Cursed (The Brookehaven Vampires #4) (3 page)

I raised an eyebrow at him. “What?” I questioned
, surprised by his laughter.

“Gwen could be obnoxious, and a real pain in the ass at times.” He smiled at me as I giggled.
Oliver rarely swore in front of me, and it always took me by surprise when he did.

I was thankful he ended his memories of Gwen on a happy note, but I was also saddened by the fact I would never get a chance to know her the way Oliver had.

I cleared my head and settled back in my seat. I relaxed, enjoying the fact that it was just Oliver and me. We were finally alone. The anticipation of this, hopefully uninterrupted, time alone with him had excited chills covering my body.

He squeezed my hand but didn’
t question my emotions. I was grateful.

After some time, we were passing the Sacramento airport, and the lights of the city were coming into view. Lilly alway
s kept me so close to home; I’d actually never been this far away.

I fel
t excitement bubbling inside me as I caught a glimpse of the Sacramento skyline against the dark night sky before we headed farther south. I silently wished I could see more of it, and in the daytime, too.

As if hearing my thoughts, Oliver told me he often made trips to the capital for work
-related reasons, and that he would see about bringing me along sometime. This made me smile.

“I wish I could show you San Francisco at night. Talk about beautiful,” Oliver said, nostalgically. “Unfortunately, it’s not safe for me to take you through the city alone.”

I knew most of the Bay Area was off limits to Oliver and the other Brookehaven Vampires. Oliver had once told me so. He’d also told me the Bay Area housed a large number of rogue vampires and a very shady leader of an out of control coven. So, his reasoning for not showing me around that portion of the Bay did not surprise me.

I was surprised Oliver mentioned taking me through the city of San Francisco at all. That was where vampires had attacked him and his siblings. It was where Olivia had died. It was where he and Oscar had been unable to save their baby sister…

As he kept his focus on the stretch of interstate ahead of us, I rested my head against the headrest and gazed at my boyfriend. I studied him for a few moments—from his wavy, light brown curls that were a bit out of control but perfect at the same time, to the dark lashes that framed his gorgeous emerald-green eyes, to his perfectly defined facial features, and finally to his irresistibly kissable lips that nearly always had a hint of a smile to them.

On the surface, you would never know the pain
he had been through. I couldn’t even imagine the emotions he hid from me.

With my fingers still intertwined with his, I squeezed his hand. Without looking at me, he smiled, just a little.

The signs we passed stated we were heading west. This stretch of freeway wasn’t as dark and desolate as the section between “Treeville” and Sacramento. It did still have some stretches of darkness, but this section was scattered with rolling hills and brightly lit towns.

After a while
I realized I was starving, and tired. Once I voiced my hunger, or after he’d heard my stomach growl, Oliver took an off-ramp that led to an area heavily populated with fast food restaurants.

I pointed out which place I wanted, and we pulled through the drive-thru of a burger place. Oliver made a face at me when I told him my order. I laughed.

Once we were back on the road and heading toward the coastline, I began happily devouring my burger and fries.

While I ate, Oliver talked about the possibility of me giving up some of my staple foods. You know, fast
food, Lucky Charms, Pop-Tarts, etc. I rolled my eyes at him as I stuffed two fries into my mouth at once. He found the act amusing, but I found his suggestion insane. I was pretty sure I’d starve if I gave up my staples.

With a full tummy, I actually dozed off for a little while.

Sometime later, Oliver gently woke me. “Laney, we’re here,” he said, ever so softly.

It took me a few seconds to gather my thoughts and remember where we were. I must admit, I was somewhat
afraid it had all been a dream. I was thankful it wasn’t.

A dim porch light lit up the front of a Victorian cottage. The cottage sat secluded atop a cliff that overlooked the dark abyss of ocean behind it.

I was speechless. This was not what I had expected…

Granted, I don’t really know what I had expected, but it hadn’t been this beautiful
, pale yellow house with a wraparound porch. It was like a dream, and I considered pinching myself as Oliver led me up the front steps.

The house was gorgeous inside
too!

Oliver set to work getting the two-sided, stone fireplace lit as I took in everything else.

From the front sitting room, I moved into the bedroom that shared the fireplace wall. The bedroom was furnished in beautiful, solid wood furniture that was very shiny. The bed was covered in a heavy white quilt with lots of white pillows propped at the head.

Knowing what would soon take place in the large bed that lay before me, I blushed.

Moving on to the bathroom, which sat just off the bedroom, I all but fell over when I saw the size of the tub. It was huge! Along with the plans I had for my boyfriend, I planned to spend at least one good soak in that sucker.

Leaving the bathroom and bedroom, I found the kitchen to my right, just off the sitting room. It too was a good size
with lots of dark cabinets and a large square island in the center.

There was a beautiful, small dining table with two chairs
which sat just to the side of French double doors. The doors opened to the back of the wraparound porch.

Quickly moving across the length of the kitchen, I opened the doors and stepped out onto the porch. Even in the dark of the night, the view was breathtaking. The feel of the ocean breeze against my skin chilled me, but it was amazing.

As I was staring out at the dark ocean, Oliver’s arms slipped around my waist from behind. An excited chill of anticipation ran through me. This would be my first memory of the sea, and it was a very good one.

“Can we go down to the beach?” I asked.

“Aren’t you tired?” Oliver whispered against my neck. His cool lips stayed there and began working their magic against my skin.

More shivers ran through me. “I’m too excited to sleep!” I said, a little too enthusiastically.

Although I knew
it
was going to happen at any moment, when I knew he was ready, I sort of panicked.

Maybe it
was seeing the bed—the place where our bonding would take place—that caused a nervous stir inside me. I knew I needed to gain control of that nervousness, especially before he sensed it. I just needed a few minutes. And a distraction.

His
arms slipped from my waist, and he stepped forward to stand beside me. It took me a second to be able to look at him. And when I did, he flashed me a breathtaking smirk.

After a moment,
he took my hand and led me off the porch and down a wooden path behind the house. That path connected with a sandy trail that then led down a steep cliff to the ocean below.

I slipped as we started down the steep path. Oliver caught me before I could hit the ground, and then he offered to piggyback me the rest of the way.

“It’s okay. I can do it,” I said, my nervousness obvious in my voice. I was already aware he could feel what I was feeling, but knowing he could also hear it in my voice made the nervousness grow even more.

But
like the awesome man he was, he didn’t question me, nor did he comment. I imagined he too was nervous. This realization made me feel a little better.

So, instead of confronting
me about my uneasiness, he simply walked in front of me so I could brace myself against his back as we descended the steep path.

Once at the bottom, Oliver took a seat in the cool sand. After a quick glimpse at the dark ocean, I sat beside him, leaning against him as he wrapped an arm around me.

Blissful. That was the perfect word for the moment.

A breeze blew off the water, and I shivered. T
he air was colder than I’d anticipated. I cuddled against Oliver, and he held me tighter while we gazed out at the crashing waves.

T
he ocean was darker than I had imagined—it was like some sort of enormous black void. It was actually rather unnerving, yet I had to feel the water.

I too
k off my shoes and socks and rolled up my jeans. The sand was cool between my toes as I headed for the water. Even with Oliver’s warning about how cold it would be, I still let out a little squeal when the freezing water hit my feet. Even over the waves, I heard Oliver chuckling.

I hurried back to where he’
d stayed seated on the sand, and I cuddled against him again while we watched the dark waves crashing, only the stars and glow of the moon lighting the night.

We sat there for some time, staring out at the dark ocean and holding each other, only the crashing of the waves disrupting the quiet.
Until I yawned. He shot me a sidelong glance and a grin that made my stomach drop.

“You had better get some rest,” he said. “Actually, I’m feeling a little tired myself.”

Reluctantly, we both stood. I got a piggyback ride on the way back up to the house after Oliver picked one of the small white flowers that covered either side of the path. He told me they were moonflowers, and that they only open in the moonlight. They were very pretty, especially covering the side of the cliff where the cottage sat.

Loosely wrapping my arms around Oliver’s neck, I held my shoes in one hand and my little flower in the other while Oliver effortlessly carried me up the slope. I slid down his back as we reached the top, and he held me close to his side
while we walked the rest of the way to the back door. Instead of going right inside, we snuggled on the back patio’s porch swing that overlooked the ocean. I nestled myself in the crook of Oliver’s arm, and he held me close. I truly felt I was exactly where I needed to be.

“Do we ever have to leave?” I asked.

He kissed the top of my head before answering. “Unfortunately, we do.”

I sighed. “I don’t want to go back there,” I
admitted.

He said nothing in response, probably because there was nothing to be said. We had no choice. We would have to return, sooner or later. I was all for later.

It wasn’t long before I fell asleep there on the swing while in the safety of Oliver’s arms.

I woke as Oliver lifted me from the swing. I wrapped my arms around his neck and planted little kisses on the perfect skin of his neck while he carried me inside. I was tired, but I was happy, and I had calmed down from my initial anxiousness. I was ready, so I thought. Unfortunately, I was asleep again before he even
made it to the bedroom.

I woke just long enough to shrug out of my jeans and pulled my bra out from under my T-shirt. Then I crawled into the big, fluffy bed, and Oliver joined me only moments later. And, to my surprise, he actually crawled under the covers for a change.
I rested my head on his chest while he held me tight, and I fell back to sleep within seconds, the faint thud of Oliver’s heartbeat lulling me while he played with a chunk of my hair.

All thoughts and worries of my angel faded away, along with the day.

Oliver + Laney

I woke to the sounds of waves crashing. Oliver was asleep with his arms tightly wrapped around me. Knowing it was unsafe to disturb him while he slept, I waited as patiently and as quietly as I could until I could wait no longer. I needed to use the bathroom, and I was dying to see the ocean in the daylight.

E
ver so gently, I began wiggling myself free of his grip. He stirred and I froze. I wasn’t quite clear on what would happen if I woke him. Thankfully, he released me and just rolled onto his side. He stayed asleep.

I quickly used the bathroom, and then I left the room and went through the kitchen so I could go out onto the back porch. I was excited to get a view of the ocean in the sunshine.

My excitement was cut short when I discovered that, while I was sleeping, Oliver had turned on the house’s security system. It was like the security system at Julz’s house, with the metal shutters that covered the windows, but this version also shuttered the back glass doors, and bolted them closed. I couldn’t get out even if I had to. This was slightly unsettling.

Defeated, I headed back
to the bedroom and found that the shutters over those windows had been left open. It was only a few inches, but that little space allowed the salty ocean breeze to flow in. It was also enough for me to get a glimpse of the magnificent Pacific Ocean. It was a beautiful blue in the daylight. I was so eager to get down to the beach and really enjoy it!

I turned to head for the bathroom again, this time to get ready for the day, but my gaze fell on my
sleeping vampire boyfriend. I’d never seen him really sleep before. I couldn’t help smiling. It took everything in me to prevent myself from crawling back into bed with him and running my fingers through his wavy, light golden-brown locks until he woke.