Illusion Read online

  Strains of The Very Thought of You had just begun to play. I was startled when he suddenly stood, smoothly drawing me to my feet and leading me in the direction of the dance floor. He wrapped his right arm around my waist and took my hand in his, tugging me close to him. My other arm reached up to rest across his wide shoulders as he slowly whirled me around the dance floor, his movements effortless and polished.

  His breath tickled my ear as he hummed along with the music. When he began to sing in my ear as he pulled me closer, the sound of his smooth voice made my stomach clench. “The mere idea of you… the longing here for you… you’ll never know...how slow the moments go… till I’m near you.”

  Drawing in a shaky breath, I turned my head slightly to meet his eyes. The raw emotion that he revealed to me was so powerful that it shook me to my very core. If it was possible to fall in love with him even more, I think I did in that moment. My eyes filled with tears as we effortlessly moved together in time to the music.

  “If there was a song that was written that describes how I feel for you, this would be what I would write, Josephine.”

  Speechless, I could only nod and swallow back a moan. “Stefan…”

  The song came to an end but he didn’t let me go. He held me until the next song started, the seductive sound of At Last filled the room. Stefan quickly flicked his wrist and spun me away from him, only to quickly pull me back to his chest in one fluid motion. Our bodies were molded together and it still wasn’t close enough to suit me. His right hand began drifting lower to cup my ass and he brought the hand he held to his lips, his mouth cool against my skin. I could feel the outline of his fangs against my hand, aware of his presence in every pore of my body, his nearness, the scent of him, the coolness of his skin. It was almost too much to bear…

  The song finished and he brought both of his hands to cradle each side of my face. His eyes searched mine for a moment before he lowered his lips to mine. His mouth was firm and strong as he kissed me deeply. I savored the taste of him, losing myself in the moment, standing in the middle of a dance floor in New York City. He smiled against my lips and sighed.

  “Are you happy, vackra?” His voice drifted through the haze of my mind. “Have I wooed you?”

  “Yes… I think you’ve wooed me, Romeo. Take me home.”

  Stefan glanced at me and nodded, pulling his cell phone from his jacket. He typed out a text message before dropping in back in his pocket. We stopped by our table to pick up my clutch and slowly made our way out of the club. By the time we climbed the steps to the street level, the black sedan was waiting for us at the curb. He opened the door for me and I got in, glancing over my shoulder to watch as he walked to the other side of the car to slide in beside me.

  “261 W. 28th Street,” Stefan said. He pressed a button that raised the tinted partition up between the back seat and the front of the car. When he twisted to face me, his eyes were burning devilishly. His large hand disappeared under the hem of my dress, creeping up the inside of my thigh. My legs instinctively parted for him and he turned, placing one knee down on the floor of the car, angling his body closer to me. Pushing my panties to the side, he slipped two of his long fingers on the outside of my folds, spreading the slickness of my arousal over my clit. A lustful cry fell from my lips as I watched him pleasure me, growing more excited when he thrust his fingers inside of me, curling them upwards as he slid them in and out. His eyes flickered up to meet mine and his lips parted, exposing the tips of his fangs as he watched me writhe. I arched my back, pressing my pussy into the heel of his hand.

  He would bring me to the edge of orgasm, only to back off and gently stroke me. This mind-jumbling torture went on for blocks until we pulled up in front of our building. His fingers slipped from inside of me and he adjusted my panties as if he’d never touched them. He placed both of his fingers that were coated with my juices in his mouth, slowly licking them with his tongue.

  “We are home, vackra. Come with me.” With a wink, he was out of the car.

  On fire for him, I rushed out of the car and took his hand, intertwining my fingers with his as we walked into our building and waited for the elevator.

  The doors had barely closed when I lunged at him. Slamming him against the metal wall of the elevator, I showed him that I wanted him with a ferocity that both excited and terrified me. My hands savagely pulled at his tie and my fingers were frantic as they struggled to unbutton his shirt. I grabbed the lapels of his jacket, pulling his face down to mine. My lips collided against his, my tongue forcing its way inside his mouth. His mouth was equally as hungry, his skilled lips taking control. A low, rumbling growl shook his chest as we came to a halt on our floor.

  Stefan backed us out into the hallway, our passionate kiss never breaking. He smoothly pushed me against the wall on one side of the hall and I pressed back, knocking him to the other side. He somehow had the presence of mind to find his keys, swiftly opening the door. We stumbled inside, our arms and legs tangled together.

  We were a blur as we struggled for dominance in our need to make love. Our hands were in perpetual motion, stripping away the layers of our clothing as we continued our frenzied dance. His suit jacket fell in the living room, my shoes were haphazardly kicked aside in the kitchen. His dress shirt and tie landed in the hallway and my dress ended up in the doorway of our bedroom. Our mouths were relentless as we devoured each other with mindless, drugging kisses that left me shaking, breathless and craving more.

  “You told me I suitably wooed you, Josephine. Now I am going to properly fuck you.”

  I broke free from his grasp and backed away until I was on the opposite side of the bed, moving faster than I ever had before. Cocking my eyebrow in defiance, I crooked a finger at him, motioning for him to come to me.

  Only the city lights from the wall of windows illuminated the room as he swaggered towards me, looking like a sinister angel, fallen to earth to tempt me. The pale muscles in his chest and arms flexed as he unbuckled his belt and pulled it from his pants, dropping it to the floor. His eyes were predatory as he watched me, his fingers twitching in anticipation. I knew if he chose to, he could have me pinned to the bed before I could even react. Stefan was enjoying the chase, like a lion stalking a gazelle.

  I heard him flick open the button on his pants and the zipper lower slowly, the fabric rustling as it slipped over his narrow hips. His smile was wicked and sexy as he crawled across the bed towards me, hooking a finger underneath the front of my bra, pulling me to him.

  Stefan’s eyes drifted to my breasts before lifting his gaze to meet mine. His tongue swiped across his lower lip. “Playing hard to get, vackra?”

  “Would you like me to?” I asked saucily. Threading my fingers through his hair, my hands stopped at the nape of his neck. I tugged his head back, exposing the long stretch of his throat to my eyes. He swallowed unevenly and his body tensed beautifully, every muscle contracting. Lowering my lips to his chest, I licked across his collar bones, up the length of his neck to the curve of his jaw. I loosened my grip on his hair and his eyes met mine again, the blue eclipsed by the blackness of his pupils. He smiled wickedly, his fangs fully exposed.

  Without another word, his finger snapped the lacy fabric apart. He crawled closer and his tongue flickered out to lazily lick circles around my nipple, causing a shiver to run down my back. He turned his attention to the other, but instead of feeling his tongue, his fangs sank into my skin and he swallowed hungrily. My body responded to his bite, arching against him and arousal flooding my panties. When he withdrew his fangs and his arms blurred to grab me, I had no time to respond.

  When I saw the smug smirk on his face, I realized much too late that the aggressor had become the prey. Stefan had me pinned to the bed and he moved to straddle me, his long, powerful legs on both sides of my thighs. His fingers started their path at my cheekbone, down my jaw to caress the side of my neck where he could feel my pulse racing from his touch. His heavily hooded eyes watched the vein throb fo
r a moment before he resumed his exploration, outlining the curve of my breast and running his palm over my ribs. My chest heaved in anticipation as his hand dropped lower to ghost against my stomach, casually running a finger over my panties. They were soaked, and when he ripped them from me, I let out a soft cry of surprise.

  “Shh…” Stefan’s voice floated through my thoughts.

  He shifted to move between my legs and he stretched over my body, his hard cock pressing against my thigh. He brushed my hair away from my face and kissed me with long, sensuous kisses. When he entered me, he was gentle, his hips erotically rocking against mine. He was making love to me like he was worshiping my heart, my soul and my body. Every kiss he placed upon my lips was languid and reverent.

  “Stefan… love you. So much. Too much…”

  He opened his mind to me, and I experienced every emotion and sensation he was feeling as if it were my own. I could feel his lust and it threatened to pull me into the abyss with him. He compared being inside of me to the sweetest torture he had ever known, torn between wanting to pleasure me and possess me. And the love he felt… it was like nothing he could equate it to. He felt as though I’d destroyed him, turning everything he knew and understood upside down and inside out.

  “It’s what I feel for you, Stefan… you’ve ruined me too.”

  My hands ran over the tight muscles of his back, exploring every dip and curve as they tensed and relaxed with each of his powerful thrusts. As much as I wanted to have this moment last forever, I knew I wouldn’t last much longer. I felt myself begin to tighten around him, clenching his cock. I exploded around him and I seized underneath him, my fingernails raking jagged scratches across his back. I cried out his name, that I loved him and I couldn’t live without him. And as I felt his orgasm overtake him, his head collapsed against my chest, letting out a ragged sob. His arms enveloped me, holding me against him as if his very life depended on keeping me captive in his embrace.

  “Stefan? What just happened?” I pressed a kiss against his temple. “I’m right here. You can let me go.”

  He shook his head stubbornly against my breast. He rolled to his back and pulled me on top of him, his arms still wrapped around me. Wiggling slightly so I could rest my head against his shoulder, I studied his profile. His eyes stared at the ceiling and his handsome face looked troubled, tiny lines deepening around the corners of his eyes.

  “It is as I thought. You have shattered me,” he whispered. “You have torn me apart and I do not know how survive without you. My heart, my existence is solely in the palm of your beautiful hand. Imagine, living almost 1,000 years on the earth to discover that one woman will be the very death of me.”

  Stefan arms went limp and I slipped to the bed. Sitting at his side, I stared down at him. He turned his head to look at me, his blue eyes boring into mine, stormy and terrified. I went to touch his face and his hand blurred to encircle my wrist, ceasing my movement.

  Dread crept over my body like ice. “What does that mean? You’ve broken me too, Stefan. There’s no one else for me.”

  “It means that my fate is tangled with yours. That if you would die tomorrow, I would seek out a way to end my life. It means that I cherish you above everything else, that I love you desperately,” Stefan admitted, sitting up beside of me. “Do you understand? There is no me without you.”

  My eyes glazed over as his words sank in. He had described exactly how I felt. “Two parts of a whole,” I murmured weakly.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry, Stefan. So very sorry.” I lowered my head and my hair fell over my shoulders, shrouding my face. He reached over and pressed a finger under my chin, tilting my face up to him.

  “Never be sorry, vackra. Not about this. I love you. Today, tomorrow, for an eternity. För evigt.” As if admitting his feeling resolved his inner turmoil, his face finally relaxed into a smile. “I have something for you.”

  He dashed from the bed to the dresser and pulled out a long, black velvet jewelry box. He sauntered back and sat back down beside me, leaning over to press a kiss on the tip of my nose. He placed it on my leg and anxiously waited as I reached down to pick the box up with trembling fingers.

  Flipping open the case, I inhaled abruptly as I admired the long gold chain and ancient looking pendant that gleamed against the velvet. It was a crude carving of a man and a woman facing one another. Stefan reached over and picked up the necklace, his eyes taking on a distant look as he held the pendant in his hands.

  “It’s beautiful,” I stammered. He placed it around my neck and it came to rest just above the swell of my breasts. My fingers unconsciously reached up to stroke it as I leaned forward to kiss him softly. “What does it mean?”

  “It is one of the few possessions I have from my human life. It depicts the courtship of Freyr and Gerda. They were from different worlds, yet Freyr still fell in love with Gerda. She at first spurned his affections, saying she could never love him because of what and who he was. She conceded in the end.” Stefan’s finger rubbed over the pendant. “While you never spurned my affection, we come from different times and different worlds. It is a token of my commitment and love to you.”

  “Stefan, I don’t know what to say.” I moved to sit astride him, nestling against him.

  “You only need to tell me that you love me and you are mine. That is all I ask from you, vackra.”

  Kissing his muscled chest, I draped my arms around his neck. “I love you, Stefan Lifsten. I am yours,” I paused and took a deep breath. “And I’ll move in with you. You’ll be sick of me.”

  Stefan gripped my arms and pulled me back so he could look in my eyes. Pure happiness radiated from his face, his handsome face glorious. He crushed me back against him, his strong arms holding me in a tight embrace. “I will never tire of you.”

  I yawned against him and laughter resounded deep in his chest. “I have worn you out. Come, you need to sleep.”

  He released his hold on me, letting me shift to slip under the covers. Stefan smoothly stretched out beside me, spooning his large frame behind me. I relaxed against him, the vibration of his humming lulling me to sleep.

  * * *

  I awoke early to find Stefan still in bed, his arm tight around my waist. Rolling over to my back, I noticed the gold of the necklace he had given me late last night around my neck. Running my fingers over the pendant, I sighed happily.

  “What has you so happy this morning?” Stefan mumbled sleepily. He opened one blue eye to look at me.

  “You. Us. Everything.” I sighed again. “I’m so happy here. Being with you takes away all of the noise. I don’t feel the same urge to hide anymore.”

  “Are you saying you want to live here in New York? With me?” He rested his head on his arm as he stared at me. His voice sounded hopeful.

  “Yeah, I think I do. But I’m going to miss Georgia and Anna.”

  “They can always visit. I own many properties all over New York City. I can easily find them suitable accommodations.”

  Smiling, I leaned over to kiss his lips and smoothed his messy blond hair back from his eyes. “Have I told you how much I love you today?”

  “You have not. However, I would rather you show me.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Seeing him do something as simple as eyebrow waggling made my heartbeat increase and desire to coil deep in my stomach. It was amazing the effect he had on my body.

  Shoving him to his back, I straddled his hips, rubbing my wet pussy over his large cock, delighting in feeling the hardness of his arousal, now hot and slick with my juices. I braced my hands on each side of his blond head on his pillow, my nipples dragging across his chest. His hands stroked my ass and tenderly gripped my hips, our lips meeting in a soft kiss, our tongues colliding together sensuously. Lowering myself slowly over him inch by inch, I groaned as I impaled myself on him.

  “Fuck me, Josephine.”

  Using my hands as leverage, I plunged myself over and over on his length, crying out in pleasur
e. Stefan was moaning loudly as I increased my speed, his head arcing back on the pillow. He had just grabbed my hips when we heard a sharp knock on the apartment door.

  My movements ceased and Stefan bucked against me, urging me to continue. “Do not stop. Ignore the door. They will come back later.”

  “Stefan, someone is at the door. Don’t you think we should see who it is?”

  “I could care less who is at our door. I care more about this.” He flipped me to my back and hooked my knees the the crook of his arms. He slipped back inside of me and began building speed, the headboard to the bed banging loudly against the wall. He was so deep that I ached in a delicious sort of way, making me forget to breathe from the sensation.