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Chapter 13 - Pleasure and Guilt

“Petting the animal again?” Cord muttered as soon as he saw Amanda with Bagheera.

He had half expected her to be inside the bathtub, alone, naked and cleansing herself of the dirt from the hospital.

Seeing her now, it seemed she had indeed taken a bath judging from the still wet locks sticking to her neck and the bathrobe she wore, but she wasn’t alone. Apparently, his traitor pet had been quick to ask for her attention.

Amanda hummed her agreement without looking at Cord.

“Bagheera missed his daily belly rubs so I’m giving it to him now.”

She continued petting the animal who lay at her feet, next to the sofa she was sitting.

Cord’s teeth clashed. He pulled the blindfold off and dropped it to the floor. The way her cleavage peeked and her breasts pressed up against her thighs, it made him wish what he was seeing wasn’t just white and gray outlines alone. That he wished they were in full color; the pinks, the browns, the reds, everything.

However, he couldn’t just ask Amanda for her blood. She was after all still a patient who needed full recovery. He had to be considerate at least.

“Any more attention on him and I’ll not think twice throwing him to the zoo.” But the jealousy bubbling inside him while looking at his pet, he unfortunately couldn’t contain.

Amanda quickly stopped and stood up.

“You wouldn’t, Cord, ” she frowned at him.

Cord neared her and caressed her cheek.

“You should know by now I’m a jealous vampire, my witch.”

Amanda grinned. “Oh, I certainly do.”

She stepped closer, erasing what little distance left between them and placed her hands on his chest.

“Kiss me, Cord. I know you’d been holding back for three days, ” she encouraged, using a seductive voice that meant she needed not only a kiss but more. So much more.

Bagheera now felt out of place. With a slow growl, his paws hit the surface of the marbled floor, going straight towards the receiving room door leaving them alone.

“Then I’ll use this night to make up the times we have lost, Amanda, ” Cord murmured against her ear. Once the panther was out of sight, he ordered his shadows to close the door. Any interruptions would be unwelcomed now, and may just be detrimental. He’d likely kill the intruder on the spot.

“Cord...” Amanda moaned as his lips snaked along the plane of her neck. Goosebumps erupted on her skin as she felt the wetness of his tongue against her throat. She had missed this feeling for three days. To pass the time in the hospital, she’d daydream about them making love. Those were wonderful moments, but this moment right here, right now couldn’t contend to it.

Cord’s lips finally found its way into Amanda’s. Their mouths clashed with force, each one hungry for the other; each one pouring their need to be sated. There was no hesitation this time. No Noman or nurses or any other interruptions to consider this time.

Amanda angled her head to the side so Cord could have deeper access into her mouth. At one point, they stopped, threw in a quick smile and then went back devouring each other.

Amanda’s hands find their way into the buttons of his coat. She unbuttoned them without a hitch, consequently giving her a good view of his lean muscles under the black shirt he wore.

‘Nothing has changed, ’ she relished the thought. His body was just as she remembered them. And certainly more.

Cord, on the other hand, was quick to untie her robe. She had white lace underwear on just as he deduced. With the outline of her half naked body next to him, a muscle down under had just misbehaved. It had turned rock hard.

Amanda lightly chuckled in response, clearly seeing the alluring effect of that part of his body.

“It can wait, ” Cord grounded, his breaths turning heavy. “Let me taste you first, Love.”

With that, he knelt on the ground and placed his mouth right on her belly, exactly where her underwear garter ended.

It didn’t take long for Amanda to realize what he meant. Her eyes darkened, filling with lust and the silent approval for him to continue.

Cord sensed her want, so with his fingers, he pulled her underwear down the floor.

Amanda felt the absence of the garment quickly, but it was just momentary for Cord replaced it with his mouth, doing immediate devastation on her wetness.

Many times she bit back her moans, but Cord was both aggressive and tender, both hurried and lazy, both rough and soft that she couldn’t keep her bearings anymore.

She cried out his name many times, all of which Cord relished the sound. And when she had her mind blowing release, he deepened his attention on her wetness just to hear more.

“Bring me to bed, now, ” Amanda ordered, her breathing ragged.

With the wave of pleasure she experienced, she almost staggered to the floor, but Cord was quick to lift her up.

“Says my witch, ” Cord replied, his lips smirking.

He arranged her on the four-poster bed as slowly as he could. When that was done, he stepped back and started fumbling on his clothes.

Amanda watched as Cord undressed himself down to his nakedness. It was quite an ordeal. She definitely wanted to do that for him instead. But when he was done, she swallowed hard. He was a magnificent sight to behold just as she knew him to be.

Cord joined her in bed, his eyes smoldering, ready to light that fire inside her.

They reacquainted their bodies; touching, feeling, moving in a glorious rhythm, crying out their passions enough to shame the most beautiful aria in an orchestra, until their long-buried sexual tension was released and it was glorious.

Amanda, lying underneath him, panted. She hooked her arms around Cord’s neck, taking him down with her on the mattress.

She smiled as she looked at him, expecting he’d reciprocate the sweet gesture.

He didn’t.

Cord’s head was hung low, his eyes tightly shut. He looked like he was still riding the wave of his orgasm, but once his eyelids opened, it showed a whole different story. A flood of panic rushed throughout Amanda’s being then.

It was unlike him. He looked almost lost. Like a body without a soul; a marionette with a life but without a heart.

His eyes were a dark red with pinpoint irises to boost. It was enough to worry her.

His fangs elongated when he looked at her and before Amanda could pull herself away or even let out a panicked shout, the sharp enamels pierced through her skin.

“Cord!” Amanda cried out, wriggling underneath him, successfully disconnecting that intimate part where they had joined and shared their bliss just some moments ago.

Like many other sessions, his bite was painless, sensual, but this time, Amanda knew it wasn’t the same.

“Cord! Ack!” A strangled cry escaped her lips. She grabbed a wad of his hair and tried to pull his head up. It was to no avail.

Cord pressed himself further against her. His fangs dug deeper into her flesh. It was beginning to hurt her.

“No, stop! Stop!” Amanda felt her blood leaking down her neck. She furrowed her brows further. Cord had never let her blood wasted. Never.

Gathering her strength, she pushed his face forcefully up. “Cord! Stop please!” she cried out again.

Luckily, her effort paid off. The usual cloudy gray-violet returned and replaced the dark reds. Cord extricated himself, sat to the side and watched Amanda with a sudden realization. He just made a mistake and it was grave.

“What has happened to you?” she asked through tightened jaw while she cupped her neck where two pinpoint wounds lay leaking fresh blood.

Cord clenched his teeth and hissed. “I’m sorry. I was beyond myself.” It was the truth. His shadows, despite hating to admit it, were in control of the situation. He reached for her and touched her trembling face. “Let me heal it, Amanda, ” he offered, showing her an apologetic face.

Amanda slowly shook her head. “No, I’m okay. It’s just...superficial.” On impulse, she stood up and raced for the bathroom door.

When she arrived near the sink, she washed her hands and took out a clean towel from the drawer. She used it to wipe the remaining blood on her neck and shoulders all the while feeling her stomach knotting.

A whirlwind of emotions filled her as she looked at her reflection in the mirror: fear, anger, betrayal, sadness, confusion. She couldn’t be sure which one was the loudest. But she had to be in control of her emotions and think wisely. Cord might have a reason why he did so. It was clear to see he wasn’t in his right mind when he bit her and for that, she wanted to know why.

“Your friend is going to behead me if he sees those wounds, Amanda, ” Cord stated when he materialized behind her. He said it almost with humor, but Amanda sensed the concern filling his voice. He didn’t really care what Noman thought. He just wanted to see to her welfare.

“He won’t visit tomorrow, ” she answered calmly, “and really, Cord, I’m fine.”

Without hesitation, Cord grabbed her waist and pressed his chest against her bare back. Their eyes met through the mirror. They were full of intensity. Contrary to the usual belief of vampires, Cord had a reflection in the mirror.

“No, let me heal it, Love. I want to do it now before I turn into a human, ” he whispered in a repentant voice. “It’s the least I could do for scaring you.”

And she was still scared now, but at least not to the point of hating his touch. Or actually hating him in general.

“If you think I’ll harm you again, you are welcome to use your spells on me, ” he advised. “You should have even done it earlier to protect yourself.”

“Cord...” Amanda breathed out. True to what he said, she should have used her powers to restrain him, but she chose not to. She didn’t want to hurt him despite being in that same situation herself. She had loved an enemy. Danger was always just a hairsbreadth away. She had already accepted that fact. It was the price for going against her whole being as a witch.

“Stay still, ” Cord whispered again. He cupped her chin and angled her head to the side just as he lowered his mouth into the half-clean wound.

The towel on Amanda’s hand dropped to the floor. She let out a soft moan as Cord licked the surrounding area first, cleaning the dried blood.

“Hmmm.”

Once done, Cord moved to cover the wounds with his mouth. He sucked it gently and tongued the indentations of the flesh — the manner of which he did so was close to intimate. Arousing.

All of Amanda’s apprehension and fear had wiped out that instant replacing it with the need for intimacy. For his adoring touch.

“I could hear your heart beating so fast, ” Cord stated once he was done. His mouth lingered at the helix of her ear, almost ready to dive onto caressing her again.

The wound had disappeared, leaving not a trace of bruise or scar or clotted blood.

“I’m sorry for suddenly biting you, Amanda. I truly am.”

Amanda watched his nakedness in the mirror. Those rippling torso he had; the lean muscles he had just overworked earlier; his stance of a proud master to his subjects. He was painfully beautiful.

And with his body pressed up against her; the way her curves complimented perfectly on him, she could definitely say they were both made for each other.

“Apology accepted, ” she stated, eyeing him now in a different light. With the help of her ingested blood, he was now seeing her in full color and as a human.

She turned around to face him and searched for the depth of his eyes. She found them and they were humanely beautiful.

“Let me make amends, Amanda, ” Cord traced her cheekbones with his lips. One of his hands found its way into her opening while the other had cupped her breast. “Let me take away the fear I just planted in you.”

Amanda’s legs parted, accepting his invitation. “Ohhh... Cord.” She tossed her head back and relished the way his human fingers moved, coaxing more wetness on her opening.

They shared a long, hard kiss again before he lifted her up and brought her to the shower box. In there, he made amends and the fear that had grown inside Amanda had little by little weakened.

As the night grew older, their bodies intertwined again and again. The fear inside Amanda disappeared once morning came, but to Cord, the guilt of biting her without her consent lingered.

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