Don't Kill Dinner (The Rules Trilogy) (2 page)

Friday finally arrived and I drove to Arthurs. I pulled into his garage and headed into the house. I don’t know what I expected him to be like but it certainly wasn’t the goofy laughable Arthur that met me at the door. He took my bags and showed me to my room. When I walked in I was in awe
again
. Like the rest of his house, this room was beautiful. The walls were painted a bamboo green and the brown wood furniture looked like it had been handed down for generations.

My favorite part of the room was the attached bathroom. It had marble floors and walls, a walk in shower encased in clear glass and a separate Jacuzzi tub. Maybe I’ll stay longer than a week
I thought to myself. After I settled in I walked down the narrow staircase in the back of his house down to the kitchen where I found him wearing an apron cooking lunch. He heard my snickers and turned around with a big smile on his face and said lunch would be ready soon.

We sat at the grand dinner table and ate jambalaya while we talked about our week. He was really easy to talk to and the more time I spent with him the more I had this feeling that I knew him. Not knew him from the restaurant but knew him from before. I knew it wasn’t possible though because there is no way you could forget that face or that butt.

After lunch I decided I was ready and we headed to another room in the house. The room was set up like mine but the walls were painted a burgundy red and in the middle of the room was a king size bed filled with fluffy pillows and black blankets. I couldn’t help myself when I did a front flip onto the bed, looked at him and asked “Now what?” He sat on the bed next to me and grabbed my hand. A jolt of electricity went up my arm and I couldn’t shake the feeling that we had held hands before this week. He saw the confusion swirling in my eyes and said “Kenna, when you are in transition you will remember things you don’t know happened. Events from your childhood and” he paused “events from later in your life.” I nodded and moved my long red hair to expose my neck for the taking.

Arthur traced his thumb down my neck and I saw his fangs grow. They were beautiful, perfect elongations of his canine teeth. One thing I had been too scared to ask about was if the busted vampire grills you always see on TV were true. Thankfully they were not. As his fangs pierced my neck I couldn’t help but hold on to Arthur and take in his warm scent. He smelled like cinnamon and campfires. I wrapped my arms around his smooth back and enjoyed the euphoria that came with being bitten. It felt like two little ice cubes on my neck
igniting my body in fire. There was no pain, only a sense of release and passion. I didn’t want him to stop. He wrapped his other arm around me and lowered me into a laying position. With Arthur straddling my body draining my blood I thought that this was a good way to die. Directly underneath one of the most beautiful people ever created. Then all my thoughts faded to nothing.

I woke up very groggy. I tried to sit up and the second I did the memories hit.
I remembered my first baby steps, my first word. I remembered Arthur and I kissing against a wall. Wait…. I remembered what? I let all of my memories and Arthurs settle into my brain before I tried to get up again. This time sitting up was much easier. I looked in the mirror on the wall to see if I had changed and I looked the exactly the same. You couldn’t even tell I had been bitten. I turned to go to the door and found Arthur standing right behind me. Rolling my eyes at his sneaky vampire self I motioned for him to sit on the bed with me.

“How are you feeling?” Arthur asked.

“Not bad, got smacked with some pretty interesting memories the first time I tried to sit up. Is there anything you want to tell me?”

“About that… I met you the day you moved to New Orleans. Timothy, another vampire, and I were out on Bourbon Street looking for a snack. I saw you as you walked up to get on that stupid whale secretly thanking whoever made you do it. Timothy found your friend Brittany and started talking to her. When you came down and walked over to us and I knew that I had to get to know you. I was drawn to you Kenna. We talked all night long and when I walked you to your car I couldn’t stand it anymore. I had to kiss you. I had to know what it felt like to be held by someone as amazing and kind as you. I did bite you and for that I apologize. I got a little tied up in the moment. I knew after I kissed you that I couldn’t ask you to stay with me. You had too much to live for so I decided it would be better if you forgot me. I never left you, I want you to know that. I followed you, watched you grow into the amazing woman you are and when I saw you working at the Café I couldn’t resist coming back into your life.”

“I always felt a presence with me but never saw anyone. I used to call it my guardian angel. I always felt safe. That was you wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it was me. You were always safe.”

He leaned in and kissed me. His plump lips caressing mine brought chills to my body. I could feel every part of his lips with my new senses. His amazing smell lingered in my nose even after he pulled away. “Sorry if that was a bit abrupt. I have really missed you.” He said while looking into my eyes. “It is time to go see Erista, are you ready to be tattooed?” I nodded still stunned from his kiss and we started our short walk to Erista’s.

We arrived at a small witches shop just north of the French Quarter. Arthur knocked on the door and a tall, exotic black woman let us in. She embraced Arthur in a tight hug, then turned to me and said “It is a pleasure to finally meet you Kenna. Arthur has not been able to shut up about you since the night you met. Come on back.” We went into her back room where she had a tattoo station set up. I was with Becca when she got hers so I knew what to expect. Everything looked normal except for the mortar and pestle on the table. When Erista saw me looking at it she explained that that was the nightshade that would mix with the ink. She asked me what I wanted and where and I explained to her and Arthur that since this is a new beginning and a new world for me I wanted
Mors solum initium est
, which is Latin for death is only the beginning. We decided to put it on my back between my shoulder blades.

I watched as Erista ground the nightshade that would allow me to walk in the daylight. She mixed the grounds with a lavender oil and 1 drop of my new vampire blood. She explained that by adding the vampire blood it made the effects of the nightshade permanent. The plant would become immortal like me
, living in my skin protecting me for all eternity. Once the ink was ready I laid down and Erista went to work.
The smell of antiseptic and the buzz of the needle made me think about Becca and our trip to the tattoo shop. Erista snapped me back in to reality when she asked me if Arthur had shown me around the city yet. I replied that he hadn’t yet and he said we would as soon as I had my tattoo. She told me about the history of her family and the vampires and how they had become friends all those years ago. Once I finished admiring my new tattoo Arthur and I left with a blessing from Erista.

When we arrived back at Arthur’s house I was too wired to go to sleep, plus I was hungry. That was the one thing I hadn’t thought about before deciding to become a vampire. Like a toddler, I walked up to Arthur in the library and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to look at me with a questioning stare. While inspecting every detail of the fine oriental rug on the floor I said “I’m hungry.” He smiled like a proud father whose child had just used the big girl potty, wrapped his arms around me and said, “Lets go find you dinner.”

As we walked along the streets of the French Quarter, Arthur explained what to look for in a meal. I finally found someone worth snacking. She was obviously a tourist snapping photos of all the buildings and street vendors. Arthur took the lead and told me to watch and learn. He walked up to the girl and talked to her for a couple minutes before he put his arm around her shoulders and lead her to me. When they reached my perch against the wall he introduced the girl, Abby, to me. As we walked down the alley he explained to Abby that she was safe, to relax and it would all be over soon. With Abby leaning against the wall I moved in for my first drink. Her blood sang to me and smelled of sweet marshmallows and chocolate. I felt my fangs extend from my gums for the first time. With my new fangs ready for a meal I felt a strength and confidence I hadn’t felt in years. I tilted her head to the left and bit into the supple flesh of her neck. I hear a moan escape her lips and I started sucking harder. Arthur finally pulled me off her and told me how to heal the wounds and make her forget. After licking the bloody holes where my teeth penetrated her flesh I looked into her eyes and said, “You will not remember me or my friend. You took some photos, got tired and went back to your hotel.” She nodded and walked away.

As she walked away I looked at Arthur with a wild grin. I had done it. I had fed and the power coursing through my veins was addictive. I couldn’t wait until my next meal. With a glint in my eyes, I grabbed Arthurs arm and we walked back home.

The next morning I was greeted with waffles and bacon in bed, care of my fantastic host. I looked at him quizzically before saying, “We can still eat food? I thought vampires didn’t eat food.” He shook his head and responded, “We don’t
need
food but with our heightened senses it tastes even better.” He was right, the food was spectacular. With my new senses I could taste and smell every ingredient. We sat and talked in my room for a while before Arthur suggested we take a tour of the city. He left me to get ready and I quickly hopped in the shower. When I got out I inspected my new tattoo to find it completely healed. Thinking back to Becca’s tattoo I realized it must be the vampire healing that caused my tattoo to heal overnight. I put on a cute pink sundress that showed off my strong shoulders and back, put on a hint of makeup and decided to leave my hair curly.

As I walked down the curved staircase to the foyer of the house I was able to take in the beauty that really was the house. I ventured over to the library and grabbed a book while I waited for Arthur
to come down. I was about three chapters into Crime and Punishment when I heard a sharp inhale of breath and a wow come from Arthur’s mouth. I was really starting to love this vampire hearing. I put my book down as he walked up to me wearing a black V-neck shirt and white linen pants. When he offered his hand to help me up I accepted and quickly found myself spinning under his grip. He stopped my princess twirl and whispered into my ear, “You look absolutely breathtaking.” I smiled and blushed as he led me out the door and into the city.

We spent the entire day walking around the city. The things I never saw or noticed as a human were unfathomable. Being a vampire was amazing, I could feel the slightest changes in the wind, and the smells! Now I saw what drew Arthur to the Café, it smelled like pure heaven. He showed me all of his favorite spots in the city. We sat on the st
airs at the St. Louis Cathedral and walked up Esplanade to Port of Call where we ate at his favorite restaurant. My favorite place was the River Walk. It had the perfect mix of salty sweet air and crisp breeze. As we continued to explore our home I started feeling my heart flutter. Arthur was making me feel alive again, which was funny because I was technically dead now.

When we finally got back home he had a special treat for me, my first training session. He wanted to train me to be ready for anything. Being a new vampire I was clumsy in my own skin. I wasn’t used to the extra strength and agility I had and when I tried to use them it showed. He told me to put my sweats on and head to the basement. I tied my bright red hair back into a high ponytail and decided to go with my teal yoga tank and black leggings. When I walked down the stairs to the “proving ground” as he liked to call it I was pleasantly surprised. It was a big open room with a punching bag and free weights in one corner and a big fighting mat covering the other half of his sprawling basement. I decided to lift some weights while I waited for Arthur to arrive. I had always been an active girl and I could rock some pull-ups, but now my body weight was nothing. I decided to see how much I could
bench press. I started with three hundred pounds, I was supposed to be super strong after all. It was like a walk in the park, until he walked down the stairs. Suddenly the bar weighed a million pounds and I had to struggle to push it back up and into lock. He was gorgeous. As he walked down the stairs in grey gym shorts and a towel around his neck I finally got the view I was looking for the night he told me he was a vampire. His rock hard pecs and washboard abs rippled as he descended the steps. I could not wait for some hand-to-hand combat. We started with warm ups, high jumps and sprints. Every high jump had to touch the ceiling and we raced around the basement for the sprints. Now time for the fun part, combat. One thing I never let him know is that I knew how to fight. I had taken Mixed Martial Arts and combat classes during my summers and I was not to be messed with. I let him show me the ropes and every time his hand touched my skin it sent a wave of heat through my cold body and into my core. He showed me how to stand and where to place my hands. Maybe I was playing dumb and twisted my hips on purpose when I was in my fighting stance and when he let his hands linger on my hips I knew this training session was going to get physical. He showed me some easy blocks and how to move from defense to offense, then we started sparring. I took it easy on him at first playing like I still didn’t know what I was doing. When I started getting “comfortable” with the movements he sped it up. Like I said, I was still pretty clumsy with my vamp speed and I didn’t see the kick coming for my stomach until it was too late. He hit me right above my diaphragm and knocked the wind out of me. Once I recovered it was on, no more Miss nice girl. I came at him with all I had. I started with some jiu jitsu and when he realized what was happening he stepped up his game too. He grabbed my wrist as I threw a right hook and flipped me around so my back was pressed to his solid, sweaty chest. This was exactly where I wanted him. In one brief second I had flipped him over my shoulder and pinned him between my thighs with his arms above his head. I could feel his hardness pressing into me and it made me even more cocky (pardon the pun). The look on his face was a mixture of shock and awe and I knew in that moment I had won. With a glint in my eye and a smirk on my face I released his hands and he quickly turned the tables. Now he was on top of me and I was the one on my back, even though I really couldn’t complain. I knew it was right where I wanted to be and I wasn’t going to put up much of a fight. I tried to wriggle free of his grasp on my hands when he bent down to my level and whispered, “That was not nice, you should have told me you could fight. Bad girl.” The feel of his breath on my neck nearly drove me mad. I noticed his smug little face when he saw my breath catch and responded the only way I knew how, with sarcasm. “You should have asked.” A sexy twisted smile crossed his lips as he looked at me, pinned between his thighs my chest rising and falling as I waited for his next move.  He kept me pinned as he started talking to me in a sexy deeper voice I hadn’t heard yet. “There are some other benefits to being a vampire I haven’t shown you yet.” I knew where his mind was going but I was no hussy, I was going to make him work for it. “Do I get to learn how to fly now?” I asked, with a content grin on my face and pure innocence sparkling in my emerald green eyes. “No,” he responded, “you get to feel.” As his lips neared mine I could feel the heat between us growing making the room even stickier. When his tongue caressed my bottom lip I could barely handle it. His hands released my wrists and slowly trailed his fingers lightly towards my chest. I could barely breath, the anticipation was killing me and the prick knew it. His fingers finally left my now paralyzed arms and barely touched my heaving breasts. It was the most amazing feeling ever. As his hands cupped my breast he grinded his hard member over me and I nearly exploded. He was teasing me to death. When I started squirming, his hands went back to my wrists and he started exploring my body with his tongue. I couldn’t stand it anymore, a small moan escaped my mouth when his teeth nicked my hard nipples though my top and I lost it. I flipped him back over and crushed my lips into his. The taste of his mouth was perfect, like cookie dough and chocolate syrup. When I forced my tongue into his mouth our tongues began to dance as one. Suddenly he pushed me back just enough for my lips to relinquish their hold on him and he stared into my eyes. I lost myself in his blue eyes and it was as if time stopped. The next thing I remember was Arthur holding me as he ran up the stairs. By the time I exhaled, we are standing in his room and his hands were exploring the skin on my stomach. The air smelled like passion and neither of us could stand it anymore. His hands continued up my stomach, his fingers tracing every rib until my shirt was on the ground. He pressed his lips into mine while he picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. When he placed me on his soft bed, I was confident that I could live there forever and never get up again. As his mouth explored my body I was left with trails of heat where his lips and tongue had tasted me. I wrapped my fingers through his dark brown hair and couldn’t help but pull a little. This egged him on and it was only a matter of moments before either of us took the next step. I lifted my hips to feel his hardness between my legs and that was the last straw. He took off my pants in one motion and I ripped his shorts off his body. He snickered and let his hand explore my body. My breath was ragged and right before I started to beg he thrust himself inside of me and I was transported to a new world. It was like we had become one person sharing one body and soul. As we moved together in perfect harmony we were enveloped in pure understanding. In that moment I knew we would be together forever. When reality kicked back in the fun started. We moved from the bed to the dresser, then against the wall where he turned me around and started to nibble at the space where my neck and shoulder connected without losing connection or rhythm. The feel of his fangs tickling my neck finally sent me over the edge and my whole body constricted in a cacophony of spasms and shivers. This did us both in and we climaxed together, the perfect end to the perfect dance. When I turned around to look at him, he placed one hand gently on either side of my face, kissed my nose and said “I love you Kenna and I will never lose you. I promise.” All I could respond with is “I love you too Arthur, thank you.” He put his arm under my knees and carried me back to the bed where we cuddled for hours.

As I stared into Arthur’s eyes with our bodies tangled together, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander. Is this what love really feels like? With him by my side I know nothing can hurt me. He could see my soul and I could see his. I vowed in that moment that there would be no secrets between us. We had an eternity to love each other and I would never stop. 

He pulled me out of my daydreams with a sweet kiss. Man, I loved those kisses. They were the kind of kisses that could cure anything. He tucked a piece of hair that had fallen in my face behind my ear and said, “Kenna, I never want to be without you. Please stay with me, here, in my house. Please make this our home.” Once again he rendered me speechless. With a quick nod and a kiss we were back for round two.