Eden's Charms (21 page)

“Don’t you dare pass out, Savage.”

“Congrats,” the guy yelled. “Now get a room all ready and rent the damn movie there so I can watch it here.”

“A room really isn’t a bad idea, Ethan.”

“Huh—what?” Behind closed eyes and a tightly closed fist, Ethan jerked his fist triumphantly in the air, mouthing the word, “
Yes
,” into the darkness.

“I still haven’t seen a movie with a date.”

“And with me, Savage, you probably never will.”

“I need to use the restroom, Eth.”

“You don’t mind if I tag along? I’m not letting you out of my sight. Safety reasons, baby.”

“Perverse and deranged is more like it. No golden showers!” Savanah pushed open the door to the restroom and dragged Ethan in behind her.

“Never even heard the phrase before.”

“God you suck at lying.”

“Not all I suck at.” Once behind closed doors, Ethan snaked Savanah to him, turned and slammed her against the door, his body pressed solid against her. Brushing back soft jet-black tendrils from her face, his lips met her neck. With a subtle graze of teeth he sucked on her neck. She squirmed and giggled until he released her. With a slight lift of his head he came face to face with his tall dark beauty.

When Savanah turned into his lips it unraveled every fiber of Ethan’s genetic makeup. Ethan pressed his hips into her so she could feel what she’d done to him. Once more, clothing became an unrelenting obstacle. “Savanah, I’m on untested grounds here. As God is my witness, I don’t know how to handle my feelings for you.”

Savanah leaned back from Ethan. “So, what usually happens on one of your dates?”

“Sweets, it would have been over this morning. One of two things would have occurred. First scenario, you would have had an orgasm to end all orgasms, and I’d have left you alone fully sated, and probably never would have seen you again. Second scenario is you wouldn’t have let me touch you, and I’d have left. I’m not the type of guy to stick around. Shoot and score’s been my goal for the past few years. It beats getting hurt once someone finds out you’re a shifter tied to a vamp.”

“So let me get this straight, you love ’em and leave ’em so
you
won’t get hurt?” Savanah scratched her head. “I’m sorry your life has become so forlorn. But Ethan, you’re no longer alone. You and I have similar pasts and futures. My entire family are characters ripped straight from a quirky horror novel. And let’s not forget, I have the king of vamps hot for my blood. You have a vamp almost as evil and disgruntled, not to mention my mother.”

Ethan cringed. “Oops! I forgot to tell you she called. I’m guessing you two have some serious psychic connection because she saved us when it rained car parts.”

“What, the protective shield?”

Ethan gave a little nod.

“Yes, we do have a bond that gains strength each and every day. For the past one hundred and fourteen years to be exact.”

Ethan searched Savanah’s face waiting for her punch line. And he waited… With the knowledge she wasn’t joking, his eyes grew wide. He managed to squeak out, “No freakin’ way. How?”

“I stopped aging at twenty-five. We, Sydney, Avery and I started donating our blood to Uncle Lucian, Aunt Serina and Aunt Raven then, but for some reason Sydney and Avery never stopped aging. They were hexed by my mother’s half-brother, William. We haven’t seen him since the night my Auntie Serina was almost stoned.”

“As in pot? Illegal drugs?”

“As in the witch hunts. Long story.”

“You’re pulling me leg.”

“Not.”

“Who are Avery and Sydney?”

“My cousins. Uncle Lucian and Aunt Serina adopted them. Avery died in the First World War although we never found his body. Syd lives in Georgia on a large reserve for endangered animals. I miss her dearly. We stay in touch, but she doesn’t come around too often to see her mom for safety reasons. Kinda hard to call her mother—mom when she looks old enough to be a great grandmother.”

“And you’ve never been on a date to the movies in how many years?”

Savanah released a long pent up breath. “I can’t believe you didn’t flip over my age.”

“So I really am your first? Virgin?”

“At the movies, yeah!”

“I don’t care about the other men, Savage, as long as I’m the last. I hate being the first anyway. Too emotional. Women cry, get freaked out, then feel guilty and get that look in their eye like they’re petrified you won’t call them. Did they perform to my satisfaction? Did they lay there and play dead? They never orgasm the first time because of all those questions screwing with them and honestly, I’m not that nice of a guy to stick around and hold hands. Sure as hell won’t tell them they made the right decision to hand over their virginity to me. Let someone else deal with it.”

“I don’t think you give yourself enough credit. If nothing else you’re brutally honest. I like that. I don’t know if you’re right about other women and their first time making love, but you were right on the money about me. I made a huge mistake
.
Capital “
H
” huge. I worked with a guy and we had just unearthed a mummy nearly a thousand years old, and we both got excited and one thing led to another.”

“No details, Babe.”

“No, you have to hear this.”

“No, seriously, don’t want the blow by blow.”

“Seriously, you do. A few hours after he walked off with my virginity, he told me he needed a cold stiff one. I thought it was due to me being so hot.” Savanah fanned her cheeks. “Well, I didn’t take him literally. I found him in the cooler an hour later with his nob stuffed into the mummy we just unearthed. I cried my eyes out in my father’s arms.”

Ethan attempted to shake off the disturbing visual. “Sick bastard. You told your father? Did he kill him? I would have. You really told your dad you had sex?”

“Eth, if you’re going to hang out with me, get used to it. There are no secrets at our home.”

“Except the one with your Aunt Raven and Vonnie. Dirty little secrets! That blew a few fuses.”

“That it did. Anyway, you okay with everything so far?”

“Savanah, I’ve never been okay. Let’s go get a room somewhere so we can get some rest.”

“Rest?” Her bottom lip jut out.

Ethan immediately kissed the pout from her lips. “I think I’m going to need some rest before you and I engage in any other activities. I want to be at my best.”

“Right now, I’d take your worst. My body is in an uproar.”

Ethan produced a smile that purred sexy promises. “Hands on my shoulders until I say otherwise. No questions.”

Savanah did as he asked. With his knee he nudged her thighs apart, only to place one of his legs between hers. Pulling up her shirt inch by slow-maddening inch he lapped at her belly, mixing kisses with nips along his path. His tongue traced each and every rib. Through the bra’s lace, Ethan’s lips moved circles with a hint of pressure over her areola. Savanah moaned and dug her fingers into his blond mane. Tantric foreplay, nothing like it. Taunt and tease. Bring her to the edge just to let her down a notch and then drive her over. He had a plan.

Ethan suckled at her nipple and tugged slightly with his teeth until he had her doing what he hoped, grinding her hips and private lips onto his thigh. Little murmurs she had no control over filled the room.

“I am becoming so addicted to the sounds you make as I touch you. You make me so hard.”

“Don’t start talking now.” She grunted one long, “Ummm! A delicious tingle worked its way from my gut to my groin.”

Ethan grabbed her ass pulling her groin against his where she felt him solidly waiting.

“Here, Eth? Like this?”

“No, Baby. Our first time will not be here.” Ethan slipped his hand between her thighs and with some pressure, pressed into her jeans.

Savanah started to say something, but when his fingers pressed into her mons, he’d found the correct button to push, pushing past her limits.

“Ugh! Eth? This is torture. I want you.”

“I know, Baby. It’s good to want. It gives you a reason to live.”

“Thief. That’s my line.”

“Put your arms around my neck and hold on for the ride.”

“But I still have my pants on.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll still feel me. This is safe sex at its best.” Ethan picked her up, and pressed her up against the door. “Wrap your legs around me.” Moments later Savanah resembled a living painting. Ethan drove home his point over and over, pushing into her private lips. The movement relieved some of the tension from him too.

“I love the feeling of this”—she admitted—“in public. It feels so naughty.”

“A little voyeuristic. I’m with you. It adds the element of danger to the excitement.” Ethan carried her to the countertop. “Lean back.”

Savanah leaned back on her elbows, and watched as Ethan pressed his bulge into her. “Sweet rapture, Savage. This is hot.” Unhooking her bra, one handed, he gave a subtle grin to her.

“Multitasking I see.” She giggled.

Too busy to answer, Ethan found her creamy flesh warm. Inviting. He trailed circles around her areola, sucked until her nipple burst in his mouth. His penis swelled to a point he feared if he never had release he’d be blue for months, but watching her face full of pleasure, he’d wear the unnatural color as a badge of honor. He waited for the change in her breathing and once her pattern deepened he cupped her womanhood. Her contractions were strong enough to feel through cloth and rocking her.

“Ethan!” she gasped. “Something’s happening to my body. I’m shaking from the inside out. This is wild.”

Ethan stopped everything and looked at her. In his arms, he held the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and she was clueless. He drew her closer still and held her until the shakes subside. “Baby, tell me that wasn’t your first O. You told me you’ve been with men before. This never happened to you?”

Savanah shook her head, no, embarrassed.

“Oh, Baby! I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“That is the nicest thing my body has ever experienced. Thank you.”

“Savage, don’t thank me. How many times have you had sex?”

“Only a few. I told you of my first time. The second wasn’t any better and trust me the third was a complete disaster.”

“I can’t see anything worse than your first time. So three times? Three different guys?”

“Uhm, no. Two moronic mistakes. Why?”

“Because I wouldn’t have let you walk away from me until you were washed out of every ounce of energy you had. I wasn’t even trying hard.”

Savanah slowly rolled her eyes to meet his, grinning. “Oh you’re hard, Eth.”

Ethan blushed. “Not any more. I guess your body was saving itself for Mr. Right.”

“Do you think you foot the bill?”

“You got a pretty glass slipper I can try on, and we’ll see if it fits?”

“If anyone gets the pretty glass slipper it’s me.”

Savanah’s smile left Ethan defenseless. “Come on Cinderella, let’s get cleaned up and then back to your carriage and find a nice room for the night.”

“I don’t recall that line in the movie.” Savanah cupped Ethan’s cheeks with her hand, and got lost in the beauty of eyes. “Maybe I just wasn’t privy to the X-rated version you were.”

****

Back at the carriage, Ethan asked, “James, would you take us somewhere quaint and exceptionally nice?”

Savanah smirked. “Are you just assuming all chauffeurs are named James?”

“No, Cinders. I asked him while you were under your enchanted spell.”

The chauffer answered, “Sir, I’ve just da place for you and da Misses.”

Savanah’s eyes went wide. Before she could protest the new prefix on her name, Ethan’s mouth covered hers with a soft kiss.

“How many people are you going to tell we’re married?” she whispered.

“Only one or two more.”

Looking at him out of the corner of her eye she asked, “Who?”

“The hotel concierge and your Papa.”

“What?”

“I’m teasing. I really don’t have a death wish.”

As the horse drawn carriage skirted the waterfront, Savanah watched the moon’s glow dance on the waves of the Mississippi River. People strolled along the boardwalk moving to and fro from the Canal Street Market, holding hands, some loaded with bags, whispering, laughing, watching ships port, as others set sail. As the carriage rolled to a stop at the hotel, her jaw dropped. “St. James Hotel. How did you even know there was a place down here with my name?”

“Don’t look at me. You heard what I told James.”

“I don’t know about you, Eth, but this is freaky. Coincidence?”

“Let’s hope so. Come on, let me help you down.”

“Such a gentleman. Wasn’t it only this morning you wouldn’t even get the car door for me?”

“Take full advantage of me like this coz tomorrow’s another day.”

“Oh, Mr. Kitt, I do plan on taking advantage of you.”

“Promises, promises. Shall we?”

Out on the curb, Ethan held his hand out waiting for Savanah to accept…waiting…still waiting….

“Hello! Savanah? You with me?” He gave her his best eyebrow-raising-double-wink-wink-come-hither smile he could muster.

Teeth chiming out a rat-a-tat tune, knees shaking, Savanah found herself huddled, too petrified to move.

“Ethan, it’s not you. It’s—I—I don’t know. I feel—a presence. It’s the only way to describe it.”

“Misses?” The carriage driver interrupted, “Can I tell ya something?”

About to argue with the prefix to her name, she quit before she started. And honestly, she’d developed a fondness for it (Ethan and the idea of being his wife).

Ethan jumped into the back seat and hugged Savanah while the driver told his story in a spicy gumbo accent. After a long rant that spoke of a lifetime of living in the Bayou, Ethan and Savanah got a little glimpse of some of the mystique that surrounded New Orleans. All the Voodoo and black magic fit right into their lifestyle.

“Dis place is a portal for spirits and energies. ’Tis why I brought ya here. I can feel it in your aura. You are familiar with dese entities.”

“So—this place is haunted?” Ethan exclaimed jumping back out of the carriage. “Sweet! Come on, my blushing bride. Let’s go have us a séance.”

“Ethan, can I borrow your phone?” Savanah watched Ethan’s eyes light up and just then, Savanah knew without a doubt, she’d gone and done it again, she’d set him up, hook, line and dial tone. She could all ready hear the music in her head. “Don’t…” she teased.