Lover's Kiss Read online

  She shook the thoughts away. They were stupid. She was alive and well. That's what mattered. Well, not alive, technically, but better than that stupid junkie she'd sucked dry. Beth turned and looked to the north, where the next door building was. The alley was only ten feet wide, if that. An easy jump. She backed away from the edge, digging her toes in and easily finding purchase in the ice.

  Beth ran and leapt, sailing through the air and almost whooping in delight. She was flying! For a few seconds, at least. In a few years, according to Penny, she'd be able to make her own wings and fly wherever she wanted. A few years seemed like so far away, but she knew it would come and go in no time. Besides, she would never die. Time held little meaning now. Well, in the grand scheme of things. She only had a few hours left until sunrise. That was a deadline she didn't dare miss.

  She slid across the slippery roof of the second building until she dug her toes in and drove her heels down. The ice was only slippery when she wanted it to be. Another benefit of being a goddess. Beth grinned and turned to the west. The next building was the same height, but it was across a busy two way street. The road, plus sidewalks, meant she had a leap of thirty or forty feet.

  She grinned and dug her toes in. A few seconds later she was sailing through the air over the unsuspecting late night revelers below. She sailed over the edge of the roof and landed with her feet running. She circled back and walked up to the edge of the roof, grinning wide and staring in wonder at the incredible jump she'd just managed. She looked down and saw a young man wiping snow off his head and looking up.

  Beth laughed and danced away from the edge before he turned and looked her way. She turned and looked the other way. The buildings stretched on at different heights and distances. She had a ways to go and it looked like it was going to be fun.

  Chapter 7

  Beth climbed over the railing and onto the balcony of Penny's penthouse apartment. Well, her apartment too, according to Penny. She turned and leaned over the railing, staring down at the ground nearly a hundred feet below. She teetered, her bare feet clinging to the icy balcony while her thighs pressed against the railing. A laugh burst out of her mouth, draining the chest full of air she'd been holding.

  She'd figured out that, since she didn't need to breathe and she kept forgetting to inhale before speaking, why not hold her breath all the time? She'd tried it while leaping from building to building and climbing up the sides to get to the roofs. So far, so good.

  The ice on the door behind her cracked as it pushed open. Beth spun around and saw Penny standing with her eyes wide in surprise. "Beth? How did you get up here?"

  "I climbed," she replied and grinned. She stepped over to her and hugged her, pulling her tight and then pressing her cold lips against Penny's. "I learned so much tonight!"

  Penny frowned and leaned back. "Beth? What's going on."

  "What? Nothing! I walked around a little to do some thinking."

  "I see. I was worried about you. Do you know what those two were?"

  Beth frowned and then let out a giggle. "Oh, those werewolves?" she waved her hand, dismissing them. "No big deal. I've dealt with werewolves before. All big and showy and full of themselves. Hunter and Tiffany fit the stereotype perfectly!"

  "I see," Penny said. "Something's different about you. Where are your boots?"

  Beth looked down and shrugged. "I broke a heel so I ditched them."

  "You've been walking around barefoot? Did anyone see?"

  "That's nothing," Beth said and unbuttoned her jacket. She held it out to the side and let Penny see her right boob hanging free and her left one barely held behind the slightly less torn shirt. "See anything you like?"

  Penny frowned. "Come inside. Now."

  Beth laughed. "Why, nobody's going to see us up here."

  "Just do it."

  Beth shrugged and stepped into the apartment. Penny followed and pulled the door shut behind her while she was shrugging coat off her shoulders. Beth kept walking, her coat dragging on the ground, and said, "I ran into an old friend tonight."

  "An old friend?"

  "In uniform. Need any more clues?"

  "Did he see you?"

  Beth spun and saw Penny's serious expression. It made her giggle. "Relax. I'm with you now, right?"

  "Beth, this isn't funny. And I don't own you. That does remind me I wanted to ask you about the club earlier."

  "The kiss?" Beth winked at her. "It was nice, want to do it again?"

  "Elizabeth!"

  Beth laughed. "Loosen up, Penny. It was fun. You're a good kisser, but you've probably had a lot of experience."

  "What's gotten into you?" Penny wondered aloud. "Be serious."

  Beth rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. I did it because I saw those two wolves come in and I wanted to get us both out of there. In the past, a kiss that hot had steam coming out of my ears and I figured we'd rush through the back so we could, uh, do more."

  "Sex isn't the same for us," Penny pointed out.

  "No shit," Beth lamented. "It was a nice kiss. Very nice. But I wasn't creaming my panties like I should have been."

  Penny frowned. "We don't have the same drive as the living do. For us feeding brings pleasure."

  "Fuck yeah it does," Beth agreed.

  Penny's eyes narrowed. "Tell me about tonight. After you left."

  Beth shrugged and related the story of running into John and taking off before he could see her. Or at least she thought she got away. Then how she hurt herself and fixed herself up. She smiled. "Turns out healing myself wiped me out."

  "I'm impressed that you could do so much, so soon," Penny said. "You're strong. I knew you would be."

  Penny grinned. "I had no idea! Except I didn't feel strong after that. I could barely see anything around me. I could barely think either, except about how to make myself feel better."

  "The thirst."

  Beth nodded. "Fuck yeah! I had to find somebody and I had to do it now! I got lucky, there was this homeless bitch in the alley that I hadn't noticed before. With my blood goggles on she stood out like a sore thumb though."

  "Blood goggles?"

  "Yeah, you know, beer goggles make ugly people look better because you're drunk. It's a figure of speech. Well for us when we're thirsty the living look so bright they glow. So blood goggles."

  "Interesting," Penny opined.

  "Thanks. So, um, I fed on her. I don't know if she saw me or not before, but I don't know if it mattered, she was pretty strung out on whatever she'd taken. I think I saw some needles in her pile of shit. Probably heroin."

  Penny groaned. "That explains it."

  "Explains what?"

  "You're high."

  "High?" Beth laughed. "How can I be high? I'm dead! I mean, I don't work like that. You said that stuff doesn't affect us. We can't get stoned or drunk."

  "I did say that," Penny admitted. "I meant by taking those things directly. You did not, you drank the blood of a person that was under the effects."

  "I— oh shit," Beth stared and then laughed. "I guess that's why I feel so good then?"

  Penny frowned. "Yes, but don't make a habit of it."

  "Can vampires be addicts?"

  "It won't change your body physically," Penny said after a delay. "But you were reckless, weren't you?"

  "Reckless? How?" Beth protested. "I went out of my way to not be seen! You should have seen me, I was jumping from building to building like some kind of superhero. Then I pulled a spider-woman trick and climbed up a few others, including this one, to get up here. We can do so much cool stuff!"

  Penny closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them. "Yes, we can. But we can be seen and we can be discovered. That's why we don't do that sort of thing. Now what about your victim? What did you do to her?"

  Beth pouted at the rebuke but found she couldn't stay upset for long. "Oh, well, I don't have wings like you do and there was no place to stash the body, so I hid the wound as best I could and left her buried in her pile of cra
p."

  "Hid the wound?"

  "Yeah," Beth nodded, dodging the question as much as she could.

  Penny frowned. "How?"

  Beth smiled. She had a hunch Penny wouldn't be as impressed as she was. She held up her hand which still sported the black claws for fingernails – they'd come in handy when she needed to climb. "I tore her head off."

  Penny blinked and then muttered a short phrase that made no sense to Beth. She couldn't even figure out what language Penny had spoken, the words were so strange.

  "Penny? Didn't I do good? I mean, I shredded that bitch's throat good, nobody will be able to tell I drank her dry."

  "You tore her head off," Penny repeated. "There should be a lot of blood. You drained her."

  "I did," Beth admitted. "I found if I match my heart to theirs I can time swallowing and everything so I don't look pregnant when I'm done. Plus it's cool, our hearts stop beating at the same time, but for me that's not a big deal."

  Penny smirked in spite of her frustration at Beth's actions. "I forgot to tell you about that. I am impressed. You amaze me one minute and remind me the next that you're young and inexperienced."

  "Stupid?"

  "No, inexperienced," Penny stressed. "Tell me, where was this homeless woman?"

  Beth frowned. "Four or five blocks away to the south. In an alley. I think there was a Greek deli in one of the buildings?"

  Penny nodded. "Wait here."

  "What?"

  "I'm going to take care of the body."

  "Oh!"

  "You will wait here, right?"

  Beth nodded. "I may be stoned— or high or whatever— but I'm not stupid. I mean sure, you say you don't own me and that's true, but if I leave what happens to me? I don't know what to do or how to survive. For a little while, sure, but long term?"

  Penny frowned. "I'd hoped you wanted to stay for other reasons."

  "What, like love?" Beth asked and then laughed. She stepped up to her stone faced mentor and hugged her. Penny remained stiff until Beth kissed her again and encouraged her by opening her lips and tickling Penny's with her tongue. The tension melted out of Penny's body and the two embraced for a short but sweet moment.

  "We are not bound by the passion of the flesh, but we do feel," Penny said.

  Beth smiled. "I know, or at least I'm learning. And I love you, Penny. You've been my savior, my teacher, and my friend. What more could I ask?"

  Penny smiled. "Good. Then I will be back as quick as I may. The sun will rise soon."

  Beth nodded. "I'll be waiting."

  "You will?"

  "In your bed," Beth said with a wink.

  Penny's blue eyes sparkled. "Our bed."

  "Mmm," Beth agreed. "One of these nights we'll have to make sure we have time enough to make it ours."

  Penny laughed and reached up to brush her hand against Beth's cheek. "So sweet and beautiful," she whispered. "I'll be back."

  Beth nodded. Before she could tell Penny to go the door to the balcony opened and Penny was gone. Beth shook her head and laughed as the vampire's clothes fluttered to the floor in front of her. She'd learned a lot tonight but she was a long ways from being as good as Penny was! Lucky for her, she had all the time in the world to get there.

  Chapter 8

  Beth opened her eyes and saw Penny sitting in her corner chair. She was already dressed in a sleek black dress that had panels along the sides and midsection that were made of translucent mesh. Fishnet stockings ran down her legs to the black stiletto heels she wore. The only heels, as far as Beth had seen.

  Beth opened her mouth and then inhaled when she couldn't talk. "Do you own any shoes without heels that you could use to stab a person?"

  Penny tilted her head. "Probably. I have a lot of shoes."

  "I know, and I haven't even seen all of them yet!"

  Penny uncrossed her legs and rose from her chair. She moved to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. "How are you feeling?"

  Beth frowned. "I'm fine. Shouldn't I be?"

  Her mentor nodded. "Just making sure."

  Beth snapped her fingers. "The druggy!"

  Penny reached out and ran her fingers down Beth's arm. She had a sheet covering her but she felt the pressure and it sent a tingle up her arm. "So intuitive, you amaze me over and over again."

  "Be careful," Beth teased, "flattery will get you everywhere."

  Penny's eyes danced with amusement. "You're already in my bed."

  Beth pouted. "All we ever do is cuddle and sleep."

  Penny smiled. "We'll have to fix that sometime."

  Beth pulled the covers down and exposed herself. "I've always wondered if morning sex is as good as I've heard."

  Penny laughed. "Now who's the tease? I have to get down to the club in case the contractors return. Don't worry, pet, we have all the time in the world."

  Beth smiled and reached down to cup her breast. She felt the puckered skin of her nipple between her fingers and pinched it. The tingle it left behind made her smile, but her body didn't react like it used to. Her smile faded.

  "You just have to want them hard if that's what you want. They'll stay until you want something else."

  Beth bit her lip. "How do you know what I'm thinking? That's, um—"

  "I was taken at almost the same age you were," Penny said. "I may have lived a long time, but when I died I was still in my prime and still very experimental."

  "Oh my god," Beth breathed. She clamped her lips shut and shook her head. "Sorry, I keep forgetting."

  Penny shrugged. "Say it if you wish. This world has had more religions than I can count, one is likely as good as the next. Unlike the popular myth, we are not the Christian devil's servants. My creator made a pact with dark spirits, but we don't condemn the living to hell."

  "Way too deep, I just woke up," Beth complained. "Can we go back to the sex talk?"

  Penny smiled. "Well, as I said, I was your age and remain your age. I know some that were turned when they were older and they have a harder time relating because their mortal body had lost much of their urges."

  "This is your way of telling me you're a horny slut like me, right?"

  "I wouldn't say that," Penny argued.

  "Oh, right, sorry," Beth apologized. She winked and asked, "Who owns Paradise Lost again?"

  Penny chuckled. "We do, pet."

  "Exactly," Beth said. She slid over to Penny and picked herself up to kiss her. "Mmm, no morning breath. I like this undead thing."

  Penny laughed and stood up. "I'm heading down. Will you join me?"

  Beth nodded. "Let me get dressed and feed first. And I'll be smart this time, I promise."

  Penny nodded. "If you can't dispose of the body, hide it and let me know."

  "Yes, mom," Beth teased.

  Penny rolled her eyes and walked to the door. She paused and looked back at her until Beth held her hands out to ask what. "You make me happy," Penny said and glanced away. "That's all."

  Beth grinned. She'd heard it from Candy and Trevor, and now directly from Penny. "It's the least I can do for what you've done for me."

  Penny smiled and turned away. "Take your time, pet."

  Beth listened to her heels strike the floor until she made it to the elevator. She crawled out of bed and stretched her stiff muscles before stepping into the walk in closet and trying to decide what to wear. It was sexy dress night at the club, but she only had half a dozen dresses that would work.

  She flipped through them without seeing any of them. Her attention was on the elevator. She heard the door slid shut and waited until she was certain that Penny had ridden it down. She turned and padded out of the bedroom to stick her head into the hall and make sure her mentor was gone.

  Beth bit her lip and hurried back to the closet. She'd lied to Penny. Not completely, but some. She did feel fine now, but late last night, while she was lying in bed and waiting for the coming dawn to put her to sleep she'd come down from her high. The last of the drug in the blood she'd dra
nk was used up.

  She'd hidden the low from Penny by sliding closer to the woman and letting her hold her. The only warmth she felt anymore was from the living, but the comfort of being held went a long ways towards making it up. Not long enough though, she ached to feel as carefree as she had last night. There were no limits for her last night, she could do anything. She wanted that again.

  Beth slid the navy blue dress over her shoulders and let it slide down her magically sculpted body. She tugged it over her swollen breasts to get help it fit properly and then tugged it lower still, creating the illusion that her boobs would spill out of it if she bent forward. She cupped her breasts and gave them a jiggle to make sure they weren't quite as reckless as they looked and then pushed the hem at the bottom of the dress over the swell of her hips.

  Satisfied with her dress she went to the limited shoe collection she owned and picked out a blue pair of heels. She laced the straps around her ankles and stood up before turning to the mirrored rear wall of the closet. "Sexy bitch," she muttered and then smiled.

  Beth turned to the vanity and sat down to fix her hair and makeup. Penny woke up as soon as the sun set, or close enough it didn't matter. Beth slept for another hour, until the sun wasn't just below the horizon but well and truly set. That gave the elder vampire time to get dressed and ready to face the night long before Beth. It also meant she fell asleep earlier than Penny did, which limited how much time she had.

  Another benefit of her vampiric nature was how unnaturally steady her hands were. She didn't breathe and her heart didn't beat. She could play dead better than any opossum in the world! It made putting on her face and turning herself into a gothic goddess of the night child's play.

  Beth blew the girl in the mirror a kiss and then winked. Tonight's victim didn't stand a chance! She spun away and walked out, pausing only to grab her jacket and slinging it over her shoulders. She stopped in the hall and turned to look at the balcony doors. She'd climbed up the building from where she'd landed last night. Maybe she could reverse her course and experience the same thrill without the heroin?