Page 5 of Vein & Vow (The Bouchers #1)

Chapter 4

Beau

I wasn’t sure if she was the most impulsive woman I’d ever met or just had the least self-preservation of anyone on the planet. Vampires liked to tell stories, especially the elders, and more often than not, human mates initially rejected the bond even though it hurt them. They didn’t trust it, were wary of tying their life to someone they’d just met, and held misconceptions and biases against our kind. The reasons were endless, and most of them were valid, especially from a species that rarely stayed with the same partner for an entire lifetime.

It was almost a rite of passage to court and woo your mate until they were ready to commit. Males boasted about how quickly they got their mates to fall in love with them.

Unless every mated male I’d ever met had been lying, I was pretty sure what had just happened in her apartment wasn’t normal. The sex was typical. Phenomenal, actually. And the exchanging of blood was pretty standard. The speed at which we’d cemented the bond, though, left me reeling.

My brothers and I had been taught what to do when we reached maturity. It had been a conversation with our father that each of us had come away from both mortified and fascinated. There were almost as many stories of Vampires and mates neglecting to finish the bond as there were success stories. Some went years before their mate’s canines dropped and the instinct to bite came into play, leaving them in a perpetual state of frustration. Thankfully, information had become more available as the years passed, and it didn’t happen so often anymore.

I stepped reluctantly away from Reese’s door. The woman had clearly wanted a little space, shooing me out the way she had, and that wasn’t normal either. Separation was possible once the bond was cemented—we wouldn’t be able to live our lives if we were forced to never leave our mates—but never so soon. My chest burned.

It took months for the bond’s effects to lessen enough that mates could go hours and, in rare cases, days without each other.

Slowly, I walked toward the stairs, the burn increasing with every step. At any moment, I expected her to throw open the door and follow me out. If the burn in my chest was getting worse, then her symptoms must’ve been incredibly painful. For humans, the need to be in close proximity to their mate was even more imperative—an evolutionary design that protected them until their immortality was locked.

I made it to the car before I realized that she wasn’t actually going to follow me. By then, my thoughts were so muddy that I was having a hard time concentrating. I had a mate. There was no turning back. No one gave up their fated mate, not when our lives depended on finding that other half of ourselves.

It had nearly killed me the first time I’d done it, and the only reason I’d been able to was because I’d never touched her. Time and distance had eventually lessened the effects. A lot of time and an entire ocean of distance.

My hand was on the door handle when I came to my senses.

There was absolutely no way that Reese was happily watching me walk away. My mate was just so stubborn that she refused to tell me she’d made a mistake, no matter how much it hurt.

Turning on my heel, I jogged back toward the building. Taking the steps two at a time, I jerked around a long-haired man who was meandering down them.

“Where’s the fire?” he asked, watching me go.

Ignoring him, I hurried down the breezeway. Reese hadn’t locked the door, and I swung it open, ready to chastise her for it.

“Did you forget something?” she wheezed snarkily.

“Gods,” I muttered, slamming the door behind me. “Was it so hard to ask me to stay?”

She was kneeling on the kitchen floor, the top half of her body bent downward so far that her forehead was nearly touching the linoleum beneath her.

“It was pretty clear that you wanted to hit it and quit it,” she said with a groan, her shoulders losing a little of their tension. “Who was I to stop you?”

“Come here,” I muttered, helping her off the floor. “You’re my mate .”

“Not your keeper ,” she stated as she got her feet under her and tilted her head back to look at me.

“How long did you plan on writhing on the floor in pain?”

“It would’ve passed eventually,” she replied, brushing her hair back from her face.

I didn’t have the balls to tell her she was wrong. If anything, it only would’ve gotten worse.

“I don’t think I like this,” she said, looking away from me. “Uh, I think we should’ve thought this through a little.”

“What’s to think through?”

“Oh, I don’t know, tying ourselves to each other?” she said with a humorless laugh. “I mean, the sex was great, but is that really enough to sustain a long-term relationship? Probably not.”

“My father would tell you that the Gods don’t make mistakes.”

“You have a father?”

“Why wouldn’t I have a father?”

“What about a mom?”

I stared at her. “Really?”

“Mom, too, huh?” She nodded. “Okay.”

We stood there for a long moment, neither of us sure what to say. Our bodies didn’t have any problem connecting, though. Her hands had slid under my t-shirt to press against the skin of my stomach, and mine were wrapped around the sides of her neck. I didn’t even remember putting them there.

“You’re hungry,” I said, finally.

“I’m fine.”

“You said you were.”

“I mean, I could eat, yeah.” She hedged.

“Come on. Let’s go get some food.”

Now that we were connected again, I had a hard time stepping away. My hand never lost contact as I lowered it from her neck and slid it down her arm.

“You’re a hand holder,” she said as I tugged her toward the door. “Interesting.”

We only paused long enough for her to pull a small wallet and set of keys out of the backpack she’d worn that morning. I was relieved to see that she did, in fact, have enough common sense to lock her door.

“What kind of food do you like?” she asked as the cold air slapped me in the face.

“Do you need a jacket?” I asked. It was cold outside for anyone, but she didn’t have a whole lot of insulation on her petite frame.

“Nah, this sweater is plenty.”

I nodded as we headed toward the car. I wasn’t even surprised when her fingers slid between mine again, just relieved that I hadn’t had to reach for her first.

It was a complete mindfuck.

“Reese,” the long-haired man from before called, standing at the bottom of the steps. “Who’s your friend? He’s pretty.”

I jolted with surprise. Somehow, I hadn’t even noticed him.

“None of your beeswax, Kenny,” Reese answered as we reached him. “But he’s gonna kick your ass if my hairdryer isn’t in front of my door by the time we get back.”

Kenny lifted his hands in surrender and took a couple of steps backward. “On it.”

“I mean it, Kenny,” Reese said, looking over her shoulder as she pulled me along. “Give it back.”

“What was that?” I asked as we crossed the parking lot.

“Nothing,” she replied, waving me off. “He borrows shit and never gives it back. I swear, you’d think I’d learn.”

“You really want me to rough him up?”

Reese shot me a look. “Of course not.”

“All right.”

“Wait,” she said, putting her hand over mine as I reached to open her door. “That’s it? You’d just beat him up because I asked you to?”

“Where do you want to eat?” I asked, ignoring the question. Would I beat up Kenny if she asked? Probably. Mating bonds didn’t exactly make Vampires rational when it came to their other half.

“I’m good with whatever,” Reese replied slowly as I opened her door. “I’m like a raccoon. I’ll eat anything.”

“Great.” I closed the door and rounded the hood, ignoring both the feel of her eyes on me and the anxiety that pulsed while I wasn’t touching her.

I didn’t even like her.

It felt as if I was going insane.

Reese was quiet as I pulled out of the parking lot, and I had no idea what to say to her. My hand had already found the hole in the thigh of her jeans, and my fingers rested there, the feel of her skin like a balm to my nervous system.

“You know, I usually make the guy buy me dinner first ,” she said a few minutes later. “Especially if I know he’s good for it—which you clearly are.” She waved her hand toward the dash.

I fought the snarl that took me by surprise and barely glanced at her.

“I don’t need to know about the men you’ve been with before.”

“It’s not like there’s been a lot,” she mused. “I mean, I don’t think my number is super high or anything, but I obviously have experience. I mean, I’m twenty-seven years old, and I’ve only had one relationship that lasted longer than three months, so obviously, I’ve been with more people than, say, someone who got married at twenty-two.”

“Reese—”

“You’re probably much older than I am, so I’m going to assume that your number is way higher, too.” I refused to meet her eyes even though I could feel her staring. “I hope you were a gentleman and bought them dinner first since we’ve already established that Vampires do eat food. How many long relationships have you had? And how does that work exactly with your super long life? Doesn’t the woman get older while you stay, you know, like this?”

“Stop speaking,” I snapped.

My heart was pounding. Her words hit a little too close to home.

“I’m just trying to get to know you,” she shot back. “You don’t have to be a dick.”

She shoved my hand off her thigh with a huff and crossed her arms over her chest.

“I don’t give a shit how many people you’ve been with,” I ground out. “You’ll only fuck me from now on.”

“Pretty fucking presumptuous of you,” she scoffed.

“Go ahead and try,” I replied with a chuckle. “See what happens.”

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Reese pause. Her entire body stilled.

“Are you threatening me?”

“No, I’m not fucking threatening you.” I looked at her in disbelief. “Feel free to do whatever you want. Try and pick some guy up. I’m sure Kenny would be willing to give you a ride.”

“Ew. Kenny and I are barely friends. I would never sleep with him.”

“You won’t want to sleep with anyone,” I explained. “You’re bonded now. You’re not going to find anyone else attractive.”

“Yeah, right,” she scoffed.

“Even if you convinced yourself that you had,” I warned. “Their touch won’t be welcome. It’ll be uncomfortable at best.”

“You’re kidding. I can’t even touch other men?” she ground out angrily.

“You can touch them,” I clarified. “But not sexually or with the intention of fucking them.”

“This just gets better and better.”

“You work at a bank,” I replied, glancing at her as I pulled onto the freeway. “You must’ve known at least a little about how the mating bond worked.”

“You’re the first Vampire I’ve ever seen there,” she shot back. “It’s not like there are any Vampires in my social circle. How the hell would I know how the frigging mating bond worked?”

“You acted like you knew it was a forever thing,” I said slowly, horror making my heart pound. “You said?—”

“Yeah, I know that mates are forever,” she said quickly, her voice sharp. “But beyond what they say in fucking magazines—that I don’t even read, by the way. My best friend reads them and passes on what she thinks is pertinent info while I try to tune her out. I don’t know shit.”

“Nothing in those magazines is real.”

“I fucking knew it!” she shouted.

The longer we were in the car, the more agitated she got. She was mumbling under her breath, the words too garbled for me to understand. Her knee bounced. Eventually, not touching became too uncomfortable for both of us, and with a curse, she jerked my hand back to her bare thigh.

Instead of taking the exit that would’ve brought her to a quiet Italian restaurant like I’d planned, I stayed on the freeway. I needed reinforcements.

“It’s gonna be okay,” I reassured her, my fingers gently smoothing back and forth.

“Easy for you to say,” she said tiredly. “Your entire life wasn’t just upended because you invited a Vampire in to fuck you on your couch.”

I held back a laugh. She wasn’t what I wanted. It still felt like the Gods had fucked me for a second time, and a simmering rage at the universe still pulsed under my skin, but I couldn’t deny that she was kind of funny. She had so much fucking energy. I bet she’d never sat still for more than a few minutes in her life. She had an answer or a comeback for everything.

I wasn’t sure how I’d deal with any of that long-term, but it was a bit amusing for the moment.

“Actually, you’re wrong.”

“I’m never wrong.”

“My life won’t be the same now either.”

“How’s that?” she asked snidely.

“Well, for one, I have to quit my job.”

“I’m going to pretend that makes sense.” She reached over and patted my thigh condescendingly.

I shook my head. Jesus, she was exhausting. “I have a contract with your government,” I explained. “Once a Vampire finds their mate, they’re no longer allowed to fulfill that contract.”

“That’s bullshit,” she snapped, suddenly pissed on my behalf. “So, don’t tell them.”

“Doesn’t work that way,” I replied. “It’s against our laws for me to continue once I’m mated. To do so would be a pretty flagrant breach of ethics.”

“How so?”

“Difficult to explain.” I hedged. “It’s just not done.”

“So, you have to find another job?”

I shrugged and slid my hand deeper into the hole in her jeans. Reese let out a little whoosh of air and relaxed into the seat. Shit. I’d forgotten that the tension that was building in me was magnified for her. No wonder she wouldn’t shut the hell up. She was trying to distract herself.

“I’m good for a while,” I said, tightening my hand on her thigh. “Our family has made plenty of investments that have paid off over the years.”

“You’re loaded, aren’t you?”

“We’re comfortable.”

“That’s what rich people say.” She shuddered. “I’m not quitting my job.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“I like working there. I get to see Noah every day, and sometimes Mr. Miranda stops by, and I get to see him, too.”

“Mr. Miranda?”

“Noah’s husband. He was my teacher in high school, and we’ve stayed close.”

That sounded…off.

“Don’t make that face. Number one, Mr. Miranda is very gay, and number two, he isn’t a sleaze. They’re like my dads.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“No, your face was speaking for you.”

“Where are your parents?”

“Who knows,” she replied with a shrug. “They lost custody when I was five and dropped off the face of the earth.”

“You want me to find them for you?”

“Jesus, no .” She paused. “Wait, you can do that?”

“Money helps.”

“I fucking knew you were loaded.”

I couldn’t stop the chuckle that came out of my mouth.

“Dear God,” Reese murmured. “Laughing makes you more attractive. How is that possible? Do it again.”

“Ha.”

“No, laugh. Do it.”

“I can’t laugh on command.”

“Fine, I’ll tell you a joke.” She hummed and tapped her finger on her chin. “Okay, got one. What does one traffic light say to the other traffic light?” She paused. “Stop looking at me. I’m changing.”

“Was that supposed to be funny?” I asked, my lips twitching.

“It’s hilarious!”

“To a five-year-old.”

“I don’t even know any five-year-olds,” she grumbled.

“No nieces or nephews?”

“No siblings, period,” she said with a snort. “I do have Rena. She’s my best friend. We’re practically sisters. She doesn’t have any kids yet.”

“The magazine reader?”

“Oh, yeah. She loves that shit. Says she wants a Vampire of her very own.” She let out a huff of laughter. “Man, she’s gonna be pissed. Do you have any siblings?”

“Four—three brothers.”

“You don’t know how many brothers you have?” she asked dubiously.

“Had four,” I replied quietly. “Three now.”

“Oh,” she breathed. “I’m sorry.”

I nodded. The reminder of Zeke was like a splash of cold water.

“Are you close with them?” Reese asked cautiously. “I always wondered what having siblings would be like.”

“Yeah, we’re close.”

“That’s cool.”

The car was quiet for a while. I wasn’t sure what Reese was thinking about, but I couldn’t get over the fact that Zeke would’ve loved her. Their personalities were startlingly similar now that I thought about it. The same sharp tongue, the same compulsion to get the last word, the same ability to irritate me.

“Wait, where are we going?” Reese asked, leaning forward as I pulled onto my driveway. “This isn’t a restaurant.”

“Our place.”

“What do you mean, our ? It’s not my place.”

“My family’s.”

“You’re taking me to your parents’ house?”

“Calm down.”

“You still live with your parents?” Her voice rose with each word.

“Jesus, calm down.”

“I didn’t agree to this.”

“We’re already here.”

“No,” she snarled. “Take me back.”

“They know we’re here,” I said, tightening my hand on her thigh. “At least say hello.”

“Mother of God,” Reese breathed as we pulled up in front of the house. “This place is fucking massive.”

“Yes.”

“No wonder you still live here,” she mused, leaning down to see better. “I’d never move out either.”

“I have a fucking apartment to myself,” I muttered defensively. “It’s not like I’m still in my childhood bedroom.”

I didn’t know why I felt defensive. Most adult Vampires lived with their parents. Some moved out when they were mated, but even then, there were a lot who stayed put. It was a community, more than anything. When you lived in a world where those who understood your life were few and far between, you tended to stick close to the ones who did.

“I can’t go in there,” Reese whispered, trapping my hand between her thighs as she clenched them. “I can’t—” She looked at me worriedly. “It’s getting bad again.”

“Hurts?” I asked quietly.

“Like I’m going to come out of my skin.”

“You hid it pretty well.”

“I was trying to ignore it.”

I nodded. Instead of hitting the button to open the garage, I circled back around and pulled back down the long driveway.

“Wait, what are you doing?” Reese asked as I found a spot in the grass halfway to the main road.

“You’ve got two options,” I said, throwing the car in park. “You can stick it out until we’ve made it through introductions and dinner.”

Reese groaned.

“Or I can satisfy it here.”

“Someone could see us.”

“No one’s going to see us.”

“What if someone drives up?”

“They won’t.”

“How can you be sure?”

“What’s your choice?” I asked, refusing to keep going back and forth.

Reese bit her bottom lip and glanced out the windows. “Here.”

“Good.”

I got out and rounded the hood before she could change her mind.

“What, you mean out in the open?” she asked as I opened her door. “This is dumb. This?—”

She wasn’t resisting. Her mouth might be going a million miles an hour, but she was pliant as I helped her out of the car and ushered her toward the trunk.

“No one will see us,” I assured her, spinning her toward the car. My hands were at the waistband of her jeans in a moment, and they were so loose that they fell to her ankles as soon as I’d unbuttoned them.

Our fingers tangled as we shoved at her underwear. I held back a laugh at the sight of them. Boxer briefs. Almost an exact match to the ones I was wearing. This woman was so fucking wrong for me.

I swallowed hard as Reese bent over the trunk, her back arching as she pressed backward against my hips.

“Why are you still dressed?”

It took seconds to shove my trousers and boxers out of the way. The moment I was bare, I pressed forward, and her hand was there to meet me, her fingers between her legs positioning me at her entrance.

We both groaned as I slid inside.

“Yes,” Reese whispered, bracing her hands against the side of the car.

It was better than the first time, and I hadn’t realized that it could be better than the first time. Reese was so wet that the sound of me sliding in and out of her was obscene. Her muscles clenched as she panted, her back arching even more.

She felt so good it was fucking terrifying. Nothing else would ever feel as good as being inside Reese. Nothing else would even come close.

“Please,” she gasped, her hand sliding back between her legs. The tips of her fingers brushed against my balls as she manipulated her clit.

I clenched my teeth. We were scratching an itch. It was nothing more than that, but I refused to come so soon. I doubted she’d ever let me live it down.

“Beau,” she gasped. “Jesus, bite me already.”

“You’re not in charge of that,” I argued, wrapping my hand gently around the front of her throat. The moment I bit her, it was over. There was no way I could hold out.

“Please, I’m already on edge,” she breathed. “I don’t want to come the other way. It’s not as good. It’s—” Her words broke off on a moan as I urged her up until her back touched my chest. It wasn’t an attractive position. To anyone else, we probably would’ve looked ridiculous. She was so much shorter that I had to widen my feet and bend my legs to compensate. We were half bent over the trunk, fully dressed, and I could feel the heat in my face from trying to hold back—but it felt so fucking incredible.

Letting go of her throat, I pulled my hand to my mouth and nicked the skin. The moment I had it in front of her mouth, she latched on, pulling so hard that I felt it in my balls. Gods. Jerking my head forward, I bit into the tender skin of her neck and groaned as her pussy pulsed around me and the taste of her flowed over my tongue. The orgasm went on for so goddamn long that my legs were rubbery by the time she let go of my hand, licking it softly before dropping her head back on my shoulder.

“Holy fuck,” she murmured, sagging against me. “Is it always going to be like that?”

“I think so.”

“Why does anyone ever get out of bed?”

I let out a huff of laughter as I pulled out of her and helped her steady herself against the car.

“Dammit,” she griped, glancing at me over her shoulder. “I missed it.”

After quickly yanking my trousers back up, I reached for the boxers around her ankles.

“Why do you wear men’s underwear?”

“Really?” she asked, helping me pull them up. “That’s what you want to talk about?”

“I’ve never been with any other woman that does.”

She sent me a sharp look over her shoulder and jerked her jeans up her thighs. “I don’t need to hear about your other conquests.”

“Oh, now you don’t want to talk about it?” I asked in amusement.

“Nope.”

It was strange to watch the bond strengthening in real-time. It had been less than an hour since she had talked about other lovers, but suddenly, the idea made her angry.

“Is my hair a mess?” she asked grouchily, stomping toward her door.

“It looks the same,” I replied, following her so I could open it.

“I can get my own door.”

“I’ll get it.”

“Maybe I want to do it,” she argued.

“Sorry.”

“Next time, I’ll do it myself.”

“No.”

“You’re so fucking irritating.”

“I’m hurt,” I replied dryly.

It was actually amusing to see her so discomposed. I threw the door shut as soon as she’d climbed inside and heard her screech of frustration as I walked around to my own door. By the time I sat down, she’d pulled the mirror down in the sunshade and was desperately pulling her fingers through her hair.

“You said it looks the same,” she snapped, turning toward me with wide eyes, her reddish blond hair wild around her face. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, I’m serious.” I started the car and pulled back onto the driveway, turning back toward the house.

“It’s a mess!”

“It’s exactly the same as you had it at work this morning.”

“It is not!”

“That’s not how you normally wear it?” I asked curiously. I thought the wild mane of hair was a deliberate choice.

“I can’t meet your parents like this.”

“Sure, you can.”

“No, really. There’s a hole in the ass of my jeans, I look like I put my finger in a light socket, and I’m not even wearing a bra.”

“You’re not?”

“No,” she retorted. “And just to be completely transparent, a little nipple play goes a long way when you’re having sex, especially when they’re just out there for the taking!”

Her mouth snapped shut, and she stared at me in horror.

Before she knew what I was doing, I’d reached across the car and slid my hand up her sweater. When my fingers brushed over her nipple, she swore, but she made no move to stop me as I pinched one and then the other.

“Better?”

“A little,” she grumbled, leaning into my hand.

“I’ll give you more later,” I replied, pulling my hand away so I could hit the garage door opener on the ceiling.

“I don’t think I like you very much,” she mused, yanking her sweater into place.

“Sucks for you.”

“Jesus, how many cars do you guys have?”

I ignored the question as I pulled into my spot and turned the car off. My mother was probably pacing the floors, wondering what the hell we were doing. She would’ve known the moment we drove up the driveway the first time. My father, on the other hand, probably knew exactly what we’d been doing.

“I’m not good with parents,” Reese said, opening her door before I was even out of the car. “They’re going to hate me.”

“No, they won’t,” I assured her. By the time I got out of the car, she was already standing next to my door.

“No, really,” she said, taking my hand as she winced. “I’m an acquired taste. Most people don’t like me at first. I have to kind of grow on you.”

“That’s a relief,” I muttered, tugging her toward the door to the kitchen. “I was getting nervous.”

It took her almost a minute to understand what I’d said, and I was already opening the door when she replied.

“You’re such an asshole!”

Reese froze behind me when she got a good look at the faces staring at us from around the counter.

“So, it’s going well, then,” Chance said dryly, toasting me with his drink.

“Fuck my life,” Reese muttered under her breath.

I probably should’ve warned her that every person in the room had heard everything she’d said since the moment we’d pulled into the garage.