Cory grinned at her, kissing her softly on the lips. "Yes, Dad said definitely, you’re coming, and we’ll be there a while, a few weeks, actually. So, you better pack enough to last. We have to go early, just to make sure Kate’s at Castello when the baby comes. Once the baby is born, there are a lot of celebrations to introduce her to the coven. We might need to go shopping for a gown or something. It’s a really big deal."
Madison sat forward, as her hair swung free. "A gown? Like an evening gown? I'll need to check the thrift shops, see what I can find. I'm pretty sure my budget won't accommodate the purchase of an evening gown, especially for something I’ll probably only wear once. What kind of celebration for a new baby requires an evening gown?"
Cory reached out and caressed her cheek. "Dad and Kate are the King and Queen of the Tuscan coven. My dad is royal blood. Not all masters are royal. I don’t think there’s a royal line in the States, but there are a few still in Europe. My dad’s coven is really large, all of Tuscany, with branches in France and Greece, and of course, here and California. Dad provides protection for them, jobs for them, he takes care of them in a way, and they provide protection to the family. The Medici line is really long, Maddie, they go back centuries. Lorenzo is my dad’s first born full-blooded son, and he’ll inherit much of my father’s responsibilities to the coven, but the birth of another child is more assurance the blood-line continues, and the legacy is secure. Each of his full-blooded children will have responsibilities to the coven. When a new baby is born, it’s sort of like a coronation. And don’t worry about a dress. We can shop in Italy and I’ll pay for whatever you want. You don’t have to worry about money. We can go to the museums in Florence, shop, eat, I’m paying for it. This is a trip of a lifetime, but I hope it will be the first of many."
Madison listened to him with a furrowed brow. A royal birth? She’d heard him reference his father as a king before, and Lorenzo had referred to himself as a prince, but the significance hadn’t struck home. "Wow, so this is a really big deal then." Madison laughed. "Sorry, but I'm still trying to process all this. Every time I talk with you, it's like peeling back an onion layer. I never know what you're going to share with me next. I fall in love with a half-breed vampire, whose father is royal blood, and rules over a large coven that covers two continents. He’ll sweep me away to Florence where I’ll dine on champagne and strawberries, while wearing a designer ball gown."
Madison rolled over in his direction and draped her arm across his chest. "You know that sounds like a fairy tale, right? People don't really get to do that in real life."
Pulling her on top of him, he cupped her face. "I know very well, more than you can imagine that it sounds like a fairy tale because I’m living it. Just don’t forget that we’re the monsters.”
Snuggling into her neck, he breathed in her scent as his lips lay on her vein as it pulsed. He moaned softly. He hadn’t fed in a long while. He didn’t need to feed as often from the feeders as a true vampire did, because he could eat human food, but he hoped Maddie would eventually invite him to feed.
She stroked his face, letting her hand tangle in his hair. Her lips close to his ear, she whispered, "You’re not a monster, Cory. You’re my knight in shining armor, come to rescue me from a life of boring normalcy." She kissed his ear, her tongue gently teasing.
Cory could hardly breathe he wanted her so much, to feed and claim her as his own. But he wouldn’t make a move until she was ready. "Maddie, I love you. Please tell me you’re thinking about letting me feed from you, because every time we’re together, it’s harder for me to hold off." His breath was ragged, and his voice was hoarse.
She’d felt the pull, every time they made love. She felt her own body's need for him, and her desire to have him feed. She knew he was holding back, waiting for her to let him know she was ready. She’d struggled with the idea of it, as well as the implications. "Will it hurt?"
He pulled her close and looked at her, his love for her evident in his eyes. "You’ll feel a sharp sting, but there’s also pleasure. I only feed from you in the midst of making love. I don’t know exactly what you’ll feel. I have never done this with a mortal before, but both Dad and Luca have told me it won’t hurt you, the experience will bring pleasure to us both.”
She knew he’d never intentionally hurt her. Cory might be the kindest person she’d ever known. "If I say yes, and you start, and I don't like it, can you stop? If I ask you to stop, will you stop?"
"Of course, I’ll stop. I love you, and if you’re not ready, I’ll wait. I want this to be special between us. I know it seems strange to you, but I’m asking you to trust me."
She looked at him, his eyes filled with love for her. No one had ever looked at her like that before. "Then just do it. Don't tell me. Just let it happen naturally. I don't want to anticipate it. That will make me nervous."
Cory couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His heart was bursting with love for her. Rolling her over, he nuzzled into her breasts, moaning. "You smell so good."
She wore a soft sundress, and he sat up on his knees, lifting the dress above her head. His fingers slid down her neck, across her shoulders and across her breasts. She was braless, and he loved that. His fingers followed a soft trail down her body until he reached her panties. He pulled them down and tossed them to the side.
Standing beside the bed, he stripped off his clothes as her eyes devoured him. Crawling back between her legs, they lay now, skin to skin, their bodies warm from the summer heat. His kisses were passionate and their tongues tangled as if they were somehow linking them together. He felt her hands as they explored his body, his back, and his hair. He could feel her slight nervousness, and he tried to let the kisses and his touch relax her, make her forget what he was about to do.
Madison gave herself up to him. Cory was so gentle out of bed, but there was another side to him when they made love. Something more primal emerged, and her sweet, androgynous boy became a man. He re-positioned her with such ease, as if she weighed nothing. His strength more on display when he was locked in the throes of passion, his voice deeper, gruffer, almost a growl. And yet, he took care to never hurt her.
She wrapped her legs around his hips as he thrust deep, and she clung tightly to him, feeling the need to be closer still. His mouth covered hers, and she broke free, letting her head fall back on the pillow, her mouth open, gasping for air when she felt his hot breath on her neck, followed by his hot, wet tongue. She started to tense up when she felt his lips on the soft skin of her throat, followed by the slightest sensation of pain as his sharp fangs sink into flesh.
She cried out as the sensation of heat exploded between her legs and she felt him thrust even deeper. The orgasm was intense. She slid her hands down his back, gripping his hips as she thrust upwards to meet him. His growl was deep in his throat as he drank from her, and his hot seed spilled inside her. He’d claimed her now, taken her blood, which she gave freely. And she knew her life would never be the same.
81
Kate was walking back from the flower fields with Shannon. Both the lavender and sunflowers had been harvested for the season, and Kate wanted Shannon to meet with the foreman who oversaw these crops. It had been a good summer with a good yield. The two women were discussing plans for developing the business and Shannon was getting excited about the opportunity to take things to the next level, developing their own product line.