, because my attention drifted back to the pool. The inlaid lights accentuated small ripples at the surface of the water but not enough to hide the square tiles beneath, a mosaic of blues going from the lightest shade of the sky at noon to a deep navy, almost as dark as the sky now was. The effect was lovely, and I couldn’t wait to dive into the blue.

  As we walked on, I suddenly noticed the quiet murmur of water. I looked ahead and could see right away where it was coming from: a hot tub. Nestled in the inside curve of the pool, it seemed to be both a part of it and separate, the water flowing down and losing its bubbles and energy to become more languid in the pool. I didn’t know which of the two I most wanted to slide in.

  “I figured maybe you could use some relaxation after a long week at work.”

  The tone in which he offered this explanation and the questioning look on his features both hinted that he was waiting for confirmation or denial. I found it a little amusing that he was trying to pull information out of me after he had been so secretive. It was time to prove I could be just as secretive as he was. Answering his remark only with a quiet “Hmmm,” I kicked off my shoes at the same time as I pulled my dress over my head. With my back to Anando, I stepped down the staircase to the bottom of the pool.

  The water seemed cool at first, but by the time it reached up to my waist my body had adjusted to the temperature. I felt refreshed. My usual nervousness at what would happen next had all but vanished. Maybe Anando had the right idea. I did need relaxation, but because of my own overactive mind, rather than because of work.

  I started swimming toward the deep end. I could imagine Anando’s eyes following me, and when I rolled onto my back, I could see that I was right. He still hadn’t moved from where I had left him by the side of the pool, but seeing me look at him seemed to push him into motion.

  “I guess I don’t need to ask whether you can swim,” he said. “I’ll grab towels and join you in a minute.”

  While he was gone, I swam the length of the pool and back. It had been a long time since I had had the occasion to swim. When I reached the deep end again, Anando was there, without towels and without clothes, save for swimming trunks. He dived in over me, arms stretched over his head, all clean lines with hardly any splashing. The next second, he was coming up by my side, close enough that bubbles rose all around me. His body, though, never touched mine, however much I anticipated it.

  “I don’t need to ask if you can swim, either,” I said when he broke the surface.

  He slipped beneath the water and reappeared right in front of me. I had seen him smile before, many times, in many ways, for many reasons, but I had never seen this look of pure, childlike joy on his face. He started circling me, and I swam to follow along and keep facing him.

  “Which is it?” I asked. “You got the house for the pool, or you had it made just the way you wanted it?”

  He laughed, a gleam of delighted surprise dancing in his eyes. “I saw the pool and signed the papers right away. How did you know?”

  “You just have this look… I thought I had seen you happy at the club when you dance, but this is much more…” I wasn’t sure how to explain what I meant, and I shrugged, splashing a little water. “Just…more.”

  “Well, we could do both. Swim and dance.”

  Before I could ask what he meant by that, he rested his hands on my waist and pulled me closer to him. Without thinking, I looped my arms around his neck and let him guide the dance. His mouth pressed against mine like his body, cool and strong. We started sinking when he stopped kicking his legs, but I barely noticed, too caught up in the feel of his lips parting, of his tongue stroking my bottom lip and pressing in. I closed my eyes and let him pull me down underwater even as his kiss spread a slow fire through me. It was so gentle, so tender… I wished it never had to end. The beat of my own heart was all I could hear, like drums beating along my skin. Anando’s hands at my waist felt as light as the water caressing me.

  Just when breathing was becoming a pressing need and I was ready to let go of him to swim back up, I felt Anando kick down. He must have hit the bottom of the pool because suddenly we were rising to the surface, swirling as we did. We broke through, and I gasped for air. I’m not sure if I was out of breath because of being underwater or because of the kiss. I opened my eyes wide and looked at Anando. Flames consumed his eyes and stole my breath again.

  “Liked the dance?” he asked, his voice heavy as velvet.

  “Is it over already?” I asked back.

  I didn’t wait for his answer. With a light push of my hands on his shoulders, I freed myself from his hold and used both arms and legs to propel myself backwards.

  “Catch me,” I said when he looked at me askance, and rolled onto my stomach to swim away.

  I swam fast, splashing water behind me, certain that Anando was pursuing. I felt his hand ghosting over my ankle and swerved, hoping to surprise him by changing directions. Seconds later, his fingers were skimming my thigh. I abruptly reversed my course, laughing as I swam even harder. His hand, the next time, played over my ass, more a caress than an attempt at holding me. I tried to move at an angle again, but I was tiring. Anando caught up with me. His arms slipped around my waist from beneath me, and were my only warning before he twisted our positions. I had just the time to close my mouth, and I was underwater. The next second, he was standing and pulling me up along with him. We were closer to the shallow end of the pool, in water just higher than our waists. I blink
ed to shake off the droplets clinging to my eyelashes.

  “Caught you,” he murmured right against my lips. “What’s my prize?”

  “This.”

  I leaned closer and kissed him, as hard as he had been gentle earlier, crushing my lips against his mouth and pushing my way in without waiting for an invitation. I knew where his fangs hid. I stroked the spots with my tongue, one side then the other, waiting for them to descend, but nothing happened save for Anando pulling back and breaking the kiss.

  “Virginia, you don’t have to,” he said hoarsely.

  Being bitten had been an intensely pleasurable experience every time he had done it, for him as well as for me, so I was stung by his refusal, and it translated into my words.

  “You don’t want to taste me?”

  He shook his head lightly. “Of course I do. But that’s not what I meant by prize—”

  “But it’s what I meant. And if we both want it…”

  I let the sentence hang in the air between us, heavy with innuendo. For a moment, I thought he wouldn’t do it, and I was surprised at how disappointed the idea left me. But then, his arms tightened around my waist, pulling me tight against him, tight enough that the feel of his cock against my thigh was unmistakable. He wasn’t fully hard yet, but when, after brushing away my hair, he pressed his lips to the crook of my neck, I could feel his cock twitch. And when he bit me, his fangs reopening my scars smoothly, sensuously, I could feel him harden further against me with each mouthful of blood he sipped from my neck. I was becoming lightheaded, more because of the intensely arousing feeling, I’m sure, than because of blood loss; he has never taken much blood from me, instead making the sensations last by suckling, oh, so slowly. To think I had once been afraid of this!

  When he stopped, I could feel his body tremble against mine, and it sent a rush of delighted awe through me that I could have this effect on him. Of course, I was trembling myself and clinging to him like a kitten seeking warmth from a gentle hand. Without a word, he picked me up, one arm behind my knees and the other supporting my back. He walked toward the hot tub and climbed in, keeping me against his chest when he sat down with his back to the edge of the tub. I closed my eyes and rested my cheek on his shoulder, enjoying the soothing feel of the warm water bubbling against my skin. I could have remained there forever, nestled against him and the pleasure of the bite still coursing through me.