Falling For Dakota

Dakota

I woke up unable to breathe well and I also feel like I'm confined in a really small space. Like something's holding me down. I opened my left eye first to slowly adjust to... darkness? Okay, I didn't expect that which kind of disoriented me a bit. I stretched out my arm trying to feel my way towards any resemblance of my bedside table where I'm sure my phone will be, but all I could feel is more bed space and soft covers. How strange. I feel comfortable, yet this is so foreign to me. "What's the matter?" Eric groaned from really close beside me, his arm tightening around my waist and my right eye snapped open. That's right, I fell asleep sometime after he told me everything about his life when he got back and about what happened to him. Flashbacks from last night had my heart hammering giving me a slight headache.

"Calm down little one, go back to sleep," he said in a hushed tone before burying his face on my neck. "We didn't do... Did we?" I asked just for the hell of it I guess. I don't know why I blurted that out, but I did anyway and he answered with a chuckle. "If you're asking if we made love, the answer is we didn't. I'm certain you would never forget even a minute of it if we did." Oh, my. Made love? How archaic. Also, what a cocky thing to say, but I somehow feel it's not an empty promise.

Well, I knew that nothing happened. I guess I was just deflecting. My heart wasn't going full speed because I was in bed with him and not because I was thinking about being naked and rolling around his bed doing hot stuff right about now. No, I wasn't thinking about sex at all knowing he's naked from the waist up and me wearing nothing else other than his shirt. Sex was nowhere near my mind, not even a bit. I wasn't thinking about how I almost melted at the heat of his kisses and how gorgeous his body is as if he was photoshopped. That was a shocker right there. I mean, I've always thought vampires are supposed to be really skinny. Boney even not to mention super pale, but not this vampire. His body is a perfect sculpture of lean muscles and perfection. Top that off with the face of a Greek god and you're well on your way to fantasy island. But no, I definitely wasn't thinking about whether he's beyond perfect the further you go down south. Not at all, not even now that his breath is touching the sensitive part of my neck once in a while. Nope, not thinking about sex.

In reality, my senses went overdrive for a moment out of worry. Worry about what he had to go through and what was still happening with his coven. Worry that he might end up making a decision that will break us apart and well basically a "no way out" kind of thing where neither of us will end up winning. I don't want to believe that he's about to face a lot of danger and this is his way of saying goodbye to me and to Amara, but it kind of feels that way.

He suddenly lifted his head and stared directly at me. Our faces merely inches apart and my breath got caught in my throat. His blue eyes were kind of glowing in the dark and it felt like they were looking right into my soul. It was mesmerizing and nerve-wracking at the same time. "What?" I asked trying to sound and look as calm as I can. "Your emotions are scattered like puzzle pieces thrown all over the floor, Dakota," he answered this time smirking and it's as if he somehow senses what my thoughts are about. "I don't know what you're talking about." So, call me stubborn, but I'm not going to admit things easily out of pride. He cocked his head and smiled wider. "Oh? You're not aroused and troubled as we speak?" he quietly asked and that unnerved me. "Oh, please, how would you know?" I challenged and he stared at me some more before running a finger down the side of my throat sliding it further down before opening his palm over my heart, and then using the same hand, he gently grabs my writs and rubs his thumb over the veins slowly.

"Your pulse. It paints me a picture of your colorful mind and heart," he admitted before kissing the palm of my hand. What the fuck? I scrambled to my feet wanting to put distance between us. I know that just like an alpha, vampires can hear someone's heartbeat, but to actually, no, accurately pinpoint someone's thoughts with that is completely insane. Tell if someone is nervous, lying, excited, or calm? That's totally normal, but to be able to go into my thoughts with that? Now, that's freaking me out a bit. I want to keep some things to myself with this guy, but if he can read me that well then what the hell? That's not fair at all.

He sat up slowly resting his feet on the floor. He didn't reach out to touch me, but he kept his palms gripping the side of the bed slightly. He kept watching my every move which had me feeling more nervous, so I had to break the ice. "Can all vampires do that? Read everyone through their pulse?" I asked lifting my fingers to quote the word pulse. "No, you could say it's a rare opportunity or talent if you will. For instance, I can't read other people like that. Just you." Well, that was totally vague. Does he want me to keep pressing? Because I definitely will. "What does that even mean?" He offered his hand out to me which I reluctantly took then very gently he pulled me to him making me sit on his lap. "Are you sure you want to know now?" He asked and I simply nodded. He wrapped his arms around me tighter before kissing my shoulder. Of course, the simplest gesture sent tingles down my spine - again. "It means a vampire such as myself will only be able to understand someone's emotions and thoughts as clear as the skies above on a summer's day if he or she is his or her beloved," he quietly explained without tearing his eyes off of mine and I swallowed hard. "Beloved?" I repeated.

"Yes, beloved. In your terms, mate." Holy fucking moly!