Destined (Vampire Awakenings) (42 page)

   He didn’t give her time to protest as he seized hold of her mouth, pushing her back against the dock as he lifted her shirt up to skim across her smooth, silken skin. Isabelle gasped and wiggled closer to him. He lifted her
legs from his waist;
he
quickly unbutton
ed
and slid her shorts down. “Stefan, we can’t!” she gasped, releasing his neck and grasping for her shorts.

   He pulled them swiftly off and held them away from her before tossing them onto the dock. He seized hold of her waist, halting her as she turned to try and
retrieve
her shorts. Turning her back around, he
pulled
her tightly against him. She squiggled against him, only serving to heat his loins more. He quickly unbuttoned his jeans, slipping them down as he lifted her to his waist. “Stefan!” she gasped, half in protest, half in desire.

   He grinned as he slipped his hand between her thighs, delving his finger deep into her tight, wet sheath. “I think you’re more than ready for me,” he whispered.

   Her eyes widened as she shook her head fiercely, but her hips began to move with his finger. He smiled victoriously as he continued to stroke her. “We can’t!” she gasped.

   “We can.” He slipped his hand away from her. She moaned her protest as she instinctively sought to get closer to him. He seized hold of her waist and lifted her onto him. “If you really want to stop though,” he whispered huskily as he nibbled on her bottom lip.

   She lifted herself up in answer and slid slowly onto him, gasping in pleasure as heat seared through her entire body. Her hands curled into his back as she clung to him. He planted his hands on the dock behind her, using it to keep him up as she slowly rode them both to completion.

   Spent and completely sated, Isabelle dropped her head to his shoulder, nuzzling closer to him as she struggled to get her breathing back under control. The chill of the water slowly began to penetrate her warm haze. She shivered as she clung tighter to him. “Come on, let
’
s get you warm,” he whispered softly, gently nuzzling her ear as he reached behind her to grab her shorts.

   He slid them quickly back on as she shivered and shook against him. He rubbed her arms and body, trying to put some heat back into her as he kicked through the water. A fire was going now, its flames bright against the dark night as it illuminated the people gathered around it. Reaching the shore, standing with her still wrapped tightly around him, he found towels and their shoes waiting for them. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it tightly around her, enthusiastically rubbing it against her skin.

   “They’re all going to know,” she whispered, her voice thick with embarrassment.

   He chuckled softly as he dropped a quick kiss on the top of her head. “Trust me, they already know.”

   She pulled back to look at him, her face a dark shade of red. “I know that,” she whispered. “But, I uh... oh forget it.”

   He kissed the tip of her nose as he gently eased her to the ground
and
wrapp
ed
the towel tightly around her trembling shoulders. “I understand love.”

   She offered a tremulous smile as she clung tighter to the towel. He grabbed the other towel, wrapping it around her as he grabbed their shoes. “You need this.”

   She handed the other towel out to him but he wrapped it back around her as he pulled her against his side. “Not as much as you. That fire looks inviting.”

   She shivered as she buried herself against him and followed him toward the large, leaping flames. Laughter floated through the night, beckoning them almost as much as the giant flames did. Isabelle felt her embarrassment rise as they moved steadily closer. “You guys must be popsicles!” Vicky cried, rushing over to hand Stefan a blanket.

   He pulled the towels away from Isabelle and pulled her against his chest. Wrapping the blanket around them both, he used his hands to rub some heat back into her. She shivered as she wrapped her arms around his waist a
nd buried her head in his chest;
the heat in her face
was
hot against his cool skin. Stifling a laugh over her foolishness, he lifted her gently up and sat on the ground, cradling her in his lap as he continued to rub her arms and back.

   They sat for a long time, absorbing the heat of the fire as drinks and stories were passed around. Ian left with his friends to go to a club,
Liam
and Sera slipped silently away, and the younger children went off to bed. Stefan was content to stay by the flames, holding Isabelle tightly within his arms, warming them both. He had never thought to experience such peaceful bliss in his life, and he was reluctant to leave it.

   David, Doug, Mike, Jack, and Ethan sat silently by, watching the flames as they slowly died down. Isabelle yawned softly, her fingers curl
ed
into his still damp shirt as she buried her head tighter against him. He smiled softly as he adjusted her slightly in his lap. “Tired?” he asked softly.

   She looked up at him, nodding as she stifled another yawn. He brushed the damp hair off of her face as he lifted her easily up. “Good night guys.”

   “Hold on, I’ll go back with you,” Ethan said.

   Jack and David climbed to their feet behind him, tucking their blankets under their arms before heading over to them. Mike and Doug stood and walked over to the buckets of water sitting on the other side of the fire. Stefan waited for the three of them before turning and heading into the shadows of the house. He was halfway across the field, when he felt it. Freezing instantly, his hands tightened protectively upon Isabelle. She lifted her head to stare at him questioningly as Ethan, David, and Jack stopped walking.

   “Stefan?” Isabelle inquired.

   He shook his head slowly;
his gaze quickly scann
ed
the open field and woods. His nostrils flared as his eyes narrowed,
and
a fierce, defensive urge surg
ed
through him. He shifted Isabelle in his arms, slowly lowering her to the ground as the disturbance in the air grew closer. She released him slowly, her eyes wide and questioning as she searched his gaze. His eyes snapped to the left as a shimmer in the air caught his attention, a shimmer he knew that the others wouldn’t be able to see.

   He took a step forward, shoving Isabelle behind him as he turned to face it. “Hello Stefan.”

   Isabelle tried to peer around Stefan’s shoulder to see the man that had spoken, but he shoved her roughly back again. “Brian!” David cried in surprise.

   Isabelle poked her head around Stefan’s side, determined to see him. He was tall and muscular, nearly as big as Stefan, and nearly as gorgeous. His hair was the lightest platinum blond that she had ever seen, so light that it was nearly white. His eyes were a piercing ice blue as they drifted down to look at her. There was a coldness in his eyes that was unnerving as his mouth curved into a small smile. She knew instantly that he was one of
them
, but there was something off about him, something not quit
e
right.
It
reminded her of the men from the club, only it wasn’t as strong as it had been with them. Still, she knew that he was completely dangerous.

   “What are you doing here?” Stefan growled, pushing Isabelle back again.

   She didn’t protest his high handed
manner;
she didn’t want to look at him anymore. His oddness frightened her. “I just came to see an old friend.”

   “We stopped being friends awhile ago Brian.”

   “Stefan, in our life span, two years is not a long time. Who’s the girl?”

   Stefan stiffened, a low growl issu
ed
from him. Isabelle couldn’t stop herself from looking at
the stranger
again. Brian’s gaze darted back to her, a sly smile curling his full, hard mouth. Stefan shoved her roughly back, his hand curl
ed
painfully into her upper arm as he held her forcefully behind him. She couldn’t suppress a whimper of pain. His grip instantly lessened, but he did not relinquish her.

   “What do you want?” he snapped.

   Brian’s eyes came back to him, cold and brutal. They were no longer the eyes of the man that had been his friend for well over a century, but those of the man that he had become. “I need a place to stay.”

  
Stefan’s eyes narrowed sharply as he shook his head in firm denial.
“You
are
not
staying here.”

   Brian’s eyes narrowed as they snapped with fury. “I helped you out when you needed it.”

   “Yes you did, but you’re not staying here.”

   Brian folded his arms over his chest as he rocked back on his heels. “Can we talk privately?” he inquired coldly.

   It had been awhile since they had parted ways, and Stefan truly hadn’t expected to
ever
see
Brian
again. He didn’t know what had brought him here now, nor did he think that it could be good
.
However
he did owe Brian his life, and he owed it to him to listen to what he had to say, and what had brought him here.

   “David, take Isabelle
back to the house
.”

   “What?” she demanded, grabbing Stefan’s shirt. He pulled her from behind his back, holding onto her arm as he waited for David to come forward. “Stefan...”

   “Go with them Isabelle.”

   “But...”

   “Go!”
he commanded
more sharply than he had intended
.

   Isabelle’s eyes spit violet fury at him as she allowed David to take hold of her arm. She turned toward Brian, her eyes narrowed hatefully as David tugged her forward. “I can walk on my own!” she snapped, jerking her arm free.

   ‘Please be careful,’ she whispered into his head. His gaze flicked toward her, but he made no other indication that he had hear her.

   She turned away from him as Ethan and Jack moved to stand b
ehind her, their gazes locked w
arily on Brian. Stefan waited until they were safely in the house before he turned his attention back to his old friend. A small smile of amusement curved his mouth as he met Stefan’s glower. “
W
ho
’
s the girl?”

   “That’s none of your concern,”
Stefan
grated
, fury spurting through him
. Brian’s
eye
brows rose but he simply nodded as he rocked back on his heels again. “What do you want?”

   “I told you, I need a place to say,” he replied, his arms dropping back to his sides.

   “And I told you that you can’t stay here.”

   Brian
tilted his head as he quickly scanned the field and houses. “There
is
a lot of
our kind here.
”

   Stefan shrugged negligently
, not wanting Brian to know anymore about this place than h
e had to
. “What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?”

   Brian’s gaze slowly came back to him, his eyes dark and distant. “Do they know about you?”

   Stefan stiffened as his eyes narrowed angrily. “Of course.”

   “
All
about you?” he drawled.

   Stefan’s eyes blazed with fury as he took an angry step forward. “You’re not staying here!” he snapped.

   “I take that as a no
,
w
hich means that the girl doesn’t know either.”

   Stefan took another step toward him, his rage reaching a boiling point. Brian’s negligent demeanor instantly vanished as he stiffened. “You’ll stay away from her, or I’ll kill you!” Stefan hissed.

  
Amusement flashed over Brian’s features as he studied Stefan questioningly.
“I’m merely suggesting that maybe she would like to know a little bit more about you. It would probably be in her
best interest, don’t you think?
Maybe they would all like to know a little more about you. They might not be
as
willing to let y
ou stay then.
I have nowhere else to go, and I need help. You
will
give it to me Stefan, or I will have a long chat with this family.”

   “I’ll kill you
,
”
he growled.

   “You could try, but I’ve still been killing Stefan, have you? She
i
s a pretty girl.”

   Red filled his vision as
he
seiz
ed
Brian
by the throat. Brian instantly struck out, his claws ripping across Stefan’s chest and spilling blood.
Stefan’s
hold on his throat tightened as he slammed a fist into Brian’s stomach, causing his breath to whoosh loudly out of him.
Brian
lunged forward, hissing and spitting as his fist connected with the side of Stefan’s head. The blow left him momentarily startled, but he recovered in time to block Brian’s next swing.