Latchkey Lovers

Ch. 11: Acceptance

   I didn't know what to say for a moment, I had never allowed myself to get close to anyone, never trusted anyone and further more I had never had a relationship normal or otherwise. My head still felt dizzy from the kiss, reaching up I touched my lips lightly; the tingling feeling was still there too.

   "I...I don't know...I don't know how to...but I want to try." I said in a bare whisper.

   A broad smile crossed his face, his eyes lighting up and almost twinkling, "I'll take that as a yes then." He said almost triumphantly, "We'll go as slow as you need to." He said, using his fingers to caress my cheek again.

   "I don't know how to be in a relationship." I mumbled, I knew the gist of a relationship but to actually be in one I was sure was very different.

   "We'll start with small things, that kiss can be a beginners step, then we do things like go on dates, go on walks, hold hands; maybe I can steal a few more kisses." He said wiggling his eyebrows.

   "Dates?" I questioned.

   "Yeah, to like the movies, dinners, lunch, just hanging out for walks in the park can be a date." He said seemingly thrilled, "But most of all I'll get to say you're mine and you'll get to say I'm your's." He smiled, "While your at work and I'm not, so there's not some guy hanging around I can continue to be in my dog form, then you can be there at the club to keep all the wild cats off me." He laughed.

   It thrilled her and frightened her, the thought of allowing herself to get even closer to someone.

   "Finally we'll be accepted even if it is just by each other." He said with a broader smile; the notion of being accepted comforted and eased something in me.

   My eyes fell to his lips again as they curved up like a bow, his white teeth gleaming. Raising up from the chair slightly I covered his mouth with mine, I wanted to feel their petal softness again, wanted to feel their warmth and taste his breath again; feel my head spin again. It was just like before, my lips tingled as they touched his, the excessive warmth of his lips pressing against mine. My lips parted slightly to inhale more of his breath, to my surprise his tongue plunged into my mouth dancing against my tongue; I followed his lead. Heat flooded throughout my body, settling in my core, this heat I understood; it was desire and arousal.

   Abruptly he pulled away from me, stepping back a few inches, his eyes closed, "You can't kiss me like that if you expect things to go slowly." He breathed, his body trembling slightly.

   "Sorry...I lost myself..." I breathed out, "How...how does it make you feel?" I questioned, I wanted to know if he was feeling the same way I did.

   "Very, very hot." He muttered, stepping forward he grabbed up my hand and placed it on his abs; they were tight and coiled beneath my hand, "Very tense too. There's this lovely zinging feeling when your lips touch mine." He sighed, sounding kind of frustrated, "How about you?"

   I felt the flush creep across my skin, "It's a lot...it makes me feel extra warm, and there's a tingling feeling, and your breath is so sweet it makes my head spin." I answered.

   "Uh yeah...that's part of the vampirism, our breaths are made to be sweet and intoxicating to humans." He said running his fingers through his hair, "You've got me so frustrated right now Maddie, you just have no clue what you've done to me." He teased.

   "I'm sorry." I mumbled, "I just wanted to test if the second kiss would be the same."

   "Was it the same?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

   "Yes." I mumbled.

   "Well that's good." he said with a smile, "I guess I better pay my vet bill." he said changing the subject; I guessed he was trying to distract himself.

   We left out of the house and headed into town, stopping by the vet's office and paying the bill, Adrick limping the whole way. Once we were done there we decided to get brunch and go to the park and eat it there. He sat right up against me on the park bench, his hard body pressed against my side; which I found distracting.

      After that day we fell into a pattern, he watched me at work in his dog form, I carried a change of clothes for him, then when I got off work we duct down an alley where he changed into his human form and I walked to his job with him and I 'kept the wild cats off of him' as he had put it.

   We went on dates as he said we would, and he protected me every step of the way; and before I knew it days turned into weeks then months. Over time I began to insist on him letting me pay part of the bills which he didn't have too many of as I discovered he owned his home. We got me a cell phone so he could have contact with me at all times. On my days off I stayed at the house whiling away my hours, discovering things I liked, like reading and painting and behind his back  I practiced cooking by watching Youtube tutorials; I was getting better at cooking. 

   I had all but forsaken my old ways and become a domestic house partner. This particular night I was trying my hand at homemade chicken noodle soup; following the tutorial step by step when he walked in the back door.

   "Smells good." He said, shaking his hair out like a dog.

   "Uh, uh, outside with that." I stated glaring at him.

   "Throwing me in the dog house are you?" he questioned.

   "No, but if you're going to act like a dog you can take it outside; I'm cooking." I said.

   "Do you realize it's already been 6 months now that we started dating?" he questioned, "You should be used to my actions by now."

   "Used to them or not, I don't need your water from your wet hair landing in the food that I've worked so hard on." I grumbled out; had it really been 6 months already.

   walking up behind me he wrapped his arms around me as I stirred the soup, his hard body pressed against mine causing a warm sensation to flow through me. Brushing my hair aside he kissed my ear then kissed down the arch of my neck, sending tingling sensations shooting through me.

   "I'll keep my dog behavior outside from now on, though it is my house." he teased, nibbling on my ear lightly; he was distracting me from my task at hand.

Turning my head I kissed the corner of his mouth, "Go sit, it's almost done."

   Dropping his arms to his side he obeyed. Turning off the burner I served up the food, praying he liked it; I had worked really hard to get it right. Staring at the bowl a minute he leaned forward and sniffed it, then dipping his spoon in he blew on it and took a big bite a smile gracing his lips.

   "This is wonderful for a first try at something new." he said which made me happy, "I was wondering...I'd like to try something...I mean you don't have to...but I was wondering if you would sleep with me tonight...I don't mean have sex, I'll be on my best behavior; just sleep beside me."

   I felt my face flush, we had never shared a bed, but, it had been 6 months and he had never tried to push anything, "I guess we could try."

   We finished up dinner, talking about how his work day had been, he praised me several more times on how good I'd done on the soup, and then we cleaned up. we both got our showers then met in his bedroom, I stood there nervously looking at his bed. Climbing in on the left side he patted the right one; it was a king size bed. 

   "I uh...I sleep pretty lightly, but I move around a lot." he said with a smile.

   Going over to the bed I climbed in the right side and moved over towards him, his smell wafting up from the bedding. He laid down, wrapping his arm around me as he did, pulling me with him, then throwing the covers over us, nervously I settled into his arms. His smell surrounding me more; his smell was musty, woody with a touch of sweetness. He pulled me closer, burying his face in my hair and inhaling deeply, a low noise issuing from his chest; his arms tightening. Cuddling into him I let his breathing lull me to sleep; I felt truly self nestled in his arms.