Chapter 8 – Kalista
Chapter Eight
Kalista
Despite going to bed early last night, I woke up this morning feeling bone weary. It’s maddening to experience the detailed, stimulating dreams I have been having over the past week. I met the damn man once, and I can’t seem to get him out of my mind.
The dreams are vivid and seem so real that not only do I wake up wet and yearning, but my body is also always sensitive and needy. My lips tingle with memory and anticipation of his kisses. Even during the most inappropriate times, my nipples are tight, my stomach filled with butterflies, and my clit in a constant state of pulsing desire. All day. Every day since meeting him. I can’t seem to help wanting him.
He told me that his name is Tristan in those dreams, but I have no idea if that is true or not or if that’s just a figment of my overactive imagination. He didn’t say that he was a vampire, but he didn’t deny it either.
In fact, other than our passionate encounters, the conversation centered around my fears of the creature and his questions about me. He never shared anything about himself, which only convinces me more that my dreams are my imagination run amok.
Who knew that I could dream of pleasures so intense, so erotic? Even now, after a hair-trigger incident, I’m still thinking about Tristan and wanting to be back in our dream and in his arms.
“That bomb took out almost half the building,” my partner, Doyle Cooper, said in awe. “How the hell did you walk out of there without even a scratch?”
“Mind over matter, my friend,” I teased. The soot and smoke made my voice sound as if I had a severe cold.
The entire team crowded around me as I sat at the entrance to the back of our tactical truck. Our team leader, Sergeant Ronald Harper, scowled at me in displeasure. He hated it when any of us appeared to be more skilled than he was. And since I usually found it impossible to hide my enhanced abilities, especially since his incompetence constantly placed the team at more risk than necessary, he hated me most.
There were six of us on the team, Harper, Cooper, Busco Reynolds, Leo Murphy, Brock Douglas, and Geoff Hanlan. Not only was I the only female on the team but I was also the only member of the team that was not ex-military. So, it especially pissed Sergeant Harper off that I repeatedly appeared more skilled than all of them in anything we had to do. I never missed a shot, my instincts were sharper, I could take down an assailant faster, and could scale higher over any wall or fence. Yeah, I will never be Harper’s favorite person.
“Aren’t you tired of this constant attempt to play the hero?” Sergeant Harper asked sardonically.
“Seriously, Harper?” Murphy scoffed. “She saved all our asses today and you’re bitching because she will get the credit for it?”
“There wouldn’t be any need for credit if she’d followed orders,” Harper grumbled.
“Well, the rest of us followed orders, and we were almost killed,” Cooper said tersely. All of the guys had sustained some injury or another. Even Harper had gotten burn wounds on his legs.
“Are you wanting desk duty for the next fucking month?” Harper growled.
“Better desk duty than a fucking morgue,” Cooper muttered under his breath, making sure that Harper couldn’t hear him. He knew all too well how sensitive Sergeant Harper was about his position and authority.
Of course, with my enhanced hearing, and the fact that Cooper was next to me, I heard him perfectly. I couldn’t help but smile, but I knew better than to let Harper see me do it. I didn’t bother responding to Harper’s asinine comments. I was used to them by now. And I refused to let petty jealousy and a dude with self-esteem issues impact me.
Sergeant Harper turned to me next and glared at me with his beady black eyes. “Since our day has gone to shit, why don’t you take the rest of the day to get your act together?” Harper marched around to the front passenger seat of the truck without another word.
“Asshole,” Cooper hissed.
The guys grunted in agreement.
I laughed because I loved how they always supported me against Harper, no matter what was going on. For the first time ever, I was all too happy to comply with Harper’s misogynistic demand for me to play the weak female and go home.
In fact, I was eager to go home.
I love being a SWAT officer, and usually, I live for my shift at work and am always the first to raise my hand to pick up another shift, dive in, and take down whatever criminal comes across our path or willing to meet any danger head-on. Sometimes I could work a twenty-four-hour shift without even a hint of hesitation.
However, after the first night of meeting and dreaming of him, Tristan―I can’t lie, I loved his name―sigh…
Anyway, ever since the first night with Tristan, I was more eager to go home, rush through my usual routine exercise, dinner, and shower to finally settle on my sofa for my dream lover. Suddenly, dreaming was my favorite part of the day. So, after my exercise later that night, when my doorbell went off, I was more than annoyed.
I knew my mother was trying to reach me, but I wasn’t ready to deal with her crap this week. I reluctantly stalked toward the door, praying the entire time that my mother wasn’t on the other side of it. Agitated and more pissed than I needed to be at delays to my dream state, I pulled the door open without even looking in the peephole or paying attention to what my senses were alerting me to.
I gasped and stumbled a few steps back, too stunned by the sight of Tristan standing in the doorway. He was so effortlessly elegant and suave in a dark suit that looked as if it was custom made for him. He looked down at me with espresso-colored eyes, filled with a sensual warmth that made me shiver.
I never knew that a vampire, whose eyes were usually blood-red, could have normal human eyes. Was I wrong about him?
I had forgotten how big he is. In my dreams, we had always been sitting or reclining on the sofa. Standing before him now, I felt incredibly petite and feminine, despite my five-foot-six height. Peering up at him, his massive frame was so imposing that he took my breath away.
“Hello, Kali.” His deep, rich voice was exactly as I remembered it from my dreams. So, I can be forgiven if upon hearing it, my nipples immediately beaded, the butterflies in my stomach took flight, and my clit pulsed madly between my legs.
“Hi,” I breathed. God, I barely recognized my voice.
He twisted his lips in a knowing, sexy smirk that had me instantly pulsing harder.
“Have dinner with me.”
No matter how sexy I thought he was, I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are you asking me or telling me?” I straightened my spine and tried to appear taller and then immediately regretted it because I had unintentionally pushed my breasts forward. And despite the sports bra I had on for my boxing workout, my nipples were prominent and determined to look like damn headlights.
“What do you think?” he hedged, still wearing his lethal sexy smirk.
“Haven’t we had this conversation before?”
He laughed. “Not quite.”
I breathed a sigh of relief.
“At least this time you’re not accusing me of wanting to have you for dinner.”
What the what?!?! “You did not just say that.”
“Didn’t I?” He raised an eyebrow in a teasing manner, making me realize that this was the mischievous personality I met in my dreams.
But was it a dream though? And if it wasn’t a dream, had I let a strange man feel me up for the past week? God, I hoped not because that was completely out of character for me, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
“You had better come inside and explain that comment.”
He shook his head and grinned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I left a present for you in your bedroom. Go get dressed for dinner and we can discuss that and whatever else you want to.”
I wished that I didn’t want to go with him so badly. And another part of me, a huge part, was simply hopping with excitement at the prospect of opening a gift from him.
Beware of strangers bearing gifts, right?
But I love gifts, so sue me.
The gifts that Alexi usually brought me always lifted my spirits and were the only gifts I’ve ever gotten on my birthday, Christmas, and even Valentine’s Day. Alexi loved surprising me with pretty, shiny packages, and my joy always had him smiling indulgently.
I suddenly missed Alexi so damn much. It brought a wave of sadness so thick that tears blinded me.
“Hey, hey.” Tristan wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to his chest. “If you don’t want to go to dinner, we can eat in, no problem.”
I blinked madly to dissipate the tears but couldn’t help smiling at how he instantly tried to take care of me. Totally the antithesis of his vampire-predator tendencies. Vampires were innately selfish beings and usually incapable of caring for anyone or anything. Again, Tristan reminded me of Alexi. I couldn’t help but give him a watery smile. The universe was giving me another gift. There was no way I would not go out with him now.
“No, that’s not it,” I started to explain, but then his amazing scent registered, and in the next breath, I remembered that in comparison I had to smell quite funky from my recent exercise. I tried pulling away from him, but he tightened his arms around me.
“Let me go. I’m okay,” I mumbled, a bit embarrassed by my sweat funk.
He released me, stepped back, and gazed down at me with such concern that I had to wonder if he was really a deadly creature.
“You’d better feed me well because you have a lot of explaining to do,” I threatened as I turned to go to my bedroom.
He laughed low and so damn sexy. “I’ll wait in the car,” he said softly. When I made as if to speak, he stopped me and murmured, “I don’t trust myself knowing that you will soon be wet and naked under your shower. I’m not sure I won’t join you.”
“I will need at least forty-five minutes,” I warned.
“You’re worth the wait.”
His grin made my insides and limbs feel like jelly. I watched mutely as he closed the door behind him with a soft click.
Moving at my enhanced speed, I made it to my bedroom within seconds. I opened the door to my bedroom and just stood there, too stunned to believe what I was seeing. Not stunned that he had gotten into my bedroom undetected, he was a vampire after all, and Alexi did that sort of thing all the time, but I was stunned that he knew me so well already to gift me with things that I instantly loved.
Laid out in the middle of my bed was the most beautiful emerald-green dress I’d ever seen. I couldn’t tell what kind of material it was, but it looked soft and expensive. Beside the dress was a strip of black lace material that I knew was supposed to serve as panties, but there was too little of it to label it panties. I doubt it would be able to cover even a fifth of my ass. Also on the bed were several small brightly wrapped boxes with decorative bows. And finally, perched on the footstool by the bed was a pair of strappy silver stilettos that were more than four inches, which were my usual max.
I was a bit excited and felt like a kid on Christmas morning, I advanced on the bed and wasted no time unwrapping my presents.
Once all three boxes were opened, I reverently laid out my bounty on the bed next to the dress. “Just whoa!” I breathed.
Displayed were a white-gold necklace with an emerald and diamond pendant and matching drop earrings and a diamond bracelet that almost hurt my eyes with its sparkle.
Again, thoughts of Alexi teased my mind because he used to do stuff like this for me all the time. He had been my godfather, favorite uncle, and mentor all rolled into one. I learned of his death just weeks before my twenty-first birthday, and several months after, I had graduated from college. At least he got to see me graduate, something I couldn’t have done so readily without his generosity and support.
God, I miss him so damn much. It has been five years, and still it felt as if he died yesterday. My eyes became bleary with tears again. If it hadn’t been for my annual visits to Scotland and spending a few weeks with the wolves, I’m not sure I would be even half sane right now.
Alexi had always been a part of my life. He made sure that my mother’s fuckups didn’t impact me. He made sure that the asshole boyfriends my mother brought around never touched me either. He not only instilled the fear of God in them, but he also ensured that I learned how to protect myself.
The wolves took care of my training. Owen personally made sure of it. The thought of my grumpy trainer made me smile, and suddenly my tears were no more. My vision cleared. The sight of the necklace clasped in my palm reminded me that I was on a tight time schedule.
A glance at my watch confirmed that I had wasted almost ten minutes reminiscing and enjoying my presents.
I took the fastest shower I’d ever taken, even washed my short hair in the process. I blew dry and hot curled my hair, applied my favorite crème and oils to my body, and applied light makeup to my face. I pulled on the dress and loved the intricate halter design, the built-in bustier and corset, the strategic slit that ended high on my thigh, and the dreamy floor length. It fit my body to perfection as if it had been custom made for me. And given my size in both height and width, my more curvy assets, I have never been able to simply pull a dress off the rack. That’s why I had only two dresses in my closet, both purchased by Alexi more than five years ago, and neither of which could fit me anymore. My cup size letter has tripled since then, and I’ve added a few more inches on my ass.
What can I say? I love carbs.
With two minutes left on my promised time, I was walking out of my apartment door on shoes that were surprisingly comfortable despite their towering height.
Tristan stepped out of a red Ferrari and opened the passenger side door for me. The entire time his molten gaze roamed over me as if he couldn’t look away.
As soon as I stepped closer to him, he leaned down toward me and whispered close to my ear, “You’re exquisite.”
And I felt it too. Who knew this color could make my skin appear so golden, so soft? Who knew that the cut of this dress, the design coupled with my short, chic hairstyle, would make me appear statuesque, much taller than I really was? It could be these damn heels that make me feel like I’m walking on stilts.
“Thank you for the gifts,” I mumbled and tried to hide the fact that I was trembling so hard at his proximity and his divine scent. His natural masculine scent mixed with his expensive-smelling aftershave had me dizzy with lust within seconds.
He leaned closer as if to kiss me.
I held his gaze wanting his kiss so damn badly. I quivered even more, feeling a desperate need to have his lips on mine and have his taste on my tongue. God, I hope he didn’t notice. But I got the impression that Tristan didn’t miss much. I couldn’t believe that I had so docilly accepted not just gifts from a stranger but also been wantonly accepting of his lovemaking.
Yeah, I was beginning to realize that my dreams were not dreams at all. Yup, I was trembling with lust for a stranger. Not just any stranger. A dangerous vampire.
Oh, the irony, Officer Black. You’re going to remember that he is a deadly immortal soon. A predator. I really wanted to listen to my own advice, but I also knew that trying to stop what was coming was a futile endeavor.
When his lips met mine, I melted in sheer ecstasy at the familiar arousing taste of him. I clung to him because suddenly my limbs could no longer support my weight. One kiss just melded into the next. Our lips and tongues fusing, sliding, and curling with each other. We angled and reangled our heads, trying to assuage our need. He tightened his arm around my waist, pulling me even closer, palmed my ass, and aligned our bodies to devastating effect. The more I tasted him and felt his hard body against mine, the more I wanted.
It seemed that he felt it too.
He quivered against me, his cool body somehow giving off heat I didn’t expect. His kiss became more passionate, more ravenous. His need became my need and stoked my lust for him even more. If we hadn’t started to get cat calls from a neighbor in an adjacent house, we probably wouldn’t have stopped there.
Tristan gently handed me into the car, holding one of my hands and a palm at my back. And thank God that he did because I’m not sure that I could have gotten into the car unaided. He came around the car and folded his long frame into the driver’s bucket seat. With the feel and taste of his kiss still fresh and pulsing between us, memories of my dreams flooded my mind, and every cell in my body seemed to clamor and yearn for him.
“Who are you?” I asked, desperate to distract myself from the urgent demands of my body. Now that he had introduced me to an orgasm, I couldn’t see him and not want him to touch me, to kiss me until I came. Our kiss just now left me aching to finish what we started.
He glanced over at me with a smirk before returning his attention to the road.
I swear my breath got trapped in my chest. That sexy, irreverent twist of his lips was that lethal. He was too damn handsome for my peace of mind.
“I told you, remember?” The words rumbled deep in his throat.
“Is your name Tristan?” I was still not sure that I hadn’t been dreaming.
His smirk turned into a wicked grin. “You remember.”
Just then, he pulled up outside a swanky restaurant that usually only the rich and super rich could afford to frequent. An attendant came to open my door, but Tristan was suddenly there, edging him out of the way and reaching into the car for my hand.