Page 43 of Bitten By Chaos

“My place. We can work on some more demolition if you like.” Julian pulled me in by the waist and waggled his eyebrows.

Gods, I loved this man. He knew exactly what to say to bring back my smile. I pointed beside us, and a pink and gold portal opened right into his bedroom. With only a momentary display of surprise, Julian took my hand to lead me through, and I closed the portal behind us.

“Zoe’s going to be jealous,” he said, pulling me against him again.

“I’m destroying your suit,” I answered, not minding the feel of his hard body against mine in the least.

“You are a dirty little vampire aren’t you?” he asked with a wicked grin.

“I can’t decide if that’s a compliment or reality check.”

Julian’s rare laugh made an appearance, and he led me to the bathroom where he started the shower.

“We need more space,” I declared and willed the tub into a massive walk-in shower with tiled walls and several showerheads spraying steaming water like a world class spa. “Better.”

“I wonder how long these gifts will last,” Julian said as he dropped his jacket to the floor in a heap and started unbuttoning his shirt.

“If Elsa and my father are right, they may be permanent.” The realization hit me as I glanced around at the shooting swirls of color and energy everywhere. I finished removing the last of my clothing, and Julian and I stepped into my new luxury space.

The moment the water pelted my chest and back, I moaned with the pleasure of it. Julian was instantly gathering me against him, and I leaned back against his chest as he cradled me.

“Make more of those sounds, and this may be a long shower,” Julian purred. The part of him that pressed against my back reinforced his meaning.

“Clean first,” I mumbled, rocking with him back and forth under the heavenly waterfall.

Julian grabbed some soap and turned me so he could kneel before me. And he began massaging the slippery stuff into every crevice of my body.

“Hold still,” he said, as I squirmed when he reached my most sensitive parts, and I tried my best. But when his finger found its way inside of me to “make sure he got everything,” I gave my weight to the wall behind me.

Ignoring my protesting whimpers, Julian finished his job, even taking care of my hair. His long fingers rubbed slow circles into my scalp as he worked in the conditioner, staring down at me with such intensity it stole my breath.

“You’re clean,” he reported.

“Your turn,” I insisted, calling the soap into my outstretched hand so I didn’t have to look away for a second. He smiled as I worked my hands over his broad shoulders and down over his pecs, tracing the ridges of his abdominals and the narrow V that led downward. All the while, he stared at me, arm braced against the wall behind me, searching my eyes.

A guttural sound escaped his throat when I passed his hips and teased his length. I sucked in my bottom lip while I lathered his shaft and all around. His eyes pressed shut as a vision of ecstasy claimed his normally schooled features. And the knowledge that I did that to him had me literally float off the floor.

Julian’s eyes snapped open as he watched me rise to his height. He reached around me and turned off the water.

“Charlotte?” he asked, half-worriedly, half in awe.

“Sorry,” I said and willed myself back to the ground. “Still getting used to this. Between Bres and Merl’s blood, I don’t know what to expect.” I hoped ingesting both so close together hadn’t been a mistake.

“Whatever happens, I’m here, love.” Julian held out a towel for me then watched me carefully as we dried off. “I suppose it would be foolish to ask what’s troubling you since there are a thousand valid answers to choose from.”

He trailed after me into the bedroom and onto the collapsed bed, where I climbed in and pulled a blanket over me, back against the hole in the wall I’d created the night I’d turned. Silently, he crawled in beside me, lifting the blanket long enough to slip beneath and pull me against him.

“The mattress is still comfy. It’s just lower to the floor,” I said as he rubbed his hand over my arm.

“I don’t mind buying new furniture every day if necessary. We just haven’t been back for a while. I fear the entire front of the house is rubble from the demon attack. But anything is fixable so long as you are safe.”

Tilting my head to gaze up at him, I smiled. “It feels strange.”

“What part?”

“Like it should all be over now, but instead, it’s like I’m suspended in this weird space where I’m waiting for something. Something I’m expecting, and yet have no idea what it is. But the demons are gone. The fae queen and king are gone too. We should be able to live our lives now, and yet?—”

“Things are different after you go through so much trauma, I’m afraid. It’s natural to fear the next terrible thing.” Julian cradled me tighter, and I knew he spoke from experience. “But you’re right. Our worst enemies have been vanquished, and it is finally time for us to be free without having to look over our shoulders.”

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