Just A Kiss
A few days later
Laying on his side, Alaric ran his hand down Drusilla's naked body. After countless hours of aggressive sex, he still found himself extremely angry.
She looked at him and smirked, “That human is kicking your ass.”
He grumbled and cut his eyes, “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
Sitting up, she tilted her head, “What did you do Alaric?”
“I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING! SHE TOLD ME TO FUCK OFF!”
Drusilla found herself trying to stifle a laugh, “Look, I really don’t wanna be those type of people who start having intimate talks, because that honestly isn’t our relationship, but it’s clear you need a woman’s perspective so come on let’s get this over with.”
Alaric rolled his eyes, “Gee thanks.” Ignoring his sarcasm, Drusilla urged him on. “Her baboon of a husband beat her, and while I was healing her, I noticed she was barren.”
“And ever the asshole, you said something didn’t you?”
Alaric fumed under his breath, “I didn’t necessarily mean it the way it sounded, but based on what she wrote in the book, I’m sure I hurt her feelings.” Placing her hand to her chin, Drusilla nodded in understanding. “It didn’t help that Raien made her write about us having sex.”
“You and her?”
“No, me and you.”
Drusilla rubbed her forehead. “You do realize she likes you right? I probably would have told you to fuck off too.”
Alaric glared at her, “I don’t give a shit what the Little Human likes, I just want her to stop making my job so damn difficult.”
Drusilla leaned her head into her hand. “Wait I’m confused? How is she making it difficult? Can’t you protect her from the shadows? It’s not like you have to talk to her to protect her right?” Alaric didn’t respond.
After a moment of silence, he extended his fangs, “How about we go once more?”
Eva tapped her pen against her notepad as she listened to Tamera and a few others drone on about her book sales.
“We really think this new book will be the revival that you need,” someone said. She wanted to scream that she wasn’t writing the book but instead she just simply nodded.
“Plus, that model, he will definitely test well with our female audience, hell even male too.”
“He can test my foot up his ass!”
The words came out too quickly, Eva couldn’t catch them. Giving everybody around her an apologetic look, she excused herself to the bathroom. Inside, she ran cold water against her face, then looked in the mirror and sighed. She really hated the fact that for the past few days Alaric still managed to creep into her thoughts. “Ughhh!” She screamed, stomping her foot. “Stop thinking about him!”
“Thinking about who?” Alaric’s voice called behind her making her jump. Quick on her feet, she whirled around.
“Mark.” She saw his eyes flash red, and she fidgeted with her ring. “But of course, I would never act on those thoughts because I’m a faithful woman.”
Alaric stepped towards her, and she leaned back into the sink, his frame towering over hers. “Faithful…just what a man looks for in a wife.” She felt her skin prickle. He rubbed the side of her arm. “Are you sure, it was that human you were thinking about Eva?"
Eva could see the hint of amusement in his eyes, he was playing her like a fiddle. The thing was Alaric wasn’t the only one who could play the game. Leaning her body into his, she felt him stiffen. “And if I was talking about someone else? What would he do about it?”
She ran her hands against the outside of his jacket, and he cut his eyes at her. “Good game of dozens Little Human,” he said stepping back.
She rolled her eyes, “I thought I got rid of you finally.”
Alaric eyed her in irritation, “Why do you insist on making my job harder than it needs to be?”
She scowled at him in return, “Because you’re a dick and I don’t need another one of those.”
He smirked, “Perhaps if you had a better one, you would be able to loosen up.”
Her lips parted slightly, before she bumped past him, causing him to sigh.
Why the hell does she get under my damn skin so much?
He’d actually came to make peace, but upon seeing her flustered about some guy, he immediately found himself irritated. Unable to let it go, he’d pushed her once again. Vanishing, Alaric decided right then and there that perhaps Drusilla’s idea to stay in the shadows might just be the best option for them.
Eva tried her best to continue her work, but her nerves were on edge. She tried her best to ignore the obvious tension between her and Alaric but that just made it worse. Hearing her phone ring, she found relief in the fact that she could put her efforts somewhere else.
“Eva!” Mark’s happy voice rang on the other line.
“Hey, Mark!” She responded just as chipper, truly excited to hear from him.
For the last couple of days, they’d been working diligently to get her book signing ready. Never once hitting on her again, they’d somehow established a friendship. “I was calling because my sister-in-law wanted a triple check to make sure the book signing was a go.” He sighed, “Before you say anything, I know she’s a total pain in the ass.”
Eva laughed heartily, “I look at it as a woman who cares so much about her business that she wants to make sure that everything goes according to plan.”
After hearing Mark chuckle, the two conversed a bit more. Hanging up the phone, Eva felt more energetic and excited about her new prospect. Still, she was fighting her hardest to ignore the call of Alaric’s book. She wanted nothing to do with him, but the book seemed to have a mind of its own. Standing, she walked to her bookshelf and tried her best to busy herself. Rubbing her forehead, she walked towards the window. The book seemed to beat like a drum da dum da dum da dum until finally in irritation, Eva pulled it out. Her hand shook as she grabbed her pen, wanting so badly to avoid what was to come. Pen to the paper, she dropped it and breathed a hard breath leaving her office.
Alaric stood in the shadows of her office, his curiosity intrigued at what she may have written. Upon seeing her return, he snapped his fingers making the pen fly into her hand. Eva looked around her office. “Alaric?” She whispered.
He hadn’t noticed it before, but the way she said his name was unique. The hard pronunciation of each letter on the tip of her tongue was something that hit his ears in a way he admittingly didn’t hate. Not responding, he watched her as she took another breath, before allowing his book to take over. He felt his body move from the shadows towards her.
Eva's stared, eyes wide, at him as he came closer. "Wha-” she started but he silenced her.
“What did you write in the book?”
Looking down he read it, and a smirk played on his lips.
Alaric leaned into his betrothed and breathed in her scent. Making her nervous about all the things unsaid, he ran his hand through the back of her hair. Lips close to lips, he silently spoke. “I’ve been wanting to do this for some time.” No other words needed to be said, as he devoured her lips with his.
Panic set in Eva’s eyes, “I didn’t-”
Alaric silenced her again. He enjoyed the way he could sense her nervousness, as he leaned into her. Lips to lips, he smiled as her breath hitched in her throat. Running his hands through the back of her hair, he whispered, “You heard the book Little Human,” right before he took her lips.