Breathe - Free Writing/Rough Draft Chapter One The sun was barely lightening the sky when I awoke and snuggled deeper into the blankets, stretching. As I flung my arms wide I hit something hard and warm. Screaming like a banshee, I jumped off the bed and ran to the other side of the room. The thing in bed sat up and stared at me with heavy lidded blue-violet eyes. It was a man, or a male at least since I didn’t know if he was human, and a very handsome one at that. He stared at me, confusion and sleepiness in his eyes. He glanced down and a crooked grin spread across his face as he looked back into my eyes. His were warm, inviting, and hot with desire. A pleasant, musky, incense smell filled the room. I looked down to see what had him smiling and screamed again. I was naked, completely naked, nipples pointing outward at the cold. What the hell happened last night? “Who are you?” I asked, attempting to cover my breasts and groin with my hands. He laughed and gestured for me to come closer. “Why don’t you come here and I’ll tell you.”He said, his voice like liquid silk, smooth and soft. I sniffed, realizing what that incense smell was. Vampire pheromones filled the air and I walked forward before thinking, sitting on the edge of the bed. He grabbed me and pulled until I lay beside him, under the covers. He was as naked as I was and I didn’t care. Not with the vamp scent and my own hormones raging. The man was incredibly attractive. “There, that’s better.” He said, resting a hand on my waist. My head rested against his shoulder, the arm under me curling around to stroke my upper chest, right under my clavicle. I nodded. I was warm and he was handsome. We were both naked, consenting adults who obviously did something last night so why not do it again? I sighed. I had to quit drinking. “You can call me Grey.” He said, leaning down to brush delicate kisses on my lips. “I’m very pleased to meet you.” To my shame I giggled when he kissed the side of my neck, his whiskers tickling me. He licked a trail up the large vein, nipping lightly with his teeth. It felt amazing. “God, you smell delicious.” He murmured against my skin. He nuzzled the area of skin over my pulse. “Your heart is racing. You want me.” It wasn’t a question and I didn’t offer an answer other than to raise my head a little, giving him easier access. He groaned and bit me a little harder. “Yes,” I whispered. He broke the skin and licked the droplets of blood beading up. I moaned and pressed his head closer, but he pushed me off, sitting up in bed to look down at me with a disbelieving look on his face. “A true witch?” He asked, frowning. I nodded and his head flicked back as if I’d slapped him. He jumped from the bed and began searching for his clothes. “What’s wrong?” I asked, a little frantic. Usually guys thought it was super-hot that I was a witch. Of course, most didn’t know, but a few did. None of the vamps I’d been with had ever bit me and sucked my blood, though. I was usually a little more circumspect but I’d never had a vamp aura affect me so much. “I’m a vampire.” He said as if that explained everything. “I figured that out when the pheromones started rolling around the room.” I snarked. The guy was starting to piss me off. I felt rejected and that hurt so instead of feeling sorry for myself I was getting angry. I could feel the tattoo between my brows starting to heat and itch. “I’m a full blood vamp.” “Oh.” As quick as it began my anger vanished and I paled. Shit, that was bad. There were rules against true witches and full blood vamps sharing sex and/or blood. I wasn’t exactly aware of the reasons, some old law from centuries ago, but it was still enforced. We could get in huge trouble if anyone found out; fined, sent to prison, etc. it was a bad situation. “Do you remember what happened last night? Did we, you know, did we share sex?” I asked, trembling a little, from desire, cold, and fear. He looked up from the shirt he was buttoning, something in my expression making him pause, his face softening. He sat on the edge of the bed, as far from me as possible and tried to cover the bulge in his pants. “Look, I’m sorry for freaking out. There was no way for either of us to know without talking about it or sharing blood. As for last night, I have vague memories, nothing is really clear. We both had a lot to drink, including some Vamp Juice. I just have vague memories of you, your breasts, and, uh, other parts of you.” I blushed. Great. That was probably a big hell yes to the sharing sex question. I paid attention to my body. I was sore in all the right, or wrong in this situation, places. Shit. I drank Vamp Juice, too? That was the only thing guaranteed to get a vampire drunk and it worked as a drug and aphrodisiac to all other species. What the hell was I thinking last night? “I wouldn’t be so worried, in fact I might even be turned on by the taboo part of this, if I wasn’t in law enforcement.” Grey said as he tied his steel toed combat boots. “I understand.” I said, wondering what part of law enforcement he worked. I looked over at the clock. I had to be at work in 3 hours. He needed to either get naked again or get the hell out. I was a little perturbed that he worked in law enforcement since I’d just graduated from Paranormal Academy and was starting my job at KPPD that morning. I wondered what section he worked in and if I would see him. I decided not to ask since it would embarrass us both. He finally had all his clothes on and I ushered him to the front door, wrapped in the sheet from my bed. He paused in the open door and turned to me, pulling me into his arms before I could say a word. He kissed me, long and hard, his lips bruising and his tongue searching. His hands tangled in my hair and I gripped his shoulders, the sheet falling around my ankles. He bit my lower lip and sucked on it, pulling blood from the small wound. He stopped, his forehead pressed against mine. “You have the sweetest blood I’ve ever tasted.” He whispered against my lips. “And I hope I never see you again.” In a move too fast to see, he wrapped the sheet around my shoulders and walked out the door, shutting it softly behind him. Stumbling back, I sat down on the stairs, fingers rubbing my tender, swollen lips. I hoped I saw him again. And soon.