Within The Shadows by Julieanne Lynch Page B

balls to answer him back, so we
sat in silence. Being reminded of how he could kill me sent a
shiver down my spine, and not in a good way.
    Minutes
passed before either of us spoke again. I was not sure that what he
had told me was a good or bad thing. In fact, I was pretty sure I
was out of my depth, and I did not like the thought of being
referred to as a ‘commodity.’
    “ I think I’ve heard enough. Do you, um, know where Alex
is?”
    He smiled
that same creep-you-out smile he’d had before. “I believe he’s
resting, but I dare say you’ll find him in his room. West wing, top
of the stairs, third door on the left.”
    “ Thanks.” I smiled as I picked up my can of Coke, and all
but ran from the room.
    The hall was
barely lit, and was eerily quiet with only the faint hum of
electricity. My pounding heart was making enough noise in my ears
to add to the feeling of unease, and then a large clock at the top
of the stairs began chiming. I ran up the stairs, two steps at a
time, and tried not to take any notice of the freaky portraits that
hung on the walls. Their eyes just seemed to follow me, as though
they knew what I felt inside. Dark pits of nothingness watched me
as I stood still.
    Pausing at
the top, I saw the third door on the left, and held my breath as I
slowly walked over to it, and knocked gently. There was no
answer.
    A part of me
wanted to turn away, and just forget about it. But in a way, I was
missing him. Crazy, I know, but it was as though something inside
me took over the logical side, and turned me into this needy
‘ thing. ’ I wanted to see him badly.
    Taking a
deep breath, I turned the handle, and entered his room. Soft warm
light welcomed me as I closed the door. I could hear Alex’s gentle
breathing as he slept. As I carefully walked over to the side of
the bed, I could not help but to stare at his naked body. He lay
there, still and gorgeous. I could feel my heart beat hard against
my chest. I had never seen a naked guy in the flesh before, never
mind being alone with one. His chest rose gently with every breath,
and his eyes moved lightly, dreaming.
    For one
thing, I was confused. I found it hard to believe that he could be
a monster, and yet look so bloody divine and every bit human. From
everything I’d ever read or watched, vampires just didn’t sleep,
breathe, or dream, for that matter. This was getting crazier by the
second, but the constant pull towards him was so overpowering, I
just couldn’t resist.
    I could feel
the flush of my cheeks spreading down the back of my neck, and
oddly, I found myself becoming more and more aroused with
provocative thoughts running through my mind. What went through my
head embarrassed me, and I found it hard to separate lust from
need. I closed my eyes, and willed myself to banish them.
Unfortunately, they refused to leave.
    Becoming
more aware of my own heavy breathing, I felt his hand against my
leg. Opening my eyes, I saw him sleepily smiling at me, the green
pools gazing at me, sucking me further into the cesspool of
desire.
    “ I did knock. I got worried when you didn’t answer,” I
lied.
    “ You didn’t
knock hard enough,” he said, yawning as he pulled me on top of
him.
    I held my
breath as I tried to ignore the sweetness of his breath. “If I was
to hazard a guess, I’d say you needed me, or maybe even longed for
me.”
    “ Don’t get carried away.” I smiled as I kissed him softly,
finally giving in to temptation.
    He brushed his tongue lightly
against mine, teasing me.
    God, he tasted delicious.
    Every inch
of my body trembled from the kiss. He
made me want him badly.
    The kiss
intensified. So much so, that all common sense went flying out the
window. In its place, was a crazed virgin in need of her first
lover. Alex tugged at my sweater, pulling it over my head. I
loosened my jeans, and together, we slid them off, tossing them to
the floor. I lay under him in my underwear as he looked down at me,
assessing every inch of my