She struggled to form the words, her body trembling, skin flushed even deeper. "D-Dragos…"
"And who do you belong to?" I demanded, on the brink of exploding, too.
"Dragos… ah…"
We came together, my seed spilling deep inside her, and her squeezing the life out of my shaft. It was one of the most intense releases we had ever shared, the force of it leaving us completely spent.
I rolled over, pulling her with me, her body lying on mine as I held her to my chest. Dawn's body shook, small spasms coursing through her as we lay there, catching our breath.
After a while, I gently moved her off me and attempted to stand up, but she grabbed my arm.
"Wait," she said, her voice soft. Her hair was mussed, her skin coated with sweat. "Stay."
I raised a brow, surprised by her request. "Are you sure you want me to?"
Her eyes softened as she lay back down, still gazing at me. "Yes."
Gently, I slipped back into bed, pulling her into my arms. I pressed a light kiss to her forehead.
For a moment, we looked at each other in silence before Dawn finally broke it.
"I'm sorry for being so awful to you," she whispered. "After we fought, I knew I had overreacted. I wanted to apologize, but then I saw you feeding from that blonde maid, and it just…" She sighed, shaking her head. "It ticked me off even more."
I sighed too, caressing her cheek. "I'm sorry you saw that. I was… angry. Hungry. And, well… still aroused. I only knew one way to blow off the steam."
She remained quiet, her eyes drifting past my face.
My eyes flitted to her bikini strewn across the floor. "I see you've been busy with my credit card."
She chuckled lightly. "Oh, I bought plenty."
"I love it," I said, running my gaze over her body, "but I hate when other guys stare at you in it. Should be just for me."
Her smile faded, her voice turning more serious. "I know. I was just trying to provoke you and make you jealous."
"Look where that got us," I teased.
"Maybe I should provoke you more often." She flirted.
I smirked, running a hand over her exposed thigh. "I wouldn't mind, darling. Anyway, I need to quickly get to the pharmacy, so I can get you the morning-after pill." I said. Just as I began to get up, she caught my hand again.
"No, I already went to the doctor today," she said softly. "I'm on birth control."
I paused, replying in a relieved tone, "That's good."
She shifted slightly. "So, Niko, huh? Found a new friend?"
"Ally," I smiled, meeting her gaze. "I know recruiting allies here in Fiji isn't a top priority," I said, "but it wouldn't hurt to make a few connections while we're here. I saved his ass from a clan."
"By 'saving his ass,' you don't mean…"
I grinned. "Killing them? Yeah, I did."
Dawn groaned, sitting up in bed, the sheets falling around her waist. "Dragos, we're supposed to be on vacation! You were supposed to avoid this kind of thing."
Distracted, I reached for an exposed tit, but she swatted my hand away.
"I didn't go looking for trouble," I said, hands raised in mock defense. "They picked the wrong guy to mess with."
She shook her head, clearly exasperated. "You can't keep doing this! You know, we've got enough enemies. Now we have one less clan in the world, but at what cost? Word will spread."
I sat up beside her, placing a hand on her back. "I did what I had to do. Niko will be useful in the future. We'll need allies when it's time to expand beyond the Blue Cove. And besides, those vampires weren't exactly the peaceful type."
Dawn rubbed her temples, clearly frustrated. "You need to be more careful, Dragos. We can't afford to make any more reckless decisions."
"Yes, mother," I teased.
She smiled and leaned into me, her head resting against my chest. "How long are we staying here anyway?"
"One more week."
"Oh."
I kissed her cheek. "There's still a lot to take care of."
"No, I get it," she said.
"We also have to break the curse." I said "And we need to be where again for that?"
"Sinaia, Romania" Dawn responded.
"I haven't been to Romania in ages," I said wistfully. "Does the ritual have to happen exactly where he died?"
She nodded. "Yes. His blood was spilled there. The curse started with his blood, and it will end with it."
I let out a long, deep breath. "The first time Dragavei appeared to me, I saw his memories… how he died, the pain, the emotions. It was horrible, Dawn. No one should have to go through that sort of pain," I shook my head in pity. "But still, I'm not sure I can pinpoint the exact spot when we get there. This was almost eight hundred years ago."
"Don't worry. We'll figure it out when we get there." She replied, unbothered. "When the time is right, we'll know who to trust and how to go about it... this was revealed to me during the encounter I had. So, there's no need to worry."
I looked at her, pride swelling in my chest, and warming it. "Look at you... my little inferno." I brushed a hand over her cheek. "You've become so bold, so confident. It's amazing."
She blushed, shrugging slightly. "I guess dying changes you."
I kissed her. "I want to take you out tomorrow night. On a date. An actual date. We haven't done that yet."
I had found a nice restaurant during one of my walks, back when she wasn't speaking to me.
The idea excited Dawn. "I'd love that," she said softly. "Where are we going?"
"That's a surprise."
"Come on, just tell me," she giggled like a child, moving to straddle my legs.
The feel of her warm body and still moist heat against my naked skin started to arouse me again.
I shook my head, smiling. "Nope, still not telling."
She wrapped her arms around my neck, pouting as her emerald eyes shimmered. "How can you say no to me?"
I slid my hand around her waist and pulled her closer. Dawn gasped at the feel of our sex touching.
She was so beautiful, I could hardly control myself around her.
I wanted her quaking with pleasure again as I pleasured her with my tongue.
Suddenly, Dawn's eyes widened in realization. "Oh my god, Dragos! We forgot about Niko downstairs!"
"I don't care," I grumbled. "He'll understand. Any sane person would get the message," I muttered.
"Dragos," Dawn scolded, trying to suppress a smile.
"I'm not ready to let you go just yet."
With that, I rolled her onto her back and began kissing her stomach.
"Dragos, you know I still haven't showered," she murmured.
"I know, darling," I replied, glancing up at her. "I don't mind."
I kissed along her inner thigh and gently licked my way down.
Her hand dove right into my hair, and I groaned as she gave it a tug, her legs spreading even further to give me more space.
"Fifteen minutes, then we check on Niko, okay?" she whispered, biting her lip, eyes closed in pleasure.
But we both knew she wasn't serious about checking on Niko.
"Darling, I'm sure I can make you come in less," I teased, before letting my tongue dive in to do the work.
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The next morning, Dawn and I met Niko in his room as he had breakfast. He couldn't be anywhere near the sun, so I'd made arrangements earlier on for the windows to be replaced with UV-blocking glass, just like they were back at my home in Blue Cove, to keep the sun from harming him.
The last thing I needed was an ignorant maid pulling open the curtains, leading to him getting roasted to death.
Niko sat on his bed, casually biting into a slice of French toast. "Good morning"
He said cheerily, his eyes drifting to my arm wrapped around Dawn's waist. "Good to see you two back together."
"Morning, Niko," Dawn replied with a smile.
"I mean, after everything that happened yesterday…" He cleared his throat, smirking. "Why not, right?"
Dawn glanced at me, her cheeks reddening slightly. It was obvious he'd overheard us yesterday, and probably everyone else in the house had too.
I grabbed a throw pillow from a nearby couch and hurled it at him, but Niko ducked just in time, grinning mischievously.
"Nice try," he chuckled. "Anyway, about that ally business, I've got news for you."
"Let's hear it, then."
He straightened, looking at us. "Eleanor Byers is the woman you're going to want on your side when the time comes. And since she's here in Fiji, now's a good time to win her trust."
"Eleanor Byers," I repeated, lowering into a couch and pulling Dawn down to sit on my lap. "Sounds... human"
Niko guffawed. "Nice guess. She is"
Dawn glanced at me before looking at Niko. "What makes her a suggestible person?"
"Her family has been involved with vampires for centuries," Niko explained. "They've supplied various clans with weapons for their wars. She's got connections… knows every clan, every power struggle, and exactly who's most likely to side with you… or against you."