Claudia D. Christian

Estimated reading time: 4 – 6 minutes

Lily’s attention arced across the kitchen. She noticed its pristine cleanliness was marred by a bowl on the counter. Lily could see the spoon marking it as dirty. She frowned in curiosity.

“You like to eat cereal? Maybe soup?”

“Be quiet I said.” His hand tightened around hers in warning.

“Rudeness really gets me hot or at least that’s what you must think. Funny that. I know—why don’t you keep that up and see how well that works for you?”

Julian rounded on the much smaller girl. He backed her up against the end of a couch. “Do you always talk so much when you’re nervous?”

Lily leaned away from him. His closeness overwhelmed her, stifling her belligerence and threatening to make her mute. “I’m not nervous.”

His eyes lightened with malicious mirth. “You lie an awful lot, Lily. I really must break you out of that habit.”

“It’s not lying if the other person is asking you questions just to be mean.”

“Really? Then what is it?”

“Self-defense.” She scrunched her eyes when Julian shoved his face up to hers. “Don’t get that close to me!” she commanded with eyes still shut.

“Little girl, how can I fuck you if I’m not this close to you?”

Lily gasped. Her cheeks bloomed with color. “You like saying that word more than I do.”

“What? Fuck?”

“Yeah. That one.” Cracking one lid open, she fixed her half-stare on his smirking mouth. “Please stop.”

Julian eased back. His brutal hold on her fingers lightened considerably. “As you like.” Julian lifted their joined hands up to his mouth. He released her only to kiss her abused digits tenderly.

Lily’s breathing quickened. Fear and longing writhed inside her belly. Sanity lost its grip on her morality with a defeated whisper. She knew coming here was an ill-thought impulse. She knew she shouldn’t make this momentous of decision on the heels of losing the Spirit. She knew Julian’s feelings for her were of the wrong kind.

Lily knew.

Lily just didn’t care.

“Do you like this?”

“Yes.”

“Do you like me?”

“I’m getting there.”

“I’m pleased to hear that.” Julian entwined his fingers with hers. “I like it when you behave. As I told you before—I only reward good behavior. The bad gets ignored or punished. I really do need you to remember that, all right?”

Julian’s attention swallowed her whole. She nodded before smiling. The trembling movement of mouth and chin inspired the vampire to kiss her hand again. “Survive this for me and we can move on from here.”

Lily tilted her head in question. “Okay…”

Julian didn’t respond. Instead he tugged her along, although much more gently than before. They ascended the large staircase side-by-side. She glanced across the soaring great room and saw the enormous expanse of glass. Lily wondered what it looked like in the daytime with the lake as a backdrop.

I may hate what it stands for but Lanier is beautiful. It’d be nice to see it every day when you wake up. Hmm. I hate something but because it’s beautiful I can make peace with it. Shallow? No. Not me. I can’t be that shallow, can I?

The fact she willingly walked beside a vampire she didn’t know anymore made lie of her thoughts. When they topped the stairs Julian turned into Lily and walked her back against a wall. He covered her body with his large one, careful to keep from touching her in such a vulnerable position.

“Why are you here?”

“Because you asked me to come.”

“I know what I said. I want to know why you came.”

“Because.”

“Because why?”

His clipped words demanded bluntness. Lily swallowed raggedly. She tipped her chin up, wishing she didn’t feel so powerless.

“Because I want to know if it’s any different with you than it was before.”

Julian’s fingertips ran along the sensitive underside of her naked arm. Obeying his unspoken command, Lily raised the limb until it was over her head. When he lifted the other she wondered how it would feel to be pinned to his wall.

“You’re so little.”

“I know. I’ve got the height of a child.” She murmured this with a tinge of petulance. “I’ll never get to grow any taller. It totally sucks.”

He smiled briefly. “Yes, you’re very much like a little girl who will get to stay so forever. I could crush you so easily. It’d be so dangerous for you, Lily.” He nuzzled the inside of her elbow with his lips. “You’re about to play a very grown-up game, Lily. Once you start this I won’t let you quit. You will see it to the end with me. One way or another. Are you very, very sure you’re ready to do this?”