Seer: Thrall (32 page)

I shook my head. "So fifty years is new to you."

"Sometimes," she replied. She paused. "I gawk at the Mall of America."

"You don't."

"I do," she said. "Is that where we're going, or is Ridgedale good?"

"Coldwater Creek will have what I need."

She looked sharply at me. "Oh. You don't know."

"Know what?"

"They're closed."

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

"All of them?" She nodded. "Damn. That was my favorite store for what I want." I paused. "Do you mind going to the MOA then? There will be more choices. I really miss Dayton's."

She laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. The MOA is fine." She smiled. "Will you go on one of the rides with me?"

"There's a Ferris wheel."

"I was thinking one of the roller coasters."

"The log chute ride is fun."

"There's a new one called Brain Surge."

"I don't think so," I replied. "But bumper cars might be fun."

"I'll pay for your shopping spree if you go on three rides of my choice."

"I'm pretty sure I won't be in the mood to go shopping after riding on something called Brain Surge. Nor will I be in any shape to offer my neck later."

"Oh, that's not playing fair at all!"

"We agreed to honesty in this relationship."

She turned to look at me, smiling broadly.

"What?"

"You admitted we have a relationship."

"I have a relationship with my hair stylist, too. Don't let it go to your head." I paused. "I'll go on rides if you really want, but I don't want to get sick."

"Ferris wheel?"

"Bumper cars," I said with a grin.

"Will you make out with me on the Ferris wheel?"

I laughed. "No. But I might let you hold my hand. If you're otherwise a proper gentleman."

"One little itsy bitsy roller coaster ride?"

"I'll take your photo for you," I suggested.

"Bumper cars seem awfully tame."

"Perhaps," I said. "I remember going with my mom and dad," I added quietly.

She grew quiet.

"It's okay, Solange," I said. "That wasn't a pity card. I just thought you should know why it means something to me."

"You'd want to go with me?" she asked.

"Hell no," I replied. "You get your own car. I'm chasing you down."

She laughed. "Deal."

"I'll go on any rides that won't make me sick. Unfortunately, that probably excludes everything you want to ride. I'm sorry."

She reached over and clasped my hand for a moment. "It's all right. What else do you remember about your parents?"

"Root beer floats," I said. "Riding on Daddy's shoulders so I could see a parade. Skinning my knee and Momma making it better."

"I bet I'm better at that than she is."

I laughed. "Perhaps you are, but you're not making it a competition, are you?"

"No. It was just humor."

"Good, cause my Momma made the best grilled cheese sandwiches on the planet." I smiled at Solange. "They took me horseback riding once. I begged for weeks after watching some television show."

"Did you enjoy it?"

"No. The horse was big, and the farm smelled. I bet you're an expert rider."

"I am," she admitted. "And you?"

"I haven't been since I was six."

"Would you like me to take you?"

"Do you wear those clothes? The boots and hats and stuff?"

She laughed. "I used to. I haven't been riding in years. I think I still have my old riding clothes."

"Did you ride dressage or anything like that?"

"No. I played polo."

"Really? Were you good?"

She grinned, and I knew the answer. "Having the right horse matters a great deal," she said. "Yes, I was good."

"Why did you stop?"

"I was getting too old."

That seemed like a strange statement coming from her. "I don't understand."

"It's complicated. Back then, women didn't play. I dressed as a man. But I started to develop a reputation. A few people learned my real name. And I was tired of pretending I was a man." She paused. "It's been forty-three years. I've reinvented myself twice." She grinned. "I want to teach you to ride. Please."

"I am way too old to start playing polo."

"Just riding. For now."

"Solange..."

"If you like riding, you'll love polo."

"Solange..."

"We wouldn't play competitively."

"Solange..."

"Was I right about sky diving?"

I stared at her. She glanced at me, judging my reaction and grinning the entire time. I sighed. "What are you thinking?" I asked.

"There are horse farms all over," she said. "I bet I can find one with a polo field. Aubree was never competitive, but she knows how to play polo. And I bet Amanda loves horses."

"Keep going."

"I'll buy some ponies."

"You play polo on ponies?"

"It's just a term. They're horses, not ponies, but they're called polo ponies," she explained. She turned to me and grinned again. "Give it a try. That's all I'm asking."

"Give polo a try, or riding a try?"

"Riding. I learned to play 500. And I learned to ride a bicycle with you."

"I learned to water ski, and I looked a lot more ridiculous than you did learning to ride a bike. I still do."

"You don't look ridiculous. And you won't look ridiculous riding. Please, Sidney."

I thought about it. "Riding. When?"

"Sunday."

"All right, but now you have to go on the bumper cars with me."

She grinned.

* * * *

We had a good time shopping. Solange had impeccable taste and gave me a lot of confidence I was making good choices. She wasn't at all shy telling me, "That's not a good look for you." I think I surprised her. I bought a great deal. We started at a store that sold boots, and I bought three pair, then insisted the clothing go with the boots.

"Winter is coming," I said.

Solange seemed to enjoy looking at my legs. I let her.

We took two trips back to her car to drop things off, then I let her take my hand and lead me to the rides.

"I'm hungry," I complained.

"Did you want to go on the rides before or after we eat?"

"I'm not going on anything that's going to make me sick, so what do I care?"

"We'll go on the log chute and one trip on the bumper cars, then I'll feed you."

"Really?" I asked. "Okay."

"Then one roller coaster."

"Solange..."

"The easiest one."

"Don't bring up roller coasters again, and I'll let you hold me on the Ferris wheel," I offered.

"Deal!" she agreed immediately.

She bought wristbands for us. I eyed her carefully. They were all day bands, which cost more than buying just enough tickets for a few rides. I wasn't sure she was going to keep to her promise about the roller coasters.

We did the log chute first with me sitting in front of Solange. She wrapped her arms around me, and it felt nice. I knew I was supposed to stay mad at her, but she was making it damned hard. She spent most of the time laughing, and she was grinning ear to ear when we got done.

"You enjoyed it," I said. She nodded. I eyed her expression. "You're like a kid in a candy store. You sky dive. This has to be boring for you."

She shook her head. "No way. It's not sky diving, but it's still fun."

We did the bumper cars next, spending the entire ride chasing each other around and bumping our cars together. Solange spent most of it laughing. I laughed a few times, too.

I let her take my hand when we were done. She wrapped my hand around her arm and led me to one of the restaurants.

"I've forgotten your joie de vivre," I told her.

We ate a light meal. Solange could barely stay in her seat and couldn't wait to drag me back to the rides. She pulled me straight to the bumper cars again, grinning at me. Then it was the log chute and the Ferris wheel.

I let her hold me. That felt nice. We rode together quietly, and I even laid my head on her shoulder for a while. When I did, she tightened her arm around me for a moment.

We were both subdued at the end of that ride, and she turned me to face her. "Thank you," she said.

"If you want to go on one of the roller coasters, I'll just find myself a smoothie and watch."

She shook her head. "I feel really good. How about a pair of smoothies and we head home?"

"All right."

* * * *

I tried to read before Solange came up to give me my dreams, but the good mood from our evening together was beginning to be replaced with trepidation over what I might dream. I finally set the book aside and, dressed in my pajamas, I prowled around my room until there was a knock. A moment later, Solange entered.

"Are you all right?"

I turned to her. "Nervous. I'm fine."

She crossed the room to me, her expression soft but searching. "No one should have to suffer these dreams."

"Better these dreams than living the experience for real," I said.

She studied me for a moment before she said quite formally, "Sidney, I would like to take a sample of your blood." She touched my neck. "And then I have dreams to give you."

"You promise you'll stay?"

"All night."

"You shouldn't hold me during the dreams. You'll affect them."

"Aubree is coming over. Do you mind if she sits with me?"

"If you talk, I might hear. I don't know what that will do."

"We can talk so quietly you won't hear."

"When I wake up screaming, I want her to leave quietly," I said. "Is Amanda coming over?"

"Aubree will call her when you wake."

I nodded. "You may take my blood," I said. I caressed my own neck. "Bed?"

She nodded and drew me there. She was about to climb into my bed wearing her street clothes. "No. Something softer. Please. You can borrow a robe." I pointed. Then I climbed into bed alone while she stripped out of most of her clothes and retrieved one of my fuzzy bathrobes. She smiled as she pulled it on.

"It's small on you," I said. "Plan accordingly next time."

"I will," she said. She moved to the side of the bed but didn't immediately climb in.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want to presume."

"Oh." I held the covers up, and she slipped in next to me. Then we both squirmed around until I lay against her at an angle.

When she began to stroke my neck, I closed my eyes. I knew what she was going to do, and my body began to tingle in anticipation.

"I'm going to go slowly," she said into my ear. "I won't take very much, but I am going to drag it out as long as I can." I made a sound of acquiescence. Solange bent her head and kissed my neck. It was very sensuous, and then with her lips pressed against my skin, I felt her fangs growing.

At that point, she began teasing me, caressing me with her fangs as much as her fingers. She took her time, not even scratching me, and I found myself squirming under the attention.

"You're such a tease," I whispered.

"Is that a complaint?"

"No. Compliment."

She chuckled.

She kept that up for a while, teasing me with her fangs and her fingers, and I fought to hold still. Finally I reached up for her head and intentionally dragged her fangs across my neck, scoring a scratch.

"Oh, naughty girl," she said, but she licked the scratch. I squirmed even more. I knew the scratch healed under her attention, but she stepped it up, scratching me again. I began to pant, and she hadn't even bitten yet. I was panting simply from the anticipation.

Then without warning, she bit. It was a shallow bite, far more shallow than the other times she'd bitten me. She froze, her fangs in my neck and her mouth open wide around the wound.

"Solange..." I whimpered.

"Mine," she said. It was muffled against my neck, but I knew what she was saying.

"Stop teasing."

"Say it," she said, and I understood.

"Solange..."

She withdrew her fangs. "I need this, Sidney," she said. "Just once. Please." Then her mouth was around the wound again, and I felt her fangs enter exactly where they'd already been. She sucked, just once, and the pleasure hit me deeply.

"Yours," I said. "Oh god, Solange..."

She moaned her own pleasure and sucked again, causing me to gasp with the pleasure.

After that, she didn't suck hard, but she kept her fangs in my neck for a long time. I couldn't really feel myself bleeding, and after those two deep surges of pleasure, what I got was a steady, building glow, full of rightness as much as anything else. I was long lost to the sensations before her fangs withdrew, and then she bathed the wound until it was entirely healed.