Chapter 21 Sam
Sam
Istood in Kyle’s office in Nightfall, and nearly laughed.
It was exactly as Kayla had described — definitely more boxes than personality.
Sebastian’s office was also as I’d expected after seeing his house — decadent and luxurious while still being completely alpha within this ethereal nightclub space.
He so obviously ran this business. This was Sebastian’s territory.
Kyle handed me some more paperwork and nodded to a box. “That one.”
“What are you doing with all the boxes? Shipping them back to New Orleans?”
It had been three weeks since Kyle had killed Esmé, and I still tried not to dwell on it. There were so many mixed feelings.
Relief was always the primary one — always — but I couldn’t help a little sadness.
I hadn’t meant for Esmé to live in a world of torture, but perhaps I’d inadvertently created that for her.
Maybe being without Sean had truly sent her into some sort of madness.
She’d certainly been hellbent on making me pay.
And now she was gone.
There was that relief again.
Thank fuck she was gone.
I glanced at Kyle as he lifted a box, and happiness squeezed my heart. He was my savior and my mate, and now we were off for new adventures.
“No, these aren’t coming with us to Baton Rouge,” he said, answering my question about what was happening with the boxes.
“These are going to the storage room, where Sebastian will probably never look at them again.” He grinned.
“Maybe they didn’t need to be here in the first place, who knows?
Wasn’t like they helped me a whole lot with intel. ”
I shrugged. “Yeah, things moved pretty fast in the end there.”
He chuckled, his biceps bulging against his short sleeves as he hefted another box. Made me want to touch him. No, scratch that. Made me want to lick him.
“I think you’ll like it in Baton Rouge. And you’ll get to hang out with Leia. Aimée, Nic’s sister, is there a lot too. She can help you with a lot of the new vampire stuff. Nic was born, but Aimée was turned. She’s fun.”
That was high praise of someone from Kyle. “I look forward to meeting her,” I said.
“Yeah,” he continued. “I think you might like all of the Duponts.”
I cast him some side-eye. Running headlong into another nest of vampires wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do right now, but where he went, I went, so…
Plus, he said they were good people, and I trusted him.
He hadn’t steered me wrong so far, and I’d liked Nic and Leia when we met — Sebastian and Kayla, too.
“You know, there is one last place we should probably go before we hit the airport.” He sounded hesitant, and wariness filled me.
“Oh, yeah?” I tried to sound casual as I folded the box in front of me closed and taped it up, but my heart beat faster.
“Yeah.” He sighed apologetically. “I think we should go to the place you shared with Esmé.”
“What?” That was a ridiculous suggestion. “Why?”
“You have some of your human stuff there, right? This might be your last chance to reclaim it.”
I sat heavily on a box behind me. I hadn’t even thought of that. “Do I need it?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. But a lot of newly turned vampires start with some of their own belongings, at least.”
“Do you have those things?” I didn’t know a whole lot about how Kyle had gotten his start.
He shook his head. “No, but I wasn’t turned…” He hesitated. “…kindly. Or for the right reasons. Nic saved me, but not until after. Not until I nearly lost myself, and by then it was too late. Nothing of mine from before probably even existed anymore, anyway.”
I nodded. “Okay. We’ll go. If you think we should.”
The driver, one Sebastian had provided, dropped us at the curb outside Esmé’s place.
“We haven’t got long,” Kyle said as we walked up the path.
“Don’t worry,” I replied as my stomach about flipped with anxiety and I gripped Kyle’s hand tighter. “I won’t need long. Esmé didn’t let me bring much. Pets don’t have possessions.”
Those had been the exact words from Esmé’s mouth, and I should have been so much more aware then.
The door creaked open and the familiar, horrific smell hit me like a wall coming to meet me at one hundred miles per hour. It was so much worse now that I had vampire senses.
I covered my nose. “Fuck. You smelled this every time you came in here?”
Kyle smiled, but it was just the smallest quirk of his lips. “Every time,” he confirmed.
“Well, shit.” I glanced around. “I’ll be quick. I don’t have much.”
“Bring whatever you can,” he called as I headed to my room. “What doesn’t seem important now might be what you really need in the next few weeks, months, or years.”
Paused on my way through the door. “Years?”
“We have long memories.”
I didn’t look at him as I headed through the door. I didn’t have a bag or anything, but I dumped random books and trinkets I’d hidden from Esmé on the bed and wrapped it all up in the blanket.
That was it. I’d emptied the room. I lifted my bundle and sighed. I’d lived here like a fucking hobo, and now I was leaving as one.
Kyle appeared in the doorway, his arm outstretched. “I’ll take that. We should head out.”
I handed it to him, glad he hadn’t asked if it was everything or made me talk about it. It was like he knew that wasn’t the right thing to say just now.
He took my hand in his free one and we left the house where I’d been both pet and prisoner together.
I was free now. Really free. The kind of forever that I’d always rejected before was now a possibility, because it looked like some forevers could be good.
“You know —” Kyle looked at me as we sat in the airplane.
It was a luxurious private jet. I shouldn’t have expected anything else when Kyle had told me the King of Baton Rouge was helping him get home.
“You should probably call your mom. Tell her what’s up.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Really? I don’t think telling her I’m a vampire is a good idea at all.” I’d been protecting her from this world this whole time, ever since Sean. “Like what? Hey, Mom… SURPRISE?!”
He laughed. “Fuck, no. But maybe she should know that you’re going to Baton Rouge?”
Well, shit. I’d been so sidetracked with everything recently. “Oh. Of course, yeah. I’ll call her now.”
Kyle reached into his pocket and handed me his cell phone.
“Wait?” I met his gaze. “I can use this up here?”
He shrugged. “Voice over Wi-Fi works, and no one onboard this plane is going to say a word against you if you place a quick call to your mom.” He lowered his brows into a slight frown. “I’ll make sure of it.”
I dialed her number and waited until her voice echoed down the line.
“Hello?” She sounded suspicious, but she always did when she got a call from an unknown number.
“Hey, Mom. It’s me.”
“Oh, Sam!” Her tone grew happier. “How are you doing?”
“I’m...” I glanced at Kyle. “I’m okay. Listen, I got a job offer in Baton Rouge —”
“That’s great! When do you start?” She was always so enthusiastic about my opportunities, but I hesitated now.
Now that I had to tell her even more lies. “It’s immediate. I’m on my way there now.”
“Now?” Her happiness turned to disappointment, and I withheld a sigh of sadness.
I hated disappointing her. “Yeah. It was an opportunity too good to miss.”
Kyle squeezed my hand.
“I’ve got to go, but I’ll call you again in a few days, when I’m settled, and maybe we can arrange a visit?” I didn’t know the rules on seeing people from my old life, but surely it was okay to see my mom a couple of times? I’d work something out, anyway.
I hung up but didn’t talk to Kyle right away. I wasn’t sure how he’d take my offer to see my mom. And if I talked, I might cry. And if I cried, he might be kind. And if he was kind… I’d fall apart.
“We can make a plan.” That was all he said, and I leaned my head on his shoulder for the rest of the journey.
When the plane landed, I glanced around. The airport was tiny so it wasn’t the hustle and bustle I’d expected. Kyle led the way down the short flight of stairs and over to a waiting car.
“I’d usually take my bike,” he said, “but I didn’t know how much luggage we’d be bringing with us.”
“Are we going to Nic’s house?” Leia had told me bits and pieces about it, and it sounded awesome, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to live like someone’s guest or employee.
Kyle shook his head. “Nope.”
“Then where?” The only other place I’d been told about in Baton Rouge was Leia’s old family home, but I couldn’t imagine living there, either. That wouldn’t feel like my home, either, with all of the history Leia had there.
“Surprise.” He chuckled. “And I can feel your brain working overtime, you know. But relax. I’ve got it all under control.”
We rode for a little while through cute neighborhoods of houses with their well-kept yards and proper American dream existence.
It was my American dream, anyway.
Kyle slowed and turned into the driveway of one of the little cottage homes. We were on a street where they were all chocolate box and pretty, but each was unique.
“Where are we?” It made sense he had other friends I didn’t know about.
“Home.” The word was simple. Perfect.
But it didn’t make sense. “Home?”
“That’s right.” He climbed out of the car then bent so he could meet my gaze again. “You coming?”
I opened the car door, confusion still rearranging my thoughts. This perfect little house was my home? “It’s home?” Mom’s house was my last real home and so much had changed since then.
“Sure is.” He wrapped his arms around me. “I bought this place for us right after you were turned. Figured it was important for you to have someplace just for you, away from the craziness.”
I met his beautiful, brown-eyed gaze. “Somewhere that smells good?”
His lips twisted in a small grimace. “That too.” He released me and took my hand. “Come and see the inside.”
My gaze roamed over the plants and flowers I suddenly wanted to tend. “This is all mine… ours?”
He nodded. “Yep.” And that was just the way it was. Matter of fact and to the point. He’d bought us a house. Somewhere I could build a new life with him.
Like I said… it was perfect.
I gasped as we walked inside. “You furnished it too?”
He shrugged. “Just some basics.” Then he turned to me, and as we looked at each other, his gaze turned heated, and I didn’t know who moved first.
Suddenly our mouths were pressed together, my breathing rapid, his hands sliding under my long-sleeved tee, my skin feverish with the heat he generated in me.
He backed me against the wall, one hand tangled in my hair, as he continued his delicious assault on my lips, his tongue stroking against mine.
I gasped and cupped his face as he dropped his hands to drag my skirt up my thighs, bunching it at my waist.
“I need you.” His voice was urgent against my lips, and I nodded.
I needed him too. I wasn’t sure that need would ever go away. Kyle was like a second heartbeat inside me, a living part of my soul.
His belt clinked before I heard his zipper being drawn down and he lifted me so that I could wrap my legs around his waist. Then he rocked against me, teasing me with his heavy hard cock as it nudged against me.
“Tease.” I grinned as I spoke the muffled word.
“Always,” he murmured back. “But I know it excites you.” He pressed forward again, and I gasped as he touched against me then receded.
I angled my hips, trying to capture him, wanting to feel him slide inside me, but he only chuckled.
“Not until I’m ready.” He spoke between placing kisses down my neck.
“But I’m ready now.” My words were little more than a plea, and he chuckled.
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
His expert fingers found my clit and smoothed against it, and my lips parted on a soft breath as I relaxed between his hard body and the wall, relying on him to hold my weight as he touched me.
Each stroke of his fingers spiraled more desire through me, and I moaned softly as I began to move against him.
“I want you, Kyle.”
“I know,” he replied, and it was like he knew everything, including exactly where I needed to be touched and how to do that as he continued to tease me, stoking my pleasure higher.
His lips were on my neck again, soft open-mouthed kisses with a touch of tongue, and his cock rested against my inner thigh. Nearly where I wanted it, but not quite.
“Bedroom?” It was half question, half instruction. I wanted better access to him. “I want to touch you, Kyle.”
He heard my soft words and I laughed as he duck-walked at vampire speed to the bedroom, his jeans still around his ankles. The bed was big and soft, and he dropped me lightly onto the mattress, my skirt still in disarray, before he stripped his jeans the rest of the way off and joined me.
He kissed me again before returning his fingers between my legs. and he probed against me gently as I took his cock in my hands. It hardened further as I held it, and I squeezed my fingers gently against the warm, soft skin before playing my fingertips around the head.
His rhythm where he touched me didn’t change, and I strained against him, chasing my release.
“Nearly there,” he murmured, and his confidence and encouragement sent me spinning over the edge. I tilted my head back and gasped as my breaths came one on top of the other and my body throbbed.
Kyle’s mouth was gentle on mine as he positioned himself over me, and I smiled, anticipating his slow side into me. I wanted this. Always wanted it.
The intimacy of his body in mine was something else. More than I’d ever read about or expected. He stretched me and filled me, and I welcomed him, wanted to share myself with him as he thrust inside me in the rhythm that would bring his pleasure.
His movements grew more rapid, his breathing changing as he neared his orgasm. I bit back my grin as he dropped his head, and I licked the pulse point on his neck.
He groaned. “Sam.”
I grazed his skin with my fangs, and he groaned again, offering his neck to me. When I slid my fangs into him, his warm blood flowed into my mouth, and his thrusting rhythm paused as warmth filled the inside of me, too.
His release sent a shockwave through me, and my body throbbed around him as I released my hold on his neck to gasp. He dropped his head forward, resting his forehead against mine as he rocked inside me a couple more times, sending extra tremors through me.
“Wow.” I breathed the word, and he quirked an eyebrow.
“I already made wow?”
I nodded. “I think you might have.”
His voice dropped. “So, there’s nowhere to go from here?”
I laughed as I looked up at him, my hand on the back of his head, my fingers tracing the ridge of his scar. “Oh, I don’t know. I think we have a long time to find out.”
He nodded his agreement and lowered his head for another kiss.
Forever was a very long time indeed.