Her fingers glide through the top of my hair. “I couldn’t be happier. My life feels complete for the first time.”
I kiss my way up from her abdomen until my mouth finds hers again. She relaxes her legs and my body nestles between them. “You’re sure this is safe for the baby?”
“Doctor approved. I asked.”
My elbows are resting on each side of her head and I cradle her face with my hands. “I love you, my agápe.”
I’m pressed against her warm, welcoming body when she shifts slightly for the perfect position. “And I love you as well, my vampire.”
Her hips lift to meet me as I gently push myself inside her. She smiles as I begin to move and meets every one of my thrusts with one of her own. We find our perfect rhythm together and enter that magical place where only the two of us exist.
And this time is different–even more beautiful than I imagined. There are feelings and connections happening that we’ve yet to experience. And the deep affection between us is so strong that it deserves a new name because the word love simply can’t do it justice. But all words are unnecessary when we’re like this.
Avery’s body tenses as she pants through her mouth. I feel her body contract around me–squeezing like a tight glove–and I can’t stop the incomprehensible garble leaving my mouth as I empty myself inside her.
She goes totally limp beneath me. “I second that.”
She giggles as I relax against her and every inch of my body from head to toe is euphoric. “I have no idea what I just said.”
“I don’t either but it made total sense when I heard it come from your mouth.”
“Weird.”
“I know, right?”
Chapter Eighteen
It’s almost dawn when I hear the family return to the compound. They showed extreme kindness by leaving for the entire night so Avery and I could have privacy. I’m not sure where they went but I’ll need to find a way to thank them.
It’s eight o’clock and Avery is still sleeping. She’s quite the sleepyhead this morning but I suppose that’s to be expected after everything she’s experienced these past two weeks. And since she’s pregnant.
I trail my fingers down her arm and stop when I see a large purple and yellow bruise on the inside of her wrist. I lift her arm–careful to not disturb her sleep–and see bite marks up and down the length of her arm. I shift to inspect the other one and find the same types of crescent shaped contusions.
No vampire will ever drink from my agápe again. Including myself.
I lie next to Avery as she sleeps and I remain perfectly still as only a vampire is capable. I’m not educated on the growth and development of a baby. I think it’s too early for a human embryo’s heart to beat but I listen closely for any evidence of our baby’s existence. I hear nothing so I carefully move closer and place my ear against Avery’s lower abdomen.
The sound is so faint it’s almost nonexistent but I hear it. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. I’ve never heard anything more astonishing in my entire existence.
I’m startled when I feel Avery’s fingers in my hair. “What are you doing?”
I’m a little rattled by what I’ve just heard. “I wanted to see if I could hear the baby’s heartbeat.”
She’s amused by my anxiousness. “I think it’s a little early for that. Dr. Knight doesn’t even think we’ll see anything on the ultrasound today.”
“But I do. I hear it.”
Her eyes grow large. “No way.”
“It’s very faint but it’s there.”
She’s simultaneously happy and sad. “I wish I could hear it.”
Maybe I shouldn’t have listened. It’s not right that I’m able to hear the heartbeat when she can’t, especially when she’s the one carrying our baby inside her body. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair to you.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’m thrilled to know there’s already a heartbeat.”
My mind is whirling. “Maybe there’s a way for you to hear it.”
“I doubt it. Your hearing is far better than any type of equipment Dr. Knight will have in her office.”
That’s not what I had in mind at all. “No. I wonder if you’d be able to hear it through our connection.”
“It’s an interesting idea if nothing else. It wouldn’t hurt to try so I’m up for it.”
I place my ear to her lower abdomen. “Concentrate on our place where it’s only us.” She strokes my hair and I close my eyes so I can focus as well. I listen until I’m able to pick up on the sound again and then I centralize all of my thoughts on connecting with Avery.
Our connection comes easy and I sense how hard she’s trying to find the sound within my head. It’s a peculiar feeling–one I’ve never experienced–and then I feel her burst of happiness and know she is able to hear our baby’s heart beating.
She’s silent and perfectly still but the happiness animating from her is unmistakable. “I hear it. It’s hard to wrap my head around it being so tiny and already so amazing.”
Maybe she can’t believe it but I can. “This baby is genetically tied to you so it doesn’t have much choice in the amazing department.”
“You contributed half the genes and I happen to think you rank pretty high in the amazing department yourself.” She leans up and kisses the top of my head. “Thank you for giving me this baby. And for giving me the gift of hearing it’s beating heart. I’m glad you and I were able to do that together at home instead of in a doctor’s office using cold, foreign instruments.”
She laces her fingers with mine. “I’m happy I was able to give you that, love.”
“I hope I’m able to give you something as equally special one day.”
“I’ll think of something.” Nothing could top the special gift she was giving me but I had thought of something else I wanted from her. Now wasn’t the right time to bring it up. I needed perfect words–and a beautiful ring–so she would give me the answer I desperately wanted to hear.
I’m driving Avery in my black Lexus convertible to her first prenatal appointment with Dr. Knight. I bought the car about a month after she came to live with us. I was searching for anything that might bring some distraction from her presence but looking back on that decision, it seems so ridiculous now. What kind of vampire buys a convertible he can never drive in the sun with the top down?