Though the gym was packed, he parted the crowd easily. Either that or they parted away from her. Pulling a chair out, he waited till she was seated before pushing it in. Bending low, he kissed her cheek gently, sending a shiver through her. Cassie smiled up at him, slipping her glasses off as the table was far enough away for the light not to hurt as much anymore.
“It looks nice in here Cass,” Chris said, his eyes raking over the decorations.
“I didn’t have much to do with it.”
He shrugged absently, his attention mostly on the crowd. “Damn, I was hoping there would be some new girls here,” he muttered.
Cassie lifted an eyebrow. “If there were any, they would probably be here with their boyfriends.”
He grinned at her as he shrugged again. “Like they’d be any competition,” he replied with a cocky smile.
Cassie laughed softly, shaking her head at him in disbelief. “There are other girls here.”
“Yeah but they’re all from our school, and I’m not that fond of them anymore.”
His eyes were hard as they met hers, his jaw clenched. Cassie ducked her head, knowing that his dislike was because of the way they treated her now. She wanted to apologize, wishing that she could change things, but knowing that he would not appreciate her apology, or want it.
Melissa appeared at his side, shaking her head as she dropped three drinks on the table. The sleek black dress she wore highlighted her caramel colored skin and onyx eyes. It clung to her slender body, showing off her curves. Her black hair had been pulled into a twist at the nape of her neck; her long hair flowed from it in curls. She looked stunning.
“To bad the people weren’t as nice as the décor,” she muttered.
“No kidding.” Chris grabbed one of the drinks, sipping it as he continued to survey the crowd. Cassie settled back in her seat, leaning into the arm that Devon had draped around the back of her chair. He rubbed her shoulder gently, his touch soothing the aching tension that had settled inside of her.
They sat for an hour, watching the people milling about, mingling and dancing. Melissa and Chris strayed away once in awhile, but for the most part they stayed close. Though they were not as disliked as Cassie, their close association with her had definitely lessened their popularity. Devon leaned close to her, his nose brushing against her cheek as he gently caressed the nape of her neck.
She studied him with wide eyes, he studied her as if he were about to devour her. Shivering in delight, she leaned closer to him. “Want to dance?” he asked quietly.
Excitement blazed forth as she nodded eagerly. She couldn’t imagine anything better than being wrapped in his arms, held tight against him. Helping her from her chair, he led her out to the dance floor, ignoring the whispered comments that followed. Reaching the edge of the dance space, Cassie kicked off her heels, allowing her toes to dig into the fresh sand.
Wrapping his arms around her, Devon lifted her briefly off the ground as he pulled her close. Cassie forgot all about the decorations and the catty whispers as she lost herself to the wonderful feel of him. Resting her hands against his chest, she traced lightly over the hard muscles beneath the thin cotton shirt he wore. His eyes sparked with desire, his nostrils flared slightly.
Cassie’s breath escaped her; she was unable to look away from the burning intensity of his emerald gaze as he moved her slowly. Even the lights of the ball did not bother her as every ounce of her was focused upon him. She could see nothing else, feel nothing else. Slowly, tantalizingly he bent his head, his lips gently brushed over hers. Cassie’s hands clenched on his shirt, she stood on tiptoe as she met his butterfly caress eagerly.
Heat flared through her, her toes curled as her eyes closed. Bliss spread over her, heat pooled through her whole body. His hand wrapped around the back of her neck, pulling her tighter, the kiss deepened as his tongue flickered lightly against her lips. Opening her mouth, Cassie eagerly accepted his invasion; the fierce need burning through her built rapidly as his tongue ravaged her mouth.
She wanted more of him, she wanted all of him, and for the moment she didn’t care what had to happen in order to have him. Pulling her tighter against him, she gasped in delighted surprise as their bodies were pushed firmly against each other, fitting as seamlessly as two puzzle pieces. Her fingers dug into his skin, fighting the urge to rip his shirt from him, and ridding him of the annoying hindrance of clothes that separated them.
He pulled away suddenly, his smoky gaze dark and stunned. Loss consumed her, she wanted more than his kisses, she needed more. She needed all of him, forever. Ducking her head, she knew that there was only one way that could happen, but for the first time the idea of it did not petrify her. It did not disgust her, and it did not make her want to flee screaming.
Devon was not a monster; she did not have to be one either. She would have to drink blood, which was repulsive to her, but she was sure that she could eventually get over that. And maybe, after a few centuries, she would even be able to go out in the sun again. Sighing softly, she rested her head against his chest.
For the first time she realized that she would give up anything for him, rather than lose him. Even her mortality. But was it such a bad thing to lose?
Suddenly a floodgate opened inside her. Hopes and dreams bubbled rapidly forth, shooting out like a geyser erupting. No, they were not normal dreams as there would be no college, and no children. Or at least she didn’t think there would be children; she wasn’t entirely sure how that worked. But she and Devon would be a family; she would be loved and cherished, for eternity.
They could share so much together, and though she would have to lose some things, she would be gaining so much more. Besides she hadn’t had any dreams of college, and a home or a family, for the past four years. She had given them up when she’d learned about her Hunter heritage. But Devon was returning some of her other dreams to her, giving her more than she had ever dared to hope for.
A lump formed in her throat, tears burned her eyes. His hand wrapped gently around the back of her neck, cradling her softly as his thumb stroked her skin. Desire did not pool through her this time. Instead, she was enshrouded in a cocoon of love and warmth. A glow spread throughout, her world became one of peaceful bliss as all of her worries, insecurities, and doubts were brushed away by his tender touch.
His lips were gentle as they brushed over her hair, touched her cheek, before lightly caressing her neck. Her hands tightened on the hard muscle of his arms, curling into his skin. She could stay like this forever. She knew it in every one of her cells. She could be with him forever. She had no fear that their love would dissipate. In fact, she knew that it would grow stronger every day, every minute.