Fated

Chapter 7

  "We're not sticking around for Georgia to show up. " I murmured against Stefan's neck, my fingers running through his thick golden hair. It was late in the morning and we were still tangled beneath a cocoon of covers. Neither of us wanted to leave the comfort and seclusion of the bed to face the reality of the real world just yet.

  Stefan's hands and fingers had been slowly drifting over my naked skin for the last hour, his touch sensuous and teasing. Our lips and hands had been busy exploring each other, relishing being together again. I was disappointed when a vision of Georgia deciding to 'pop in' for a visit later in the afternoon flashed through my mind.

  "Tell me why are we talking about Georgia, vackra?" Stefan's melodic mental voice floated into my head. He flipped to his side and his muscles rolled with the movement. He propped his head in his hand and looked at me curiously.

  Tapping my temple with my finger, I raised my eyebrow in surprise. "Psychic, remember? Do we need to talk about your memory problems again?" I asked impishly. My hands drifted from his hair to caress the muscles of his broad chest, skimming down his stomach to reach around to squeeze his taut ass.

  "Why can't I keep my hands off you you, Stefan?"

  Stefan smiled and feather-like lines crinkled around his eyes, his answering laugh sexy and deep. His laughter paused as he leaned to kiss me again, his lips pressing against mine in a searing kiss. One of his large hands slid down my stomach to the swell of my hips. "We seem to have the same problem. Do not worry about your friend. I can take care of Georgia, Josephine. "

  I moaned into his mouth, reluctantly pulling away. "That's what I'm afraid of. Let's not start something now that's going to get interrupted, Romeo. I'm serious. " I lightly pushed at his chest.

  "Where is your sense of adventure?" His mind sulked. "I can tell you can not be swayed, so I will not waste my time. I will have time to distract you later. "

  He untangled himself from my body, stretching his tall body seductively as he walked into the bathroom.   Listening to the sounds of the shower running, my mind wandered to imagine the water running over his lean, muscular frame. A delicious shiver of desire washed over me and my body begged me to join him. I knew if I stepped into the shower with him, we'd never leave this house.

  Letting out a frustrated groan and rolling over, I hugged Stefan's pillow against my chest. I replayed his words about 'taking care of Georgia' though my mind. When I focused on Georgia coming over and Stefan intervening, Georgia's future went blank. I was starting to lose track of how many times this had happened lately. I'd never had this problem before. Why were futures disappearing?

  The thought had barely crossed my mind when something clicked. It had to be Stefan! If he was involved with a human, their futures went blank to me, like looking into smoke. Directing my thoughts back on Georgia again, I focused on the fact that now Stefan was convinced that we needed to leave for the day. An image of Georgia knocking on my door and then using her key to enter my house filled my mind. As long as he didn't interfere, her future was clear.

  The sound of the shower turning off pulled me out of my thoughts. Stefan swaggered back into the bedroom, running a towel over his large frame. Water dripped from his darkened blond hair to run in a trickle down his muscular chest.

  "You seem miles away. What are you thinking about, vackra?"

  He continued to dry off and my mind went blank as I watched him. I mentally shook myself as I tried to focus on talking and away from my desire to lick the drops of water from his chest.

  "Lately I've been unable to see Georgia or Anna's futures. It should be a relief, but it's been bugging me. " I rolled over and stood up, grabbing my robe. I slipped it over my shoulders and tied the belt around my waist, leaning against the door frame. "When I told you I could see Georgia coming over, as soon as you said you would 'take care of her', her future went blank. I realized that if you intervene with a human, I can't see them. It's like looking into smoke. "

  "This is a good thing?" Stefan asked, as he tossed the towel into the hamper. Biting my lip and shrugging, I ran my fingers though my hair.

  "I'm not sure if it's good or bad. I'm just blind when you're in the equation. Remember the night you and Georgia had your little disagreement outside and she was poking you in the chest with her finger? I couldn't see her doing that. " I said distractedly, my fingernails tapping against the wood frame. "Georgia is almost too easy to read. I have to work to not see her when she's around. "

  Stefan went to his duffel bag and pulled on a black t-shirt, the fabric hugging the muscles of his back. He slipped on cargo-style shorts and stood to face me, sliding his hands in the pockets. He turned his eyes to the side as if he was contemplating the implications of the different scenarios.

  "This has never happened before? Only since we met?" Stefan questioned, his voice filled with curiosity. His blue eyes were still unfocused, a large hand running through his thick, damp hair.

  I shook my head. "Never. It's just weird. Why are things changing now? I mean, I can't see your future at all and it's the same with Lukas. My theory is that a vampire's influence clouds my visions. "

  "I suppose it is something to think about," Stefan said. He went to the bed and bent over to straighten the comforter. "Now go shower. I have plans for us today. "

  "Care to share them with me, Romeo?" I asked curiously. I was suddenly preoccupied with watching the outline of his broad shoulders through the fabric of his shirt as he continued making the bed. Something as simple as watching him do a mundane chore was like watching poetry in motion. By the time my eyes drifted to the sculpted muscles of his arm, my pulse was racing.

  "You need to stop eye fucking me, Josephine. I can feel you watching me. " He turned his head to glance at me over his shoulder, his eyebrows waggling seductively. "I plan on sharing plenty with you later. Go. "

  "All right! I'm going!" I huffed. Walking into the bathroom, I exhaled a ragged breath and tried to stomp down the burn deep in my stomach. I made short work of showering, hurriedly washing my hair and body, thinking ruefully for the second time that showers weren't nearly as much fun without him.

  Turning off the taps and grabbing a towel, I wrapped it around myself as I headed back to the bedroom while running a comb through my hair. I was wondering what to wear when I saw my black strapless bikini placed on the bed. Hesitating for a moment, my eyebrows raised slightly as I clutched the towel around me. Seeing my bathing suit made me even more curious as to what he had planned.

  Dropping the towel, I grabbed the bottom of the bikini. I'd pulled on the bottom and was reaching for the top when Stefan came back into the bedroom. His sparkling blue eyes turned serious when they took in my naked breasts, crossing the room to pick up the bikini top in his hand.

  "Let me help you. " His fingertips grazed over my nipples as he placed the top over my breasts. I shivered at the coolness of his hands against my skin as he hooked the back closed. "It is a shame to cover your breasts, vackra. They are beautiful. "

  My voice was shaky when I finally recovered from his seductive touch and lilting words. "I think you're biased. "

  "Try again. Finish getting dressed. I already packed a bag for you while you showered. The sooner we leave, the sooner I get to fuck you. " Stefan lowered his head to brush his lips against mine. He turned to leave the room and I was captivated by watching his muscular frame disappear down the hallway.

  One of these days he was going to dirty talk me to death.

  Critically looking at the contents of my closet, I finally settled on a black sundress. I dressed quickly, slipping flip flops on my feet and hurried down the hallway to rejoin Stefan in the living room. He was leaning back on the couch, his long legs stretched out in front of him. His eyes traveled slowly over my body, a devious smile pulling at his lips. He languidly rose from the couch and stretched again, his shirt rising
to show the sliver of pale, muscular skin of his stomach. My body instantly reacted to his almost feline-like movements, the burn in my stomach increasing.

  "Are you ready?" Stefan asked innocently, winking as he bent over to pick up our bags. I snorted at the double meaning of his question. He knew exactly what he was doing to me and was enjoying every second of my frustration.

  "Since you won't tell me where we're going, I'm as ready as I'll ever be. " I pouted, crossing my arms under my chest. I hated surprises.

  He chuckled lightly and opened the front door, stopping to slide a pair of expensive sunglasses on his face. "You are always so impatient, Josephine. You will find out soon enough. We should leave before Georgia decides to grace us with her presence. "

  His last statement spurred me into gear. I grabbed my purse and followed Stefan outside, stopping briefly to lock the door behind me. Remembering the vision of Georgia walking through my house made me rethink Stefan's words about a locksmith, or possibly investing in a deadbolt.

  Skipping down the steps, I rejoined him by his car. He opened the door for me, waiting to close it after I'd pulled my legs inside the car. It was a matter of seconds when I felt the driver's side door close and his delicious scent filled the car. He smiled and leaned across to press a kiss on my lips, his hand lightly smoothing against the curve of my cheek.

  He started the engine and we slowly drove down the long driveway to pull out onto the main road, heading towards the Seminyak. My eyes drifted to look out the window, my mind filling with questions. I knew what vampires eat, that much was obvious. However, I knew nothing about how he eats when I'm not around. Does he go around biting people? Wouldn't that draw attention if people woke up with bite marks?

  The sound of his deep laughter brought me out of my inner thoughts. Shooting him a dirty look, I felt my cheeks burning in embarrassment. I should have known he'd be listening to my thoughts.

  "Ask me your questions, vackra. I will tell you whatever you need to know. You know this," Stefan said, reaching his large hand over to intertwine our fingers together.

  I drew in a deep breath of courage. "How do you. . . eat? I mean, I get how you eat. I just wonder how you go about doing it. You don't just pick random people and bite them do you?"

  "No, I do not pick random people and start biting. " His sunglass covered face observed me for a moment before focusing back on the road. "I am nearly 1,000 years old and require very little blood to survive. You are the only one I long to bite. "

  Shuddering from the sensuality of his words, I was amazed at his ability to take a serious conversation and make it sexy. I ran my hand through my hair as I glanced at him. A grin had spread over his face, exposing his white teeth that glinted in the sunlight.

  Sighing deeply, I sent him my mental thought. "Sexy talking bastard. "

  His eyebrow raised slightly, shrugging his broad shoulders brazenly in response. "You know this about me, yet you still love me. Amazing. "

  "What about when I'm not around? You were gone for almost five days. You had to be hungry," I retorted, immediately wondering if I really wanted to know the answer to that question.

  "I forget that there are so many things you do not know. Many of us choose to integrate ourselves into society. We not only walk among you, we work with humans as well. Some of us are lawyers, police officers and some are even elected officials. Quite a few of us work in the medical field. We have established networks that give us access to human blood, Josephine. However, there are vampires that have no issue biting and draining a human to the point of death. Their victims disappear, either being turned or dying and being disposed of. "

  A cold shiver ran down my spine as I thought of all the missing person stories I'd read in the paper or had seen on TV. I was now wondering how many of those missing people were actually victims of vampires.

  "Not all vampires are pleasant, Josephine. Most are calculating and cruel. You have only met two of my kind, myself and Lukas. You need to remember that we are the exception, not the rule. " Stefan glanced over at me again. His expression was serious and his lips were set in a thin line.

  "Speaking of Lukas. . . how exactly do you know him? Something was going on between you two the other night at dinner. When you told him to stop, he did it like he had no choice. "

  Stefan said nothing, his eyes staring out the windshield. His thoughts were heavily guarded and he was obviously deciding how to proceed.

  Deciding not to push him, I chose to look out the window while I waited for his answer. The smell of salt was thicker in the air as we got closer to Seminyak and the beach. He still hadn't answered my question, his long fingers were tapping nervously on the steering wheel.

  He finally slowed to turn into a driveway that led up to a large beach house that made my villa look like a tiny shack in comparison. It was two stories, a mixture of white stucco and dark mahogany timber, the landscape littered with tall spikes of bamboo. I was still gaping at the house when I heard the car door open.

  "Will you join me, Josephine? Or are you satisfied spending the day in the car?" Stefan chuckled deeply, offering his hand to help me out of the car. Pensively taking his outstretched hand, I slid out of the car to look at Stefan with confusion.

  "Where are we?" I asked softly, my eyes drifting back to look at the impressive house.

  "This is my house," he replied quietly. He led me forward, his hand pressing against my lower back. We walked up the steps onto the front porch and Stefan opened the large door, motioning for me to go in. I cautiously stepped inside, blinking as my eyes adjusted from the sunlight to the much dimmer light of the house.

  The main room was large and the ceilings were high and vaulted. A large, beige couch stretched the expanse of one wall, littered with pillows. At one end, the wall was filled with ceiling to floor windows with an elegant dining room table dramatically placed to take advantage of the landscaping and view outside.

  Wandering down the hall, I entered into the kitchen, which was large and modern with stainless steel counter tops and appliances. The double doors were open and led out to the upper patio, which offered an impressive view of the Indian Ocean. I took a step out on the patio, stopping to rest my hands on the dark wood of the railing and inhaled a deep breath of sea air.

  Glancing down, the level below had another deck that was scattered with sun beds around a large gradual-depth pool. There was a covered area with a large sofas and lounge chairs that surrounded a large fire pit. I could picture myself straddling Stefan on the couch, the sound of the waves crashing and the breeze from the sea brushing over our naked skin. I unconsciously shivered at the vivid image in my mind.

  "I take it you like it here?" Stefan's voice startled me, bringing me out of my silent musings. He had been following behind me, watching in silence as I walked from room to room.

  "Like it? It's unbelievable," I murmured in amazement. Stefan walked to stand behind me, leaning over to wrap his long arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder. I leaned back against him, a tiny smile breaking over my lips as he lightly kissed my cheek.

  "It is just a house. I like it much better now that you are here," Stefan's lips murmured against my face. I twisted in his arms to look at him, his arms still wrapped loosely around me. His eyes were covered with sunglasses and the sea breeze lightly ruffled his blond hair. I couldn't resist the urge to run my fingers through the thick golden strands, his silky hair gleaming and warm from the sunlight.

  "Why is it that we've been staying at my house when we could have been here? This place makes my villa look like a shed," I asked curiously. Stefan drew in a deep breath, tilting his head back. His lips parted to speak when a piercing voice cut into the peacefulness of our conversation.

  "My, my. Look what the cat dragged in. Stefan and Josie! What a wonderful surprise. "

  Lukas. I suddenly understood why Stefan had chosen
to stay at my house.

  "Does that answer your question, vackra?" Stefan's mental voice had an exasperated edge to it. "He is my immortal version of your Georgia. "

  Swallowing back a giggle at Stefan's internal aggravation, I turned my head to glance at Lukas. He was shirtless with his hands on his hips and was dressed in a pair of ridiculously small red speedos. I quickly buried my head in Stefan's chest, letting out a groan. I could add that to my list of things I never needed to see again.

  "Lukas, do you not have something else to do?" Stefan's question sounded more like a command. His voice was intense and his body shifted to stretch to his full height.

  "Actually, I don't. I thought I'd join you on the beach today. Josie and I can get to know each other. We can people watch and gossip. We'll have so much fun!" Lukas chirped as he glided down the steps to the pool, smoothly diving in the water. He was like a torpedo, barely rippling the surface of the pool.

  "Are you going to tell me why Lucas is here?" I asked, turning my head to look up at Stefan. He still hadn't answered my question about how Lukas fit into his life.

  Stefan let out a long sigh. "Give me a moment. I need to check on a few things, change, then we will talk. " He was a blur as he disappeared inside of the house. Plopping down into one of the deck chairs, I closed my eyes and mentally willed Lukas to keep swimming. The last thing I wanted to do was to be subjected to his exaggerated chatter.

  "I'm so glad you and Stefan made up. He was a pissy little bitch for days. I was ready to kick his ass or stake him to stop his moaning. " Lukas' voice lisped from the chair beside of me. Surprised from his silent approach, I jumped and drew in a deep breath to try to slow my racing heart.

  "Damn it Lukas, you scared the crap out of me! Warn a person that you're coming. "

  Lukas was dripping wet, his ice blue eyes covered with sunglasses. Pursing his lips, he raised his eyebrow in amusement. "I keep forgetting you startle so easily. Maybe I should clap when I approach. Now hurry up and tell me what happened before he comes back outside and ruins our gossip time. "

  "It was a misunderstanding. It happens. " I tried to keep my voice noncommittal, shrugging my shoulders slightly. I closed my eyes again, hoping he would catch on that I didn't want to talk.

  Relaxing my head against the deck chair, I sent out a mental plea to Stefan. "What are you doing in there? Hurry up, he has me cornered. "

  Lukas pursed his lip again and rolled his eyes. "I couldn't deal with his obsessive worrying and whining. I called up Anna because I had a feeling you'd hide out there. When she told me you were staying at her house, I told him where you were. I thought Mr. Romance would sweep you off your feet and you'd forgive him. I should have known he'd be all over dramatic and blow it. "

  I couldn't help but laugh at his 'Mr. Romance' comment. Where the hell was Stefan? "I didn't even let him get a full sentence out, Lukas. I pretty much told him to fuck off. I'm not always reasonable. Or rational. "

  "Oh, you two are perfect for each other. " His face turned soft and dreamy, his eyes glowing behind his sunglasses, clasping his hands together over his heart. "He's swooning over you like an infatuated teen and you're going to bust his ass at every turn. This will be better than my telenovelas. "

  I simply stared at him for a moment, thinking to myself that he truly was the gay, male version of Georgia, minus the southern accent.

  "It looks like fun time is over. Here he comes now," Lukas leaned over to whisper conspiratively in my ear, his posture slumping in defeat.

  Stefan stalked back onto the deck in a pair of navy blue board shorts, dipping low to show the harsh V of his lower stomach that disappeared into the waist of his shorts. He was shirtless, the sun making the golden hair on his sculpted chest shine. "Lukas. I think you have had enough fun for one day. I know you have matters to attend to, yes?"

  "You're no fun. " Lukas pouted as he stood up and pranced into the house, slamming the door behind him.

  Stefan let out a long sigh and flashed me a strained smile. He lowered to crouch in front of me, his hand tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear and his finger moving to caress my face delicately.

  "I am sorry I was gone so long. I had an e-mail to respond to from the Council," Stefan explained as he rose to stand to his full height.

  I was shameless, letting my eyes roam over the lines of his powerful body. The muscles in his chest and arms looked like they were carved from marble, his abdomen toned and his legs were long and lean. My eyes made the trip back up to his face and his words finally registered with me. A flicker of apprehension swept through me. "You aren't leaving again are you?"

  "No. Nothing like that," Stefan reassured me, his voice smooth. "Come. I want to walk on the beach with you. First we need to take off your dress. "

  Before I could react, he quickly pulled the sundress over my head. His eyes raked over my bikini in approval. "Much better. "

  We both heard a tap on the window by the deck. We both looked up to see Lukas staring out the window, giving us the 'thumbs up' sign.

  Georgia and Lukas could be twins if not for their age difference. They were both a pain in the ass.

  "Can we go? Lukas is driving me crazy. " My mental voice begged.

  He tugged on my hand, giving me an understanding smile. He led us down the steps onto the main patio area, walking through a gated door that opened onto the beach. The sound of the waves was loud as they crashed against the black sand. We walked to the edge of the water in silence.

  Stefan intertwined our fingers together and he let out a contemplative sigh. His eyes closed for a moment and he drew in an unnecessary breath.

  Glancing at him curiously, I mentally questioned him. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

  "Right now I realize how devastating it would have been to have lost you, Josephine," Stefan's voice was thick with emotion. "The thought of you not being here with me is excruciating. " He gently squeezed my hand, then pulled on it slightly to urge me to follow as he started walking again.

  "I don't want to think about that anymore, Stefan. I love you and we're together. "

  "I do not want to think about it either. Bringing you here to my house made me realize all of my foolish mistakes," Stefan murmured, his face was pensive and distant as if lost in a memory.

  We walked along in silence for a few minutes, the warm water rushing up to cover our feet occasionally. As I watched the waves swell, my mind began to wander. Why was he refusing to answer any questions about Lukas?

  "You never answered me when I asked about Lukas earlier. What's going on with you two? And why is he here today?"

  "Lukas is my child," Stefan answered simply. He glanced down at me briefly, squeezing my hand again.

  I stopped walking as I took in his words. He stopped and turned slightly to face me. "He's your child? You need to explain. "

  He sighed heavily, his face contemplative as he began to talk. "Approximately 175 years ago, I was living in the Netherlands. When he was still human, Lukas became a friend to me. He owned a small bookstore that I would visit frequently. He fell ill and was close to death. I chose to turn him instead of letting him die," Stefan hesitated, looking down at the sand for a moment. "You lead a lonely life as a vampire, vackra. He was the only human friend I had and I could not bear to see him die. He accepted this new life with zest. He was amusing and frustrating as a human, now even more so as a vampire. He is like a brother to me. "

  "Is that why he listens to you?" I questioned as we resumed our walk again.

  "He has no choice in the matter, Josephine. I am his sire. He is compelled to listen. "

  "So as his sire he has to listen to you? He has no choice? And what about your sire?" I asked, my words coming out in a jumbled rush. This was one of those moments where I wished my internal dialogue had to go through some sort of filter before it actu
ally verbalized.

  "I never know what is going to come out of your beautiful mouth, vackra. " He laughed dryly. "Lukas thrives being a vampire and I do not force him to do anything unpleasant. He is a trusted friend, Josephine. As for my sire, she is dead. "

  "She's dead? I'm so sorry. " I felt horrible for even bringing the topic up and grilling him about it.

  "Do not be sorry, Josephine. I am glad she is dead. She was beautiful but completely insane. She was turning humans into vampires and leaving them to wipe out entire villages. That is also considered a 'no-no' by the Council. "

  "I think I need an 'Idiot's Guide to Understanding Vampires' book. Or some kind of cheat sheet. " I shook my head to try to organize my thoughts. I was quiet for a moment before I asked my next question. "Stefan, do you want to turn me?"

  "What do you want me to say, Josephine?" His voice was deceptively calm and his body was tense as we continued walking. It was obvious that this was another conversation Stefan did not want to have with me.

  Swallowing hard, I fought to keep my voice steady as I answered him. "The truth would be nice. "

  "Then I will answer you honestly. I want an eternity with you, Josephine. For two centuries I waited to find you. It took me 200 long years to find you and I do not want to let you go," Stefan's voice cracked with emotion. "Vackra, it is your decision. I will never force you to change for me. You will tell me when and what you decide, yes?"

  I nodded slowly. "I know that I want to be with you, Stefan. I just can't make that kind of decision right now. My brain is on overload right now. "

  "You have time to decide. I am happy just being here with you, Josephine. I love you. The rest is minor details. " Stefan made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "We need to turn around and head back. "

  Our heavy conversation over, we turned around and started the walk back towards his house. A few times Stefan would pick me up, playfully threatening to toss me in the water. I would squeal and try to get away from him in mock fear. Stefan tossed me over his shoulder as we headed up the path to the gate that led to his house. I playfully smacked his tight ass and his shoulders shook with laughter in response to my weak swats.

  "I am sure you are hungry. Let us go inside. " He closed the gate behind us, still carrying me upside down across the patio and up the steps to the upper deck.

  "Stefan, you can put me down. I can walk. " I smacked his ass again. "When did you have time to get food?"

  "I did not do anything. I sent Lukas out to shop for you. It is one of the many ways I can get back at him for being mercurial. "

  We walked into the kitchen and he set me down on my feet. I slowly headed to the refrigerator and looked inside. It was filled with different fruits, containers of various meats and bags of cheese.

  "Did he buy the entire store? I can't eat all of this. " I motioned irritably to the open refrigerator with one hand.

  He chuckled, raising his eyebrows as he observed the packed refrigerator. "This is how Lukas thinks, vackra. He is almost like a child and he does everything to the extreme. "

  Busying myself in the kitchen, I made a sandwich and focused on cutting up fruit to hide my frustration. I sat down at the breakfast bar in the kitchen and started to eat. Stefan leaned against the opposite side of the counter with his chin resting on his hand, contentedly watching me as I ate.

  The house was quiet as I picked at my food. Stefan stood motionless, his eyes tracing my face. Occasionally he would smile, causing the lines of his face to soften. It was easy for me to see how he managed to blend in with humans. Stefan was able to appear vulnerable and put people at ease with the humanity he was able to maintain.

  "You make me self-conscious when you watch me like that, especially when I'm eating," I said as I popped the last bite of sandwich in my mouth. He walked around the bar to stand in front of me, his finger lightly tracing my lips as I swallowed.

  "Why? I find your mouth sexy and watching you eat excites me. Leave your plate and come with me, vackra. "

  He took my hand and led us back down the steps to one of the lounge chairs on the sun deck. I sat down on the edge of the chair, pulling my legs up on the seat. He walked to the edge of the pool and pushed the blue board shorts he was wearing down over his narrow hips. He took wide strides to walk to the deep end of the pool, gracefully diving into the water.

  My mouth went dry as I watched his naked body glide underneath the water effortlessly. His head emerged out of the water and his long fingers combed his wet hair back from his face, looking like every hot-blooded woman's secret fantasy. He crossed his long arms on the side of the pool, resting his chin against them.

  "Are you going to join me, Josephine? Or are you planning to eye fuck me from your chair all evening?"

  I stood up slowly and crossed the patio to sit on the edge of the pool beside of him, sliding into the water in one swift movement. When I surfaced he was next to me instantly, wrapping me in the embrace of his arms.

  His fingers worked quickly to unclasp my bikini top, throwing the wet material on the patio. "Once again you have on too many clothes. This seems to be an ongoing issue, vackra. "

  My hands went to quickly cover my breasts. "Stefan! What about Lukas?"

  "He is gone for the night. You also have the wrong equipment for Lukas' taste. "

  Stefan disappeared underneath the surface of the water. His hands moved down my stomach to tug at the bottom of my bikini, pulling it down my legs. His body slid against mine as he came up to the surface again, twirling the bottoms around his index finger and tossing it to join the rest of my suit beside of the pool.

  "Now, vackra. Where were we?" Stefan's arms wrapped around me again, pressing my wet body against his. "Ah yes, I think we were right here. "

  His lips moved softly over my cheek, his tongue flicking out to lick the outline of my lips. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, my mouth parting slightly to encourage him to continue. His hand laced in my long, wet hair and pulled my head back slightly to expose my neck to his mouth. His lips and tongue moved down my throat, only to follow the same enticing path back up. Stefan's mouth stopped to hover lightly against mine, one corner of his lip curled up in a smirk.

  "Why are you stopping?" My mental voice snapped.

  "You are always so impatient. I am trying to seduce you. "

  "I think we're past the point that you need to seduce me, Romeo," I whispered against the softness of his lips.

  "I will always think of new ways to seduce you, Josephine, as I will always think of new ways and places to fuck you. " His breath washed over my face, cool and captivating.

  "Stefan. . . . " I began, my voice soft and pleading. "I didn't want to be seduced. " He already had every part of me: body, heart and soul.

  "Patience, vackra. I have plans for you. "