"Everyone dances to Elvis."
Before he could protest further, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his chest, then started slow dancing with him.
Valerius had never been more uncertain. Yet as she led him through the song, he felt the most surreal calmness of his life. It was magical. Special.
His heart light, he brushed his hand through her hair while he silently held her and they swayed to the music.
Tabitha's soft, melodic voice sang quietly along with Elvis.
"You have a beautiful voice," he whispered.
She kissed the center of his chest. "Thank you. I was the lead singer in an all-girl heavy metal band in college."
He smiled at the thought as her breath tickled across his chest. He could just see her on stage, singing to a wild crowd. "Really?"
"Mmmm." She looked up at him with the sweetest expression he'd ever seen on a woman's face. "We thought we'd be the next Vixen. We weren't. Shelly got pregnant and Jessie decided she wanted to go out to Las Vegas and be a hotel manager."
"And you became a vampire slayer."
She twirled out of his arms, then came back flush with his chest. "Yes, and I'm damned good at it."
He looked down at the tiny scar on his chest where she'd stabbed him. "I would concur."
The song stopped, but was followed by Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion."
Tabitha let go of him to sway seductively to the music. Valerius couldn't breathe as he watched her, especially when the beat picked up and she kicked one leg over her head.
And when she used the poster of her bed like a stripper's pole, he came dangerously close to moaning.
There was nothing on the planet more erotic than watching this woman dance. She came closer, then turned her back to him and lifted her hair up to let it trail all over her as she gently ground her hips against his groin.
Valerius couldn't take any more of it. Dipping his head, he teased her shoulder with his lips as he wrapped his arms around her. He trailed his hands over her breasts, then down her stomach, over her belly ring, until he could touch the triangle of auburn curls between her legs. She was still wet from their lovemaking.
The instant he touched her, she hissed, then rubbed herself against his hand. To his amazement, she trailed her hand down his forearm and covered his hand with hers as she urged him on.
She was completely shameless in letting him know exactly what she needed and he loved every minute of it. There was no guessing if she liked his touch. She reacted to every stroke and when he sank two fingers inside her she cried out.
She turned in his arms and seized him. Before he realized what she was doing, she literally flipped him onto the bed and was on top of him, straddling his hips.
Valerius laughed. "You know, a lesser man might actually be afraid of you."
Laughing, she slung her hair over her shoulders to trail down her back. "Are you afraid of me, Val?"
"No," he said honestly. "I like that you know what you want and aren't afraid to take it."
The smile she gave him melted his heart.
She trailed one finger over the bridge of his nose, letting the nail lightly scrape his skin as she traced a path over his lips and down his throat.
Tabitha dipped her head down and suckled him. She growled at the taste of his hard nipple under her tongue. He tasted even better than she had thought he would. There was nothing better than the feel of all his lush, tawny skin underneath her.
What she liked most of all was that he didn't feel threatened by her. He had no problem with her voracious appetite for his succulent body.
It was a nice change of pace.
She trailed her lips from his chest, down that lean, hard abdomen, to his hipbone. She felt the chills spread over his body. Laughing, she raked her fingers through the crisp hairs at the center of his body. He was already hard again.
Pulling back, she examined him in the dim light of the room. He was gorgeous. She teased the tip of his cock with her fingers, letting his moisture coat her.
He watched her without comment while she explored the length of him, down to his soft sac. He arched his back.
Delighting in her power over him, Tabitha bent her head down and took the tip of him into her mouth. His entire body jerked in response, urging her on to please him more.
She took great pride in his deep moans.
Valerius lay there, cradling her head in his hands as she gently tongued him from tip to hilt. In all eternity, he'd never known this feeling that was deep down inside him. What was it about Tabitha that she was able to see past his facade?
I figure all of us misfits should hang together, that way we don't swing alone. Her words to Otto drifted through his mind.
But she wasn't a misfit. She was vivacious and wonderful.
Tabitha inhaled the rich, masculine scent of him as she took her time tasting his body. She looked up to find him watching her, his eyes glazed by desire.
Smiling, she slowly licked her way up his body until she could claim that decadent mouth that begged for her kisses. He growled and held her tight as she ran her hand over his shoulders. Tabitha broke away so that she could nip his chin. His whiskers prickled her tongue and lips, his breath caressed her cheek.
She pulled back, then slowly slid herself onto him, inch by long, luscious inch.
Valerius cupped her face as she rode him with a gentle, easy rhythm that left him even more breathless than their earlier rowdy session.
She was like a whisper as she made love to him. And it was making love. It was soft, tender. She covered his hand with hers and opened her lips to taste his fingers.
Valerius hissed as her tongue worked its magic on the pads of his fingertips. Smiling even more, she nipped his fingers playfully.
He pulled her down to capture her lips as he lifted his hips, driving himself even deeper into her.
This time when they came, it was together.
She collapsed on his chest as they both lay sweaty and panting.
Valerius cradled her gently. He never wanted to let her go. If he could, he would spend the rest of his immortality lost in this one perfect moment of them nestled together, his body spent and sated.
Closing his eyes, he felt himself drifting off to the first undisturbed sleep he'd had in over two thousand years.
After making sure no daylight would threaten Valerius, Tabitha lay quietly in Valerius's arms as she listened to him sleeping.
She still felt uneasy about the ghost they had seen. About the feeling inside her that wouldn't relent. Part of her wanted to call Acheron, but she didn't want to disturb him with something stupid. He needed to rest.
Whenever they awoke in the afternoon, she'd ask him about it.
For now, she had Valerius and he brought her a strange sense of peace.
She shouldn't feel this way, not for a man her twin would never accept into her house. Part of her felt like she was a traitor to Amanda and Kyrian and the other part of her couldn't resist the tormented gleam in Valerius's eyes.