Hartman House Read online

  She chewed on her lip as she thought it all out. It made sense now, the things her mother used to say to her. Repeatedly, as though she wanted Rodelle to commit it to memory.

  “Morgain, I think I could recreate the spell. To help us expand into another house.”

  Morgain had been watching her, clearly wanting to say something but staying quiet so Rodelle could process her thoughts. Finally, after setting down her teacup, she spoke.

  “I had been hoping you would say that.”

  ---

  She was lying in Dreven's bed, waiting for him to finish his meeting with Alarin. She had left Morgain's office to find the outer office empty, but Dreven and Alarin in deep discussion in the hallway. Not wanting to disturb them, she decided to wait for him in his room.

  The lavender and chamomile tea had her feeling quite relaxed, but she still felt his soothing presence as he entered the basement. It felt like an agonizingly long few moments before he entered the bedroom.

  Once he shut the door, he walked swiftly to the bed and leaned down to kiss her firmly. She opened her mouth as if to protest, but he swept his tongue inside and promptly stopped any argument she had.

  He broke the kiss long enough to sweep his shirt off over his head and toss it across the room.

  “Oh, my.” Was all Rodelle could get out as she took in the sight of him shirtless, before he resumed their kiss.

  Running her hands over him was amazing. Feeling the ripples of muscles underneath the smooth skin. Surprisingly hot to the touch. Warmer than the time she had helped him sate his hunger with the power node. It was probably to do with the life force he had drawn out of her during the rescue.

  And it seemed to be driving him into a lustful frenzy.

  She wasn't worried, though. Even if he was frenzied, he was still gentle and careful with her. But the feeling he was stirring up within her had her wanting him to be a bit less than gentle.

  He finally pulled his face away from hers and stared down into her eyes, as if asking her permission to go any further.

  “For a vampire you are pretty timid around girls.” Rodelle laughed.

  Dreven smiled his lopsided smile. “I loved you before I was turned into a vampire. And our love has always been soul-deep. You were the only thing that could calm my anger, and my impulse to violence. I may have lost you before to Vlad, but you had saved me from him. And I will spend every day for the rest of my life showing you how thankful I am for that.”

  A tear slipped down Rodelle's cheek, and Dreven bent down to kiss it away. He continued to kiss her cheek down to her neck, then to her chest. He pulled away just long enough to strip her of her shirt and bra. Then he pulled her against him, skin to skin, the touch feeling like exquisite electricity.

  He kissed her everywhere, then kissed her everywhere again. His fingers traced every line of her body, every inch of her skin. Constantly stroking, moving slowly across her body, just missing her most sensitive areas as he stripped them both of the rest of their clothing.

  Her back arched each time he came close to her nipples, and each time he stroked past her mound. She moaned into his shoulder and gripped his hair with her fingers as he once again kissed her deeply, still letting his hands roam over her body.

  After what felt like an eternity of torture, he moved his mouth away from hers and took one of her nipples into his mouth. The ecstatic sounds that came from her at the contact made him chuckle for just a second before moving his mouth to the other.

  Shocks of pleasure rolled through her body each time he licked or sucked, and by the time he moved his head away she was panting.

  After a quick moment to catch her breath, she felt him against her, waiting for her permission to enter. Looking up into his eyes, she nodded, ready to give herself to him. To join with him completely.

  He held her eyes as he pushed inside, and she felt herself give way to him. She had expected pain, but she felt only an intense, deep pleasure like nothing she had ever felt before. It was indescribable. It was intense. But it was amazing.

  She was swept away by him, rolling along on wave after wave of passion and pleasure. Riding the heights of the intense desire that he had awoken with her, until it built up to a boiling point and spilled over. Making her writhe and squirm as he touched that sweet spot within her over and over.

  ---

  She was running. It seemed that she was always running. The place that she was in seemed to change around her every couple hundred feet. She had started in a thick forest, running down a mountainside towards a large castle. Then she was in a jungle, full of sounds and bright flowers, running towards a small clearing with huts drawn up in a circle. The next place was in a desert. Running forever towards an oasis that was nothing but illusion.

  Now she was moving through a winter storm with snow piled up to her knees. She looked down at herself to see that she was dressed in layers of light colored furs. If she were to hold still no one would be able to spot her against the blinding white landscape.

  But she kept trudging forward, towards a small cabin mostly buried in snow. There was smoke coming from a short chimney and she hurried to reach the door. She was so terribly cold.

  Finally coming close to the door, she reached out with her fur wrapped hands and pulled the latch. Pushing on the door, it opened wide, spilling out a brilliant white light that encompassed her with a warm radiance.

  Coming suddenly awake it took Rodelle several moments to register where she was and that she was lying naked in Dreven's arms.

  The soothing feeling that only Dreven could make her feel washed over her and calmed her.

  “Whatever is the matter, my love?” He asked her sleepily.

  “I remember. Dreven, I think I remember my last life.”