6 comments/ 17574 views/ 3 favorites Strange Love By: DragnsFyre The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. This is a work of fiction. The events described here are imaginary; the settings and characters are fictitious and are not intended to represent specific places or living persons. The content here within is sexually explicit depicting acts considered Taboo by most of society. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* She sat in her booth trying not to cry. You would think she would be used to the odd stares and sneering remarks, considering what she did for a living, but alas, she was only human after all, with all that that entails. She had been working the freak show ever since she hit puberty. She' d had no choice if she wanted to live after her family had abandoned her. It wasn't all that bad really; she had all her fellow freaks for friends. She was never so glad to see Yvonne, as she was today. She had endured the scathing remarks, rude prods, and lecherous pokes from a predominantly male audience as usual, but] she was feeling sorely abused. She was glad the show was closed for the night; she didn't think she could handle even one moment more than she had. Why today should feel any different then the unending procession of previous days she didn't know, but nonetheless.... it was. She headed to the woods behind the big tent for her evening walk in the woods. It had been a muggy day and she was feeling uncomfortable so the little stream down the path seemed like just the thing. She stripped out of her simple sarong and dove into the stream, savoring the simple pleasure of the water's velvet touch upon her skin. She so loved the peace she gained from the misty forest every night. It always helped erase the dirty feeling of being on display all day. She swam a while hoping to wear herself out. She wanted to sleep peacefully tonight. She didn't want to dream... Oh, the dreams were truly lovely, but they served as a constant reminder of the things she would never have; mainly a man to love her as she was and whom she could love in return... She pulled her wet, glistening body from the water's loving caress and laid upon the grassy bank to stare at the stars above. She wasn't concerned that any would bother her.... most found her form disgusting. Besides the other freaks avoided this portion of the forest due to some strange superstition they had. She thought they were all silly but didn't complain, that just meant her solitude would be guaranteed. She had never had any eerie encounters here. In fact it is was the exact opposite, as though she was always welcome... ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ He watched from the confines of his earthen home. He had spent nearly a thousand years trapped on this planet full of unforgiving beings. He missed the warm touch of a lover and the infinite pleasures to be had during copulation. He had thought to end his miserly existence until she came... He had watched her grow from adolescent into a beautiful woman. A woman to be touched in love not despised for her difference. He didn't understand how she managed to blossom under such harmful conditions. Always laughed and pointed at, while being discussed as if she were a non-being. He understood her need to be accepted by someone, though, he thought she had chosen poorly. He had seen her the first time as she ran to the stream crying soul-wrenching sobs. It had been her first day on display and she had been too tender hearted to ignore the things said and done to her. That was the first time he went to her. That night while she lay sleeping, he had slipped into her adolescent dreams to become the friend she dreamed she had. It had been the first time he had been touched willingly in a thousand years. He had been sorely tempted to drag her off to his cave and keep her, but he had realized she was too young for what he wanted, so he watched and waited, biding his time. He had started his "haunting" again once he realized she came to the forest for peace. He made sure none disturbed her while he protected her from afar. He had decided on her 16th year that she was for him and he had steadfastly scared any of the male freaks that tried to follow for a sample of what was his. He wondered if she realized that this was her 18th year. He had visited her dreams every night since his first invasion and had gleaned much about her. He had become all her fantasies, all her needs, while he waited in frustration for her to reach maturity. He would bind her to him and keep her with him always. So he watched and waited until her body was ready and he could claim his prize and hopefully win her heart in the process.... He knew she loved him already, though she assumed he was a figment of her imagination. Only time would tell how she really felt once he claimed her ~*~*~*~*~*~ She waited impatiently for the last of the gawkers to leave so Yvonne could close for the night. She was uncomfortable and needed to cool off. Her body seemed to have developed some inner fever lately and nothing seemed to relieve it except the coolness of the stream and even then it only cooled it marginally. She ran through the forest stripping as she went. As she neared the stream, her pace increased. It wasn't long before she was diving headlong into the stream. She was so tired and cranky she nearly took the head off of a youth who had come in this evening. The young man had the unmitigated audacity to tweak her genitals. She had felt violated by his touch, dirty and soiled. She wanted to crawl out her skin. She didn't understand what was wrong with her. Things like that happened all the time; it was always upsetting to her, but never to the degree she had felt today. She swam in the cool water keeping her mind blank as she tried to rid her body of the strange heaviness that had settled in the pit of her stomach this past month. She had tried relieving herself once she accidentally discovered touching herself lessened the deep-seated ache, but today it didn't work. No matter how many times she searched out that part of her anatomy, nothing relieved the hollowness. She was painfully engorged, achingly empty, and she now understood, thanks to the insensitive youths, that she needed more......... He peered at her through the opening in the cave and smiled in triumph. At last she was ready! He inhaled her scent and felt his semi arousal burn into extreme arousal. He had visited her physically the night of her 18th year while she slept. He had entered her dream, making sure she was well and truly under before leaning over and swiping the inside of her mouth with his tongue. He nearly took her as she slept while he let the enzymes from his saliva swell and begin the assault on the cells of her body, imprinting his DNA upon hers. He had wanted to posses her that night but had decided to let her body accept his marking first. He wanted to be sure she would accept him when the time came. Forcing himself to wait had been a test to his self-discipline, but in the end he was sure his restraint would be rewarded. Her body was ripe, ready for his pleasure and the completion of the mating bond. He hadn't been sure she would exhibit any of the symptoms women of his species did, but he reasoned with her similarity to his race, she most likely would. Sniffing the air again and the way she was acting, told him quite plainly that he had been correct. She was in need and none would be able to sooth her but him. It filled him with excitement to know his lonely eternity was at an end. He left his hiding place, making his way steadily closer. His phallus swelled, weeping with anticipation as he neared. The walls of his Vagium quivered in joy, and his tickler pulsed in demand. She needed him... May the Gods have pity on any that tried to interfere because he wouldn't! He had waited patiently all these years and his penance was at an end. ~*~*~*~~*~**~**~*~*~*~* She pulled herself from the icy stream, lying upon the grassy bank. Her body throbbed with a need she didn't know how to appease. She moaned as the wind stirred the grass upon which she lay. The cool, green blades tickled her penis and vagina, making her writhe in misery. The sensation was painfully pleasant, intensifying the achy emptiness tenfold. She wanted to roll over and rub her burning flesh against the cool silkiness of the earth, yet to do so would only sharpen the frustration. With shameful tears in her eyes, she gripped her breasts with her cold hands; squeezing and pulling the soft flesh, letting the wind carry away her needy cries. She was truly pathetic! Despite the heart wrenching shame, she continued her manipulations. Working her fingers over the turgid nipples, she gasped with fleeting relief. The hard twists and pinches only satisfied momentarily. There was no help for her. She was an abomination...who would want her? Who could ever love her? No wonder her parents threw her away. Moving her hands down between her legs, she clutched her shaft in one hand before seeking the slippery, wet opening with the other. She sighed with the fleeting pleasure. The grip of her hand close to the base.... squeezing, stroking rhythmically was soothing but still not enough. Was there no end to the torment?! In desperate misery, she traced her fingers through the slippery folds of her heated entrance, letting the probing fingers enter as deeply as they could. This she felt certain would end the painful void but her fingers weren't thick enough, nor did they go as far as she felt they would have to. Even as she moaned with pleasure she was sobbing...Still not enough................ ~*~*~*~*~ As he moved closer his tickler began to vibrate as it emitted his scent. His phallus and tickler were both erect and throbbing as he reached her. He masked his presence, watching with excitement as she pleasured herself. She was magnificent! She was as beautiful as any female from his world. His tickler danced again, letting out a cloud of scent, preparing her for his claiming. All was as it should be.... she belonged to him. ~*~*~*~*~ Lost in her misery, she had closed her eyes in hopes of drowning out everything but the sensations she was giving to herself. Logically, she knew it wouldn't matter, the incessant ache would never go away, but she had to try anyway. No use! It was no use! Releasing herself, she let her hands fall to the ground and curled into a ball. Thoughts of ending it danced in her mind... All she would need to do was let the icy depths of the stream suck out her breath and refill her lungs with its cold. The thought once planted grew... No more pain, no more misery. No more insensitive gawkers, snickering and laughing, as they pointed and prodded...Why hadn't she thought of it before? What did she have worth staying for? Prepared to answer the call she rolled to get up then froze. What was that beautiful smell... warm... gooey... It was chocolate with a hint of mint. She inhaled deeply... Immediately her body's temperature raised at least three notches. She opened her eyes and screamed. Standing before her was a man...the man in her dreams! Why she was certain he meant her no ill she couldn't say, but it was true nonetheless. He seemed peaceful and calm...smiling at her as he had every night since she was 15. She could feel nothing dangerous from him. Was he real? Slowly getting to her feet she moved closer to him, timidly reaching out to touch him... He was solid. Her fear forgotten, she let her eyes roam over him. His beauty took her breath away. Had her mind shattered? Had she gone insane? If he was an illusion she hoped never to return to reality. She marveled at their similarities even as she wondered at their differences. He, like her, had two sets of genitals yet he had an odd appendage she didn't think any other man had. She wondered at its purpose even as she realized it was the source of the delicious scent. As she peered closer however she noticed an important difference... his anatomy was the mirror image of her own. Needing to touch him to believe, she reached her hand out... ~*~*~*~*~ He waited for her to reach him. The look in her eyes was one of sheer hunger and he relished the sight he thought never to see. She was his, lock, stock, and barrel. No one would be able to take her from him now. He watched and waited as she looked at his body. He could tell she was surprised to see he was like her. It was expected... she was a rarity in this world, one that most abhorred, they couldn't see the treasure they had in her. This species were an ignorant lot and he hated them all for it. They could not see the heart for the shell. Blind they were, one and all but not him... He knew what she was for and he would keep her for himself. The others didn't deserve such bounty. He spread his limbs so she could look her fill at him. He needed her to be comfortable with his body. He hissed his pleasure as she fingered him. He hadn't been touched in so long... His hips bucked hard against her probing hands as she stroked his phallus and tugged on the tickler. She was going to kill him!! If He weren't careful, he would waste his seed on the ground before he could sample her. ~*~*~*~*~ She watched in amazement as his two penises; One large and heavy, the other small and slender covered in some strange gelatinous substance. She inhaled deeply once more and was overcome with the need to taste the strange appendage. Did it taste as well as it smelled? What was its use? Why was it covered like that? Dropping to her knees, she moved in closer, drugged with a strange intoxication. Some how she knew he would make it all better... ~*~*~*~*~ He watched in anticipation as she lowered her mouth to the tickler. It made his heart sing. Her body had recognized his as her match; the call of his tickler was the proof he needed. She was drawn to it and he had to fight to keep himself from forcing her mouth over it. It had to be her choice; once she tasted him she could never choose another.... He groaned as she darted her tongue out and tasted his lube. When she latched onto it and started sucking in earnest, he lost his control. She was his and he would claim her now.............. ~*~*~*~*~ He pushed her to the ground so suddenly she lost her breath. Before she could gain it back, he was on her. He licked her nipples one after the other ravenously. He had waited so long to taste her; it was hard for him to take his time. He didn't want to frighten her with his need, yet he didn't want to give her the time to change her mind. Slowing down a bit to keep her interested, he sucked in one fleshy globe. He took his time, paying homage to it while he continued to pluck at her other breast. He wanted her to enjoy his claiming, as much as he would enjoy claiming her. He planned to make certain she enjoyed intimate play as much as he knew he would. Feeling her relax beneath him, he slowly let his free hand roam over her delicate torso. Releasing the breast he had been fondling to show the other pouty globe the same appreciation, he let his roaming fingers caress over her most heated portion. She was so tender, so beautiful; he barely knew how to express his appreciation. The need to feel every bit of his bride, to mark her flesh as his own, was an awesome force, but he had to go slow. This would be her first experience with a male and he wanted it to be memorable to her. Stroking his hand over her penis, he cupped it gently. By the gasp of pleasure she emitted, he was assured she was into it. With each down stroke of his hand he allowed his fingers to lightly tease her. With each mewling cry of pleasure she released, he grew bolder until finally he entered her silken sheath. He could tell by her excited cry that she had enjoyed the feel of his thick fingers. Things were progressing beautifully. It wouldn't be too much longer before she would accept him wholly into her body. It was his duty as her mates to guarantee her readiness. With his purpose cemented in his mind, he set about preparing her body. ~*~*~*~*~*~ She moaned at the dual pleasures, not sure which felt better. She gasped, moaning with the strange sensations his mouth on her breast garnered even as she screamed as she writhed beneath his invading fingers. She didn't know whether she wanted to move closer to this strange man or pull away from him. What he was doing didn't hurt; it felt good, but strange at the same time. She had never experienced such emotions before. She could feel a strange heaviness settling in her belly and lower places, that seemed to grow larger with each jerk and stroke of his mouth and hand, it made her nervous but she couldn't seem to want it to go away.......... ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ He kissed his way down her body nipping and licking as he went. When he reached her pleasure zone, he sucked her swollen shaft into his mouth even as he continued to pump his fingers inside her molten core. As her juices dripped down to her delicate rear he swirled his free fingers in her cream before slowly inserting them into the small puckered rosebud. He held on tightly to her as nearly threw him off of her in her nervous shock. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ His fingers seemed to move independently inside her. She was close to swooning with the intense pleasure. When he increased the suction on her penis she threw her head back with a low scream. She had never felt such a thing! Her scream became long and drawn out as he increased the depth of his fingers thrusting inside her. She screamed with the pleasure certain he had somehow able to increase the length and width of his fingers. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ He was pleased with the way she was jerking her hips, thrusting helplessly in time to the rhythm he had set. She was close to exploding he knew so he let his body take over. His teeth lengthened and sharpened preparing to initiate her into his love. Once he was certain she was consumed with the pleasure of his enlarged fingers, he pierced her shaft. He smiled as she screamed as she climaxed with both organs simultaneously. He growled his pleasure as her juices mixed with her blood to fill his mouth. He sucked her until she had no more to give. He licked the wound he had created and released her from his mouth. He stared down at her, watching the beauty of her face as she writhed in ecstasy. He had never seen anything more erotic and it gave him pleasure to know he was the source of her pleasure. Smiling ferally, he mounted her.... ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ She was unprepared for what happened next. She had dreamed this over and over, but thought it a impossibility. He aligned their bodies and chanted over her. She frowned in confusion, wondering at his words, but quickly lost all coherent thought as he engulfed her. Simultaneously her penis was forced inside his Vagium, his phallus impaled her vagina, and his tickler impaled her rear entrance. Once they were joined completely, he finished the ritual words before letting his teeth lengthen to pierce his tongue. He let his life essence fill his mouth while the enzymes in his tongue swelled and mixed with his essence. He looked at her once more before thrusting forward so forcefully that she opened her mouth to scream. He fused his mouth to hers, forcing his essence into her mouth, waiting patiently for her to swallow. This was the most important thing for her to do; else she would die before him, leaving him behind to go insane. He waited until she had swallowed enough before letting his wound close and his loving begin. She would change on the inside, becoming his receptacle. This night would bring forth new life and she would have to be matched to him in order to survive. He would not loose his mate or his child. She needed love, he needed love and together they would find their happiness. Strange Love He noticed the change in her scent and smiled his satisfaction. He moved slowly in and out while her shaft moved in and out of him. They moaned their pleasure as he continued to thrust. In and out softly at first, than increasing, expressing the depth of his feelings with every joining. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* OOh! The feeling of his body sucking her sensitive penis in was truly awesome! And the feel of both of his cocks inside her separate entrances was bliss. In and out he went, as she thrust against him. She never wanted it to end! It was so beautiful! His soft warm folds clutching her lovingly as her body clung and sucked at his two appendages was a feeling out of this world! He increased the tempo, pounding into her as she pounded into him. She screamed with the pleasure of her cum spurting inside him.... the pleasure of him spurting violently into her. His sperm was so hot inside her, she was certain she would melt away to nothing, but she didn't care! She wanted him to continue to grind into her, never to leave her body! Not sure how to express the strong feelings he caused, she wrapped her body as tightly around his as she could, holding him to her as if her life depended upon it. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ His Vagium clenched tightly around her cock, demanding another bath of her soothing cum. He watched in pleasure to see her surprise, as her penis answered his Vagium's demand, spurting into him with such force he thought she was going to pass out. He felt the life that began to grow inside her and smiled. He had a family and they would be with him forever. He made slow love to her again and again throughout the night. Near dawn he lifted her into his arms and brought her home. He would explain all to her once she was rested... She would need him always now; his cum had ensured her body was addicted to his. She would never leave him, for her body would not allow it. His body would always be ready when she needed him but refuse to work for any other. Such was the way of his world. It was their species' way of insuring fidelity between a mated pair. None would satisfy either ever again. Who says there isn't someone special for everyone? ~END~ Kai Strange Love I scanned the bar. It was cozy, but somehow I felt even more out of place than if I was in one of the buzzing nightclubs. A few of the men at the bar looked up towards me and smiled. I heard the rush of the wind behind me and a huff of breath. "God, it's freakin' cold out there." I turned my gaze from the many eyes and peeked around at my friend as she unraveled the scarf from around her neck. She glanced up at me like I had offended her, "what'd I say?" "Nothing. I just don't want to be here." I ran my hand through my brown hair and tossed it behind my shoulder. The men, mostly older, and looking as if they had grown up as lumberjacks and construction workers, seemed to have their interest piqued by us. Obviously girls were not commonly seen in this establishment. "You said after I was done with my book signing we could come out and have a drink. Get out instead of being stuck in that hotel." Anna whined a little. I knew I had been difficult of late. The constant nagging that we were always being watched had made me nervous to even be outside of the hotel room. Even in the hotel room, I had the nagging feeling that the walls had eyes and we were being watched somehow on the fifth story. "I know and that's why we're here." I agreed. I spotted a table in the corner of the room, and with eyes zeroed in on that spot, ignored the stares. Anna, my blond, forever friend sighed as she tried to keep pace. "Are you worried still?" She didn't exactly believe we were being watched. I mean, why should she? We were in Portland, Oregon one of the most crime free cities in America. It was a rather large city, so it wasn't unlikely that outsiders would be amidst the locals. There was nothing uncommon with our appearance: we dressed like regular small town girls and our complexion was fair against the always-blustery wind. We were hardly flashy or exotic looking. The only strange thing was that we always seemed to pick restaurants and bars where everyone knew each other. Besides the fact that Anna didn't believe my nonsense anxiety, she never ignored it or attempted to make me feel foolish. "A bit." I sat down and slid my black coat from my shoulders. It slid behind me and offered a bit more cushion to my back. "There's no one scary in here." She whispered. I stifled my smile and the urge to mention the lumberjacks ogling us, but thought better of it. "I know. I'm fine. Now let's just have some fun." I forced a smile, which wasn't quite so difficult. I wanted to have some fun just as much as she did. Fear had pulled me to this bar. It was closest to our hotel, besides the one in the lobby, and I felt a bit more comfortable closer to our sanctuary than driving further away. Anxiety had always been a problem in my life, but it was hardly ever an issue once we had gone on vacation and got to our destination, but for some reason fear was crippling me more than usual. At the multitude of book signings, events, and sightseeing we had done since getting into Portland, I felt the urge to crawl back under my blankets every day. The world seemed dark, as my senses zeroed around me, attempting to find what was bothAnnag me. Nothing was ever there, nothing ever jumped out at me. We would be leaving in a few days and my body relaxed at just the thought of leaving this peaceful and terrifying city. I looked across the table at Anna who smiled up at the waiter as he bustled in front of us with a wine list and a listing of their most popular cocktails. "I'll have the Sunset Cosmopolitan." I glanced over the list of cocktails and spotted the one drink that sounded good to me, "I'll have the Volcanic Thunder." We normally never drank, but we had heard so much about the cocktails in Portland, that our curiosity got the better of us and forced us back onto the streets and into this small den. The walls were paneled with wood, and the lights slightly dimmed, but around me, I felt my senses growing acutely aware of the eyes on me again. As if feeling the same thing on her back, Anna uneasily turned in the same direction my eyes shot to. "Oh my God." She let out an exasperated sigh. I too felt the same reaction, but was more relieved to know that this time, I was not insane. Across the room, in another corner sat three men. Quickly my eyes burned over each one. The first was undeniably a "beefcake". His hair was dark blond and slightly curled, but cropped short. Under his gray Henley were rippling muscles that even the thermal material couldn't hide. His top two buttons were undone, and offering a view at an extremely sculpted collarbone. His smile was bright and wide and showed off a perfect row of teeth. He was obviously laughing at something one of the other two men had said, but his eyes were smoldering in our direction. The second man was pale, with cheeks stained with red. His eyes, maybe blue, were trained on me particularly. He barely smiled, but seemed to be playing with a coy curl with the corner of his lips. His golden hair was disheveled and looked as if he had been running his hands through it. His body was slender but covered with a blue and black flannel shirt, obviously fighting the cold weather as much as Anna and I were. Just peeking from underneath the collar was a black undershirt, meant to be a second layer for warmth, not to be seen. His lips were full and slightly flushed from the intake of alcohol. The third man... I paused and glanced between the two men whose eyes still remained fixed on our table. There was a third man there. Wasn't there? When my eyes settled over the chair where the third man had been sitting, there was no one there, not even a glass for his drink. I broke my eyes away from where another man should be and glanced at Anna who was obviously amused by my blatant staring. "Were there three of them there?" I asked quickly. "What?" She seemed confused. "I swear there were three guys sitting at that table." I looked back, but still only the two men remained, the disheveled man still staring happily. "Yeah there were." She paused and my attention was brought back to her. Her brow furrowed as she thought, "but I thought I was imagining it." She turned back around to glance at the guys. She lifted her hand to wave, but stopped before it made it far from the tabletop. "Must've been a trick with the lights." She assured herself more than me. But she had to have been right. She turned back to me as the waiter brought us our drinks. She let out a nervous giggle as she slid the straw between her lips. "Are these the two that have been following us?" I shrugged, still unable to process what I had just seen, "We could only be so lucky. They're hot!" She nearly squealed and then contained herself back into her drink. Both men had looked away and were deep in conversation when my eyes fixed back to them. I finally relaxed, having the feeling of someone watching finally off of my shoulders. I took a long drag from the pineapple and cherry drink. It cooled my now burning throat. The one glanced at me from the corner of his eyes, and the painted red on his cheeks began to brush deeper down to his jaw line. His eyes darted back to his companion faster than they had looked at me. "They are really good looking." I barely made audible. Anna smiled and peeked back over her shoulder. "Stop that. They'll see." I urged her. I almost hoped they would see, but we were hardly their types. I glanced back over the disheveled one. I never knew a lumberjack could be quite so tempting. I was suddenly having a greater appreciation for the great outdoors and any tree that that man would throw his body against. "Hey, how come you can keep looking?" Anna was almost euphoric, giggling. "Because they can't tell I'm staring." I reminded her. She smirked and took another glance over her shoulder. This time the beefcake caught her looking and grinned. "Did he just smile at me?" She giggled again, her sanity on the brink. I was a little surprised, Mr. Beef wasn't her type, really, but anyone would be dazzled by that smile. Before I could answer her, I noticed the beefcake motion to the waiter. The waiter looked in our direction and nodded, heading back towards the bar. I scrunched my eyes, willing my ears to hear from this distance. I suddenly felt burning on the back of my ears as if I was being watched again. I turned to see that there was a window directly behind my back. The wind whipped trees and bushes around, but still, no one was there. "Excuse me. The gentlemen over at the far table wanted me to bring you a couple of more drinks," He stopped and set two more drinks down in front of us. Both Anna and I turned our gaze to where the two men sat, watching with raised eyebrows and smiles curling their lips. "And they wanted to know if they could join you?" Anna's head whipped towards me, her mouth dropped open and eyes wide. "Thank you." I smiled back to the waiter, who obviously was uncomfortable with what they had asked him to do. Yes, many girls did not come in here. Anna turned and nodded to the other table without my approval. Obviously she was in tune with me when she turned and frowned, "is it okay?" "Obviously!" I rolled my eyes at her. The two men stood, the beefcake a bit taller than the disheveled lumberjack. The beefcake picked up a bottle of beer and carried it with him, while the lumberjack brought over a glass that looked like a rum and coke. The bar was small, so even though Anna and I both held our breath the whole time we waited, it was only a few strides dodging tables until they came to our table. All eyes seemed to be on us. Even the waiter and the bartender seemed interested in our exchange. This kind of exchange never happened in here either, obviously. Some of the men smiled at what was in their eyes, young love, while others looked even more disgruntled from their lonely lives being drained into a glass. "Hi my name is Seth, this is Nicholas." The lumberjack spoke with an alarmingly soft and tender Irish accent. He reached his hand out to shake both of ours, his hand was warm, and his handshake softer than firm. The beefcake apparently named Nicholas didn't have an Irish accent, but was obviously just as gentle. "I hope we're not interrupting anything?" They pulled the chairs out between us and sat down, drinks still in hand. "No, of course not. We're just unwinding from a long day." "You're from around here?" Seth asked from my right. "No, actually we're from New York. Anna's a writer and has been signing books for hours." Nicholas, for some reason, instinctively looked down at Anna's hand, which had been curled into a ball since the handshake. "What do you write?" Seth asked. I sighed when his attentions faded from me. I took a deep inaudible breath, trying to keep my composure. It was silly really. Even though we didn't shun them, men never seemed to advance on Anna or I. This conversation with two extremely attractive guys had to have been the first in a long time, and never with them initiating the contact. I was aware of their eyes burning into my skin and suddenly noticed the three of them staring at me. "I'm sorry?" I asked, obviously they had asked me something. "What do you do?" Nicholas asked, I'm guessing for a second time. "I'm her editor, and kind of agent. I'm better at organizing than her, so I always set up the meet-and-greets and the hotel arrangements." I felt a blush rise on my cheeks to meet Seth's painted cheeks. "That sounds hard. My agent always seems stressed." Seth shifted in his seat, attempting to get more comfortable. Without thinking I slurped down my drink and took a hold of my next glass. "Not really. It's fun." I paused. "Your agent?" Nicholas rolled his eyes and I noticed the discomfort that suddenly overcame Seth. "Oh- um-" He fought for his words, "I'm an actor." "And a showoff evidently." Nicholas teased and took another swig of his beer. "Oh really? Anything we may have seen?" Anna shamelessly asked. "Um-" Seth sputtered. He looked over Anna and then myself, possibly to check for recognition. "He was in Dark World. He played John Davies." Nicholas gloated on behalf of Seth. "Oh!" Both Anna and I exclaimed. Seth shied away and then calmed, possibly remembering he was the one who came over to us. "We're filming the movie Blood Scent right now. It'll be coming out in theaters June 4th." Nicholas continued, a walking advertisement. "Who are you playing?" I asked Seth. I had read the book once on a vacation. The book was one from a series about a clan of vampires who were trying to find their vampiress queen who had been killed and was reincarnated as a human. The final two books had not been published yet. "Lucian." He ran his hands through his hair and sighed lightly. Lucian was the ex-lover of the queen. He was supposed to be handsome, old fashioned, and the perfect hero. Both Anna and I grinned, "You'll be perfect." I hadn't realized it was my own voice until Anna giggled quietly. "And you?" Anna asked Nicholas. "Remus." He smirked, as if that was a bigger honor. My eyes turned back to Nicholas; of course he was playing Remus, big and muscular as he was. Remus was supposed to be the sidekick to the hero, the tough man who took care of all of the problems. Anna's eyes were glued to him as if she was memorizing something about his face. Maybe his smallish nose? Or maybe his green eyes? I couldn't be sure, but as she drank her cosmo, she slowly became intoxicated, not just with her drink, but with Nicholas's good looks. But every time she would smile, he would smile in return, as if they were having a private conversation. I sucked down my volcanic whatever and nodded when the waiter asked if I'd like another. Time and time again I would feel eyes on me and turn around to look out the window, only to notice that it was Seth looking at me. Now that he was closer I could see how cold his eyes really were. They weren't blue, but an icy gray. Even when he tried to give me sweet smiles and make them appear tender, they still were gray like ice. They were flecked like a pond covered in ice, lighter bubbles just beneath the surface showing intense life underneath it. "So what's Cork like?" I asked Seth. I loved his accent, and the more I drank, the less afraid to speak to him I was. "A lot like this. Cold, windy, rainy. Sun sometimes." He rolled his shoulders and ran his hand through his hair again. "I meant life?" I noticed my 'L' hang on for just a bit too long. Was I drunk? I had to suppress a giggle at the thought. Anna's eyes flickered to mine. Her face was flushed red, her lips were swollen, and her eyes were glassy. I wondered if Nicholas's missing hand was doing something to her under the table, or if she was beginning to feel the effects of her fourth drink like I was. Seth had slammed back just as many drinks as I had, and God only knew how many prior to our arrival, yet he seemed coolheaded. I knew I must've looked the same as Anna, we did not know how to hold our liquor. "Busy. People are much friendlier in Ireland than America, but we brood on things more." He chuckled. Nicholas had slugged back the last of his beer and held his hand up for another round. He was a big boy and was probably holding his own better than any of us. "Nick- let them take a minute." I heard Seth say. I closed my eyes and inhaled the stale scent of the room. "What?" He asked gruffly but innocently. "Look at the flush under their skin." I heard another voice say, but it wasn't Seth. It came from behind me. I opened my eyes and snapped my head around towards where the voice came from. Still I only saw the empty window once more. Seth and Nicholas both looked a little uncomfortable, but that fear was replaced by utter relaxation after a moment lapse. Both Anna and I glanced anxiously around the room for the owner of the voice. "What was that Seth?" Nicholas asked trying to gain our attention. "Look at the flush under their skin." He repeated, even though I knew the line was not from him. "They're obviously in need of a break." I let my eyes lazily linger on Seth. His cheeks were more flushed than before. "Who said that?" Anna whispered more towards me than either of the men. Nicholas looked around and shrugged, "said what?" "I don't know." I answered honestly. She was obviously just as baffled as I was. "I did." Seth cleared his throat. "Sorry, when I drink sometimes my voice gets more rough." "That wasn't rough. It was beautiful." Anna whispered again, this time to Seth. "It was Seth though." Nicholas sternly spoke. Anna's eyes flickered back to his face. Studying him again, and finally accepting what he said with a nod. Seth relaxed a bit and glanced over my worried face. He reached out a hand and touched it lightly to my cheek. "What's wrong?" "That wasn't you." I demanded. I felt as if I was losing my mind. "You're a little lightheaded from drinking. You're just confused." He left his hand against my cheek. It was cool against my burning skin. Flushed from the alcohol, red from the embarrassment. I leaned into it, allowing it to cup my face a bit more. His fingers felt rough against my inflamed skin. "Maybe we should get you guys some air?" Nicholas suggested. Standing, he pulled Anna's jacket from behind her and held it open for her. Anna stood, but Seth and I remained seated. She slid her arms through her gray peacoat and waited for us to join them. "I'm fine." I lied. Flames were licking my face and going downwards towards my throat. "We'll be right back." She looked at Seth and then me. Nicholas put his hand on her back and urged her towards the door. I noticed her clinging to her purse as Nicholas stopped by the front door and pulled a black leather jacket from a peg. My eyes focused back to Seth as the door gushed a cold breeze across the room towards us. "You really need some air also." Seth sat back in his chair. "That wasn't you." I repeated. Seth rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "You know, I think the alcohol has really gotten to you." He held his hand up to the waiter who brought over the bill. Without even glancing at it, he threw two hundred dollar bills onto the table and stood up. "Come on. Let's get you outside." My eyes wandered over his lean body, recognizing the flannel shirt, but skimming past his hips to the black jeans that hugged him snuggly, and the large brown work boots that weren't even tied. I would've put a bet on the fact that he was a construction worker and not an international movie star. He held his hand out for me and when I was too dumbfounded to take it, he slid between the window and me and pulled my chair out for me. He came back around to the front of me and held his hand out again. This time I took the soft warm palm in mine and allowed him to help me up. I shook as I slid my arms into the jacket he held for me. He picked up my black leather purse and held it while he held his hand out for me to follow him. I shook because I was afraid to let him go. If I didn't say goodbye, and how could I, I was afraid where we would go next. My mind raced to sliding my hands inside of his flannel shirt and his lips against mine. I could just see the outline of scruff on his jaw, and wondered what it would feel like brushing against my cheek. My face grew hotter as he stopped in the same spot as Nicholas to put his own gray wool coat on. My heart was beating very quickly when I felt his hand on my wrist this time and not my hand. He tugged me towards the door and my face was greeted with the sharp sting of the Portland night. It had gotten dark quickly, at least it seemed quickly, but honestly I wasn't aware how long we had stayed inside. Strange Love Once outside I glanced around the parking lot for Anna and Nicholas, but they were nowhere to be seen. I tripped on my own heel and fell into the wall next to the door. I wondered if all eyes had been on us once again as we rushed from the bar. Before I knew what had happened Seth's arms were closing me in against the wall. In the darkness, and without his lumberjack ensemble visible, he looked as beautiful as the vampire he was supposed to be playing. His gray eyes bore down on me, studying my face this time. I could feel his hot breath against my face, sweet from the smell of rum and coke. I gasped, looking up into his face, and let out another muffled gasp when I felt his lips crash against mine. Our lips were so swollen that the sensation was heightened even more. I knew this was the alcohol playing its roll, but allowed myself to give over to the sensation that was already rolling up in my belly. Before I even noticed his tongue begging for entrance at my mouth I had told myself that whatever the night held, I was open for it. Seth removed one hand from beside my head and slid it down my side to settle on my waist. He found the edge of my shirt and allowed his fingers to play with the hem. His tongue was dancing on my lip, licking ever so gently, almost asking permission to come inside. I parted my lips and allowed the sweet taste of his mouth to join his tongue. His kiss deepened, pushing my head against the wall. I felt as if the brick was nothing more than a pillow, absorbing me against it. I let a small moan escape my mouth as his now chilled fingers touched the bare skin of my waist. He groaned at the sound of my sensual noise and pushed his body deeper against mine. My face was flushed once again, and I barely registered the cold wind whipping around us. Suddenly he broke the kiss. Slowly pulling away from me. His eyes still trained on mine, I couldn't tear my gaze from his. He acted to move in again when I heard a sensual sigh from around the corner of the building. Only eight feet away I could see the elbow of my friend's jacket, how I had missed it before, I wasn't sure, but now, with Seth here, heightening my senses, I could understand how insignificant it had looked a moment ago. Seth allowed me to slip from his hold and I sauntered slowly and wobbly towards the elbow. My fingers jumped to my mouth when I was close enough to see Nicholas pushing Anna against the wall. His arms were straining to hold her about a foot off the ground, leaning in to nuzzle into her throat. Her eyes flew open when she heard the minuscule gasp I had made. Her eyes were dark in the moonlight, but she smiled wickedly, understanding my surprise. A voice came from behind me, smooth and sensual, "Let's give them some privacy, Love." Seth's hands found my waist while his face nuzzled into my hair. Anna nodded once and then allowed her eyes to slip back shut as Nicholas's nose grazed her jaw and his eyes spotted Seth and me. He smiled just as wickedly, already planning in his head what he was going to do with the rest of his night. I turned quickly, my stomach cramping with nervousness for both my friend and myself. This is wrong. I fought my drunken self. We're both virgins. I begged again. Seth's eyes looked down at me kindly, but the same wicked smile as the other two, played with his lips. He pulled me against his body and urged me up to his lips into another kiss. I could hear the heavy breathing of Nicholas behind me as Seth's mouth overtook mine. Give in. His mouth seemed to beg to me. So I did. Again, I let myself melt against Seth. His tight body was against mine. His tongue was soft as it explored my mouth, learning more about me than any other man ever had. He wasn't just kissing me, but tasting me, attempting to find more out about me through this kiss than a whole conversation. I felt his arms and feet pulling me away. Well- not pulling away but guiding me away from Anna and Nicholas, to where, I had no idea, but I didn't care. The nervous cramps remained in my stomach but were joined by a tight heat deeper down to my core. He broke the kiss finally and I let out a small sigh that sounded more like a whine. He pulled a set of keys from his pocket and held them up to me giving them a little shake. "My place or yours?" My gut twanged and almost made me scream out. Yet I remained calm and looked at the car we stood in front of. It was a small silver Audi with tinted windows. I let out a low whistle, impressed by his ride and he shook his head, "not mine, just the studio's. They want to make sure I get around on time." He chuckled to an unknown joke. His thick eyebrows raised waiting for my reply. "Mine?" He nodded once and opened the passenger door for me. I slid into the cold car and felt the cold leather even through my jeans. The door opened on the driver's side as I fastened my seatbelt. Seth sat down and let the engine begin to purr. "Where are you staying?" He leaned into me, "The Hilton." I mumbled against his lips. With the car purring and pumping hot air, the cold wind was a thing of the past. My face grew hot again against his lips and I could barely control my hands. Before I had realized it my hands had taken control of themselves, obviously frustrated with my idiocy. My hand found his thigh and began to rub itself against the rough material of his jeans. Seth shifted uncomfortably against his seat, yet continued to allow my insanity. His hand too moved from the steering wheel to my face, as he gently encouraged me without words. My hand felt the soft muscles under his jeans. His thigh was thin, and soft, yet a lean tight muscle flexed as I slowly massaged it. A small moan escaped his mouth this time as he broke away and shifted the car into gear. I yelled at my hands to stop as I found them doing whatever they wanted. But they were on their own, and soon they had convinced my mouth to join the exploration. The car lurched forward a little too quickly and Seth chuckled nervously, "Sorry, Love." The car smoothly pulled out of the parking lot as my mouth took its first course and found a soft patch of skin underneath his earlobe. A jagged breath escaped between his lips as the car sped a little more quickly towards my hotel. I sighed my hot breath onto his neck as my mouth took its path down his jaw line, discovering just how rough his scruff felt against my soft inflamed lips. My hand traveled upward. My hand found something smooth and bulging and I could only assume what it was. My mind screamed for me to stop, until it too, betrayed me and I found it growing frustrated by a leather belt I hadn't discovered was there before. He sighed from relief and from intensity as we flew into a spot in the parking lot. "You're killing me." His voice was gruffer, but still beautifully Irish. "No, I'm pleasing you." He chuckled, noticing my slurred words, still. It was true, in the few short minutes that raged in my mind as an eternity, my body had not grown anymore sober. My speech was still slurred, my steps, I noticed as I got out of the car, were still clumsy, and my face was still flushed with heat. Seth was at my side, slipping a soft arm around my waist. "I gotcha." He helped me in through the front doors past the lobby. It felt strange. I was definitely able to know what was happening and what I was doing, but I felt just a little less frightened to do it. When the elevator doors slid shut I found myself against the mirrored wall, positioned just as if we were still at the bar. "You tease." Seth growled against my throat, as his hot breath tickled the nape of my neck. I felt his mouth- wet and opened- against a spot on my neck. I arched my back against him, feeling his body take mine against his, as he sucked and nipped at the skin on my neck. I was hot and about to boil over. I felt the palm of his hand between my legs, radiating the heat through my jeans, teasing my core. I threw my head back and whined. "Do you like it, Love? The teasing?" My whole body responded to his, and for only a split second I wondered how often a woman's body reacted like this to him. I swallowed my disgust, remembering the deal with myself: I was open tonight. If a womanizer wanted me, I was going to give him everything I had- including my virginity. I inhaled his scent, mostly smelling like faded cologne, stale alcohol, and cold wind. Against my skin it felt wonderful. In my nose it smelled phenomenal. The elevator doors dinged and we split apart. Two hot, ravenous bodies, both stained with red cheeks. I grabbed his hand, pulling him this time. We rushed down the hallway, all the way to the end. His lips found the back of my neck; his arms found my waist as I slipped the cardkey into the lock, shaking. The door swung open and I couldn't have been happier to let the darkness flood around me. I swung around, my lips already on Seth's before we had dropped out coats. He slipped his off and then yanked at my shoulders, pulling mine off as well. They both fell to the floor with a thud. Outside, the wind whipped around the windows, howling. I felt my body being pushed towards the bed. My back hit the soft down comforter before I knew I had been pushed down. Seth fell on top of me, settling himself between my knees. My fingers raked his back as his hands dug into my waist. It was then that I felt it. He ground his hips against mine and I could feel his erection pushing through, as if he had a bottle stuffed in his pants. I sighed and moaned at the same time- yes, it is possible. His eyes found mine and stared at me apologetically, although I had the feeling he wasn't sorry in the least. I had no time for nervousness. I had to get to him before he sobered up. I giggled at the thought, hoping he would be outta here before I woke up the next day. I didn't need to see the look of horror on his face. He tore away my thoughts with a kiss. His lips traveled gently all across my overly sensitive skin. I wondered if his lips always felt this soft and swollen or if it was the rum doing its job. I lifted my hips to urge his back down against mine. He complied, this time pushing his thighs against me long enough to slip the flannel shirt over his head. I was so happy to see the thin material of the black t-shirt hugging his body, and be rid of the ugly flannel, that suddenly I wanted him ten times more. His fingers found the hem of my shirt and yanked it gently over my head. I fell back against the bed, my black and purple bra pushing up my breasts. His eyes swam over my cleavage. His upper body fell back down to greet my lips in another deep kiss. His lips traveled down, taking full advantage of his moment with the cleavage. His face was lost for a few moments, rubbing his hot cheeks against my cold chest. His mouth began to spread kisses, and when his mouth nipped through the fabric at my nipple I arched my back against his face. I was afraid that I might have hurt his nose, until I remembered the cushion of my breast against him. He sat up again, looking down at my body, sliding down my breasts and waist and back up to meet my eyes. The icy gray seemed to be on fire now. The flames from his cheeks touched his eyes and showed me the want his body held for mine. He unbuckled his belt and as he slid it from his waist, I was afraid I might lose it. I regained composure and let my hands graze up my sides seductively and reach my cheek. It was burning up. I could feel that even with my own hand. I bit my lip and watched as his lips curled into a sensual wicked smile. I groaned just a little bit but more for show than of need. His eyes glazed over my body again. "Bra. Off." "Shirt. Off." I tested back. He looked down at his chest and quickly pulled the shirt over his head. My eyes now traveled over him. He was soft and strong at the same time. Just like his thigh, he was thin, with just a bit of meat around his stomach- too much rich Irish food- but I could see the faint outlines of abs, pecks, and his biceps, which appeared the strongest. I was a little disgruntled to see that Seth was not smooth but had a good amount of chest hair that crawled lightly from his stomach up to his throat. My hands, again, decided to do their own thing and moved slowly up his soft skin, through the small curls of chest hair, over to pinch one of his nipples. He smiled and his head fell back in a moan. "Bra. Off." He repeated, snapping his head back to look at me. As the moonlight poured in through the two walls of windows, I regretted teasing him. My stomach tightened again in knots, lurching with nervousness. What had I gotten myself into? He snapped his fingers impatiently and I scowled at him. Taking a gulp I pulled the bra up over my head, allowing my breasts to bounce back down against my chest. His eyes were transfixed on them. I reached down and unbuttoned his pants. The zipper slid down easily, but was much louder than I could have imagined in the silent room. His head snapped down and he peered at my hands as they attempted to pull them down. He climbed off the bed, eyes still fixed on mine as he slid them down for me. His hands found the rim of my jeans and did the same job for me, only to leave my underwear behind. He climbed back on me, my body amazed by his subtle hardness, but his cock fully aroused underneath his black boxer-briefs. I felt him pushing against me again, this time, so much more defined. His mouth caught a nipple and sucked gingerly on it for just a few moments before releasing it to try out the other one. I arched again, my hand digging into the messiness of his bronzed hair. His hands were on my waist, one slowly sliding down and cupping my over stimulated entrance. I writhed beneath him, begging for more, but based on the heat radiating off of me, he knew I needed no more taunting. He reached down and pulled my soft cotton panties off. My legs settled back down around him when I felt the head of his cock nudging my leg. He had taken himself out, and I could barely stand the anticipation. My head swam, would it hurt? How bad was this? Would it be great? Why won't he just do it already? I looked down to try to see down past his chest, but could see nothing but the movement of his stomach with sharp pants and my rounder softer stomach moving with his. When my eyes reached back up he was looking at me, into my eyes, waiting for me. I nodded, answering his unspoken question. I felt his warm hand slide back down my stomach and suddenly his cock and hand were nudging my opening. His fingers held my lips open readying me for his entrance. His thick head poked at me, and suddenly sharp searing pain filled my eyes. A sharp intake of breath made him stop moving and look back down at me. "Are you okay?" I nodded. He paused, probably wondering what new insanity I had to offer him, then a slow realization dawned on him and a goofy grin slid across his face as his body nudged deeper in. My eyes squeezed shut, ashamed to let him know what I was. He moved in deeper, I felt my body being split in two. My muscles begged to let him in, but from shear newness they also refused to. When I felt the weight of his body crush me the tiniest bit I knew he was all the way inside of me, and I was that much closer to being prepared for him. He paused, waiting, apparently knowing. If he managed to wait just a few more moments I would be ready to accommodate him. It barely took that long. I bit into his shoulder when he began to move back in and out. The soreness was being tested by him. He groaned a little as my teeth sank deeper into his hard muscle. Finally, the friction began to feel good and I moaned with pleasure. I didn't want him to stop. He moved with me, running his hands over every inch he could reach. His lips found mine as I exhaled a loud cry. My body was rocking with intensity. I slid my hands down to his waist, feeling his hips grind into me over and over. The head of his cock popped within my body, offering more pleasure than I deserved. He murmured my name, almost shocked that he remembered it; I returned the whispers. He was growing moist from working so hard. He felt so good, and I could feel the nervousness from earlier leaving my belly and returning with a searing heat that cramped me ever so slightly. His hips bucked against mine harder, catching my lips again. "Yes. Yes. Yes." I cried to him in a whisper. I saw his eyes meet mine when suddenly the room disappeared into blackness. My body began shaking and I could feel my toes curl against his calves. My breath caught and suddenly I could feel every single throb of Seth's prick inside of me. I opened my eyes, feeling myself coming down from the high. He was frozen, his mouth hanging open. His body shuddered against mine, and I was suddenly filled with warm liquid. I knew some was mine. He grunted and gasped and he pumped a few last times, welcoming my slick opening. I clenched my teeth as I heard a good groan coming from my own throat. "Fuck, Seth." I huffed out as I felt him crash down onto me. He kissed my cheek and then my jaw as he rolled off and next to me on the bed. The coolness of the dark room was so relieving against my overheated body. I smiled at him and curled against his chest. He was musky and sweet. He wrapped an arm around me and kissed my forehead. Soon I remembered only sleep. Strange Love Ch. 02 The sunlight filtered through my thin eyelids, calling me to wake. I sighed and looked across the room. The shades had never been pulled shut, and a welcomed change in the Portland weather sent sunshine streaming through all six windows. I blinked a few times, trying to situate my left contact back into place. It was a moment before I remembered why the shades had never been pulled shut or my contacts taken out. I rolled over onto my back with a groan. I looked towards what should have been an empty spot on the bed to see the back of the man I had spent my night with. My eyes blurred from the contacts and the sun pained my head. Or maybe it was the alcohol? I blinked back a few more times and scanned over Seth's back. He slumbered peacefully, the muscles in his back moving with his breaths. My eyes moved down, following the freckles down his back to the curve right above his ass- and Oh My God what an ass. How had I not noticed that before? I giggled lightly, and fought the urge to put my hand to my head. Seth's hair was standing straight up in the back. There were scratches on his shoulders, and a bite/hickey on his right one. Slightly higher, right between his neck and collarbone were more teeth marks. I thought hard, trying to remember leaving the marks, but could only smile when I remembered digging my nails into his shoulders during my orgasm. He was still here. Sleeping, but still here. I was still naked, and wondered if he had woken up before me only to fall back asleep. I needed to get changed and shower. When he woke up, I wouldn't want him to run away seeing 'morning Sandy'. I slipped from bed, every inch of my body begging me not to. I heard Seth take a sharp inhale and shift slightly. I didn't turn towards him, but when his breathing returned to normal, I continued my journey off of the bed. My legs seemed to creak as I straightened them. My back was on fire as it straightened also. I ran my hand through my hair, slightly stiff from product and sweat. I limped my way towards the bathroom. Between my legs, my most private parts were in agony. I felt as if I had been ripped apart and clumsily put back together. I slowly shut the door, allowing only a small click to emit. Once inside I took a deep breath and grinned at myself in the mirror. My makeup had run the tiniest bit, my hair stood up as if it was teased, and my face was still rosy from the night. I didn't look much different. I don't know why I expected to look it, but at the same time I felt that I was glowing from the reflection. I twisted the knob on the shower and climbed into the steamy goodness. The water drizzled down my body, healing the aching muscles. I lathered soap into my hair and felt the stinging between my legs as water found its way between the folds. I gasped a little bit, running my fingers down over the swollen skin. The tender stroking of my soapy fingers felt good as they massaged my sore lips. I lathered conditioner into my hair. The water sprayed down onto my face. I thought of the night before and the sweet kisses from Seth's lips. They were so soft, warm, and passionate. My stomach rolled from excitement. I heard the door click open and a throat clear. I froze. "Love?" Seth's voice was even more tender than I remembered. I sighed at it, "yeah?" "I'm late." He chuckled lightly. "I was supposed to be on the set a half an hour ago." He was leaving. I caught my breath, trying to swallow back the inevitable. "Okay." He sighed. Guilt? "So I have to get going." He paused. I waited to hear him leave but he spoke again, "Nicholas is going to bring Anna to the set. I left directions on the desk." "Okay." I guess that meant I'd have to go get her. "My number is on the pad too." I could hear the discomfort in his voice. I was guessing he was running his hand through his messy locks. I heard a light chuckle. "They're gonna kill me." I waited for an explanation, when none came; I gave in, "Who will?" "The makeup people." He chuckled again, "They'll see last night all over my face." I slid the curtain open slightly. Still blinking back foggy contacts. Seth was leaning against the sink looking directly across at me. He was dressed, save the ugly flannel shirt. He looked very sexy staring back at me under thick eyelashes. I could see what he meant; his lips were swollen and rimmed with red. Under his eyes were dark circles, and my bite mark was slightly visible at the base of his throat. His arms were folded in front of his chest, his forearms flexed in a sexy way. I smirked a little and when I looked back up he was too; his eyes smoldered me from across the steamy room. His eyes traveled down very quickly, but I held the curtain close to my body. There was nothing for him to see except wet hair. He licked his lips and pushed himself up from the vanity. "I better go." "Ok." I repeated. He didn't wave or even smile again, just shut the door behind him. I fought back the urge of tears. I was angry with myself. Always the typical woman, I had to have been hurt by the one-night stand. The tears fell slowly but mixed with the shower water. I was sad he had left, but I was mad at myself even more for being sad. I shut the water off, telling myself that he was not worth the sadness. The hotel towel was soft against my sore limbs. I couldn't believe what a workout I had gotten with just one night with Seth. It felt as if I had been doing squats all night, just to land crotch first onto a hot iron poker. As I slowly dressed myself, I wondered if it was a good idea to really go to the set. Seeing me might just make him regret the previous night more, and he might even be angry that I had showed up so quickly. Another possibility might have been that he was testing me to see how obsessed I would get with him so quickly. No, men don't think that way. I told myself. He told me to come to the set. He said that Anna would be meeting me there. After applying just the right amount of makeup, I remembered the directions on the desk that Seth had left me. I picked up the thin pad of paper with the Hilton's "H" logo. On it was a few lines of scratched out directions. On the bottom was a ten-digit phone number, area code included. Underneath that was his name. I reread the directions and the number. There was no greeting and no farewell. I searched a third time for some sign of regret or congeniality. Nothing. The only hope I had was his phone number. Why would he leave his number, including area code, if he didn't want to hear from me? Maybe if I got lost I could call? But the directions seemed pretty precise. Take three rights after the highway and I'd be at the set entrance. I ripped the paper from the pad and slid it into my purse. It wasn't until I got downstairs that I had realized our rental car was not in the parking lot. Since I had to go pick up Anna, I could only assume the Elantra was still sitting back at the bar. We weren't far but it was a good five blocks away. I zipped up my down black jacket and braced myself against the nippy wind. The sun shown down onto my face and helped cut the sting, but the wind was still wintery. I wasn't happy about the walk, but it did allow me some time to clear my head. So many things were weighing on my mind. Including the fact that I felt the eyes on me once more. I slowly looked around. The wind whipped my hair into my face. I spit it out, using the opportunity to shake my head in multiple directions and glance around for the leering eyes. Cars passed by, but no one was around to stare at me. I heaved a heavy sigh and continued. Avoiding the crippling fear of being watched. Why hadn't I thought to ask Seth for a ride? I spotted the bar and began to walk more swiftly towards it. Sure enough, the white Elantra was waiting for me, as if it was expecting my return this whole time. I unlocked the door- only the driver's side- many yards before I had reached the car. I slid into the seat, hardly opening the door more than my body, and locked the door as soon as I had it shut. I glanced around again, feeling the tightening in my chest I usually felt after leaving the hotel. No one was around. I shuddered at the eerie feelings that were draining from the car. Enclosed in the metal compartment I was safe from anyone who might attack me. If there was anyone out there... I turned the ignition over and listened to the quieter sound of my car. While Seth's car might have been sleek and purred, this one was just comfortable and quiet. Perfect for sleeping while we drove long distances. As I drove down the highway towards the exit Seth instructed me to get off, I thought about the nagging feeling that had been following me around this past week. The only time I had really felt safe was when Seth was with me. I sighed and wished that he were with me right now. Maybe I would see him at the set. I slowed down in front of some barriers and a few guards. I knew this was the spot, but how was I supposed to get through? Seth hadn't left me instructions on that part. "Good morning, Miss." A large black man greeted me when I rolled down the window. His head was bald and shining from the warming sun. He must've been local, the wind barely seemed to register on his face, and his jacket was much lighter material than what I had on. "Good Morning." Who should I ask for? Nicholas or Seth? "Has Seth gotten in yet?" "Seth who, Miss?" He leaned down closer to my window. Shit. I had never thought to ask him his last name. Suddenly the severity of my one-night stand was crashing down on me. I inhaled deeply. "Or Nicholas?" I had less chance to know Nicholas's last name. At least I had been close enough to Seth's pants to take a peek inside his wallet. I wish I had. "Nicholas?" He wasn't buying my innocence. I took a deep breath and leaned in towards him, speaking in a whisper. Maybe the truth was the best idea. Maybe not. "Honestly I'm not sure. My friend spent the night with Nicholas last night and I'm supposed to pick her up here." The black guard smiled and stood up. He put his hands on his hips and looked around. A silver car was pulling up behind me, but I couldn't see who was inside. The windows were tinted. I could only hope that it was Nicholas. "I don't see your friend around here, Ma'am." I rolled my eyes and laid my head back against the headrest. Damnit. A brief honk came from behind me. The silver car had blocked me up against the red barriers, there was nowhere for me to go. The guard looked behind me at the silver car and nodded. "Hold on Ma'am." I had gone from Miss to Ma'am in just a few short seconds. I wondered what caused the change, if any. The guard walked to the silver car and peeked in through a small crack. I looked in my rearview mirror to see a pass being slipped through a crack in the window. The guard looked down at it and smiled. He looked towards my car and nodded, handing the pass back to the car. I squinted harder to see who might be driving but could only see the outline of a man with spiked hair. The car didn't look the same as Seth's but I was convinced it was when the guard came back to my vehicle and said, "Why didn't you say you were with him, Miss Belfour?" My mouth dropped open. Had Seth done some wallet snooping of his own while I was in the shower? I looked back up into the rearview mirror to see the man's head turn and then adjust a pair of sunglasses. The guard nodded curtly once as I passed and then again to the silver car. Beyond the barriers were cars and trailers parked as far as I could see. I wondered where Seth would want me to stop when I happened to notice a sign that pointed to the actor's trailers. I parked my car amongst a few others on the edge of 'trailer row'. I was surprised to see the silver car continue past me as I got out of the car. I wasn't sure if I should get back in and follow Seth to his personal trailer. Maybe the main actors had a separate area. I noticed a group of people walking towards the trailers. I tried to look as professional as I could and took my chance, "excuse me." The three girls and two guys slowed to a stop. No one looked familiar so I held my breath with hopes that they would know whom I was referring to. "Yes?" One redhead replied. "Can you tell me which trailer is Seth's?" My voice cracked just the tiniest bit as I said his name, and I hoped that it wouldn't give me away. The girls all looked me up and down, debating on what to tell me. Finally the redhead smiled and pointed down one of the trailer rows. "Take that row. He's the sixth one down. There'll be a sign on his door." "Thank you." I exhaled. I slung the short straps of my purse over my shoulder and stiffly began to walk through the parking lot that had been turned into a trailer park. My feet carried me much slowly than I had hoped. It wasn't the soreness but the fact that I was terrified to see Seth again. I passed the first four trailers and spotted what would've been his trailer. Around me only few people walked by. Most of them were carrying bags and baskets full of makeup. Seth's trailer blended in with the rest of the trailers. There was nothing in particular that seemed to distinguish his from the guy's next to him except for the sign on the door that said "Seth Vernon" I relaxed the tension from my shoulders rereading his last name. At least now I would know it. I looked around, but the few people who continued to pass didn't seem to pay me any attention. I wondered if it would've been smarter to ask for Nicholas's trailer instead. Anna would've been there, after all. That and Seth had driven past me. There was no way he could've beaten me to his trailer unless there had been a separate parking lot that was closer to his trailer. I looked further down the row, but there were only trees beyond the last trailer. Maybe he had a meeting to go to before coming to his trailer. I sat down on the stairs, contemplating my next move. Should I try to find Anna? Or Nicholas's trailer? Or was the best choice to stay and wait for Seth? The nervous worry of whether Seth wanted to see me had faded when he had pulled up behind me. It still might not have been him wanting me to come to his trailer though, just gather my friend and get out of his hair. I heard muffled voices from inside the trailer. Had he really beaten me? I stood and rapped on the door lightly. The voices stopped abruptly. Only a moment later the door pulled open and Seth- breathtaking- stood before me. My voice caught as he gazed down into me, his eyes no longer gray but a beautiful emerald green. "Good morning Sandy." His lips were still swollen but the reddened rims were no longer visible. His skin had been powdered white so that his cheeks were no longer stained; yet the circles under his eyes were still dark. "They did a great job." I could only manage to get out. He chuckled and smiled a crooked smile that was clearly practiced for the movie. "Thanks. Want to come in?" He took his hand from the door and allowed me to climb the three steps up into his trailer. The heat of the room brushed my face. The trailer looked like a typical RV only with a chair sitting in front of an oversized mirror and vanity. "Who were you talking to?" I asked a little surprised to find myself alone with him. "Huh?" He turned and grabbed a pile of papers off of the vanity. "I thought I heard you talking to someone in here." I let the purse slide off of my shoulder and onto the arm of his couch. He turned back towards me, "oh no. I was just running lines." He lifted the bundle of papers and I could see that it said Blood Scent across the front of the first paper. "Oh." I looked around the trailer. "So where am I supposed to meet Anna?" Seth ran his hand through mostly tidy hair. It had obviously been fussed with for a while, and made to look perfectly untidy. Halfway through his hair he stopped and lowered his hand as if trying to break a habit. "Nicholas is going to bring her to the Blakely house." He chuckled and dropped me the same crooked smile again. "Is it really a house?" "Yes." He smiled, "We should head out there." I lifted my purse from the couch and slid it over my shoulder. As I was adjusting my shirt I felt the heat from Seth's body radiating against me. I looked up to see he had come closer to me. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, "Your perfume smells good." I gasped audibly, "I hardly sprayed any on." He looked at me curiously. "But thank you." He flashed me a smile. "You look nice too." Before I could thank him again I felt his lips gently touch mine. My eyes instinctively shut to take in the feel of his softly creased lips. Both of our lips were still engorged and sore from the night before. I gave into the softness of his body when I felt his hands gripping my upper arms. He pulled me closer to him. I felt his warm breath on my upper lip as he exhaled through his nose. I tilted my head just the slightest bit giving into his kiss but he broke the contact. I opened my eyes to see these new emerald-colored eyes staring back at me with questions behind them. "Your eyes..." "It's just the contacts. Lucian has green eyes." He shrugged away. "I like yours better." I blushed. A knock at the door made me jump. I tore my eyes from his and looked at the door. Seth kept his eyes centered on me. Another knock came, but Seth didn't look as if he intended to get the door. "Come in." "Mr. Verner I'm here to drive you to the set." The voice called from the other side of the door. Seth's eyes darted to the door and back to me quickly. "I'll be right there." I chuckled. "Did he just call you Mr. Verner?" Seth smiled and rolled his eyes. The script was lying against his thigh. I wondered if he had been turned on by our brief but sensual kiss. "I heard you had some trouble with my name this morning as well." I nodded, ashamed, and watched as he slid on a gray peacoat. I hadn't noticed how nicely he was dressed until my eyes were drawn to his body. A pair of fitted dark blue jeans clothed his legs with black leather shoes on his feet. He wore a gray knit sweater with a black undershirt peaking from the collar. "You look very nice too." He adjusted the collar of his coat and looked down at himself when he noticed my blatant staring. "Yeah, Lucian dresses better than I do." The words slid off of his Irish tongue beautifully. "We'll take the golf cart up to the house." I nodded, just noticing the fact that I would be coming along with him. I gulped down my nervousness as Seth opened the door for me and I came face-to-face with a middle-aged man. His eyes seemed just as shocked by the sight of me as I was that I would be riding with Seth. "Good morning Mr. Verner." He smiled at me instead of Seth. His eyes flickered to Seth and then back to me quickly. "Good morning Steve." Seth's hand pressed against my back very gently, leading me down the stairs and towards the front of the cart. "Oh," I exclaimed when I noticed Seth heading for the back seat. "I can sit in the back." I didn't want to face backwards, but Seth was the leading actor and the priority in the cart. "No, no. You take the front." He sat down and turned his body to look towards the front. Steve raised an eyebrow at me but settled into the cart and sped forward down the drive I had just come from. The wind blew through my hair and although my motion sickness begged me to look forward and watch the road, my eyes couldn't leave Seth, who seemed to be enjoying the cool air on his face. Again my mind flashed to the script situated on his lap. I could only hope he was hiding some joy of seeing me, but that would be naïve. The cart took a sharp right turn and my body began to slide toward the driver only to feel Seth's hand steadying me from a fall. His grin was large as his pine-colored eyes settled back onto my face. The red was beginning to show just the tiniest bit through the makeup and I wondered if it would go away or if someone would need to touch him up. Strange Love Ch. 02 The cart began to slowly climb a hill of trees. The path was just beginning to be worn in through the grass. Through the trees I spotted the outline of a house. It was beautiful and modern with concrete walls and few windows. At the top people were rushing around setting up the scene, getting coffee for others, and talking to each other. The cart came to a stop and nobody noticed us join the group. Only one smaller girl with long black hair bounded up to us and waved at Seth. "Good morning Seth!" "Morning Emma." Seth crooned. An immediate blush came over her face. I wasn't sure if it was because of Seth or his accent. She looked me over briefly and leaned in towards Seth, "So she's the one that made you late today?" A slight giggle emitted from her. She didn't seem to say it as an insult, but my face still blushed from anger not embarrassment. Seth chuckled and I felt the pressure from his hand on my back again. I spotted a very exhausted looking Anna sitting on the stairs of the front porch. I lifted my hand and waved but she didn't see me. "She looks tired." Seth laughed. "Yeah she does. Seems like I might have to cancel her signing today." I mumbled, not really caring about another damn signing. With Seth's hand on my back I felt all of my anxieties melt away. The pressure was firm but mild. I leaned my back into his hand just a tiny bit and felt the pressure increase. Nicholas came into view and handed Anna a Styrofoam cup. She looked down into it and smiled half-heartedly. He rubbed one of his large hands along her shoulder before sitting down on the step next to her. He was dressed in a leather goth style. He wore a pair of leather pants with an untucked button-up shirt. Anna's eyes slid shut as we broke through the crowd. "Morning." I quipped. Her eyes slowly opened as she forced another half-hearted smile at me. "Maybe you should get her home." Seth growled into my ear. "No!" His eyes widened as he came to the side of me. "I just mean, I'd love to see you film a little." A smile spread across his face. "Maybe another day. She doesn't look like she can take much more." Anna's eyes had slid back shut and Nicholas was leaning towards Emma. She spoke in giggles and pointed to Anna. Nicholas glanced over to her and frowned. He looked back to the smallish actress and shook his head. Again I wished I could will my ears to hear, but I knew there was no luck with that. "Nicholas seems to be disappointed she won't be staying though." Seth snuggled his face down into his jacket. I twisted my body against his to keep the warmth. He accepted my soft body without hesitation. "And you?" I would question how he could hear what the two actors had said, but was too interested in what he was thinking. "I don't mind if she stays." He chuckled. I hit his chest with my constricted hand. He dodged just a tiny bit and then snuggled back in. "We need to get to your den." A blond bounded up to us. Seth looked down at her as he did me, nearly half a foot. His mouth opened to say something to the girl but just smiled. "Be right there." He replied. "I have to go." He pulled away from me and my body was suddenly rushed from the cold air. "My queen needs me" I scowled; I wanted to be the only woman in his life. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slim silver phone. I felt his fingers growing cold from the air as he slipped the phone into my hand. He leaned down quickly and pressed his lips to my forehead. I heard him sniff from the cold. "Put your number in. I'll call you later." His accent had slipped away in just a matter of seconds. I looked down at the phone as he began to walk away, "Leave it with Emma." The girl with the black hair smiled at me and jumped to my side. She truly seemed friendly. "So you're seeing Seth?" She asked. I watched as Seth bounded up the front steps and swung the front door open. With one last smoldering look he disappeared into the cement house. I looked down at his phone and flipped it open. It flashed a brown and white furry dog on the LCD screen. "Um, kinda?" She rolled her eyes at the vague reply. "Yeah, guys are like that." She looked over my shoulder. "I think that's his dog home in Cork." The dog was looking at the camera like it was a toy. A small black nose was too close to the screen to appreciate the rest of his face. Behind the dog was a lawn and what looked like a bicycle. The thought of Seth in Cork riding a bike made me smile. "Seth's a nice guy." "Yeah, he is." Emma smiled waiting for me to hand her his phone. "Should we not be here?" Emma glanced over at Nicholas and Anna. Anna had moved her head from against the porch banister to Nicholas's beefy shoulder. He had begun another conversation, this time with a tall sexy blond. I was glad Anna's eyes were closed. She would definitely feel a bit insignificant next to her. "Nah, you can stay. But today's scenes are all in the house, and no one's allowed inside on the set. Seth just doesn't want you to freeze out here." I began to type in my number, but when I hit the '5' to begin inputting my area code a name flashed across the screen that caught my attention. Luc. My stomach lurched. I wasn't sure why. There were tons of Lucs in the world, and many that Seth probably knew, right? The eerie coincidence that I was on the set of a movie based on a book about a man named Lucian, nicknamed Luc, made me shudder. Not a man- a vampire. This Luc was not calling, however. His name merely flashed because he must've been the fifth person on his speed dial. Emma looked over my shoulder when I stopped and looked at the horrified expression on my face. It must've been worse than I thought. "Something wrong?" She was an actress so I couldn't be sure if she registered the name. "Do you know a Luc?" She giggled, that sounded forced. "Seth's brother maybe?" "Sure." I forced my own smile and continued to type my number in. I saved it as Sandy. I snapped the phone shut and handed it to Emma. "Nice meeting you Sandy." She was off as quickly as she had flitted to my side. I felt the eyes return to the back of my head and scowled realizing Seth was not by my side. I looked up the house, seeing many windows on the upper floors, and contemplated Seth staring down at me without me knowing. I scurried over to Anna. My fear had returned. Even with someone as big as Nicholas around, I felt the urge to run. "You ready?" Nicholas looked up at me and smiled a goofy grin. "She's a bit tired." "I see that. Keep her up late?" I scoffed. Anna's eyes began to open and she mumbled something. The blond standing on the stair looking down at Nicholas ungracefully spluttered out a laugh. Nicholas chuckled and stood up, pulling Anna to a standing position with him. She blinked back sleep and shook it off a little as well. She smiled when she finally looked right at me. "Did you sleep at all?" I asked, more concerned than mocking. "We got an hour this morning." Nicholas whispered honestly. I rolled my eyes, hoping for Anna's sake he was either joking or they were playing an intense long-winded game of scrabble in his hotel room. "You want some help?" He asked Anna. She looked up at him, easily a foot shorter and shook her head. He brushed a piece of hair from her face as she stepped off of the stair and came closer to me. "When's the book signing?" "Tomorrow. I'm canceling." I assured her. Her shoulders slumped a little, her anxieties gone. "We need to get outta here though." I looked back at Nicholas. He had slipped his hands into his jacket and watched as we headed towards Steve. He was evidently awaiting someone needing a ride down the hill and jumped to help us in our seats. "I'm fine. Really." Anna insisted to both Steve and I as we tried to get her buckled in. "Let's just go." I sighed as I climbed in the front again. Nicholas had turned his attentions back towards the blond as we pulled away. The ride was short and both Anna and I were pleased to climb into our car. Anna snuggled her face against the soft seat, fighting sleep as she watched me lock the doors when we climbed in. "Still afraid?" I shrugged, attempting to hide my anxieties. "Were you really up that late?" Her head nodded just the tiniest bit. "And were you doing what I think all night?" She looked up at me through lazy eyelids. A smirk spread across her face and she whispered, "I can barely walk." We both let out nervous chuckles and I nodded my head, "I was so sore when I woke up this morning." "Is it gone now?" I turned the ignition over and began to pull out of the parking lot. I thought of the anguish that I felt between my legs this morning. The ride down the hill met some of the same bumps going up the hill had, and each time the car lurched I felt an uncomfortable throb between my legs. I shook my head. "Nicholas's a big boy though." I thought, wondering if it was true about all of him. "Yeah." She sighed into a sleepy state. On the thruway I noticed a silver car behind me. The windows were tinted and my mind flew back to the silver car at the entrance to the set that I had assumed was Seth. I never asked him if it had been. If it had been him, would he have had that much time to put on makeup? I groaned at my own anxieties. Silly. It was probably someone late for work and just told the guard I was with him to get me out of the way. When we reached the hotel room, it was only moments before Anna had collapsed, still in the same clothes from the night before, into a deep sleep. I slipped into the bathroom to make the appropriate phone calls to change the signing. I flipped open my computer and typed in Seth's name on allmovies.com. I didn't want to be surprised about his name or movies again. I was caught off guard to find that he was only 24 while I was 26. For good measure I looked up Nicholas Roth- he came up as Remus under the Blood Scent movie website. Around noon I ordered us some room service, and ate alone, waiting for Anna to wake up. Before she had, though, I found my happy belly lulling me into an afternoon nap. After all, I had to sleep off my hangover as well. Strange Love Ch. 03 When I woke up, it was getting dark again. I was beginning to become afraid that I would turn my days and nights around if I spent the night with Seth again. I heard typing in the bed next to me and noticed the glow from a computer. Anna was clacking away on the keys. I rolled over and stretched. "New book?" My voice was thick from sleep. "Something Nicholas said gave me the idea." She nodded, a pen sticking straight out of her mouth as she continued. "Any calls?" I rubbed my eyes. They were quite angry with me for sleeping with contacts in again. "You hear the phone ring?" She spoke almost bitterly. No I hadn't. I had hoped that maybe I had slept through it. I sat up, sore again. Maybe another shower would relieve the tension. The clock read 5:13. "You want some dinner?" Anna looked over at me. She looked much more revived from a day of sleep. Even though the room was dark I could see that her skin looked much less pale, and the darkness from under her eyes was gone. "Yeah. I'm starved. My lunch was cold when I woke up." I smiled and forced my body out of bed. "Cool. Let's do it." We only went down to the sports bar in the lobby for dinner. My fears crept back up before we had even shut the door to our room. But, like every other night since coming to Portland, no one attacked and no one was around to stalk. I took it as an extra bad sign when I felt the fear climbing my spine and lodging a tiny bomb in my brain. With the fear, I not only felt that someone was watching me, but I also knew that Seth was nowhere near. The night was silent as Anna and I both subconsciously checked our cell phones for missed calls. Even though neither of us wanted to be reminded of the missing phone calls, we couldn't help but talk about the night before. No matter how hard I tried to forget about Seth over a club sandwich or over an episode of House, his sexy smile and soft lips were always at the forefront of my mind. I was frustrated when I received no call, but when Anna hadn't either; we both agreed that maybe the filming ran very late. After all, when we went to bed it was nearly two in the morning. I tossed and turned that night. The eyes were boring into me even while I slept. When I opened my eyes, many times that night, no one was in the room, nor was anyone standing on the outside ledge peering into the windows. When I closed my eyes I saw Seth, but with those indescribable green eyes. He was always flashing me smiles underneath his thick eyelashes and eyebrows. The next morning came agonizingly slowly. Before I had the chance to open my eyes I heard the shower running. I had rescheduled the signing for one o'clock and the clock told me it was eleven. I had slept in. I reached over to the nightstand and grabbed my phone; I had missed all three of my alarms. I anxiously hit cancel; hopping that on the other end of those three would be a missed call. There were none. I grumbled to myself about worthless Irish people, "It's no wonder my family moved away from Ireland. Women were sick of waiting for the damn Irish men all the time." I put my contacts in, grumbling the whole time when Anna swung the shower down open, apparently grumbling to herself, as well. "No calls?" I bit back a laugh when she scowled at me. "No." She flipped her head upside down and began wringing her hair out. "Well, let me jump in the shower and see if we can get some lunch before your thing." I mumbled, but a little more optimistic since she still had not heard from Nicholas. The shower felt much better than it had the day before. I was not as sore, something that made me feel even more eager to have another visit from Seth. The shower did not sting my private spots, and I was not riddled with anxieties that Seth would be in the next room readying himself to take off. Around noon we were both ready to hit the road. With the best intentions, we discussed going back to the same bar after the signing that we met Seth and Nicholas in. We grabbed some McDonald's and headed straight for the little bookstore. It was cute and a tad bigger than an average Starbucks. Cars had already filled the parking lot, and we were surprised to see a line of women winding outside of the store. "They can't be for us." Anna gawked. "You weren't on the top twenty bestsellers list for twelve weeks just because it has a pretty cover." I reminded her, trying to keep the awe from my face as well. Anna and I had both dressed cutely just in case we ran into the boys back at the bar that night. Even though the wind whipped at a chilling 45 degrees, I had slipped into my most professional looking black skirt and an orange ribbed turtleneck. My boots had a slight heel on them and were laced up my ankles. Anna wore a brown skirt with a long-sleeved light blue shirt and black leather "fuck me" boots, as we had titled them, even though they didn't go as high as most that type. As we got out of the car a soft murmur came over the line of women. It was always a true stereotype: women went gaga over romance stories. Sadly, that was what Anna's first book had been labeled by Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly. She hadn't been happy when the reviews came out, until she noticed that they were given thumbs up and people, mostly women of course, had begun buying it, and loving it. I reached into the backseat and pulled out my briefcase full of paperwork, and the pens Anna preferred. She leaned over and grabbed our sodas from McDonald's. When we passed the line of women, no one said anything to us. It wasn't much of a surprise since the picture Anna had included in the back of the jacket was a photograph she had taken of a flower. "Good morning, Miss Tillman." An older woman with graying hair hurried over to us. She shook Anna's hand and then mine. "My name is Gale Florence. I'm the owner of Book Nook." I glanced around the store. It was quite cozy. There were shelves lined up throughout the store. Seating areas, and window seats were scattered throughout and there was fresh "free" coffee at a bar by the front windows. The walls were mostly warm colors and the floor was wooden with many scattered throw rugs. I could tell she really took pride in her little store, and based on how well it was kept up, she must've made a fairly good living at it too. "Good morning Gale. I'm Sandy Belfour." "Ms. Belfour, of course. How pleasant to finally meet you." Gale watched a woman walk around the store and slowly work her way up towards the register. Gale was dressed quite comfortably in jeans and a short-sleeved brown shirt. I couldn't get over how differently the people in Oregon dressed. When the customer finally got to the register, Gale excused herself to check her out. "Are you here alone?" Anna asked as we followed her to the register counter. It was lifted a foot from the ground on a platform. "Yes. My girl called in sick. Seems to be a lot of that going around, huh?" She glanced at Anna and I felt guilty for canceling the previous day. I should've told Anna I said she was sick with a head cold. I hoped she would play it cool, or Gale would feel the need to ask. After she rung out she stepped back down to greet us. "It's usually just me and Sarah, I have two people that help on the weekends, but we're a small store so we get along well." She looked at Anna again, "How are you feeling today, Dear?" "Much better, thank you. I'm sorry I had to cancel yesterday, I didn't realize that everything was planned so perfectly." Anna smiled sweetly. "It's alright. We were quite lucky actually. All of our customers are on an e-mail listing, so we just sent out the change of date. More people were unaware of your signing than I realized, so more people found out about it this way." She smiled and pointed to a table in the back of the store near a door. "I set you up over there. Around 12:30 I'm going to let the people inside out of the cold, if that's alright with you." "12:30 is fine." I answered for both of us. Anna nodded as the three of us walked towards the back. "I have five boxes of your books in the backroom" She pointed to the door that was situated next to the table and chairs. "There are already two boxes of books out on the table." "How much are you selling them for?" Anna asked. I was surprised at her boldness, but since this was a smaller private store compared to the chains I was a little curious as well. "23.50, and they've been going like hotcakes for the last two months." She nodded excitedly. "Wow." I nodded appreciatively. It was the cover price; I was impressed. However, most of the big chains liked to offer rewards programs where 40% was immediately knocked off. "That's why when I saw that you were doing a book tour Sarah begged me to have you come." I felt another pang of guilt knowing the girl who had called in was the one that wanted us here. "She knew that so many of our regulars would want to meet you." Another customer came into the store and Gale excused herself again. Anna and I looked at each other with guilty looks and then looked over the set up. They had a table and rather comfortable office chairs set out for us, along with a sign that read: Today Only! Meet Anna Tillman author of Timeless Love. Over the table was a gray tablecloth with her books piled high and a spot for cards and mailing list sign ups. Gale returned with a big smile on her face. "Sandy if you wouldn't mind would you help me out a bit today?" I groaned internally at the thought of working register. "Sure. With what?" "Just going into the back room and getting more boxes of books when you need them. I'll be busy at the register once she starts signing the books." "Once she starts signing books?" I repeated. "My one rule with customers is that they must buy the book in order to have it signed. Everyone out there either is a first time buyer or loves the book so much they're willing to buy it a second time to meet you." Gale smiled and looked down at her watch. "Yeah, I'd be happy to get the books for you." I smiled; relieved I would not be running the register at all. I glanced at Anna whose eyes were wide with fear. She must've been even more nervous knowing everyone had to buy the book. I inhaled deeply, and enjoyed the scent of the coffee filling my nostrils. "I should let them in." Gale repeatedly looked at her watch. "Okay. You ready?" I asked Anna. She nodded stiffly and started flexing her hand into a fist and stretching her wrist. "I'm gonna go get us some coffee. You okay?" Again she nodded and began to walk around the table to sit down. I followed Gale to the front of the store, "If there's anything else you girls need, please let me know, but I'm going to be swamped so I can't check in on you." "Sure thing." I waved to her as I walked over to the coffee station and made up two hot cups for us. As she told the customers they were free to come in, I noticed that there were quite a few different age groups represented. I rushed back to the table, knowing that Anna would kill me if I left her alone at the beginning of this thing. "I took your book out of the library and the whole time I read it I wished I was Kate. It's not fair how you ended it though, I mean couldn't you have told us if it would work out or not?" A college age girl gripped onto her new copy of the book. "There's a new one in the works." Anna told another lady as she sent each one on their way. A few times I noticed her clench her hand and release it as a cramp tensed her. I relaxed against the chair listening to the inane chatter, quite happy that this was not something that I had to deal with. I rolled my head back and forth stretching. All morning I had noticed the absence in my paranoia and was relishing in the freedom of my breathing and unclenched chest. "How do you spell that?" Anna asked as she signed another book, I sipped the last of my coffee and looked around the row of bookshelves to see if there was an end in sight. I closed my eyes and let my head fall back against the chair. I felt the warmth of sleep falling over me when I heard Anna mention that she would need another box of books soon. "I can't wait to read it." A smooth male voice spoke up. My eyes shot open and I looked across the table to see a breathtaking blond man looking at her. Next to him was a girl who could easily have been half a foot shorter than Anna, quite a feat. The girl had dark shaggy hair and was dressed in a pair of jeans and a dark gray oversized sweater. A huge smile was on her face and I felt oddly at peace by her smile. She looked Anna over and then turned to me. Her stature made her look about fifteen but her face was clearly a bit older. The man was dressed in nearly the same thing; his hair was slightly curled. His smile was bright and his soft golden eyes burned into Anna and then me. An instant smile spread to my lips. He continued, "Lost love is one of the most romantic and tragic things in life." All I could do was nod. Anna's mouth hung agape as he looked back at her. "I do hope there's a happy ending." The girl elbowed the guy and he looked at her. Anna closed her eyes- and mouth- and reached out for the book that he held in his hand. "You'll just have to read to see." I sat forward in my chair and noticed some movement a few people back. I arched my head around the girl to see Seth excusing himself to the front of the line. My heart leapt when I saw him and I wrapped my fingers around the arms of the chair to make sure I wouldn't do the same. "Oh, I will." The beautiful man smiled charmingly again, a slight twinkle in his eye. The woman remained silent, but her smile was bright and wide. Seth came to the front of the line at last and froze when he spotted the two people before us. "Excuse me." He said to the girl very quietly and she smiled even wider as she stepped aside silently. Seth smiled at me, and Anna's eyes shot from the man to me and then settled on Seth. She blinked a few times, confused, and looked back, "Who should I sign this to?" Seth's shoulders tensed as he looked down at me. "Hi." "Hi." I tried to repress my smile. I was so overjoyed to see him I had completely forgotten the missing phone calls the night before. Well, almost. "Could you just write 'forever yours'" He purred almost. Seth turned to look at the man and woman. He turned back to me while I watched Anna scribble the inscription into the book and then sign her name. "Thanks for reading." She smiled back at him and watched as the two walked away. "Hi Seth." "Sorry I didn't call." He ran his hands hurriedly through his hair. He turned to look at the man and woman walk away, then back to us. "It's fine. We went out anyways." I told him. He didn't need to know that it was only downstairs, and then back up for a depressing night of television. "How'd you find us?" Anna asked. "Looked at your website. It's listed." Seth shrugged. He could've been lying. I didn't know the last time we had updated the site, but I didn't care. He looked phenomenal. He was wearing a light blue shirt with blue pinstripes. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and he had a black cuff on his left wrist. Tan khakis hung from his hips, but the shirt was untucked so I didn't get to enjoy his waist- or butt. "Was he really the one?" I heard a woman ask Anna. She nodded and leaned over the table, "But who knows if it'll last?" She smiled wickedly and signed the book. She glanced over at me and then back up at Seth, "I still need those books. I'm down to ten." "Okay. I'll go get them." I stood. Seth's eyes traveled down over my body and I felt a blush coming on. "I'll help you." He whispered, more Irish sounding than when he spoke normal pitched. He rounded the table and I could feel his eyes take a lengthy look at me from the back. I pushed open the door that was adjacent to the table and walked into the dark storeroom. I felt along the wall for a light switch when I felt the heat from Seth's body close to my back. I shuddered from the sudden warmth as I found the switch and flicked on the lights. The room was almost as big as the store itself and was full of boxes. I scanned the titles written on each box, not taking a second look at Seth. When I felt his hands on my waist turning me I took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry I didn't call you." He repeated. We were halfway into the storeroom. I leaned against a stack of books and crossed my arms in front of my chest, blocking him. He lowered his hands from my waist feeling my rebuttal. "It was a really busy day yesterday." He stressed. "We shot in my den for almost five hours and then went down into the garage and filmed for like seven hours. I didn't even get home until after midnight." I kept my mouth shut contemplating what he said. That's what Anna and I had agreed on. The filming went late. "That's fine." I lied. He relaxed his shoulders a little and looked me over. "Why didn't you call today? You could've saved yourself a trip." I sighed, dropping my arms. "I needed to get Anna's book." He shrugged his shoulders and slyly smiled. "It would've been nice, I miss-" I cut myself off. He looked up at me though his thick lashes. A smirk spread across his face. Shit. Me and my big mouth. "You missed me?" He stated more than questioned. "No," I snarled. "I mistook you not calling, to mean something else." "No." He came closer to my body. "You were going to say you missed me." I shuddered again when I felt the heat of his body against mine. He pushed me into the boxes of books. They seemed to be less absorbent than the brick wall at the bar. He coked his head and grazed his nose against my jaw line. I clenched my jaw shut so that my teeth wouldn't begin to chatter from the chills he was sending through my body. "You smell lovely." He complimented me like the day before. I hadn't even put perfume on today, so he was smelling me naturally- and loving it. He inhaled along my jaw and down to my neck. I let out an audible "oh." His lips followed the same trail his nose took down until he laid the softness of them on the corner of my mouth. He backed away and looked down into me with his coal colored eyes. "Your eyes are so dark." He closed them and leaned in for a kiss. I moved my head back without much success; he had caught my lips too quickly. The warmth from his lips burned my skin, but my lips ached for him. They had been separated for too long. His tongue soon traced the outside of my lips and I gave into the kiss, curling my arms around his neck. My one hand played with the back of his hair very gently while the other one slid inside his collar. His kiss was urgent. There was a need to it that I hadn't felt the previous two days. I wanted to break away and ask him what was wrong, but instead he pushed deeper in. His hands found my waist and jumped me up onto the stack of boxes behind me. I gasped when I felt him nuzzle his hips between my legs. My skirt hiked up the tiniest bit as he pushed against my underwear. His lips broke away from mine and began to travel in tender kisses down my neck. I arched my neck giving him full access to the tenderest skin on my body. Every kiss he laid down left electrifying pulses there, tingling down to a cramping in my stomach. I pushed my thighs forward and met his thighs straight on. If he wanted me, I wanted him to know he could have me. I watched his eyelids as his eyes moved beneath them in concentration. His fingers dug into the soft skin on my hips as he kissed his way back up to my mouth. A small groan emitted from him and I felt a slow pressure greeting my panties. I smiled against his mouth when I realized I had just felt him grow an arousal. Suddenly I was wet with want. My hand moved from inside his collar down his chest. He sighed into me as I touched his body with sensual slow strokes. Strange Love Ch. 03 Our kiss became even more urgent as he felt my hand moving down between us and taking hold of his erection. His eyes fluttered open and I couldn't help but blush by his discovery that I had been watching him. He filled my hand completely, but I tried to act like I knew what I was doing. I gently rubbed it but could tell it was making him slightly uncomfortable when he scrunched his nose. I began to kiss down his jaw line. He had never shaved that morning so it was rougher against my lips than it was before. His skin was salty. His cologne was weak, and I wondered if he had been working before coming to see me. His clothes definitely led me to believe he was dressed unlike himself. He leaned his head back to give me better access to his neck. I kissed from his earlobe to his throat and kissed down sucking very gently on his Adam's apple. I slipped my other hand down between us and met another aggravating belt underneath his shirt. This time, with two hands, I was able to unbuckle it. I undid his khakis and reached my hand in to feel soft cotton jockeys. The thickness of his cock slipped between my ring finger and pinky as I ran my hand down. It was constricted within the cotton and I wanted to help it out. He let out another moan when I found the opening that allowed him to become exposed. I reached my hand up and spit on it, sliding it back down to greet the pliable skin. This time he shuddered and I knew that what I was doing was right. My mouth continued to taste his salty skin as I traveled down his neck and to the base of his throat. At the joint of the shoulder I spotted my bite mark, still very visible even through the makeup that remained from filming. I slowly ran my tongue over it, tracing the indents from my teeth, but was surprised to feel that it was slightly cooler than the rest of him, as if he had been sitting next to an open window. I smiled, realizing they had to ice down the bruise to try to cover up the swelling. My hand moved against Seth's prick in a fluid stroking motion. His right hand moved from my waist up to my shoulder. His hand was firm against the moving shoulder, making sure he was guiding it just a little. His head leaned forward and his lips came in for another kiss. I groaned into his mouth wanting a piece of him for myself, but enjoying giving him all of the pleasure. He shuddered again against my mouth as I pumped my hand faster. His skin slid against his dick nicely, so good I didn't even need more lubricant. The beauty of foreskin, I smiled to myself. Now that I had the freedom to discover him better, I noticed his head was very prominent. I circled my thumb gently over the tip of it, putting some pressure on right at the end. Seth's breath became labored as he tried to concentrate on my mouth. Soft whimpers and grunts escaped between our lips, mostly from him. I allowed a few whimpers to come from me as well, mostly out of want, but also to turn him on. I squeezed my thighs around his waist as I pumped again. Alternating between pumps and thumb swirls. He whispered something into my ear as his forehead dropped between my neck and shoulder. I felt his mouth on my skin sucking when he jerked. His arms pulled me close against him, my breasts crushing into his tightening chest. My hand was warm and sticky. It didn't occur to me until that moment that I had no after plan of what to do. Seth looked up at me, his lips swollen from sucking on my neck. His face was red streaked, naturally and because of the pleasure. His eyes were the beautiful stone gray that I was obsessed with. I pulled my hand from his khakis and attempted to hide the evidence behind me. His eyes followed my hand and he reached down to stop my wrist. "I've got something for that." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a glove. I looked down at the liquid before brushing it off onto the offered glove. It was creamy consistency but in globs. I had always heard it looked like mayonnaise, but this did not. I blushed as I wiped my hand on the soft black glove. I looked around to see what to do with it, but had no idea. Seth had already put himself away and was holding his hand out for me with a smile when I met his gaze. "What can I do for you?" "Me?" I hadn't thought of it once I had gotten so involved in pleasing him. I was wet, and definitely wanting him. But by now Anna had to be wondering where we were and where the books were. "I'm fine." He shook his head angrily. "No really I am. Anna needs her books." He nodded curtly and helped me off of the stack of boxes. I turned to look at the boxes. They could've been Anna's. I stifled a laugh when I saw them: Blood Scent IV: The Turning. "They're over here." He called from around the corner. I hadn't even noticed him move away from me. We each grabbed a box from the stack and began our way back out to the front. Seth's flush had begun to subside and his hair, surprisingly, looked just like it had when he came in: disheveled. "Where have you been?" Anna whispered to me. There were no books left on the table and the line was still long. "I almost sent Gale back there." "We got sidetracked." I answered honestly. "Been out long?" "Only a couple of minutes." She stood and stretched. "It was brutal making small chat." She whispered. I chuckled dropping the books onto the floor and going to stand next to Seth. She looked me over and then looked at Seth. Her face lit up, "Nice hickey." She whispered as Seth opened one of the boxes and began to stack books on the table. I reached out and touched my neck. The spot Seth had been kissing when he came was sore. He had left a hickey? I smiled and pulled the turtleneck just a bit higher. "I have to go, Love." Seth leaned into me as Anna began signing books again. "Already?" "I have to go meet someone." He flashed his beautiful smile and leaned in for a quick kiss. His lips lingered just a little too long and I heard a woman in front of the table clear her throat. I slapped his arm, "Go." "Thanks," he raised his eyebrows. "I will call you later." I slid down into my chair and watched him round the corner of bookshelves. I hoped he kept his promise. "And how do you spell that?" I heard Anna ask. Strange Love Ch. 04 I was ecstatic after leaving the bookstore. Seth had actually come to see me. Not to mention all of the naughtiness that had ensued right after him showing up. Anna's mood had increased as well, despite not hearing from Nicholas. All in all, it was beginning to look like a beautiful evening. I perked up even more when I felt a vibration in my jeans pocket while we were at dinner. I slipped my phone from my pocket and looked at the number, it was Seth's. Anna rolled her eyes and absently looked at the front of her phone, willing a phone call, as I answered. "Hello?" I tried to sound smoldering but instead sounded a little too manly. Surprisingly, Seth didn't laugh, "Hi." I waited for him to initiate conversation. After all, he had called me. "It's Seth." Duh. I stifled a laugh as he had but couldn't help the smile, hearing him say his own name. "Hi." "How are you doing?" "Good. You?" Enough inane chit-chatter. "Not too good." He paused. It was true; I could hear him holding his breath on the other line. "What's the matter? Are you sick?" "Yeah." Anna looked at me puzzled across the dinner table and I motioned that I would need a minute. I stood from the booth and began my walk out into the chilly Portland night. Outside I had much more privacy and I could hear better. "What's wrong?" "I think it's just a stomach thing." He paused again. When I opened my mouth to speak I heard him make a pained sound. "Do you need some help?" Another sharp intake of breath made me concerned. It was ridiculous, I barely knew this guy and already I was playing panicky girlfriend. I closed my eyes and shook my head at my typical girlie response. "No, I-" Another sharp intake of breath, "hold on." I heard the phone drop and a deep retching noise in the background. My heart skipped a beat. He really was sick. More coughing emitted from the phone and suddenly I wanted to run to his aid even more. I heard a sink run some water and another fit of gagging then spitting. "Sorry." He returned to the phone breathless. "You really sound bad." I hoped that didn't come across wrong. "Are you gonna be okay?" "I'll be fine." He lied. I sighed very audibly so he would know I was displeased. "Listen." His voice was, interestingly enough, smooth, despite the retching. "I wanted to call you just so you didn't think I forgot about you again. Or miss me-" I finally heard a smile to his sweet Irish voice. I grimaced, "I wasn't going to say I missed you." "Sure, sure." His smile was still prominent in his voice. "You didn't have to call me." I lied. Whether he was sick or not, I was very happy to hear his voice. "Yeah I did. I never would've heard the end of it." He actually chuckled a bit. "Hold on." More retching and gagging came from the other line and I could only imagine Seth, disheveled as always, leaning over a toilet puking his guts out. I hadn't heard the toilet flush yet which must have meant he was going at this for a while. Or nothing was coming out. I sighed. I was so glad he had called. Despite my euphoric high from earlier, I was beginning to feel the pit of loneliness creeping up on me. Just knowing he was still there and thinking of me comforted me, even though it must've been hard for him to call. Then it hit me; maybe he wanted that same comfort. Thousands of miles away from home, a natural reaction when being sick is to want to be babied by your mommy, and he was too far from her. He could've called anyone on the cast, though, and perhaps had already. I strained my ears to see if I could hear someone else, but heard only more of his coughs. "Sorry bout that." He was panting this time. I heard him sipping something on the other end. "Do you want me to come over?" I held my breath for his answer. If he turned me down it would be because he wanted to be alone. Not because of me. Or maybe he didn't want me to see where he lived. "I don't think you want to do that." He placed the answer back onto me. It wasn't going to work. "I could bring some soup? America's remedy is chicken soup." He chuckled lightly again, "Ireland's too." He took a deep breath, obviously contemplating the choices. "I love soup." I smiled at his response. So matter-of-fact, and slightly misplaced. Was that an answer then? "Is that a yes?" "Sure. But if you want to leave, I'll under-" I heard him gag then end it with another hearty cough, "got a pen? I'll give you directions?" I nodded, even knowing he couldn't tell I was and began my ascent back into the restaurant to order some chicken noodle soup. The drive to his apartment was quicker than I had imagined. I felt bad telling Anna I would be leaving her, and she would be forced to spend a solitary night in the hotel room. She smiled sweetly and urged me to go when I said I'd stay, with no intentions of doing so. "He's sick. He needs you. And you'd be stupid not to go." I left her clacking away on her laptop, an episode of Spongebob Squarepants playing in the background. She waved goodbye to me as I rounded the corner and slowly shut the door. Seth lived only five minutes off of the expressway; approximately fifteen minutes from the hotel. I thought the drive would seem tortuous, but instead it flew by as I pictured my handsome Irishman scraggly, sickly, and unbeautiful. If he could look bad, then maybe there was hope that someone like me could actually have someone like him for more than just a quick fuck. With my purse and a bag full of chicken soup cartons, I hesitantly knocked on the door. I wasn't disappointed. Seth opened the door looking like hell had found him. He was a complete opposite from the beauty I had seen this afternoon. He looked exhausted, but stood completely straight. His skin was pale with dark circles under his eyes. He was sweating terribly, and his hair was going in every direction, and finding new directions to go. I scanned down his body. He was wearing a pair of gray and black flannel pajama bottoms that hung on his hips, showing off his pouchie belly and his hipbones. He had no shirt on, and based on the sheen of sweat glistening off of his chest and neck, I assumed he must've been really hot. So much for the chicken soup. His lips were pouting as usual and more red than they had been after kissing me. Despite looking like a wreck, he was still gorgeous. "Hi. Thanks for coming." His voice was still smooth. He stepped back from the door, still unsmiling, and allowed me to step in. With him dressed in barely anything, I noticed how lean he truly was. His bicep was flexed on the doorway as his other arm hung at his side limply, but those were the only muscles I saw other than his shoulder blades. He watched me as I scanned his apartment. He told me on the phone not to expect much; it was just a loft. Indeed, it wasn't much. The room was small, maybe 30 x 30 feet. In one opposite corner of the room from the door was his bed. It was a queen size, and covered in dark blue sheets and a blanket. It looked like he had been lying in it thrashing all day before calling me. Directly in front of the door were a couch, a chair, and a television. There too, had the appearance of an afternoon of thrashing. A pillow was against the arm of the couch. The kitchen was next to the door with a small table and chairs. Next to the bed was the room I assumed was the bathroom. It couldn't be good to be a starving actor. Despite being the star of the film, renting an apartment for a partial year had to jack up the prices high, and even the lead role didn't pay good for an unknown star. "No problem." I held up the bag when I turned to look at him again, "I brought the soup." His eyes followed the bag from my face to the bag. His eyes were the most terrifying of all the sickly attributes. They had turned obsidian colored. They sparkled at me, and despite the darkness of them, I could still make out his pupils. He pointed to the counter, "thanks. I'm not hungry right now though." His stomach was heaving from labored breath. He began gagging again after he shut the door. His hand went to his stomach as he leaned over putting his whole body into the cough. I set the bag and my purse on the counter and rushed to his side. He was on his knees by the time I had gotten to him. I brushed my hand over his back and he coughed. He was freezing, and the sweat that came from his back didn't help. He stopped heaving and sat up slowly on his knees. His head fell back towards the ceiling. His mouth hung open just the tiniest bit, and his beautiful red cheeks were flaming from the labor. I tenderly ran my hand, which I had thought was cold from outside, over his forehead and down through his hair. The sweat from his forehead offered a slick surface to repeat the motion. "You're freezing." He turned his head to look at me. It probably wasn't the most intelligent thing to say at the moment. After all, he had nearly just coughed out his stomach. His dark eyes smoldered into me and a chill ran down my back. He smiled weakly, "so are you." "I meant, you look like you're burning up, but your body is ice cold." I kneeled down next to him and dropped my hand into my lap. "Yeah. I've been like that all night." He stared beyond me and looked towards the bathroom. I stood, offering my arms out to help him up. He looked up at me, shoulders slumped from exhaustion. Finally he held out his hand to me and struggled to get himself up. "How do you feel?" I asked, again he looked down at me as if I had just asked an absurd question. "I mean, are you cold?" "No I feel like my blood is on fire." I glanced around the room for some medical instruments that might indicate he was taking care of himself. There was no Pepto Bismal, no thermometer, no cough syrup, nothing. "Fever then?" I suggested, more for information than comfort. "95.4" Seth slowly moved his way to the couch and collapsed on the farthest side from me. "That's awfully low. Should we take you to the hospital?" I hurried to his side and scanned the room again for the thermometer. "It's in the bathroom in the medicine cabinet." He rolled his eyes at me. Did he really just roll his eyes for over exaggerating? "I'll be fine. It's just a bug, it'll be gone by tomorrow." I sighed and headed for the bathroom to get the thermometer. As I opened his medicine cabinet, a rush went through my body realizing he was letting me look through his private things. Nothing was that exciting, mostly normal things, his toiletries mainly, but there was some over the counter medicine that proved he was taking care of himself- at least a little. Then it hit me when I saw them. On the second shelf next to the thermometer was a small, unopened box of condoms. The thing was, he had never used one when we had been together the night before. My stomach lurched a little, completely aware that I was on birth control but terrified because there were always mistakes. At the same time, I was enthralled and slightly aroused by the idea of him being smart enough to buy and use condoms, but not giving a damn if he did with me. That and if he had bought them after meeting me, he intended on it again. Only a moment passed as I grabbed the thermometer and fought down the blush that had began to ascend up my neck. Seth was watching whatever was on television though I doubted he was paying much attention to it. "Open." I commanded. He did as was told and patted the cushion next to him. I sat down as gracefully as possible but fell against his stone cold body from the depression of his seat. A smile slightly came to his lips but disappeared just as quickly. I settled myself next to him and relished the fact that he wanted me so close to him. Seth heaved a sigh and began to cough again, spitting the thermometer onto the ground and wrenching his stomach with his hands. I retrieved the thermometer from the floor and glanced at it. He hadn't kept it in long enough, it was only at 80.5. I sighed and leaned back against the couch as he continued his fit. There was nothing I could do to help him. He reached for a Kleenex and spit into it. After gulping down a bit of water he tossed the tissue onto the table and leaned back again. "Just trust me, it's low." "Are you okay?" "I'll be fine." He guaranteed me. I set the thermometer down on the table. Something red caught the corner of my eye. There was blood on the tissue. "Seth!" I exclaimed. He looked over at me through half-lidded eyes. "You're coughing up blood!" He sat for a moment, possibly searching for an explanation. "It's just because my throat is raw." My mouth dropped. Why was he being so nonchalant about all of this? "No. It could be Tuburculosis, Consumption, HIV, Lukemia, Cancer!" Maybe I was going off the deep end, but he was really scaring me. "Consumption? Are we in the 18th century?" He smiled abashedly, I opened my mouth to retort something nasty then he took a low blow, "and you'd sleep with someone who had HIV?" "I didn't think to ask." I raised my eyebrows. He fell back against the couch and leaned against me. He smiled and started shaking his head, "No. I don't have HIV… or AIDS… or Cancer for that matter." "Seth, I'm worried about you." I ran my hand over his sweaty forehead and down his frozen cheek. The red was much more inflamed on his cheeks. He looked sad, tired, but utterly adorable. Damnit I hated him, but I feared I was falling for him at the same time. "I'll be fine, Love. Trust me." His eyes closed at my touch. When he opened them again, the blackness had settled to a charcoal gray. "You're no-" "I tell you what." He cut me off, "Wait until the morning, and if I'm not better by then, I'll go wherever you want me to." I contemplated his deal. There must've been something in it I wasn't hearing. "Just like that?" "Just like that." He promised. "But the blood…" "Is nothing but a raw throat. Sandy," I shuddered when he said my name, "I've been hacking for nearly five hours now. My throat is killing me." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He held his arm out for me to come close to his side. "I came to take care of you." I argued my case. He motioned for me to come to him, "I didn't ask you to come to do that. I just wanted your company." "I can heat up your soup-" "You can stay right here next to me." His eyebrow was raised. His accent was so soothing, it was hard to resist anything he asked. I curled my legs under me and leaned against his body. I attempted to keep the pressure of my body off of his chest, but he could sense it and pulled me down against his side. I relaxed my head in the crook of his armpit, against his cool chest. He was so cold that his body seemed almost harder, more rock like. If he wouldn't let me take care of him, I was simply going to have to go around his back to do it. I pressed my ear against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. I tried to count, but my counts were so low I guessed I wasn't hearing him quite right. Then I concentrated on his breathing, they were low and shallow. Before long I was shuddering against his body. "You cold, Love?" He reached over and pulled a small red and black throw over me. I was grateful for his chivalry and the nice warm blanket, but I was angry he still wouldn't let me take care of him. It had been nearly a half an hour and he had not began choking. Maybe he was right, maybe it was a bug and it would go away. It was strange. An old episode of Frasier was playing when his phone began playing a tune. I jumped at the unexpected interruption of the quiet room. Seth looked across the table at the phone and reached for it. Before his hand made contact he was coughing. I went for his back and began rapping against it. He reached for the Kleenex and pointed to his phone. I looked over at it. He couldn't be serious. He pointed again and then doubled over and put his head between his knees. "Do you want me to answer it?" He nodded and started for the bathroom. When the door shut behind him I looked at the name on the front screen. Nicholas. "Hello?" I flipped the phone over. "Hi. I'm sorry I think I've got the wrong number." His husky voice replied on the other end. "No, you're good. Seth's in the bathroom." "Oh. Who's this?" "Sandy. From the other night?" I felt I needed to add that last part in. After all, Anna had still not heard from him. "Right, right. Hey, how you doing?" His voice dropped an octave from the lack of curiosity. "Fine. You?" I settled myself against the chair. I could hear Seth in the other room gagging, and before long he finally had managed to get something up. "Not so good actually. I'm kinda sick." He coughed lightly. Was this his lame excuse for not calling? Did he want me to relay that to Anna? "So's Seth." I mumbled. I wished I were in the bathroom with him, rubbing his back. Making him feel better. "I heard." Suddenly I heard more retching. This time it came from the other end of the phone. "Excuse me." Simultaneously I could hear gagging from both ears. Wow, Nicholas was really sick. The bug must be going around. "Let Rob know that Em is here with me for the night if he needs anything." Nicholas returned to the phone. Em? Short for Emily or Emma? Obviously there was some girl already there with him to watch over him. How would I break the news to Anna? Two-timing bastard. "Sure. I have to go now. Seth needs me." "Okay. Be careful." He replied. I snapped the phone shut in fury and listened as the toilet flushed from the other side of the door. Be Careful? What the hell kind of advice was that? I didn't care. I hoped Nicholas choked on whatever he tried to get up and then swallowed it. Haha. That'd make him think twice about karma. The door handle turned and Seth staggered out of the bathroom looking like he had had too much to drink. "How you feeling?' "Terrible." When he reached the couch he looked over at me. "What'd Nicholas want?" "How'd you kn-" "It's his ringtone. What'd he say?" Seth plopped onto the couch. I ran my hand over his forehead to wipe the sweat away. He was finally beginning to warm up a bit. "To let you know Em was staying the night with him." I shrugged and tossed his phone back onto the coffee table. Seth nodded and closed his eyes. After a drawn out breath he looked over at me though glazed eyes. "Mind if I lay on your lap?" "Not at all." I scooted over to the other side of the couch and Seth stretched the length of his body out across it and settled his head on my leg. He took another deep breath and smiled. I flushed from embarrassment. I hoped he couldn't smell my private area. After all, I had gotten a little wet when I had seen the condoms. I ran my hands through his perpetually messy hair. He let out a gratified moan. I leaned my head back against the couch and closed my eyes. The sounds of Frasier slowly disappeared with Seth's shallow breathing. Strange Love Ch. 05 My eyes popped open to the smell of eggs and bacon being cooked. I lifted my head from the pillow and glanced across the room at Seth flipping something with a spatula. I looked over my body. My shoes had been removed and I had somehow gotten into bed. I couldn't remember waking up and moving. I stretched; my body ached from a rough night of sleep. I climbed out of bed and walked towards the kitchen area and looked at Seth. "Good morning." He smiled. He leaned down and placed a kiss onto my lips. I retreated realizing I would have morning breath. Again, my contacts and eyes were having a disagreement that I would immediately need to resolve. "How are you feeling?" I asked. Again, it was a stupid question. He was obviously much better. His complexion had returned to normal, his beautiful reddened cheeks were only stained again and no longer flaming. His body was no longer pale or glistening with a sheen of sweat, and best of all, his eyes had returned to the smoky gray I adored. "Great. Want some breakfast?" He began whistling a tune I didn't recognize. "Sure." I watched as he pulled two plates from a cupboard and began loading the plate with food. "How did I get to the bed?" "I carried you over. Hope you don't mind?" His eyebrows rose. He had carried me? "How? You could barely get yourself to the couch." "I told you. I'm better. I rested a bit and felt better. I figured you'd be stiff if you sat up on the couch all night." He handed me a plate and we walked to the table he had situated between the kitchen and his bed. I sat down and scooped a hot mouthful of potatoes into my mouth. Food had never tasted so good. I didn't realize I was starving until that moment. "What time is it?" "Nearly ten. I figured we'd shower and then I have to get to the set." Seth loaded food into his mouth as if he would never eat again. "I can't believe you're better." My fork picked at a potato near the edge of my plate. "I told you. 24 hour bug." He looked up at me and smiled. Our eyes met and I nearly melted into my runny eggs. "You were fine when I saw you yesterday at 3:30." I reminded him. My body responded to the memory of our encounter in the bookstore. "So it was a 12 hour bug." He shrugged and continued devouring his food. "Well I can get going." I offered, realizing he was kicking me out for work. "No. Please stay. Go take a shower at least. I insist." He dropped his fork. "But you have to get to the set." "In an hour. We can both shower." "I can shower back at the hotel." "Please, Sandy. Just take the shower. I owe you breakfast and a shower. At least that much for staying with me all night." Seth grabbed onto my arm. I felt a shock of electricity buzzing through his fingertips into my arm. His eyes caught mine again in an intense gaze and I nodded. "I guess I'll go jump in now then." I stood, leaving the majority of my breakfast still on the plate. I hoped he wouldn't be insulted but my stomach was in knots from being around him. Every glance, every touch made my stomach twist from anxiety. I turned the water on and looked around his tub. I was going to have to smell like him for the rest of the day. Men's shampoo and men's body-wash. I thought Irishmen were supposed to be more pansy like, shouldn't he have fruity smelling stuff? It would be a tough day after leaving him. I stripped down and stepped into the warm water. I had barely had time to grab the soap when I heard the bathroom door. "I'll be out in a couple." I promised him. He didn't respond so I assumed the door had just swung open on it's own when I felt a cool draft and his body pressed up against the back of mine. I gasped and dropped the bar of soap. "Mind if I join you?" His voice had lowered into a growl as I felt his dry bare skin all the way down my back. Pressed tightly against my ass was his prick, already pronounced. My heart skipped two beats and I heard Seth's husky laugh. "Sure," Was all I managed to say. I felt his warm lips wrap around the muscle in my shoulder. His lips trailed up that muscle up my neck to rest on my ear. His hot breath sent chills throughout my body. I could feel my nipples pucker against the spray of the water. Seth's hands found my hips and trailed them up along my waist to my belly. I subconsciously reached down to brush his hand away, but his grip was firm. He began kissing my neck again, this time more deliberate, sucking gently with each kiss. I felt myself groan as I leaned my head back to give him better access. His one hand traveled from my belly up between my breasts to my neck. I gasped and moaned simultaneous as his other hand moved downwards and cupped my already throbbing pussy. Seth chuckled lightly and inhaled deeply against the nape of my neck. "What's so funny?" "You're shaking." He offered. His accent was thick with want. I could barely understand him. I might've been shaking, but his hardened member told me he had wanted me before he had even joined me in the shower. His mouth continued to explore my body. I violently shook when his lips found the most tender spot on my back. I moaned loudly at the feel of his lips as they, and then his tongue, traced a circle around the tender area. His hand dropped from my throat and began to massage my breast. I reached up with both hands, and with one, guided him to mimic what my other hand was doing to myself. I felt his scruffy chin rest on my shoulder as he looked over to see what my hand was doing. He let out his own moan this time from amazement. I pushed myself back against his erection, grinding the hard yet moldable organ against my soft skin. "Two can play at that game." He chuckled as he buried his nose and mouth into my neck. His other hand dipped a finger against my slickness. He played my clit like piano keys, gently tapping and sliding each finger over it. My legs naturally spread to give him better access. His arm wrapped around my chest, holding me steady, as he moved his fingers with the motion of my body. Back and forth he slid his fingers between my clit then to circle the nerves around my opening. "Seth." I begged. He was driving me insane. The heat from the water was making the shower unbearable. He didn't listen though, and soon his palm, gyrating my pelvis with want, replaced his fingers. I was getting close to that needed orgasm. My breath was labored. He held me tight against him as he worked me into a rocking pleading motion. My hands gripped onto his flexed forearm as my knees began to give out. "Fuck Seth. I want your cock." Another chuckle came from behind me. He released me but grabbed my waist when I lost my footing. I spun around to look at him, wet and naked. His eyes, strangely enough, had turned to that dark hematite color I had seen so few times on him before. Those eyes both frightened and exhilarated me. My eyes traveled down his soaked hair and reddened face down his chest, full of wet matted hair. I ran my fingers down it. Slightly repulsed by the amount of hair, yet turned on by the soft puckered nipples that hid within it. My hand continued to travel down his body to his pelvis. My eyes and fingers traced the lines of his hipbones, an arrow to the main event. I leaned in and kissed Seth frantically. Our tongues met with the same longing desire from the day before. What was the frantic need from? Why did he kiss me with such intense passion that I nearly fainted from the rushing heartbeat beneath my breasts? I broke the kiss and allowed my mouth to journey down his well-defined jaw to his neck. I nipped at his neck as I slowly dropped to my knees. "Wha-" His words cut off when he felt my mouth glide along his shaft. He looked so magnificent and big. The head was so much more defined than I thought it would be, even after feeling it in my hand the day before. I licked the gathered liquid off of the tip and allowed the water to give me some extra lubrication before I gorged myself on him. I mimicked the moves of his body against mine a few nights prior. How he would start off slowly and pop his head out and then back in- all of his length in. My mouth ached from the friction of the popping, but it was well worth the chapping of my lips when I felt his hand gripping the back of my head and a loud groan come from him. My mouth moved fluidly and more quickly over him, taking as much in of him as I could. My hand moving along with my mouth, handled what part of him I could not. My free hand wandered around the back of him, feeling the hair on the back of his thigh and then where it ended before meeting with his rounded ass. I nearly gasped at the hardness of it as it flexed every time I slid my mouth down over him. It was then that I realized I wasn't just blowing him, but he was fucking my mouth. My hand moved back around his thigh and cupped his soft balls. I was amazed at how soft they remained despite the hardness of his cock. I hummed lightly on him, and his hands found my shoulders. I hadn't even realized he had lifted me off of him until my back was against the cold and wet shower wall. The spray from the water was hitting him right in the face, and I suppressed a laugh. He reached up and moved the head to aim directly behind him. "I need to have you." He begged, his eyes even darker than before. "Yes, Seth. Take me." I returned the beg, wishing my eyes could smolder as his did. He lifted one of my legs up over his arm and spread my lips with his hand. He moved much more fluently into me than the previous time. I squeaked when his entirety hit the wall of my cervix. My toes were barely touching the ground as he pushed me into the wall. I contemplated wrapping my legs around his waist, but was afraid I would never be able to make the transition. Seth held me up by one leg and the other underneath my arm. His body pressed against mine, heating the shower more than the water could have. "Fuck, Sandy." He grunted as his face dropped into my neck. My arms lay limply across his back until I felt the first pang of extreme pleasure. My nails then dug deeply into his shoulders, scratching down his flexed biceps. His prick moved back and forth, sending shudders over every inch of my body. My breasts pressed firmly against Seth's chest. The nipples grazing roughly against his dampened chest hair. My hair tangled at the back of my head as it rubbed against the shower wall. "Oh Seth." I cried out. The vibrations from his cock made me convulse. I was so close to my orgasm I could barely keep my rhythm. I felt his head popping in and out of me as I had practiced with my mouth. "Fuck, I'm gonna lose my load." I smiled at the raunchiness of the words coming from such a proper Irish accent. I braced myself by one arm onto his arm while my other hand gripped at the back of his neck. His kisses were crazed across my collarbone and neck. Suddenly I felt his teeth nipping at my neck. I felt my climax spill over at the feel of his mouth so hard against my neck. I shook violently in his grasp and cried his name as a blinding light came over me. Suddenly I was very cold and then warmth slowly slid down my body. My fingers clenched the muscle in his arm and pulled back the hair on his head. I heard him groan against my mouth and suddenly I was filled with all of his desire. He whispered my name until he lowered me back to the shower floor. He slipped out of me and kissed the tip of my nose. I smiled at his red face. The stain had climbed down his neck and into his chest. "Oh Seth." I leaned in and kissed him. His eyes were squeezed shut, and when he opened them they were once again light. His chest heaved calming his body down. His prick was still stiff and slightly bobbing to the blood flow and excitement I had just given him. "May I?" He reached for his shampoo. "Of course." I made to step around him. He stopped me and twirled his finger around for me to turn around. I did as I was told, and felt his strong fingers massaging my scalp with the soap. "You're beautiful when you're wet." He complimented. "Thank you." I murmured, enjoying the pleasure of his fingers in my hair. His moves were deliberate and precise, capturing each strand of hair and cleansing it with the rest. "Oh my God." His hands dropped from my head. "Did I do that?" I spun around to look at him. His eyes and face were filled with horror. I looked down to see he what he was looking at, only to see nothing. "What?" "I bit you?" His voice was full of disgust. "Oh." I reached my hand up to my neck and felt the sore spot he had sunk his teeth onto. "Yeah, it was hot, Lucian." I teased. "It's so..." His voice drifted off. "It's a hickey." I snorted in laughter, sensing his pleasure and guilt in the same statement. "Good. Everyone will know I'm yours." I regretted saying the words immediately, but he just smiled. "Good. Now turn around, let me finish." I felt his hands back in my hair, and relished in the massage. Strange Love Ch. 06 "That's really noticeable." Anna gawked at my make-up covered hickey. "Well, it's not like I'm fifteen and trying to hide it from my dad or something." I snapped. I had attempted to cover it, but Seth hadn't lied. It was so... dark, for one, large for another. If he had been a vampire I would've had some blood drawn for sure. "I didn't tell you. Remember that really hot guy from the signing yesterday?" Anna began. We gossiped over our lunch. Myself a turkey club, her a cheeseburger. I was starved from not finishing my breakfast with Seth, and working up an appetite in the shower. "Seth?" I giggled. She rolled her eyes, "No. The guy that asked me to sign the book 'forever yours' or something? He was with a girl?" I thought back. Ah, yes. The one with the brown eyes and blond hair. He was rather good-looking, but Seth's appearance had thrown my mind away from the signing. "Yeah, kinda." "The girl was down here at the restaurant last night. She came over and talked to me. Her name was Angie." She took a huge bite of her burger. "You came down here alone?" "Oh, come on. You've been feeling better about the eyes watching us, haven't you?" She stuffed a french-fry in her mouth. "Only a little. And it's mostly because of Seth." I said honestly. Not wanting it to be true. "Well, I was fine." She set her burger down, "As a matter-of-fact, she wants to set me up with her brother. Said he'd love me. Think she meant the blond cutie?" I grimaced thinking about Nicholas. I couldn't tell her the truth, but at the same time, I didn't want that rift between our "boyfriends" to occur. If we both dated friends, we could spend more time together. It would be more fun, less awkward, just like the night we met the guys. "What'd you say?" "Well, apparently they belong to this club and they're recruiting right now." "Club?" I rolled my eyes. It always started this way. "Did you tell them you're from out of town?" "Of course. I told them I couldn't be a part of any club. I was way too busy. And-" She dramatically spoke. "I told them no way on the brother thing. I don't want to be set up." I sighed. I knew she was thinking about Nicholas, and what he would think if he found out about another guy. "But she was nice?" "Yeah, we talked about my book, and the next one. She asked me what kind of books I liked to read. Things like that. She joined me for dinner. We talked for about an hour or so." She bit into her burger again. Suddenly I felt the eyes on me again. I knew talking about it would only intensify the forgotten anxiety. I scanned the restaurant for any sign of someone watching us. Of course, there was no one. She bit into her burger again. I picked at the turkey on my sandwich. At this rate I would lose a ton of weight before we left. "It was funny. When Angie was telling me about her brother, trying to convince me to meet him, he called and she had to go." "Weird." I scanned the bar again. A man in the corner glanced over at me and smiled. I couldn't tell if he was the one staring but looked away quickly with him in my peripheral sight. "Kinda. It was funny though because she said that her brother would kill her if he knew what she was doing. He must've read the book and had a crush on me? Some people idolize the writers." She smiled, "That'd be cool." "Not really. Worshipers mean stalkers." The guy had turned away and returned to his sandwich. "Maybe then we'd be able to see the people who were watching us." She laughed. I grimaced. My chest was tightening and it was frustrating me to not know why. I turned to look behind me and saw a glimpse of a man rounding a corner. I could only catch the color of his hair. Dark blond, like Seth's. He was the one. I could feel my anxieties slip away when I realized that guy was the one who had been watching us. Could it have been Seth? Why would he be following me? "Did you see that guy?" "What guy?" Anna asked. She looked around my head but the stalker had already vanished. "There was a guy. I think the one whose been watching us." I swiveled my head around to see if he would reappear. Of course he did not, and my anxieties began to subside. "Shit. Should we go chase him down?" "And leave without paying? That wouldn't be good." I sighed. I had a sudden inspiration and flipped my phone open. The other end dialed and I waited to hear the familiar voice that exhilarated me. "Hey, Love." "Hi. Where are you?" I tried to sound alluring. "At work. You?" "Seth, we need you off the phone." I heard a woman yell in the background. "I'm sorry." I exclaimed. Stupidly I thought he was following me only to discover I was getting him in trouble. "No, I wanted to call you later, but I'm not sure when I'll get in. I wanted to ask you... How do you feel about going to Church with me tomorrow?" He sounded as if he was jogging back to the set. Church? That caught me off guard. He went to church? I just assumed with all his promiscuous sex... "I'd love to." "Great. I'll pick you up around 7:30." I could hear the smile on the other end. "Great. See you then." I flipped my phone shut. Anna's eyebrows were raised. "Going somewhere?" "Church. Tomorrow." I set the phone down and plowed into my club. "Church?" She asked, obviously just as intrigued as I was. "Yeah. He asked me to go to church with him in the morning." "Sounds interesting." She absently looked at her phone. "Did you tell him we leave Tuesday?" "Not yet." I despised those words. As excited as I had been just three days prior, I now dreaded the idea of leaving Seth. "Hmm." She nodded. "What if he blows me off then?" "Then you have a great story to tell about your trip to Portland." Anna shrugged. I hated how callous she was being. That wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear. "Have you heard from Nicholas?" It was a low blow but I wanted her to sense how absent she had been from our conversation about Seth. "No." She dropped her burger. I could tell she had lost her appetite. We remained silent the rest of the meal. However, suddenly, neither of us really had the urge to finish our meals. Seth knew I was only here for the book signings. But what would he say or do when I told him I would be leaving? My high from the morning would get me through the rest of the day, but I was already addicted to Mr. Vernon and I feared that I would be in withdrawal the moment we left town. "Why don't we go to the set?" I offered. Anna looked up across the table at me as if I had lost my mind. "Yeah, you go right ahead and do that." "I want to tell Seth as soon as possible when we'll be leaving. I want to gauge his reaction." The waitress came by and took our card to pay. "Have fun. I'll stay here." "Really. You can't do that. Face Nicholas. Confront him about his lack of decency and about two-timing you. It'll give you a clear conscious when you leave and you won't feel as used." I demanded. "Two-timing?" Her face dropped. "What do you mean by that?" Shit. I had slipped. I hadn't wanted to tell her, just to urge her to go with me. "Nothing." "What do you know? Did Seth say something?" The waitress came back with our card and set it down. "No. I..." I sputtered, should I tell her the truth? "Last night when I was with Seth, I answered his phone and it was Nicholas. He said he was spending the night with some girl named Em." "He told you that?" Her mouth dropped. Her face flamed with red as Seth's always did. "Well, not straight out. He wanted me to tell Seth if he needed anything he was with her all night." I whispered. "Oh." We sat for a moment in silence and then she slipped out from the booth. "That's it. Let's go." Strange Love Ch. 07 This was a bad idea. How could I have been so stupid as to let that slip? "You won't make a scene will you?" Anna sat seething next to me. She made a sound that was something like a snort and looked over at me, "of course not." I doubted she was telling me the truth, but she was already embarrassed enough about this so the odds were less likely that she would cause a scene. She settled back against the seat and I prayed that she would be able to keep her composure long enough. On one hand, Nicholas was an ass for leading her on like that, but on the other, he was a guy who had a one-night stand. That's not an odd occurrence, especially for celebrities- so she really had no claim on him. After that thought, I realized how lucky I was that Seth was going to so much effort to want to see me. Despite my own insecurities, I guess that left me some proof that I meant more to him than Anna did to Nicholas. I slowly pulled up to the same barriers I had seen two days prior. Ironically, the same security guard was working. He motioned me forward and leaned in when I rolled down the window. "Yes?" "I'm here to see Seth Vernon. Remember me from the other day?" I hoped he did. "Pass?" He simply ignored my hope. "No." I shook my head. "You really don't remember me?" "Do you know how many people I see everyday, ma'am?" He stood and looked behind me. Instinctively I looked in my rearview mirror for a repeat of the other day, but no silver car pulled up behind me. "I'm not a worker, just a guest." I replied. "Hmm. Name?" He walked towards a stool that had a clipboard on it. I heaved a sigh, already aggravated from our previous encounter to know enough that he would not budge. "Sandy Belfour." He scanned over the papers and shook his head. "You're not expected today." "Just let us in." Anna tisked. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Fans aren't allowed in." He held the clipboard behind his back. "We're not fans." I rolled my eyes. "We were here two fucking days ago. I came with Nicholas Roth and she showed up to meet Seth Vernon. Are you going fucking senile that you can't remember two days ago?" Anna spat. This wouldn't end well. If we didn't get arrested, we sure as hell weren't getting in now. "Ma'am. My job is very difficult-" "Yeah, standing around all day looking in cars and moving the little barrier must be a very mentally challenging job." She cut him off. "I'm gonna have to ask you both to leave now." He stepped back and put his hand on his radio. "Can't you just call someone for us?" I begged. He looked at me, obviously not as disgusted by me as he was with Anna and thought for a moment. A black car pulled up behind me and the horn honked. The guard squinted against the sunlight and waved. "Fine, go on in. See if I give a damn." He moved the barriers and both the black car and us drove by the guard. He waved again to the people in the black car as they passed. "What a fucking prick." Anna scoffed. "He gave Nicholas a hard time the other day because he didn't have his pass on him. Like shouldn't he recognize the fucking stars?" I shrugged. Maybe he was a prick. Either way he had let us through, again. I parked in the same lot as before and got out. "So how should we find them?" We both scanned the parking lot. There were many more people walking around the lot today than there was before. Most of them seemed to be hurrying off in the same direction down the road. The black car had continued down the same road that most of the workers were following. "I suppose we should head that way?" I nodded at Anna's suggestion and we began our decent down a winding road. "Do you think talking to him will really be a good idea?" "It was your suggestion!" Anna exclaimed. I knew I was being silly. She wouldn't be able to make a scene before all of those people. I just hoped Seth wouldn't be offended by anything she may say. Or anything I might say if Anna couldn't. "I know." Up ahead was a large building. It looked like a large warehouse. The outside looked as if it had pieces of foam attaches to it to give it a damaged, old look. "Hmm, guess they're filming there today?" Luckily for me I spotted Seth outside speaking to the girl he had called Emma. She shook her head and headed off in the other direction. He looked down at a bunch of papers I assumed was the script and then lifted his hand to his hair. It was in pristine condition. Before finishing the smoothing of the hair, he stopped and lowered it guiltily. My stomach flipped when I saw him, remembering our morning encounter. "Should I just go up to him?" After all, he hadn't invited me to the set. Maybe he wouldn't want to see me when he was already obviously stressed about something. Anna gave me a bit of a shove, "yeah. How else will he know you're here?" I slowly made my way towards him. His mouth was moving with the words. I squeezed between groups of workers when I saw someone walking up to him. Both Anna and I stopped where we were. The man who had just walked up to Seth was almost his twin. His hair was the same blond as Seth's, but more natural looking, and his hair was slightly curled. His chin was well defined and his skin was extremely pale. He glanced across the way towards us and my eyes locked with his. They were a resilient green so close to emerald that my mouth dropped open. His lips were full and they curled into the most breath-taking smile I had ever seen, next to Seth's of course. "Oh...My...God. Who is that?" Anna gasped at my side. I tore my eyes from the gorgeous man to look at her. Her face was completely flushed and her mouth hung open into a gawk. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. "Maybe Seth's stunt double? They do look a bit alike." I offered. The man turned back to speak and Seth's head shot it my direction. A nervous smile crossed his face. Shit, he didn't want me here. "That's no stunt double. He should be a model." Anna continued to gawk. Seth excused himself from his stunning companion and headed towards us. "Wow. A phone call and a visit?" His smile still had not gotten to its usual relaxed look. "Bad time?" I asked. Seth's eyes traveled down my body and over to Anna who was still watching the man now behind Seth. Seth turned to see what she was looking at. He shifted uncomfortably and turned back to us. The man leaned against the short wall built against a hill with his arms crossed, amusedly watching us. "Not at all. I just have to film, and it gets a bit boring." Seth's eyebrows furrowed at Anna, "Nicholas's inside, I'm sure he'd love to see you." Anna's eyes snapped to Seth. "Thanks." She smiled innocently and headed towards the front doors of the school. Her eyes always fixed on the attractive man. He too, took a fascination in her and I noticed his eyes traveled along with her. "You two look so much alike." I blurted out. Apparently I had been staring at him too. Seth cleared his throat, and my eyes returned to him. His eyes, the beautiful gray or black ones, were the same emerald color as the mysterious man behind him. "It's good to see you. I'm glad you came." His smile seemed much more sincere now. I smiled at his sincerity and looked behind him, but the man was gone. "We should go find Anna. I accidentally slipped about Emily." "Who?" Seth furrowed his eyebrows again but led the way towards where Anna had just entered. I sighed as I felt his hand, cold but firm, against my back. "The girl Nicholas spent the night with last night." I barely listened to his response as yelling overtook my ears. "You're fucking out of your mind!" Nicholas stood firmly a foot above Anna. Others had gathered to listen to the scandal. "I never expected this to work out, but did you have to be so crude about it?" Anna's voice, surprisingly, was below a whisper. "Never work out? What kind of thing is that to say?" Nicholas's hand raised above his head as he gripped for some sort of sanity. His hand sliced through the air back to his side. I rolled my eyes. How "Remus" to overreact to such a statement, given his side to the argument. "You didn't even have the decency to tell me you weren't interested." She accused. "I was sick! I was going to call you but I could barely move!" He defended. He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyebrows at her as if she was the unreasonable one. Anna ignored him though, "I mean a one-night stand is one thing, but to immediately jump into bed with another girl!" Anna's voice had finally risen. "What girl?" Nicholas yelled. Someone stepped forward to hush him, but immediately stepped back, most likely because of his size. "Emily!" Anna cried out. Nicholas's mouth skewed up with confusion. His head snapped in my direction as he registered how she had found out. I turned my head away. Damnit I should've known he would've signaled me out. "Emily?" "I heard all about how you spent last night with 'Em'" Anna shouted. She flipped her hair from her face and glanced around at all of the witnesses. Nicholas's mouth snapped shut. He looked at me and then to Seth. I felt Seth shift and looked up to him just in time to see him shake his head. Nicholas's face dropped from anger. He looked around the room to all the watchers and his eyes rested back on Anna. The pause seemed infinite as he obviously tried to piece together his response. His face softened slightly. "Emma." Was his quiet reply. He looked to the floor. "Emma?" Anna gasped, hearing him agree. Something wasn't right though. He sounded defeated, not ashamed. Emma was the one that chatted with me so sweetly. That bitch. "I was with Emma last night. But she's just a friend." He suddenly pleaded. The scene had changed so much in a matter of a second that I felt something was amiss. Then the eyes were on me again. Even though I was with Seth my chest tightened just the tiniest bit. I heard Seth let out a shallow exhale that lasted many moments, while Anna formalized her next move. "A friend doesn't spend the night alone with a man." Anna's voice was back to a whisper. I turned around to see the overly attractive man at the doorway. His hands were balled up into fists as he watched the display before us. "Let me make it up to you. Please, Anna." Nicholas begged. He scanned the room again and his eyes fell back on Seth and I. "I leave in two days. You had your chance." Anna's voice broke at the last word. Shit. Perfect way to break it to Seth. I felt him tense slightly next to me. She turned away from Nicholas and I saw his shoulders slump with disappointment. Something definitely was not right with this. Anna shook her head and continued towards me. "I want to go home." "Okay." I looked at Seth. He shrugged his shoulders and nodded. "No. I'll meet you at the car. I want the walk alone." She touched my arm. "Bye Seth." "Bye." Seth sounded guiltier about all of this than Nicholas did. Nicholas watched Anna as she walked out the door and turned back towards the set. He skulked through one of the side doors and then disappeared. I turned to follow Anna outdoors and noticed that the attractive man was gone as well. "Who is he?" I motioned towards the door. "Who, Love?" Seth placed his hand gently on my back. I nearly melted into his touch. "That guy you were talking to earlier." I relished in his touch. "Just a worker." He smiled tenderly. When I reached the open air I frowned. That wasn't the answer I wanted and the reality of him knowing I was leaving was in the back of my mind. Once again, as if reading my mind he whispered, "I knew you were leaving Tuesday." My stomach lurched and I heaved a sigh. "Is that why you don't mind spending so much time with me?" I hadn't really wanted to confront that idea, but it was there. "That's why I'm trying to spend more time with you." He whispered quietly as some women walked by carrying lighting equipment. My heart skipped. "You want to be with me?" I smiled sheepishly. "You've made these last few days much better." He took my hand. He leaned down and I felt his warm lips greet mine. He pulled away and scanned around him, "I'll miss you when you leave." "We can always keep in touch." I offered. Please say yes, please say yes. "Of course. I'll just miss you while you're away." YES! "I better get back to work. I have to memorize these lines that I should've done last night." I thought of Anna following that narrow road to the car by herself. "Yeah, I better get to Anna." "Tell her I'm sorry, but it's for the best." Seth kissed my cheek and sighed. For the best? She would not be the better for being used. I sighed, maybe he was referring to the disappointment he was feeling with me leaving him. "I'll see you tomorrow." I nodded and released his hand. Every time I said good-bye, it hurt. Strange Love Ch. 08 Anna and I ordered room service and bad-mouthed men, and then talked about Seth, then bad-mouthed men some more. Seth obviously did not fall into the category of man. She had been devastated beyond repair when I reached the car. Surprisingly, I spotted someone who looked oddly like Seth climbing into his trailer. I assumed it must have been Mr. Beautiful and concluded he was definitely Seth's stunt double. I wondered if he had purposely followed Anna back to the car. She didn't indicate that she had noticed. Actually when I got into the car she looked at me through reddened eyes and begged that we go home now. "Home, home?" I had asked. "I've been on this tour so long and changed so much, I'm not sure if I know where home, home is anymore." She had sighed out a sob. I knew what she meant. Right now when I thought of home, I thought of Seth and his tiny studio on the South end of Portland. There was more at home for Anna than me. Her family was there, waiting to hear the excitement of her trip. Understandably, Nicholas would remain unspoken of. He would simply become a memory that she would think was only a dream, yet Seth would be her nasty reminder that he wasn't. She wasn't bitter with me because Seth and I had worked out, while she and Nicholas had not. To be honest she was rather happy each time Seth's name came up. She encouraged me to stay longer if I felt the need to, and we picked out what I should wear to church the next day. As the night went on, Anna finally spoke about how she had hoped she and Nicholas would've worked out. "I mean, obviously I'm going to want to see the movies. I loved the books. Now how am I going to look at one of my favorite characters without wanting to see him get killed?" We both laughed throughout the night. And learned to blow off Nicholas as if he had never existed. By midnight, Anna was feeling better, and I could finally get to sleep. She would most likely dream of him, and then the next day would be torture for her. But at least right now, she knew it was not the end of the world. I painstakingly dressed the next day. It wasn't like I had never been to church before. Back home, I tried to go every Sunday. It was just that I had never before gone with somebody I had sinned with so much. The idea of Seth's lean body pressed tightly next to mine in a pew set more than my heart on fire. Sure enough, at 7:27 I got a text from Seth informing me that he was parked illegally out front. I met him with a smile. He was dressed nicely in a gray button up shirt and black slacks. The top three buttons were undone, showing the slightest bit of his fine chest hair. His shirt matched his eyes exactly. He glanced up at me, hair already disheveled from minutes of hand rummaging. A poofy black coat was thrown in the backseat. "Parking illegally before church? Seems a sinful way to start the day." I giggled as I settled in. The heat was very comforting to my stiffened cold body. I had forgotten my coat, but Anna and I had decided casual nice was best. I wore a pair of loose black pants and a similar orange button up shirt. I felt almost as if I were wearing a skirt by the looseness of the pant legs, but was comfortable all the same. "That's why I attend Sunday service. I have a lot to repent for this week." He winked at me, "Figured you might too." My mouth dropped open as I smacked his arm. "Seth!" "I love when you say it like that." He chuckled and headed down the expressway to his familiar place of worship. The church, of course, was gorgeous. I was surprised to find out that Seth was Catholic as I was. Inside, stained glass windows gave the story of the Stations of the Cross. Above the altar was a large crucifix with the Lord hanging from it in tatters. It was an image I was very familiar with, but the beauty of the carving took my breath away. In both corners were The Virgin Mary and Joseph, carved equally as beautiful from the same wood. "This is stunning." I awed. "A friend of mine brought me here. He said it was where he came to find his soul." Seth reached a pew further in the back and offered the seat to me. I slid in and took off Seth's coat and sat it beside me. When he had seen that I had forgotten mine, he insisted I slip into his. I had smelled him since I had gotten out of the car. I watched as Seth genuflected and sat down beside me. I had forgotten to, Seth was already flustering me. And as I had guessed the night before, his hip was touching mine, as was his thigh. My heart skipped and Seth smiled. "Why are you smiling?" Seth looked at me with shock and shrugged, "You just look cute when you look at me that way." "I wasn't looking at you." My heart skipped again and the smile returned. He said I looked cute. Wow, I was getting foolish acting. "Sure you weren't." A hymn began to play on an organ in the balcony behind us. "Will he be here?" "Who?" "You're friend." Seth turned his head to look at me. His mouth opened and then snapped shut as he thought better of whatever he was planning to say. "If he does, I doubt we'll see him." "Why's that?" Some of the congregation sang to the hymn while others remained silent. He shrugged, "it gets pretty busy in here." As the service began, I dropped my interrogation for the time being. He always seemed to make such vague comments and responses. He was correct though, members of the church were packing in tightly, and with the coats of people who were not friendly with the cold weather, the seats were even more stuffed. The priest stood at the pulpit and began reading from the book of prayer. When it was time for prayer, we all stood and I felt Seth's hand slip into mine and firmly hold it. Our fingers interlaced and I was keenly aware of the strength of his fingers. Without realizing it I was being herded into the isles for communion. I watched as Seth took his and then bowed his head for a blessing. My mind turned to my own communion as I accepted the wafer and the wine and then returned to my pew. I kneeled and began my prayer. I asked God for forgiveness for giving myself so easily over to Seth, and asked if it was His Will that Seth and I would stay strong even after I left. When I sat back up into my seat I glanced over at Seth. His head was against the pew in front of us and his lips were moving rapidly. I sang to the hymn, which I recognized as one they often played at home. After the song ended Seth sat back into the seat with me. He looked pained-- but I knew it wasn't from me when his hand slipped back into mine for the remainder of the service. At the end of the service, I watched as he slipped an envelope into a box at the back. I felt guilty for not thinking to do the same. Normally, I always made an offering, but today my mind was elsewhere. The priest who many addressed as Father Gregory greeted us as we left the church. "Good morning. Did you enjoy our church this morning?" "We did. Thank you for your hospitality Father Gregory." Seth cooed beautifully. Father Gregory's smile was sincere; everyone was dazzled by Seth's accent. "And who are our lovely visitors?" "My name is Seth, this is my girlfriend Sandy." I nearly choked as he said the words. "It's lovely to see a blossoming couple join the house of God." Father Gregory shook Seth's hand and then mine. "Thank you for having us." I smiled back at both the two men. "You have a lovely day. And peace be with you." He waved as we continued down the steps. "That was a beautiful service." I said to Seth as he turned the car engine over. "It was. Would you like some breakfast?" He smiled, "Will you eat it this time?" "I'm sorry. It was delicious yesterday; my nerves were just a little shot." I sighed. "But I'd love some breakfast." "There's a brilliant restaurant that has delicious French toast. Although I don't know why it's called French toast, because I don't think they even serve it in France." I chuckled. He always knew how to make me smile even when it was very misplaced. "I'd love to try their French toast. It's my favorite." "Really? Mine too." Seth turned back towards my hotel. "They make these unbelievable Cinnamon Raisin French toast. It's the best bloody piece of toast you will ever have." Hmm... I could make him French toast for breakfast some day when he spends the night with me. "You've got me convinced." "Excellent." Seth smiled back. I watched as the buildings whizzed by. I turned my head to look at Seth. He was looking straight ahead when his face dropped in horror. Only moments before I felt my body jar, Seth turned the wheel of the car and I felt the car lurching to the side. Metal screeched into a shape it didn't want to bend, as I felt my body slam into the dashboard. After hitting my head on the hard plastic, I felt my seat belt catch and pull me back against the seat. A horn began to blast as I heard my own voice call out for Seth. I closed my eyes to the pain that throbbed in my head. "Sandy?" I could hear Seth calling out my name, "Love? Can you hear me?" I felt a sudden whoosh of air as the car door opened. My seat belt was unlatched, and suddenly hands were moving me from my seat. "We've got to get out of here, Love." I could feel Seth curling me into his chest. His warm body was welcoming against the bitter chill of the Portland wind and my burning forehead. I looked past his arm to see his car-- completely crushed on my side. A black SUV had slammed us under what I assumed was a light. The truck barely had a dent in it. "Are they hurt?" He looked down at me when I spoke. His eyes glinted the black I was accustomed to seeing when he was aroused. "They're fine. The car's leaking gas. We've got to get away from the cars, Love." He cradled me into his arms as if I weighed nothing. I was dead weight. He was running with my added weight not even bothering him. "But, where are we going?" I reached my hand up to my head and felt the wetness that had leaked brown onto my orange shirt. "I'm taking you to the edge of the corner, Love. Now rest." He cooed. His voice was soothing but harried. The sound of sirens came into my ears. I closed my eyes and fought back the pain of my throbbing head. I slid my arm around Seth's neck to touch his soft hair. I wanted to soothe him and let him know it would all be okay. I needed to know if he was alright as well. It was then that I felt the sharp pain in my wrist. "My arm hurts." Seth nuzzled his face into my neck, "It's alright, Love. They'll be here any minute." He didn't lie. It was only moments before I felt hands probing my sore areas, piecing me back together before taking me to the hospital. "I'm fine." I lied as they twisted my wrist. My lie was a bad one as the wince on my face gave it away. "It should probably be looked at." I frowned at the EMT. Seth stood outside the ambulance peering in through the doors. I lay on the bed, looking out at him. He leaned against his arm looking up at me through concerned, now silvery, eyes. "Love, we'll get you to the hospital and then I'll take you to breakfast." Seth encouraged. I knew the routine. I had seen it enough times in movies and books to know that they would look at me and then admit me for observation. I was not about to spend my last night with Seth in the hospital. "No, I'm fine." I told him and then the EMT. Seth's attention was turned from me when an officer came up to him to take his side of the story. "If I need to come in, I will, but I feel fine." "Then I saw the SUV coming through the red light and I slammed on the brakes." I heard Seth sigh and could just see the tip of his nose and his hand raise up to ruffle his hair. "Does this hurt?" The EMT twisted my arm and I made a pained expression. "I thought so. It's swollen up three times its size." I sighed and rolled my eyes. She continued. "Look, you don't need to take the ambulance but since your car is out of service now, it seems to me that you should use us to get there." "Well Mr. Thomas said that you were the one blowing the red light." The officer stressed. He flipped a piece of paper and wrote something down. "Yeah, that makes a lot of sense." Seth cussed under his breath, more out of aggravation than at the officer, "My car is tiny next to that monster. He would cream me! Do you really think I would endanger our lives that way?" I saw Seth's hand raise up at the 'our' to indicate me more than anything. "I just have to check your side of the story." The officer claimed. "I'll be checking with the witnesses next." Seth growled in frustration as the officer began to walk away. "Seth over here." "No, I'll be fine. It's just a little tender." I promised the EMT. She shook her head and sat back in the seat and watched as Seth climbed up into the ambulance. "Unbelievable." Seth swung the door shut. I heard clicking coming from behind him as the door swung shut and lights flashing. "Sir, you really can't ride with her." The EMT began to stand up. "Please, I have no car and there's a ton of paparazzi out there." He growled. His eyes had turned from the soft silver to a charcoal gray. "I'm sorry, sir-" She attempted to push Seth out. "Paparazzi?" I gasped. In Portland? I supposed they could be anywhere. Seth ignored my question though, "Please, she's my fiancée. I'm worried." He pleaded again. My heart jumped ten beats. Fiancée? The EMT closed her mouth and thought. She nodded and then settled down in her seat. "Please, take a seat though." She didn't ask where my ring was but watched as Seth sat down beside her. He took my sore hand and set it gently between his. As his thumb ran over the tender flesh, I smiled vaguely as I watched his eyes lighten to a softer gray. "Paparazzi?" I asked again as I felt the truck begin to move. "They're everywhere, and this'll be a real good story." Seth shrugged off. "I didn't want them berating you." "Berating me?" "Yeah, you're a mess, Love." He chuckled lightly. "Sorry." Sorry indeed. How could he say I looked a mess when this was his entire fault? Had he gone through the red light or was it the SUV? Most SUV drivers tended to think they owned the road, but Seth was driving a sports car and they were just as bad. "Did you go through the red light?" I whispered. The EMT obviously could hear me but thankfully pretended she hadn't. Seth's face twisted in disbelief. "Of course not. My senses aren't that sharp. I would never run a red light on purpose." "I never said it was on purpose, Seth." I cooed at him. Obviously he was insulted I thought he would endanger me like that. "Never. The witnesses will clear it up with the police. The media on the other hand-" He sighed. I knew what he was thinking. Paparazzi wasn't always that kind to celebrities, so whether he went through the light or not, America would assume he had. He sat back in his seat, still hurt by my question. "I'm sorry, Seth. I didn't mean-" "No, you're scared-- and hurt. I understand. I'd ask the same thing." He shrugged it off, but I could feel he was still hurt. I laid my head back against the gurney and relaxed. The EMT had put bandages and an icepack on it. Two high dose aspirin later and I should be feeling the effects soon. We arrived at the hospital, much to my dismay, but I was relieved when Seth remained with me through everything but the x-ray. His phone rang at least a dozen times; the story had already hit the entertainment channels. Each time he gently excused himself and went into the hallway. Only once did I hear him arguing with someone and say, "Should have seen this coming." I wasn't sure what he meant by it, but I assumed it meant he was receiving bad press and couldn't always remain good. On my request, he called Anna as soon as we arrived at the hospital and explained everything. He kept her updated all the way through my release. I had fractured my wrist in three places. The doctor assumed I had placed my hand instinctively against the door to push the oncoming car away, as if I could've. Seth called for another car, and ten minutes after my release, an Enterprise worker delivered a small SUV, a Saturn ion, for Seth's new car. Seth insisted on helping me into the car and then out again when we got to his place. "I'll make you breakfast." Seth carried me into his studio. "Seth, my back is fine." I sighed as he laid me on his bed. "So are my legs." Seth sat down beside me and urged me to lie next to him. I did so and found my head hitting the same pillow I woke up on the previous day. "But your head is not." I shook my head and felt the twinge of pain in my neck. Seth lay down next to me and snuggled closer. I felt his warm breath on my face as he hovered over me for a kiss. My lips tingled to life when I felt his slightly chapped lips touching mine. I let out a sigh as he backed away. His tongue never made entry into my mouth. He knelt up and began removing my shoes, lightly grazing his fingers across the arch of my foot and then my ankles. My toes curled in defense of the ticklish sensation, "Just let me take care of you. It'll make me feel better." He begged. I gasped when I felt his lips against my cold ankle. "How are you—" I was cut off as I felt Seth's hands slide underneath my rear end and begin to pull off my loose fitting pants. "My way." He replied with a sly smile. Then I noticed his eyes were black. I gasped at the sight of them, "How do they turn so drastically?" "Always questions." Seth smirked and then dropped my body back onto the bed after removing my pants. I felt a swift chill and realized he had removed more than my pants-- also my panties. Seth never answered my question, but I didn't mind when I felt the rough skin from his morning shave rub against my thigh. My body instantly reacted to his, sending warmth through my shoulders down to my thighs. I heard him inhale and turned to hide my blushing face into his pillow. I was glad he was down there right now, he wouldn't be able to see my flushed face. His hands slid between my legs, splitting them for what I assumed—and hoped-- he wanted. Before I could protest I felt the sharp sensation of his tongue against me. At first it was so sensitive that I felt as if I were going to pee, but after his tongue met my salty mound for the fourth time, my body had adjusted the ticklishness to extreme pleasure. I rolled my head along the pillow with a moan and tried to close my legs around his head. His hands simply held my hips firm, keeping me from moving too much, and at the same time, from moving away. I heard him groan as I felt his warm tongue slide up the entire length of my box. I gasped and found my hand gripping onto his ruffled hair as I felt his head moving up and down with his strokes. I felt him shifting at the foot of the bed, and felt his middle finger toying with my opening as he slurped up his own fluid along with mine. "Seth." I moaned into the small room. The sound seemed to echo off the walls, and I heard him groan into me as the sound repeatedly reached his ears. I tugged on his hair and guided him to where I wanted his tongue to be at each second. Although, something nagged me deep inside that he was the one in complete control. I leaned up on my shoulders, ignoring the shooting pain from my head and saw his shoulder working hard against me. I furrowed at the odd movement, aware that his fingers were still just tantalizing my opening. "Seth?" I asked. He looked up over my rounded stomach, still busing his tongue. His eyes burned with black fire. A shudder ran down the entire length of my body and settled in my stomach as my opening clenched in arousal. He didn't speak but waited for my question. I could barely see the bridge of his nose as he watched me, my body flushing with obvious excitement-- and my eyes half-closed from a building orgasm. Strange Love Ch. 08 The shoulder that had been moving so strongly moved up against my hot opening and rubbed vicariously against it, grabbing up all the juices it could. My eyes followed his hand as it traveled back down between us and down his own body to begin working hard again. He was masturbating to my smell. I dropped my head back against the pillow in a thousand tiny shudders. My God, that was hot. Thankfully, I felt his large finger push its way inside me as my muscles contracted around him. I whispered his name as my fingers clenched his hair. One hand reached down to pull on his ear slightly. He groaned into me as I heard him groan my name. I wrapped my legs around his upper body, willing him inside of me more. His mouth remained steady and continued to work on my taste until I felt an explosion entering my body. I jerked against his face, his finger gently massaging me from the inside. I bit my lip from the intensity of the orgasm until I tasted the steely blood in my mouth. "Fuck." I ground out through my teeth. Seth sat up and I looked down to watch as he stroked himself against my opening. "Please." I begged. He shook his head. I watched, as his body grew tense with desire, his erection harder than I could ever have imagined. His shoulders shook as his mouth dropped open and his head fell back. I leaned forward, letting my fingers gently run over the parched skin that he rubbed. My juices had already dried against him, but he needed it hard and rough, I could see it building on his reddened face. "Shit." Was all that I heard when I saw the explosion against me. His liquid was creamy and spurting in globs. He looked down at me, his eyes even darker. I felt him shudder and then felt him rip me in two as he claimed me. His eyes, his hands, his body all claimed me as his own as I felt my body shifting against the bed harder and harder. I exploded before he did, feeling the searing pain from my wrist as I grabbed onto his shoulder blade joining my pleasure. He fell against me taking my lip into his mouth as he came. My body pressed against his as he collapsed, sucking on my bloody lip. Slowly he pulled away, my body aching and my lip throbbing as he sat up. His mouth hung open and I gasped as I saw two slightly elongated fangs hanging from his upper jaw. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment and looked back at him to see him smiling, his teeth perfectly normal. "I could get used to you taking care of me." I smiled and he slid off the bed to get breakfast—well a late lunch at this point. "What time do you leave tomorrow?" His voice was distant. He was attempting to distance himself from me already. "Please don't." I winced at the whine in my voice. "Don't what?" He peered over his shoulder before opening the fridge. "Don't pull away from me like this." His shoulders slumped down. I admired his naked behind. My eyes roamed over the hard planes of his back coming to the softly curved rounds that met his legs. He turned around and I was greeted by an even more glorious sight. I bit back a smile when my view reached his saddened eyes. "I'm not pulling away." "We have a glorious time like that and then you take a dramatic turn like this?" I took a deep breath, as I realized that my temper was beginning to flare. I had no right to be angry, I was sad that I would be leaving this amazing fling as well. Fling. That word stung. "Maybe I should take you back to the hotel." Those words stung even more. My mouth dropped as I looked him over once more. His glorious body was not diminished in the least, but suddenly I felt ill to my stomach as I looked at him. I leapt from the bed, regretting the sudden motion as soon as it happened. My head spun and almost every bone in my body ached. I fell back onto the bed and waited for Seth to come running to my side, but was even more heartsick when he didn't. I looked at him; he stood in the same spot with the same sad look on his face. The stain of red on his cheeks had lessened dramatically in the few moments since our sensual encounter. I stood again, much slower this time, and walked to the bathroom. I shut the door behind me and felt the sudden panic that had been controlling me ever since arriving in Olympia. I sat on the toilet, wincing at the cold against my bare heated skin. I knew this wasn't going to last. How could someone as gorgeous and famous as Seth possibly want to keep me around any longer than my limited vacation here? He seemed to want me, even I couldn't deny that. The look on his face spoke volumes about how he sad he was I was leaving. But could I really date a celebrity? One car accident and suddenly cameras were attacking me in an ambulance. Plus people would be gunning for him, wanting him, throwing themselves at him, and could I really compete to Hollywood's standard of beauty? And the distance alone? I didn't know if I could attempt a relationship three thousand miles away from each other. I wouldn't know what he was doing or who he was seeing. I would never know if he was cheating on me. Would I be able to even keep his interest from such a distance? I was being neurotic. I knew it. My breath was catching in deep gulps. I hadn't even realized the tears were on my face until the saltiness hit my tongue. My heart was thundering. It seemed to want to explode from my chest and run into his arms. A tapping on the door reminded me where I was. I swallowed a cry and tried to steady myself. I sat for minutes; maybe an hour trying to compose myself but the panic was winning. I felt a thousand eyes on me now. A million hands threatened my breath, tried to choke me. No one was there though, only my imagination. "Love, I'm sorry." Seth wooed from the other side. When I didn't respond, he continued, "I don't want this. I hate goodbyes." I reminded myself how badly it hurt to say goodbye to him. I knew how he felt. "It's only that I'm not sure where we go once you leave me." He paused again, waiting for a response. "Will you even still want me once you remember what life is like at home? Away from this nonsense I call life?" I shuddered. He was as neurotic as I was. His Irish accent was stronger when he lowered his voice to me. "I know how upset you must be by my stupidity, but I can't help but nerve myself up over this." He paused and I felt the panic in my body subsiding. Even the idea of losing him made me panic. No wonder the staring eyes always seemed to reappear when he wasn't near. "Forgive me for being such an arse." I stood from the toilet, feeling like a fool for being naked, and opened the door a crack. When he saw the tears on my face his face broke. His eyes were no longer sad, but had turned to a charcoal gray of heartbreak. "Damn, Love." "I'm sorry too." His fingers curved around the crack in the door and tugged it open from my grasp. "I shouldn't overreact like that." His face softened and he attempted a smile. It was no good, but I gave him bonus points for the try. "We shouldn't waste our time bickering." "No, we shouldn't." I felt his hands on my waist and my face pressed against the rough hair on his chest before realizing he had taken a hold of me. I peered up into his eyes and saw them flash back to gray. "How do they—" My words were cut off by his gentle lips. I melted against his taste, my whole body relaxed from just the tenderest of kisses. I slipped my arms around his neck and allowed my hands the glory of playing with his silken, mussed locks. I knew that lunch was going to be postponed to dinner when I felt the pressure of Seth's erection against my lower belly. Strange Love Ch. 09 The air was extremely bitter when I left Seth's apartment that evening. I took it as a bad sign of what was to come. Even though I had only known Seth for a few days, my heart had grown so heavy for him that I knew I was in love, even if I didn't want to admit it to myself. He walked me to the door and the goodbye kiss that he placed on my lips was soft and lacked sensuality. At least in the way it had been the whole day. It was a sad kiss, and we both knew it meant goodbye. He stood in the doorway in his gray and blue flannel pajama bottoms, his copper colored hair tousled in a sexy reminder of what our day was like. His gray eyes looked sad even from the distance of my rental. I wanted to run back into his arms and kiss him silly all night, but I knew I had to get home and pack. And Anna still needed me. Apparently Nicholas had been calling her all day. She had been ignoring his calls—of course, but I knew it still hurt her. As I shut the door to our rental car, Anna remained silent in the driver's seat. Her heart was broken. She felt used and betrayed. But she was still my best friend and she knew that I was hurting in another way that she couldn't fix either. When Seth shut the door to his apartment, I uttered a sigh that couldn't be repressed any longer. There were tears behind the sigh that I managed to hold back. "Hungry?" Anna offered in a mouse of a voice. I nodded. After all, I had never gotten a chance to eat that breakfast. Or lunch for that matter. All day Seth and I treated it like it was our last together. And it was. "So what did you do all day?" I asked biting back the throb that had formed in my head from fighting off the tears. "Slept in, went down to that stupid bar again. I ran into Angie again." Angie, how did I know that name? "Who?" "I knew you weren't listening to me the other night. Angie is the girl from the book signing. She belongs to that club. She wanted to hook me up with her brother..." She drifted off waiting for my response. Right. Now I remembered. The weird cult girl. "Oh yeah. I was listening, I just was slightly preoccupied." "Mmmhmm." She didn't believe me. "Doesn't she live around here? Why was she hanging around the hotel again?" As we pulled onto the expressway I forced myself not to glance at the set of apartments we had just left. "I don't know really. She just keeps appearing out of thin air. It's kind of weird." She paused, "but she's really nice. She wants to meet you too. She said any friend of mine must have an amazing spirit." I nodded. I tried to pull my thoughts from Seth back into the car, back to this conversation. This Angie girl just seemed to be one sandwich shy of a picnic. "Did you ever find out what kind of club she belongs to?" "She said it's very exclusive and their headquarters are in a manor down by the water. It sounds kind of like a country club." I nodded. If their headquarters was in a manor I suppose they'd have to at least be a rich bunch of whacks. "So anyway, I invited her to meet us for dinner when you called and asked me to pick you up." I shot her an appalled look. Who said I wanted to meet this weirdo? "I kinda hoped you'd be hungry after your day with Seth." "Yeah, okay." So much for packing and wallowing in my own self-pity tonight. "So how'd it go with Seth?" She asked very quietly, sensing the tears behind my shaky voice. "He told me to call him when we get back home. He suggested maybe coming to visit once the filming is over." "So he wants to stay in touch?" I nodded. "So are you two... like an item now?" I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess." Anna lifted herself up in her seat with a squeal of delight. The sound set my nerves on edge. That was unexpected. "What?" "I'm so happy for you. You really seem happy with Seth." Her grin was wide and I could see the sparkle of her blue eyes as she glanced at me. "Yeah, I am." I slightly chuckled. "But I won't be seeing him." Anna scoffed. She smacked my thigh which felt bruised from the morning accident. I gasped and lifted my casted arm up to remind her that I was in a delicate state. "Oh please." She rolled her eyes, "I bet the fractured wrist and bruises didn't keep you and Seth apart today." She took my silence as proof that she was right and continued, "and I do not feel sorry for you. I know you're devastated that you and Seth will be apart, but he wants to see you. Come visit you. You are seeing a very sexy celebrity and he's crazy for you." "Yeah but someone like me with him—" I faded off, she knew what I would say 'we're not meant to be together'. With my abundant curves and the high pressure to look perfect in Hollywood, we would never be able to go out in public once this movie hit the screen. Women would be beating down his door, and I could never compete. "But he wants you. Not another girl, you." When I didn't say anything she sighed, "Besides, he's Irish and European men look at women differently. He obviously has liked you since he first laid eyes on you, and his mind has been on no one else." I could sense the hesitation in her voice. She was thinking how unlike Nicholas he was. I noticed a tugging at the corner of my lips. Then the strain of a smile. She was right, Seth wanted me. He wanted to still see me. Maybe there was something there that could withstand the test of distance. I agreed with her and settled against the seat. The outside of my body might be aching from the accident and a strenuous afternoon with Seth, but my heart no longer hurt and my stomach was no longer in knots. Maybe we could work this out. We pulled into an extremely elegant looking restaurant. I glanced at what Anna was wearing. My clothes from church were classier than hers, however mine had blood spatters on it. She couldn't be serious. "Um, we look a little under-dressed for this place." "Angie said that one of the club members owns this place so don't worry about it. She knows about your accident." Anna said backing into a spot near the door. "How does she know about my accident?" I wondered how quickly the paparazzi had splashed the news. "I told her about it." Anna said as if it was the most obvious answer. "Right." I unlatched my seat belt and felt assaulted by the wind. We were closer to the lake—maybe only two blocks away—and the wind was colder and stronger here. The air felt good on some of my aching parts, however chills immediately set in and the aches just traveled through my body. I was pleased to see that the restaurant wasn't very busy. It was late; I hadn't called Anna until eight, so it was now past nine. Most dinner patrons had finished eating and gone home. The smallish woman waved to us from the corner. She was standing with a tall—maybe normal height given how short Angie was-- dark haired man. He was extremely good-looking and well dressed. He glanced at us with a smile when she waved, and escorted her to a round booth near the back. Anna led the way weaving between tables towards Angie and the dark-haired man. "Think that's her brother?" I shrugged, "When you mentioned her brother I assumed you meant the guy at the bookstore." She shrugged in return as we reached the booth. Angie had seated herself facing the front of the restaurant and I instantly felt animosity towards her. She seemed to relax me at the bookstore, but suddenly I felt bitter towards her for taking my seat. I always sat facing the door. I needed to see who came and went, it helped with my anxiety. Now I would be seated with my back to the door and the eerie feeling of the watchful eyes returned. "Anna, I want you to meet a fellow society member, this is Vittorio Badoera." Angie remained seated but gestured with her hand towards the dark-haired man. He placed his hand to his heart and bowed at the waist. His hair was slightly curled in the back. Before straightening he looked up at us with resilient green eyes, "It is an extreme pleasure." His voice was smooth and accented slightly Italian accented. Anna smiled and looked nervously to me. "Nice to meet you." She held out her hand for him to shake, but instead he turned it over and placed his lips on the back of it. "Cut it out V." Angie rolled her eyes. "He's a charmer isn't he?" She smiled at me. "That he is." Anna swooned. "Angie, Vittorio, this is my friend Sandy Belfour." Anna removed her hand from the man's and threw me into the fire. His eyes turned to me and I could've sworn that the color in his eyes was moving and swirling as he considered me. He in turn took my hand and kissed it. Anna, knowing my eccentricities, allowed me to move to the center of the booth so that I was at least facing the rest of the dining area. Once I began sliding into the booth, Anna sat across from Angie and asked Vittorio. "Will you be joining us?" "No, I regret." Angie cleared her throat, "Vittorio is the owner of this beautiful establishment and he must get back to work." I caught a dominant sound to her voice that made me wonder who was really in charge. He might be the owner, but was Angie a financial backer? Either that or there might be ranks in this secret society she was attempting to recruit Anna for. "Yes, I must. But it is a sincere pleasure to be one of the first to meet the great Anna Tillman. Dinner is on me tonight ladies; please do enjoy the best of what we offer." He bowed once more and turned before we could say thank you. A waitress immediately brought over menus and complimentary red wine. While looking over the menu at the pricey meals I heard Angie asking Anna if she had given any thought to meeting her brother. "Well, I'm just coming from a messy breakup." Anna sighed quietly behind her menu. I could see Angie nodding from over my menu. She looked sincere enough, but I questioned how much she really was. "Besides we leave tomorrow." I mentioned as I sat my menu down. Farfalle with a lobster alfredo sauce. My mouth was watering just reading the description. Anna hadn't told her that. Angie's mouth parted slightly and she looked wide-eyed to Anna. "But you mustn't." "Well, my tour has ended, and I really just need to go home for a bit before I begin working on my next novel." Anna shrugged. I noticed that Angie almost looked frantic. Maybe there was a quota to getting people into the club. "Why is your club so interested in Anna, anyways?" I asked. When the waitress came to take our order she brought hot crusty bread and butter. "Because, she has a beautiful soul, and we would be honored to have her as part of our family. Besides, I need her to meet my brother." Angie bit her lower lip as if she had given too much information. "Your brother. Is he like some sort of fan of mine?" Anna asked tearing off a piece of the bread. "No, he doesn't even know you exist yet." Angie frowned. "Well that's flattering." Anna chuckled and handed me the piece of bread. She had already buttered it for me too. Between Seth and her I was going to begin feeling like a princess. Just because I had a fractured wrist didn't make me completely incapable. I kept my mouth shut though and bit into the warm yeasty bread. It was delicious. "Well you see, he just—he isn't—"Angie was stopping herself over and over. She didn't want to give too much away. But neither Anna nor I were buying it. "Why do you want Anna to meet your brother so badly?" Angie looked across the table to me, and for the first time I noticed the violet hue to her blue eyes. They were an extraordinary color. They had to be those colored contacts. "He's lonely. And lonely is never good for our people." "Your people?" I asked. "Wealthy? Short?" Angie rolled her eyes at the short comment. Anna did the same thing anytime I picked on her about being short. She shook her shaggy dark hair and bit her lip, "his true love died in a fire and he hasn't been the same since. He's so lonely I'm afraid he may die." "You can't really die from a broken heart. It's only an expression." Anna whispered. "Yes, it's only an expression. But going mad from loneliness and killing yourself is not." Angie truly looked frightened. I felt for her. How lonely could a man become before killing himself? I thought of Seth and my heart twisted in pain. We had only known each other for a few days, but the idea of a lifetime without him really did seem excruciating. "I could never live up to his girlfriend." Anna sighed, "And besides, why me?" Angie seemed to gather herself from a sad place and smiled, "I've read your work. You're a romantic. I believe you have the soul he is looking for." Anna opened her mouth and took a bite of the bread, covering whatever she wanted to say with the soft dough. How do you react to someone asking you to save their brother's life? "I'm sorry. The pressure is too much. Forget I brought it up. Fate has a way of working things out." Angie shook her hair back from her face and took a long drag from the wineglass. When she set the glass down I watched the liquid that remained on the side of the cup. The residue seemed thick and I instantly needed to taste the wine in my glass. The wine was bitter and a tad vinegary tasting, like it usually is to my taste buds. As I set it down I watched the remnants slide down the cup, it looked like blood, and for some reason my mind drifted back to the night Seth was sick. "We leave tomorrow Angie. I'm so sorry I can't be more help." Anna sighed. She felt guilty. Just what she needed on top of her guilt of making me leave Seth and her heartbreak from Nicholas. "Honestly, it's not as big of a deal as I make it sound." Angie chuckled. "I'm just an overactive sister. I want to fix all his problems." "What's he do?" I asked. Angie looked at me as if it was the strangest question she had heard. "He doesn't really do anything, I suppose." "He doesn't?" Anna and I both asked surprised. "Well, our older brother runs the society." She paused as if checking her facts, "and since our family is very wealthy he hasn't actually done much work over the past—few years." The last part seemed like a lie, and both Anna and I caught it. Odds were, her brother was a lazy leech and never bothered to work. Angie was probably as much of a hard worker in the business as her older brother and therefore wanted to give her other brother a purpose to work—someone like Anna. Our food came piping hot. The plates had been set in the oven to keep the food warmer longer. The velvety texture of the alfredo sauce was as delicious as I had hoped. It was loaded with lobster hunks. There was no skimping in my dish. Angie ate slowly. Most likely watching her weight, I assumed. And half way through she pushed it away claiming she was full from a late lunch. Angie told us more about the society. Apparently only a very select number of people were welcomed in. Sometimes years would go by without a new initiate. Angie really seemed interested in everything Anna and I had to say. She asked about my work with Anna, and if I had ever considered branching out to write my own work. She asked about Seth, and I assumed Anna had bragged on my part about him. She seemed to know him despite no knowledge of his previous movies. I hadn't realized he was more of a household name than I originally thought. And for some reason, despite the lack of entries into this club, Angie really wanted Anna to join. I couldn't tell if it was because of her brother or not, but she seemed to take an interest in Anna for more than a ploy to get her brother off the couch and back to work. "Of course if Anna wishes you to join us, we would be more than happy to consider you as well." Angie promised me. Fat chance, like I'd want to join some hoity-toity secret society in Olympia. No. Thank. You. I think I'd rather stick to staying at home, doing my work, and fantasizing about Seth. "That'd be nice." I lied through my teeth. Angie's eyes flashed a darker violet as if she could tell I was lying. Her smile didn't falter though. Desert was a tiramisu that tasted like a sweet coffee cloud on my tongue. It was the perfect finish to our last meal in Olympia, and I thanked Angie sincerely for inviting us. On our way out, Angie slipped Anna a card and told her to call her the next time she was in town. "It was a pleasure to meet you Sandy." "Same here." I waved with my casted hand and felt like an idiot as I looked at the stiff movement. I climbed into the cold car and wished like hell I was being driven back to Seth's warm house where I could climb into his unmade bed and rest my face against his chest. But my heart sank when I realized I would be going back to the now unfamiliar hotel and packing my bags to go home.