Trembling With the Strings
Awkward
“Am I so good that you just can’t help coming back for seconds?” Darius asked me, wrapping his arm around my bare shoulders.
“I prefer not to think of you as a serving of food,” I grumbled, grabbing his free hand and resting my head on his bare chest. “Tell Winston I said thank you.”
Darius laughed, kissing the top of my head. “He said he loved seeing Stephanie again.”
“Stephanie?” I laughed once. “So know you’re naming my body?”
“I suppose. The name Stephanie just has a certain ring to it.” He shifted slightly to pull me closer, and he pulled the covers up. “I missed this, you know?”
“What man wouldn’t?”
“No—I mean, yes! But… Sex is great, but I missed just being able to hold you. You’re so warm. I missed it—I missed you.” He paused to kiss my lips briefly. “I love you.”
I smiled, leaning up to kiss him. “I love you, too, even if you’re so profane.”
“I am pretty amazing, huh?” he mumbled against my lips, placing his arm beside my body as he moved to hover over me.
I reached up to caress his cheek with my hand and guide him closer.
“Yes, you are.”
He growled low in his throat, as if he was a dog that had just been praised. I smiled, gasping lightly when his cold skin came in contact with my back as he slipped an arm underneath me, pulling me tightly to his chest. I absentmindedly tilted my neck as he kissed and nipped at the sensitive skin.
“Dray, we just—Oh…” I mumbled, playing with his hair as he, oddly enough, licked the hickey he had given me only days earlier.
“What was that?” he whispered, smirking deviously as he pulled back—or attempted to.
“Don’t!” I cried out without thinking, catching his wrist.
“I’m sorry, baby. I could have sworn I heard something, but there’s no way that was you.”
I made a face, refusing to let go of his wrist. “It was, okay? Happy?”
“Incredibly. But I’m done pleasuring you for one day, if it’s alright with you.” I pursed my lips. “It’s not? Well, I have to say that I am shocked!”
“Stop it!” I groaned. “It’s not my fault!”
“Of course not, love,” he mumbled, crawling back under the covers and leaning over to kiss me softly. “I’m simply awful for doing such scandalous things!”
“Yes. Yes, you are,” I told him, pulling him in for another kiss.
He smiled against my lips, placing his hands on the mattress on either side of my hips. I smiled quirkily when he kissed my nose.
“Come quick! Gracie, Dray—Oh, my God!” Marcy shrieked, slapping a hand over her eyes.
I screamed, pulling Darius down on top of me and gasping for breath when all of his weight started to crush me. Darius started laughing like a hyena then, rolling off of me and throwing his arms behind his head as he relaxed, as if perfectly comfortable.
“Ever heard of knocking, my dear sister?” he asked nonchalantly, a reveling grin on his face as I tried to hide under the covers.
“I think I saw my brother’s ass!” she cried, gagging. “Good God! Lock the door!”
“You broke the lock years ago!”
“I don’t care!” She peered through her fingers, pretending to vomit. “I can’t look at either of you! Images!”
“I’d pay good money for those images of yours.”
“Darius-Clinton!” she shrieked, striding gracefully up to him and smacking him across the face. “Please, for the love of all that is holy, put some damn pants on!” Darius started to get up. “On second thought, stay right there!” She turned around and walked to the door, pausing in the doorway for a second. “By the way, I just wanted to warn you that the boys are up now.”
“They are?” I asked, peeking my head out from the blanket.
Marcy nodded. “So be decent, please?” she muttered, slamming the door behind her.
“How embarrassing,” I muttered, retrieving my jeans from the floor and hopping into them.
Dray laughed to himself as he threw on his shirt, not waiting for me as he steeled out of the room. I sighed, grabbing my tank top and stepping into the hallway. I was immediately tackled to the floor by Marty, who was smiling and laughing like it was his job.
“Marty!” I cried, pulling him into my arms and kissing his forehead feverishly. “I missed you!”
“I missed you, too,” he mumbled into my shoulder, refusing to let me out of his embrace.
“So did you hear me?”
He nodded, pulling back and grinning. “Your birthday is in a week.”
My jaw dropped. “Is it really? I’d lost track… Wow.”
He nodded, getting onto his feet and helping me stand. “Are you happy?”
I smiled, nodding gently. “Very.”
As if right on cue, two hands flew over my eyes, and he said, “Guess who?”
“Oh, I wonder,” I muttered, smiling and smacking his hands away. “Did you hear Marty? Just a week.”
“I’ve been counting down for quite some time, Gracie. You don’t have to tell me twice,” he murmured, kissing my cheek. “I don’t know if you care about the perfect wedding, but I want it to be perfect for you. I’m going to be really busy this week, you know? Just know that I love you, even if I don’t get to spend a whole lot of time with you.”
“I thought we were going to elope in Vegas,” I mumbled, smiling.
“You’re funny. I doubt a casino has ever seen a vampire ceremony before.”
“Is it really that different?”
“Well, not if you’re used to seeing the couple bite each other.”
Oh, you’re funny.
“I prefer not to think of you as a serving of food,” I grumbled, grabbing his free hand and resting my head on his bare chest. “Tell Winston I said thank you.”
Darius laughed, kissing the top of my head. “He said he loved seeing Stephanie again.”
“Stephanie?” I laughed once. “So know you’re naming my body?”
“I suppose. The name Stephanie just has a certain ring to it.” He shifted slightly to pull me closer, and he pulled the covers up. “I missed this, you know?”
“What man wouldn’t?”
“No—I mean, yes! But… Sex is great, but I missed just being able to hold you. You’re so warm. I missed it—I missed you.” He paused to kiss my lips briefly. “I love you.”
I smiled, leaning up to kiss him. “I love you, too, even if you’re so profane.”
“I am pretty amazing, huh?” he mumbled against my lips, placing his arm beside my body as he moved to hover over me.
I reached up to caress his cheek with my hand and guide him closer.
“Yes, you are.”
He growled low in his throat, as if he was a dog that had just been praised. I smiled, gasping lightly when his cold skin came in contact with my back as he slipped an arm underneath me, pulling me tightly to his chest. I absentmindedly tilted my neck as he kissed and nipped at the sensitive skin.
“Dray, we just—Oh…” I mumbled, playing with his hair as he, oddly enough, licked the hickey he had given me only days earlier.
“What was that?” he whispered, smirking deviously as he pulled back—or attempted to.
“Don’t!” I cried out without thinking, catching his wrist.
“I’m sorry, baby. I could have sworn I heard something, but there’s no way that was you.”
I made a face, refusing to let go of his wrist. “It was, okay? Happy?”
“Incredibly. But I’m done pleasuring you for one day, if it’s alright with you.” I pursed my lips. “It’s not? Well, I have to say that I am shocked!”
“Stop it!” I groaned. “It’s not my fault!”
“Of course not, love,” he mumbled, crawling back under the covers and leaning over to kiss me softly. “I’m simply awful for doing such scandalous things!”
“Yes. Yes, you are,” I told him, pulling him in for another kiss.
He smiled against my lips, placing his hands on the mattress on either side of my hips. I smiled quirkily when he kissed my nose.
“Come quick! Gracie, Dray—Oh, my God!” Marcy shrieked, slapping a hand over her eyes.
I screamed, pulling Darius down on top of me and gasping for breath when all of his weight started to crush me. Darius started laughing like a hyena then, rolling off of me and throwing his arms behind his head as he relaxed, as if perfectly comfortable.
“Ever heard of knocking, my dear sister?” he asked nonchalantly, a reveling grin on his face as I tried to hide under the covers.
“I think I saw my brother’s ass!” she cried, gagging. “Good God! Lock the door!”
“You broke the lock years ago!”
“I don’t care!” She peered through her fingers, pretending to vomit. “I can’t look at either of you! Images!”
“I’d pay good money for those images of yours.”
“Darius-Clinton!” she shrieked, striding gracefully up to him and smacking him across the face. “Please, for the love of all that is holy, put some damn pants on!” Darius started to get up. “On second thought, stay right there!” She turned around and walked to the door, pausing in the doorway for a second. “By the way, I just wanted to warn you that the boys are up now.”
“They are?” I asked, peeking my head out from the blanket.
Marcy nodded. “So be decent, please?” she muttered, slamming the door behind her.
“How embarrassing,” I muttered, retrieving my jeans from the floor and hopping into them.
Dray laughed to himself as he threw on his shirt, not waiting for me as he steeled out of the room. I sighed, grabbing my tank top and stepping into the hallway. I was immediately tackled to the floor by Marty, who was smiling and laughing like it was his job.
“Marty!” I cried, pulling him into my arms and kissing his forehead feverishly. “I missed you!”
“I missed you, too,” he mumbled into my shoulder, refusing to let me out of his embrace.
“So did you hear me?”
He nodded, pulling back and grinning. “Your birthday is in a week.”
My jaw dropped. “Is it really? I’d lost track… Wow.”
He nodded, getting onto his feet and helping me stand. “Are you happy?”
I smiled, nodding gently. “Very.”
As if right on cue, two hands flew over my eyes, and he said, “Guess who?”
“Oh, I wonder,” I muttered, smiling and smacking his hands away. “Did you hear Marty? Just a week.”
“I’ve been counting down for quite some time, Gracie. You don’t have to tell me twice,” he murmured, kissing my cheek. “I don’t know if you care about the perfect wedding, but I want it to be perfect for you. I’m going to be really busy this week, you know? Just know that I love you, even if I don’t get to spend a whole lot of time with you.”
“I thought we were going to elope in Vegas,” I mumbled, smiling.
“You’re funny. I doubt a casino has ever seen a vampire ceremony before.”
“Is it really that different?”
“Well, not if you’re used to seeing the couple bite each other.”
Oh, you’re funny.