Merely Lust

chapter 6

The airport in Cuba was nothing like she'd expected. The workers all looked regimented and they charged ridiculous prices for their luggage but at least they were friendly. The taxi was small but new and the driver was an older man with a moustache. He loaded the bags into the trunk, shook their hands, and welcomed them to Cuba; in Spanish of course. Nikolas had to translate everything the man said, which must have been onerous. The scenery was a lot different than what she was used to. In place of oak trees there were tall, lean palms with large green fronds. The sky was infinitely black with tiny pinpoints of light that she could never see back home. Nikolas caught her staring up at them in wonder and couldn't help but smile. He loved feeling like he had given her this experience; like he was somehow responsible for the awe in her eyes. 

"A long time ago, it was believed that the stars were people who had died and gone to heaven," he leaned into her to look out the window and she moved back until she was against his chest.  

It was an instinctual move, she hadn't even noticed it herself, but he was glad for it all the same.

"Maybe they are. Maybe that's where our soul goes while our body remains here."

"If our souls become stars, then I'll never be a star."

Iris frowned, "You don't think you have a soul?"

"Sweetheart, I'm a vampire, I relinquished my soul the day I died."

Iris watched him closely and noticed that it was a sensitive subject for him. She was full

of questions but she didn't push; she didn't want to upset him or worse, make him unhappy.

"It wont be much longer now," he said, as if the silence bothered him. 

He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her flush against him, and kissed the curve of her neck. Pleasant chills ran up and down her spine starting at the point of contact all the way down to her toes. It was fairly dark so the driver couldn't see that his hand was caressing her thigh. She looked up at him startled.

He wouldn't dare...

"Nik, behave yourself."

"Why should I?"

His lopsided grin was endearing and sexy all at once. She cupped his cheek in her hand

and kissed him thoroughly. She bit his bottom lip softly, heard the slight intake of breath and felt a tug deep inside her belly. How could one man make her so horny she was thinking about sex in a taxi no larger than one of the electric cars back in the U.S.? Exasperating is what it was. She moved away, put some distance between them for her own sanity, and was glad for the darkness which hid her blush. 

"Nik, if this keeps up, we're going to end up arrested for having sex on a public beach,"

she whispered. 

"We can definitely try that, the second part I mean."

"No!"

"Come on Iris," his hand crept up her leg once again and played with the edge of her skirt,

"can't you imagine it? How hot, exhilarating, passionate it would be? How the risk of getting caught would make it sexier?"

"I can't."

"You're a bad liar."

"Stop trying to tempt me," she grinned. 

She was helpless against him, god help her, and he very well knew it. If he so much as

touched her, she turned into a puddle of need. If he stopped touching her, she turned into a bundle of nerves- edgy, horny, unsatisfied. It was insanity. It was gloriously thrilling.

"I'll tell you what, if you find a private beach, I'll consider it."

"But we couldn't get caught at a private beach so there goes the danger of it."

"Don't you have any imagination? Pretend we can get caught."

Nikolas chuckled, settling back against his seat.

"My imagination is perfectly fine. I'll find that beach Iris, and when I do, I'm going to devour you."

"Oooo, sounds terrifying."

The look he gave her was so hot, so sensual she felt singed.

"We'll see what you think when I have you writhing beneath me, so ready, you'd be begging me to finish it."

Iris gasped and covered his mouth with both her hands. The taxi driver had looked back in

surprise and she had the feeling he understood everything Nikolas had said.

"Nik!"

He winked naughtily and licked the palm of her hand. She gasped and giggled as she pulled her hand away. 

"You're horrible!"

"And you're about to get naked cause we're here."