Stolen Sun (The Juliana Lucio Series) (14 page)

“What did you just do?” William had turned on me, yelling.

“I didn’t back down, that’s what I didn’t do. What you were about to do!”

Christian and the rest of his friends came out of the diner and were piling back into his friends car, they had better be heading home. Sunrise was getting closer and we needed to get back ourselves, but I wasn’t leaving until he was safely in bed.

“That’s not what I’m talking about, though I’m not sure how smart that was either. Juliana, do you really not know what you just did?” He was looking at me with a look of utter shock on his face.

“What are you talking about William? I didn’t do anything but piss him off a little more.”

I was feeling
really
confused about what William was talking about, and we needed to start following Christian back home. William grabbed my shoulders making me give him my full attention.

“Jules, you just compelled a Master Vampire. No one should be able to do that, not even his sire if they were still alive.”

“
W
hat are you talking about? I didn’t compel him?”

“Yes, you did. I could feel you doing it Jules, it shouldn’t be possible, but you did it. The older we are the stronger and
more powerful
our abilities become. Right now, as a newborn you should only be able to compel humans. You already resist compulsion, which is also unheard of.” William just gave me an uncertain gaze and cut off what he was going to say, “Look, we need to get back home. Christian is safe for now, you’ve seen to that. Let’s head back so we aren’t racing the sun.”

I thought about arguing with him, but we didn’t have a car
,
and I didn’t
want to see the effects of what would happen if we got caught in the early morning dusk. I also suspected William was right. I did compel Nathaniel to take Victoria and leave, I don’t know how I did it, but I did. Maybe I could somehow do it again
and make
him leave Chicago altogether. Did I want to take the risk that it would last long-term?

“So,” I gave William a playful look, “does this mean I can compel you to do anything I want as well?”

“Babe, you don’t have to compel me. I’ll do whatever you want anyways,” he said with a seductive smile, “and I’ll gladly do anything to you that you’ll let me get away with.” He pulled me to him for a slow, seductive kiss.

“Let’s go home,” I said as soon as he let me break away from him, “and figure how we’re going to kick this guy’s ass once and for all.”

“Oh, I already know how we’re going to do that.”  Taking my hand in his we started over to hail a cab home. “I haven’t shown you the weapons room yet.”

I abruptly stopped walking and turned to look at him. “We have a weapons room? Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

I couldn’t
believe this, between my newfound ability to use compulsion, combined with having the ability to resist it, and now we have weapons! I was finally feeling hopeful.

It had just started to rain as a cab pulled up to the curb, William pulled open the door to let me in, and even though the temperature changes couldn’t
affect us
,
I was grateful he’d made the suggestion to go home when he did.

“I had to be sure you wouldn’t try to kill Ana if I told you about them.”

I thought he was joking, but I looked up to see that he was entirely serious, “You aren’t joking,” I said a little taken aback.

He gave the address to the driver and turned to look at me. “Jules, when I met you, you were screaming about how you hated her. Ana had just turned you against your will. It’s not a far stretch to think that you’d want to harm her, and she is my best friend, I couldn’t let you do that. Until tonight, I was still holding onto the hope that you might try to talk with Nathaniel, and this might end peacefully, but that didn’t last ten seconds. You’re going to need a weapon.”

I pulled back from his side to gauge better the truth of what he was telling me. I could sense the truth of his words, he always told me the truth, but I was still a little bothered  that he hadn’t trusted me enough to mention the weapons earlier. We rode the rest of the way in silence, and I contemplated what he had said. I think it had more to do with him not trusting me than anything.

We pulled up to the house and William paid the driver
.
A
fter he pulled away
,
we quickly leapt over the wrought-iron fence and ran up the stone steps to the front door. Once we were safely inside
,
I pulled my wet shirt over my head and dropped it to the floor and began to shimmy out of my jeans, which were stuck tight from the rain. I was lost in my own thoughts of the weapons and how
I believed William didn’t
trust me enough to tell me about them. I turned to see William frozen in place and dripping water on the floor, staring at me. I realized what I had done, I was standing there in nothing but a black bra and sheer lace panties, my hair was dripping water onto the floor as I stood there.

“Oh—umm, sorry, I wasn’t really thinking. I just wanted to get out of these wet clothes, and I didn’t want to get everything wet, and now I am getting everything wet—and I’m rambling. . .”

William was still just standing there as if he was afraid that if he moved he might spook me or something. His eyes were having no trouble moving
a
nd were moving up and down my half-naked body his eye’s getter darker as they went. He still hadn’t said anything to me.

“Okay, well I’m going to go change before the sun comes up and I’m stuck in wet underwear till tomorrow night. See you in ten?”

“Uh, yeah. Sure, ten,” he said his voice sounding rough.

I picked up my wet clothes and held them to my chest as I ran up the stairs to my room. I quickly stripped the rest of the way and towel dried my hair, throwing my wet clothes into the hamper by the bathroom. I had just thrown on a loose T-shirt and a pair of panties when I heard a knock at my door. I instantly became nervous knowing it could only be William because Ana had left the house. I hoped I hadn’t given him the wrong impression downstairs with my little strip-tease.

I padded my way over
to the door and held it about halfway open to reveal William standing there in a pair of men’s loose fitting pajama pants and nothing else. He had also towel dried his hair, much more quickly than I did because a few drops of rain were still clinging to his eyelashes.

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked still holding
on to
my door.

I had been planning on putting some shorts on before running downstairs to meet him, and he was making me realize how close to naked the thin T-shirt really was.

“Sunrise is in about 30 minutes or so, and I thought maybe you’d want to sleep together.”

“Really?” I said raising my eyebrows at his bluntness. “I know things got a little hot-n-heavy with us last week, William, but that doesn’t mean you can come walking in here asking to sleep with me anytime you feel like it. It’s not that simple with me.” I was offended at his presumptiveness, even if I inadvertently had teased
him earlier.

“Look, I didn’t mean to give you a little strip show earlier, I’m sorry if you got the wrong idea.” I stepped back to close the door but William shot his arm out to hold it open.

“That isn’t what I meant. Do you assume the worst about everyone or is it just me?” William replied sharply.

I didn’t
reply or make a move to either let him in or close the door. He closed his eyes and took what would be a calming breath, if we could breathe, and started over.

“Juliana, the sunrise will be here soon. Would you like to spend the day sleeping—by my side—or would you prefer to remain alone?”

“Oh!” My eyes widened. “I’m so sorry, I’m so embarrassed. Please come in.” I opened the door to let him in. “You want to sleep here with me?”

“Why do you look so surprised that I would want to be near you? If you’d rather not, it’s okay.” He said looking a little embarrassed himself.

“No. I mean yes. I think I’d like that. I kinda hate being alone really.” We just stood there looking awkwardly at each other, both half-naked.

Oh boy, good thing we’re
both about to pass out.

“So, shall we?” I gestured to the bed and tried to stifle a yawn. Dawn was definitely coming; I couldn’t manage to beat that one. William gave me a cute smile and crawled on the bed.

“No you’re doing it wrong” I told him, pointing to how he was laying. “You’re supposed to lie under the covers.”

“But we can’t get cold.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“It doesn’t?”

“No, move.” He rolled over so I could pull back all the blankets, then I gestured for him to crawl back in. He moved closer to the middle of the bed this time and when I went to crawl in after him
,
I paused
before I snuggled up to him and put my head on his chest.  William wrapped his arm around me as I pulled the covers up over us, and I intertwined my legs with his.
“See isn’t this better?”

“Much, better.” He murmured wrapping his fingers through mine and resting them on his chest while he kissed the top of my head. “I think I’ll sleep better than I have in the last century.”

I felt much better, much safer having him here with me. I didn’t
feel as alone anymore, but I was still bothered
by what he said earlier. Fighting the darkness I could sense coming
,
I worked up the courage to ask him.

“Will, do you trust me?”

“Juliana, for some reason I am inexplicably drawn to you, and yes, I do trust you. I trust you with my life. If I didn’t
,
I wouldn't be running head long into this crazy mess after you. Now, get some rest love.”

And
I
did. I wanted to say more, but I heard the hum of the shutters and not a minute later I was out cold.

I woke to William gently caressing my back with the tips of his fingers. Our legs were still intertwined, my head still on his chest. It was as if I had just fallen asleep.

“Wow,” I whispered.

“Hmm?” William replied not interrupting his gentle caress.

“This is the most content I have been since I have become a vamp,” I said pressing myself into him as I stretched away the day. “I wonder if we can stay here all night,” musing as I relaxed back into myself.

As soon as I relaxed back
,
William flipped me over and was pressing his mouth to mine. He pulled back after a minute or two showing me a bright, sexy smile playing on his full lips. His eyes were his usual deep brown with flecks of gold and his hair was messy from sleeping on it wet. He hadn’t looked better to me, probably because he was also shirtless and pressing himself onto me at the moment.

“Well,
aren’t you happy in the morning,
” I said with a little laugh. He wiggled his hips a little letting me know he was happy in more ways than one.

“You’re beautiful, do you know that? I loved watching you sleep. I liked being in here with you, and I was right, I did rest better than I have in the last century.”

“Just how long did you watch me sleep for, how much earlier do you rise before me? This is really not fair you know.” I really was starting
to get annoyed at having to pass out instantly when the sun rose and rising after everyone else.

“Hey, you get super cool compulsion powers
,
the least I can get to do is rise a little before you.” He said as he started making his way down my body.

“What is ‘a little’ exactly? Are we talking 30 minutes, an hour?” He was sliding my shirt up and kissing my stomach as he revealed more of it. “Wow, that is really distracting, but I want to know . . . can I force myself to rise earlier? Oh! That feels good!”

He had pushed my T-shirt up entirely, taking one of my breasts into his mouth while massaging the other. I wound my hands into his hair and held him firmly where he was. He grazed a fang across my nipple, not breaking the skin, but enough to let me know they were there, sending explosions of pleasure racing throughout my body. I arched into him as his free hand slid down my side and grabbed my behind while he moved on
to exploring my other breast.

“Juliana, love, you have no idea how badly I want you.”

He was working his way up my neck and considering there was only a thin layer of cloth separating us
,
I could tell very easily how much he wanted me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pressed myself against him, bringing about a groan of pleasure from him, as he crushed his lips against mine.

After my protests at the door last night
,
I knew
he wouldn’t go any further than this, it was my move to make. William was the one I wanted to be with, I loved Antonio, always would, but he wasn’t even an option for me
anymore, and I didn’t
want to continue always being lonely. Ana was just my Sire
,
not someone I wanted to be with, even if she did want more from me. My decision made, I reached down to the drawstring on William’s pajama bottoms, and once he realized what I was doing
,
he froze.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. You’re the one I want to be with,” I told him as I leaned up to kiss him again. He reached down and gripped the side of my panties in a firm grip and yanked hard tearing them right off me.

“Hey! I liked those!” I was laughing again but couldn’t
help but let him know how much it really turned me on seeing how strong he was.

“I’ll get you more, lots, lots more.”

He bent over me giving me a soul-searing kiss pulling his pants off the rest of the way as he did. His fingers trailed down exploring the depths of me, teasing me, before he finally pulled his fingers out and pushed his way into me in one strong thrust. I cried out from the ecstasy of it and wrapped my legs around his waist pulling him harder into me. Each time he thrust into me I felt as if he were branding my soul.