Forbidden

Chapter Two: The Good Samaritan

Constance

            I tried to subdue a yawn, but it was virtually impossible when the professor’s monotone voice was lulling me to sleep at nine in the morning.  After my nightmare last night, I hadn’t been able to fall back asleep.  My mind had been contemplating the dark hero from my dreams.  Therefore, this Monday’s morning lecture was more painful to get through than usual.  Leaning my chin into my palm, I tried focusing on anything interesting in his lecture, but I was hardly interested in US history.

            Giving up, I allowed my mind to wander to the Halloween party Jamie was dragging me to.  While I grumbled about going, I couldn’t stop the excitement that bubbled up every time I had the chance to think about it.  Growing up, my mother had been very strict about my privileges.  I had a hard curfew of eight—even when it wasn’t a school night—or whenever the sun set.  Whichever came first was my curfew.  And absolutely no parties, birthday or not.  It didn’t matter.  She had kept me as close as she could and as isolated as possible.  It was a wonder I was able to find time to have a real relationship with someone . . .

            Actually, by that time I was a pro at sneaking out of my house.

            I grinned to myself as I sketched the dress I was making for the Halloween party.  While the crew—Jamie, Matt, and Kevin—were dressing up as characters from The Wizard of Oz, I was dressing up as Belle, from Beauty and the Beast.  I’d always wanted to dress up as the character but never had the chance.

            Pushing the gloomy past away, I focused on the sketch.  Last semester I took a sewing class as one of my electives.  I was putting what I’d learned to good use.  The Belle dress I was making was a fun and challenging project.  I couldn’t wait to get back home and start working on it again.

            “Day dreaming again C?”  I barely heard Jamie’s comment through the haze of thoughts swirling in my head. 

            “Huh?” I asked facing my best friend in the whole wide world.

            “Come on C,” Jamie giggled.  “Class is over.”

            “Oh!”  Had I been that spaced out?  Quickly shoving my things into the large, sturdy green beach bag I used as a book bag, I followed her out into the hallway thankful class was finally over.

            “I swear, two Rockstars and a shot of straight caffeine couldn’t get anyone through that class,” Jamie smirked over her shoulder, taking a large swig from her chocolate macchiato.

            “Hey sexy,” a voice purred behind us.

            “Matt!” she squealed spinning around only to be engulfed in her man’s embrace.

            Leaning closer to the shadow beside me I murmured, “Aren’t you guys supposed to be in class until eleven?”  It was just after ten.

            “We had a test.  The professor let us go when we were done,” he explained, shoving his hands into his pockets.

            Dropping my voice lower so no one could overhear, I asked, “How long have you been waiting?”

            “Only five minutes,” he answered innocently.  I raised a disbelieving brow.  “Honest!”

            “Did you leave before everyone else?”

            He shifted uncomfortably.  He didn’t like where I was going with this because it meant another scolding.  “Yeah.”

            I heaved a disappointed sigh.  “I thought we talked about this Kev.  Someone’s going to get suspicious—

            “Everyone thinks we’re just brainiacs.”

            “If I figured it out—

            “No one’s going to figure it out!” he snapped with finality, keeping his voice low.  I looked up at him reproachfully.  He sighed and softened his tone.  “If you were normal like everyone else, you wouldn’t be bugging me about this.”

            “Well, I’m sure there are other unusual people like me out there who can connect the dots,” I retorted trying hard not to smile at his teasing, condescending tone.  I had figured out their secret shortly after my cousin and I learned about the immortal world.  Before then, I hadn’t understood why I’d been able to pick Matt and Kevin from the crowd.  Now that I knew I was an immortal, and they were too, it made sense.  When I called them out on it, they admitted they were half-breed vampires.

            Half-breeds came about when immortals took a human as a mate and started having babies while the human was still mortal.  Therefore, making half mortal, half immortal beings.  “I’m just concerned.”

            “I know you’re trying to look out for us.  Matt was just anxious to get back to his ball and chain.”

            I rolled my eyes dramatically.  “Yeah, she’s such a ball and chain,” I scoffed looking over in time to see Matt dramatically dip Jamie, backpack and all, to the side and kiss her fervently, silencing her giggles of absolute happiness.  Their joy brought a smile to my face and I wished I had my camera to catch such a moment of raw love and devotion.

            “She’s keeping him from floating away into the oblivion of sheer bliss.”  He almost sounded disgusted.

            “Don’t be jealous!  I’m sure you’d be acting in the same gagging manner if you were in his shoes.”  Right as the words were out, I winced internally at the way I’d left myself open.

            Kevin shrugged, a smile playing across his lips as he dropped an arm around my shoulders and firmly tucked me into his side.  My skin crawled at the contact.  “I could be,” he whispered into my ear seductively, sending revolting shivers down my spine.

            I really really liked Kevin, but not like that!  When he went all boyfriend on me it gave me the heebie-jeebies.  We didn’t feel right together and I was surprised, given what he was, he didn’t feel it too.  Or, maybe he did but just didn’t care because to him I was a mortal.

            Shoving his arm off, I put distance between us and hissed, “We both know I’m not the one for you.”

            “And you know that doesn’t mean anything.”  He had been trying for several months to convince me to start a relationship with him.  His sudden interest probably had something to do with seeing Matt and Jamie so utterly and irrevocably besotted.  Their intoxicating happiness had to be getting to him because it was getting to me too.

            “No?  It just means everything.”

            He knew it was useless trying to persuade me to start a relationship with him.  We both knew we weren’t meant for each other.  The kind of relationship we’d have would only temporarily satisfy the physical need not the emotional.  And that wasn’t the kind of relationship I was looking for. 

            Focusing his attention away from me, he turned on Matt and Jamie, inflicting his bitterness of our situation on them.  “Alright you two; either break it up or get a room,” he grumbled, brushing past me.

            Knowing Kevin would only be a grump if I was around, I decided to leave the crew to themselves for lunch.  “Hey, I’m going to the library.  I need some quite time to study for my lab quiz.”

            Jamie pouted but allowed me to escape.

            As I walked out of the building, it dawned on me that something was amiss.  I paused, allowing my brain time to figure out what was wrong.  And then in hit me:  the normal jangling of my keys at my hip was missing.  Upon further inspection, I found them gone.  Grumbling, I retraced my steps and slipped back into the now deserted room I’d escaped from just minutes earlier.  Luckily, there wasn’t another class right after US History.

            As I perused my isle and came up empty, someone cleared their throat behind me.  I jerked around with a start and stared wide eyed at the Greek God-like stranger standing at the end of the row I was in.  He was tall, dark and ruggedly handsome.  The way he looked, the way he dressed, hell, even his posture reeked of danger, sexuality and a distinct ethereal grace.  Something about those defined denim clad thighs, the muscle playing under the baby blue cotton shirt and those inky black untamed locks set my heart ablaze.  But what captivated me the most were those unique blue-brown eyes.  They were in juxtaposition to the rest of him.  While his physical appearance was daunting, those eyes were inviting.  They pulled me in and snared me.

            “Careful there sunshine, didn’t mean to startle you.”  His deep, thick baritone washed over me almost like a caress.  It sent goosebumps rippling over my skin and shot a shiver of awareness down my spine, awakening something deep inside of me.  Something I wasn’t at all prepared to look at too closely.

            My first impression of this stranger was the fact he had a profound impact on my senses.  Everything around me seemed to stop and disappear.  My body was on overdrive and every nerve ending was hypersensitive.  I was acutely aware of him as time came to a grinding halt. 

            I could only imagine this was what it felt like to find your soul mate.

            “Are you by any chance looking for these?” he asked in the silence, extending his open hand to me, my keys resting in his large palm.

            “Yes,” I replied, reserved.  “Thank you.”  I gently reached out and took them.  A few of my knuckles brushed the expanse of his palm and the brief, innocent contact was shocking.  A bolt of electricity shot through me as the cool skin of my hand met his searing flesh.  My eyes flashed up as his gaze slowly left our barely there connection to hold my gaze with what I presumed to be mutual surprise.  I noticed his pupils were ever so slightly dilated, as if he had felt that same jolting desire.

            And then he dropped his hand to his side, breaking the spell, leaving me wondering if I had imagined it all.  “You might want to check your pockets before you leave so you don’t have to go on a wild goose chase,” he suggested, hooking his thumbs through his belt loops casually but the intense, almost primal stare he leveled me with was anything but casual.

            As if knowing just how affected I was by him, that small smirk deepened into a wicked smile, revealing devastating dimples.  That particular smile had my mind rolling in the gutter and imaging all sorts of wicked things he could do to me, that I could do to him . . .

            Whoa!  Where the hell did that thought come from?

            “What’s your name sunshine?” he asked casually.

            Sunshine . . . The way the endearment rolled off his tongue seemed vaguely familiar.  But no one had ever called me that before.  “Constance,” I replied as if on autopilot.  Between the familiarity and my suddenly roused libido, I was having a hard time concentrating.  “You?”

            “Gabriel,” he replied smoothly, unaffected, offering his hand.

            Hesitantly, I accepted it.

            My heart almost leapt out of my chest when he engulfed my hand in his.  His touch did strange things to my body.  Maybe accepting his greeting hadn’t been the smartest thing to do when our accidental touch earlier had created such a strong reaction between us.  I was now having a hard time breathing.  I forced air into my lungs so I wouldn’t faint.  I mean, how embarrassing would that be?

            Before I could remove my hand from his to regain some of my wits, he lifted it to his lips and brushed a gentle kiss against my knuckles.  His lips were warm and soft, his stubble rough in contrast.  His breath was even and controlled and washed over the back of my hand.  I bit down on my lip to subdue a strangled moan of pleasure as molten fire lanced through my veins igniting a desperate, intense craving I was afraid would never be sated.

            He held my hand to his lips for longer than was necessary.  His gaze locked on my face, as if taking stock of every detail playing across my expressive eyes.  The intensity of my reaction almost had me throwing caution to the wind and flinging myself against him in wanton abandonment.

            That wild thought however, slammed me back to earth and I unintentionally jerked my hand from his as if he’d burned me.  I squashed the urge to apologize, somehow knowing he wouldn’t approve.  Keeping my eyes averted, I took a step back, and then another.  I felt embarrassed at my rash thoughts and odd behavior towards this Good Samaritan.  He unnerved me and it scared me because the only other person who had been capable of doing that almost destroyed me.

            As much as I wanted to brave my fear, to look him square in the eye and challenge his dominance, I didn’t.  It wasn’t in my nature to back down, to show compliance.  It went against everything in my being to be so passive, so submissive but I knew the danger, the temptation I’d ultimately invite if I challenged someone like him.  Knowing his personality, he wouldn’t be interested in a docile, subservient female.  He liked the chase.  He wouldn’t bother with someone who would give in too easily.  I had gone down this treacherous path once with a far less domineering individual and I had come out of it barely alive.  I wasn’t about to flirt with death again so soon.

            “It was nice meeting you,” I murmured, continuing to back out of the aisle, my gaze still averted.

            “It was nice meeting you too, sunshine.”  I could hear the amusement in his voice, the teasing edge that begged me to look up at him.  With effort, I ignored the urge and rushed from the room and out into the crisp Autumn air. 

*** 

Gabriel

            I stared at her from across the amphitheater, unable to peel my eyes from her.

            She was the epitome of beauty!

            Long blond locks—usually pulled back into a severe bun or set in a side braid—was let loose to wildly frame the feminine slope of her neck and shoulders.  My fingers itched to run through the fine golden strands, knowing they would be softer than the finest silk.  Oh, how I wanted to lock my fists in the golden cascade and pull her close, close enough to see the colors in her hazel eyes.  I wanted to know what color they would change to when hooded in passion.  I desperately needed to feel her sweet breath washing over my skin, moaning my name.  I craved to taste her, already knowing she would be more addicting than sin.  I desperately needed to scrape my fangs over the pulse in her neck and bite—

            I nearly groaned aloud with the insatiable and driving hunger to have her, the evidence of my desire straining at the crux of my jeans.

            I didn’t understand how she could do this to me.  How she had unknowingly tortured me for months.  I couldn’t stay away from her.  And yet, we had never met.  Never even passed by in the hallway and caught each other’s eye.  All because I was afraid.

            Afraid of this powerful, intense reaction which drove me to distraction.  Afraid this—whatever it was—was only one sided.  Afraid what I was feeling was only lust; an unhealthy attraction.

            Yet, every time I tried to walk away, tried to leave her behind, I found I couldn’t.  There was some kind of un-seeing force which kept dragging me back to her.  And still, she didn’t know I existed.  No matter how hard I silently tried to get her to look up at me, to look anywhere near me, she never did.  It was like I was always going to be invisible to her.

            And rightfully, I should be.

            I was the beast.  She was the beauty.

            I had a demonic past, while I was sure she had the fairy tale princess upbringing which suited her personality and style.

            I was neck deep in sin while her soul was untainted, unstained by the wickedness swirling everywhere.

            I was damaged.  She was pure.

            I would never be worthy of such a woman.  But I couldn’t stop myself from dreaming . . .

            Sudden commotion around me drew my attention away from the woman across the way as class was dismissed.

            And yet another day goes by . . .

            I watched her leave with her girlfriend and noticed her keys fall off her hip and onto the floor.  I rushed over to the spot, and picked them up off the ground and held them in my palm, my heart racing.

            What should I do?

            Logical choice:  chase her down.  But she would probably be with those vampires she liked to hang out with and I was loathed to approach them.  No, going to her while she was with them wasn’t an option.

            I could take them to lost and found, but that probably wouldn’t be her first place to go.  I could place them back on the ground, right where she had dropped them, but what if she didn’t notice they were missing right away?  What if, by some chance, someone else picked them up?  She could be gone on a wild goose chase looking for them.

            I sighed heavily knowing what I had to do.  I had to suck it up and go chase her down and give them to her, regardless if she was with those damn vampires.

            Right!

            I could do this.

            I walked confidently to my usual exit, ready to intercept her when I stopped, my mind in a jumbled mess.

            Talking to my crush—the one I had been secretly stalking for a while now—was going to be a piece of cake.

            Yeah, okay.

            I knew I couldn’t fool myself.  It was going to turn into a disaster!

            f**k!

            Why did I always feel so emasculated by her?

            I was no inexperienced boy!  I could charm the panties right off a nun.  I grinned evilly, remembering the time I had, indeed, done just that.

            I was deemed a playboy.  Never settling, never wanting to settle with anyone.

            Except for her.

            When no one else could change my wicked, immoral ways, she had.

            And she didn’t even know—

            I stilled when she came rushing into the room, her eyes scanning the floor frantically.

            As she turned her back towards me to inspect more of the aisle, I silently strode in behind her, staying near the end of the aisle, hoping not to come off as stalker-ish.  I wasn’t exactly sure what to say, and I cleared my throat in nervousness.

            Bad idea.

            Totally, bad idea.

            She swirled around, startled, nearly losing her balance.

            Those big hazel eyes landed on me, taking me in and I could nearly feel her gaze as she took in every bit of me.  I knew I made an imposing and daunting sight, all six foot five of me, lean and muscular, confident and reeking of sexuality.  If only she knew how my insides were like putty . . . I’d be ruined.

            “Careful there sunshine, didn’t mean to startle you,” I rasped in the distance between us.  Sunshine? What kind of endearment was that?  And yet, it suited her.  She was the sunshine in my darkness.

            We stood facing each other, as if readying for a duel.

            This was turning into such a disaster!

            Guess I’d better just cut to the chase and try and add as much charm as I could to help smooth over the situation.  “Are you by chance looking for these?”  I held out her keys in my open palm.

            “Yes,” she replied, hesitantly taking a step nearer.  The scent of fruit and everything bright and summery engulfed me and I had to tamp down the moan wanting to roll off my tongue.  “Thank you,” she whispered, gently reaching out and taking them from my hand.  A few of her knuckles brushed the expanse of my skin and everything within stilled.  Even the demons I always sought to control were silenced by her innocent touch.

            And then the bolt of burning desire crashed through me and I dropped my hand to my side, needing to break the barely there connection before I crushed her body against me and never let go.

            Losing control with her was not an option.

            Period. 

             “You might want to check your pockets before you leave so you don’t have to go on a wild goose chase,” I suggested, hooking my thumbs through my belt loops casually, unable to help but stare at her and imagine all the wickedly naughty things I could do to her. 

            “What’s your name sunshine?”

             “Constance.  You?”

            “Gabriel,” I replied smoothly, sounding much calmer than I felt. 

            Unthinkingly, I offered her my hand in greeting.

            What. An. i***t.

            I was already having a hard time keeping myself under control.  Touching her would strain that barely there restraint.  But I refused to drop my hand, unwilling to give her the wrong impression.

            Hesitantly, she accepted it.

            My heart nearly leapt out of my chest when she placed her tiny, delicate hand in mine.  My hand basically engulfing hers when I closed my fingers gently.  Her skin was so soft, so delicate, reminding me of porcelain.  I made a conscious effort not to clamp my hand down too hard, afraid I’d break her.  She was so small, so very delicate and fragile in comparison to myself.  Heck, I was nearly twice her width and much taller than she was.  I had this feeling if I rested both my hands around her waist, my fingertips would touch. 

            Just the thought of my hands on her body had me burning with need.

            I knew she wanted to pull away, knew she had to be feeling this same, strange and overwhelming pull between us, but I wasn’t ready to let go.  So, I stalled and brought her knuckles up to my lips.

            She tasted sweeter than I could have ever imagined.

            For one brief moment, my control slipped and my fangs lengthened against the soft insides of my mouth.  I held completely still, willing her to do the same because I wasn’t sure if I would be able to control myself otherwise.

            I breathed, trying to ignore her intoxicating scent and soft as sin skin, as I focused on chaining the beast back inside its cage within my soul.  It was so very selfish of me to want her in my life when I knew, without a doubt, it would kill her.

            But selfishness was a part of my inherent nature.

            And then she jerked her hand out of mine as if I’d burned her and I watched in fascination as several different emotions raced across her face.  I wondered, for a moment, if she was going to apologize for jerking away, but she didn’t and I couldn’t keep the devilish smile from playing across my face.  She was a little spitfire for sure, but she was refusing to play.  She kept her gaze averted from mine and I became intrigued, knowing this wasn’t her normal behavior when being challenged.  It was in the way she shifted on her feet, she was uncomfortable being subservient to anyone.  She had to have felt threatened by me.

            I shouldn’t have expected anything different—even though I felt a pang in my chest and realized I had allowed myself to hope.  Hope she would be able to see past everything to the man I desperately wanted to be.

            But, I knew my dreams were all hopeless.

            I was evil after all.

            And villains never got the princess.