Wild Fire

THIS IS a dream. This has to be. Talia reminded herself once more as she watched the stranger walk towards her, his dark, hungry eyes never leaving hers as if she was a delectable meal he had wanted to eat for a long time now. He stopped walking when he was just a step away from her that she could almost breathe in his intoxicating scent. It had a mixture of minty and woody blend and it was messing with her senses.

The stranger’s eyes roamed around her body. She was in her nightgown but the way he looked at her made it seem like she was not wearing anything. He was looking at her as if he was branding every single part of her and she could feel her body reacting to it. She could not believe that she was getting aroused by the mere sight of him.

The stranger smiled mischievously upon seeing how her nipples hardened through the silk of her gown. She wanted to run, cover herself, or just do anything than stand there like a freaking statue. But for some reason, she could not move an inch. Instead, she remained standing in front of him and tried to look at him with the same intensity. She ran her eyes up and down his body without inhibition, thinking that she only needed to get through this dream and it would be over.

Just like the other nights that he visited her room, he was shirtless. A rush of heat filled her now throbbing core. If this was a staring contest, she knew she was so close to losing. His penetrating eyes could do wonders to her body. She wanted to evade his eyes but she couldn’t.

Because deep down, Talia wanted to see more of the stranger, more of his tanned skin, more of those thick muscles… more. She gulped when she saw his erection. The bulge in his ripped jeans was getting larger which made it impossible for her to shove away her dirty thoughts. Her hands seared with the sudden desire to come closer, unzip his jeans, and give his shaft the freedom it wanted. But she couldn’t. She mustn’t. She clenched her fists. This must be another Vampire’s trick to get inside her panties and she must not give in, not after her family’s history with them.

Talia held her breath and finally managed to turn her back away from the stranger. She didn’t know how much longer she could fight this. He was so good at this. Every night, he would come in her room to tempt her. And despite her hatred of his kind, she knew that she was so close to giving in, especially now that she could not understand what was happening in her body.

Her core kept throbbing. Her body was constantly on fire these days. Every part of her was burning. Her nipples ached as if they were itching to be touched. Lately, she felt like she was no longer the owner of her body. And she desperately wanted a way out of this burning feeling, even for a moment, even if it was inside her dream.

Tonight, there was a promising look in the stranger’s eyes, as if he was telling Talia that he would soothe the pain. Maybe it was also because of the tenderness she had seen in his eyes a couple of times before that made her want to try doing it with him tonight. He had always looked at her differently compared to the other Vampires. She could not remember how many times she had dreams about different Vampires, but she was able to successfully push away every single one of them… except him.

Except tonight.

“Why are you here again?” Talia asked in a hoarse voice. No, she could not get completely angry at him because from the beginning, she knew who she was facing. She knew that he was a Vampire. Unlike the others, he neither tried to hide his fangs nor the yellow glow in his eyes.

“Didn’t you know? Then and now, there is just one room that I wanted to sneak in. And it’s yours.”

“Leave. You are not welcome here.”

She was supposed to sound stern, but her voice sounded pleading instead. He really needed to leave. Her body was acting on its own. She was afraid that she would not be able to control herself if he stayed longer.

“Oh? Then let’s see about that, Talia,” he whispered, making her name sound like a prayer. Before she could even walk away, she already felt him behind her. He pressed his hardness against her ass. His hot breath was hitting her nape. He murmured her name against her ear and pulled her closer. She shivered in his touch.

“You smell divine, baby.”

Breathe, Talia, and think! She reminded herself while catching her breath. But the second his hand slipped under her night gown as he sucked her earlobe, she had lost it. She closed her eyes and tilted her head, giving him better access to her neck.

“Give in, Talia, and be mine. Don’t come to him. I can take care of you better than him. I can even provide for all of your needs better than him,” he whispered but she was not able to respond. She could not think straight, not when his other hand was busy massaging her breast as he planted wet kisses on her neck.

Her breathing became rugged when she felt his hand slid inside her underwear. She hadn’t let anyone touch her there before. Tonight was the first time and it felt… so good.

The stranger groaned when he felt how wet Talia was down there. Her knees trembled, it made her lean on his wide chest. His fingers found her clit and rubbed it, making her feel sensations she hadn’t felt before. She had never tried touching herself that’s why this was new to her and she was loving it. She was suddenly burning with so much need. And so was he. She could hear him groaning as if he was in pain.

After a while, a soft moan escaped her lips. His hands felt so good on her body. “Don’t stop…”

“I won’t if you will say it, Talia. Say you will be mine. Say it,” he commanded softly as he tugged her nipple, driving her to the edge of her wits. His fingers rubbed faster and harder. She was aching for release. She was so close to exploding when his fingers suddenly slowed down. He bit her earlobe. “I’m sorry, baby, but I won’t let you cum unless you promise to be mine. That’s the rule. Promise me first.”

This may be a dream but the Vampires had tons of tricks under their sleeves. Talia could be held responsible with whatever she said once she woke up from this. But her body was dying for “it.” She needed it. She needed him badly to forget the searing pain between her legs.

“You can’t do this to me. I need you now. Please,” she said, aware that she was almost begging.

“Oh, I do, too, baby. Hell, I have never needed a woman this much in my entire life. But I need your word first, baby. You got to give it to me first. You are finally ready for me. Don’t hold back now and give me your word.”

Talia wanted to say it and end this sweet torture. Her core twitched when she felt his fingers divulging her folds. “You are so soft and so wet, baby.”

Talia gasped. She wanted him. She wanted more of this. But at the last minute, before she could say it, the stranger mercilessly pulled out his fingers. She watched as he licked his fingers before he gave her that oh so sexy smile of his. She felt her cheeks flush because of what he did. She could not believe he just… tasted her. Seeing him do it turned her on all the more.

“You tasted as sweet as I imagined, baby.”

His eyes were still wild with lust and judging by the bulging in his pants, he was still fully aroused but he stopped midway and impatiently pulled down her night gown. It fell on the floor. He looked like he was about to say something more, but was suddenly interrupted.

His facial muscles tensed. He looked around, his eyes were now alert. “He’s here. That bastard found me. Damn it!”

“What do you mean?” Talia asked, still dazed. The need to grab him was so intense that she could hardly breathe.

“You are mine, Talia. Remember that. I don’t share,” he said instead.

Before she could even answer, the stranger disappeared…

Talia woke up sweating. She was panting as she pressed her forehead. She knew it. It was another dream… another wet dream. But it felt real. Until now, it was like she could still feel the stranger’s hands on her body. She could even swear she could still smell his masculine scent on her. But how was that possible?

Talia had been warned that she would get to experience a lot of extraordinary things the moment she turned twenty-eight but she never thought that one of those things was this. And she was not even twenty-eight yet. It was still two weeks before her birthday but she had been dreaming about the stranger for almost a month now. Although tonight was the first time that their encounter in her dream became that intense. Most of the time, no matter how much he teased her, she could still hold back.

Every time she was near to saying yes to him, she would find herself backing out, feeling like it was wrong, like she was sinning against someone else. And it was madness. Tonight was the first time that she actually begged him to do it, that she wanted to sin with him.

Oh, God… what had she become?

Talia’s face was still flushed when she turned to look at the digital clock on the bedside table. It was past two in the morning. She did not think she could go back to sleep again. She touched her throat, it suddenly felt dry. What was happening to her? Now that her birthday was just around the corner, her body was craving more and more for something… for someone. The craving was so strong that it hurt.

Talia lifted the comforter when she felt the cold breeze on her skin. But after a while, her forehead creased. Cold breeze? She quickly scanned her room. Her eyes widened when she noticed that the sliding door towards the veranda was open. She was certain that she closed it before sleeping last night.

Talia was about to stand up to close the door when she noticed something else. She was no longer wearing her night gown. And her underwear was missing. Her chest pounded. She quickly rose and turned on the switch. That was when she saw her underwear, it was on the carpet, on the exact same place where she dreamt of herself making out with the stranger.

Her underwear was ripped apart. She walked towards the life-sized mirror and examined herself. Her nipples were still hard and the center of her body was still wet. Even her frustration for not being able to cum was still there. Her neck, left ear, her breasts, and her thighs were a bit red. She was also swollen down there.

Her lips parted in disbelief. What was the meaning of this? The thing that happened earlier… was it still a dream?

Talia was confident to do all those things with the stranger because she thought it was nothing but a dream. There was no way she would do such thing in real life. But the knowledge that it was no longer a dream and someone did sneak inside her room was too much. And to think that she almost submitted herself to him.

Her whole body froze at the realization that she was almost tricked.

WHAT did he look like again? Just like the past weeks, Talia could not remember the face of the stranger who kept messing with her in her dreams, the stranger who possibly barged in her room last night. When she still failed to remember anything, she put down the cup of coffee on the lounge chair. She had been anxious and irritated ever since she woke up at two in the morning.

Talia was afraid not just because of the stranger. She was more afraid of herself. She was afraid of the woman she was becoming. She was afraid of her own body and of the physical needs that she had never felt before except when she was with the man in her dreams. In her attempt to forget the physical pain that she had begun experiencing half a year ago, she almost gave in and surrendered herself to him. And if he could barge in her room despite the numerous security guards outside their mansion, the other Vampires could barge in there, too, which meant trouble.

Vampires.

Talia took a sharp breath. If only her friends knew what was going on in her mind, they would certainly laugh at her. In this day and age, who would ever believe that Vampires exist? She also found it ridiculous when she first heard about them from her father when she was seventeen. He told her that he was being harassed by the Vampires. But she still did not believe him until she witnessed it one night. She saw their fangs and their bright yellow eyes. And they were chasing her father. They moved swiftly that her ordinary eyes were not able to keep up with their movements.

Talia’s father got into a car accident a few weeks after he told her everything he knew about the Vampires. Even if there were no proof since there were no CCTVs around that road, her Uncle Ram, her father’s only brother, was sure that the Vampires were behind the accident. They wouldn’t know what exactly happened unless he regained his consciousness. It had been eleven years now and he was still in a coma.

They still had no idea how her father became involved with the Vampires. All they know was that it was because of a contract. She didn’t know what that was. All her father told her was to be wary of every person she meets because the Vampires were often lurking around her, waiting for the perfect time to get her and that she had to prepare herself because on her twenty-eighth birthday, every single aspect in her life would change.

Despite what happened, Talia thrived to be the kind of woman her father would be proud of. He used to tell her that his greatest dream was to see her live her life to the fullest. She went to University of California to study Architecture. She was an only child and aside from her Uncle Ramon, her father had no one else, that’s why she didn’t want to leave the country but her Uncle told her that it was the wisest thing to do since it would be too complicated for them to stay in one place together.

Uncle Ramon took over their family business. The San Valentins owned several banks in the country with over thirty branches.

Talia was now a successful architect. Over the past years, she had designed galleries and buildings in South Africa, Australia, Japan, and Cyprus, making her one of the most successful female architects in her generation. Her latest project was the McLain Towers in Sydney. After she built SERAM, an architectural firm, along with her friends, she hadn’t gotten any vacation except now. She asked for a three-month vacation which she was supposed to use for her wedding preparation up to the honeymoon.

Talia was supposed to marry Martin, her best friend and also one of SERAM’s co-founders and directors. The plan was set. But it all changed in a blink of an eye. In the end, it was not the Vampires that changed her life. As it turned out, she was only good in designing things but not in keeping relationships. Right now, she had no idea how she would spend her vacation. But she planned to go back to work sooner. She was just waiting for the rumors to die down. The people kept talking behind her and Martin’s back in the office and she could not stand it right now.

The reason why Talia was able to fulfill her father’s dreams for her was because there were no Vampires in sight for the past years. They only began reappearing in her life six months ago. At night, she could sense people following her wherever she went. Some of them would even introduce themselves to her through her dreams. She could see their glowing yellow eyes in places she went to. They were simply everywhere. They would often send her flowers, chocolates, and expensive jewelries as if they were courting her and it was freaking her out. She refused all of their gifts. She didn’t know how they could think that they could get closer to her through those things.

To make matters worse, it seemed that only Talia could see those creatures. Some of them were even their firm’s clients which had most of the female staff swooning. She must admit, she hadn’t seen any bad-looking Vampires yet. They were all very attractive. And that made them more dangerous.

Talia could not warn her co-architects who took the job. What would she say anyway? Besides, the Vampires never bothered her co-workers, her Uncle Ram, and his family. It was only her.

“If not for your father’s greed, things wouldn’t have escalated like this. I am so sorry, Talia. It seems like we cannot stop your encounter with them. Soon, one of them will come to you and he will take what is his.” Those were Uncle Ram’s words a few weeks ago. Whether he knew something or not, Talia would not know because he refused to say anything anymore.

Just what in the world did you do for the Vampires to flock around us this way, Dad? Why are they messing with us? With me? Talia wanted to live like any ordinary human. It was a curse to be able to see the Vampires and to feel their presence. She felt like all of them were prying on her. After her wedding got cancelled, it was like the Vampires were celebrating her broken heart. She saw how their eyes sparkled as they flocked in her office. It was a good thing she had bodyguards. They were humans like her, too, but it was better than having nothing.

Talia sighed before removing her bathrobe. She badly needed to swim to clear her head and to cool down. She had been feeling feverish for half a year now. And it was driving her crazy more than the status of her heart. She had been swimming for a while now when she suddenly had goose bumps.

That very moment, she could tell that she was being watched again. She was certain that there was a Vampire around.

Talia would often sense their presence at night. It was the first time she felt it during day time. Now alert, she went out of the pool and scanned the area.

Her eyes landed on the tall man standing near the reclining chair. He was only a few meters away from her. With his face and built, plus that silver shoulder-length hair, he could pass as a member of a Western royal family with flying colors. He was wearing dark glasses that’s why she couldn’t see his eyes. All that was clear to her was the way he carried his self which held so much grace.

After a while, Talia’s brows furrowed. She could swear she had seen him before though she could not tell when exactly. He just seemed familiar. Even the way her heart pounded for him felt familiar, too.

The man was wearing black slacks and a navy-blue turtle-neck long-sleeved shirt which he paired with his leather shoes. It fitted his masculine body. He was incredibly sexy and he had this air around him that said he knew it.

After a while, his lips curved into a smile. It was the kind of smile that women would sin for. Talia gulped. She could not remember being that affected over a smile before. She wanted to move but her legs suddenly would not cooperate with her. Despite the dark glasses, she could feel that he was looking at her and it was suddenly making her feel hot all over. Except from the stranger in her dreams, she thought that no one else could awaken her sexuality.

But this man proved how wrong she was.

A few seconds later, the man grabbed the towel on the reclining chair and walked towards Talia. He was walking as if he owned the place. And when he was finally standing in front of her, she found it hard to breathe. His stance towered over her. The pool area was huge enough to accommodate so many people. But because of his overwhelming presence, the placed suddenly seemed so small.

He handed her the towel and took a deep breath before he spoke.

“Kindly cover yourself up, Miss San Valentin. There are Vampires watching you right at this very minute. Surely, you wouldn’t want them to keep enjoying the show,” he said in a deep voice which matched his masculinity.

And it was not fair. It was as if when God showered the world with all the beautiful physical qualities a human could have, this man took them all with his arms wide open and did not save anything for others.

But when the words he said finally began to sink in Talia’s head, she gasped. So, he knew about the Vampires, too? When she did not move and remained looking at him with that surprised expression, he drew another sharp breath. He was the one who put the towel over her shoulders. His fingers touched her skin for only a brief moment but it was enough to trigger the wild fire inside her body.

And here she thought the heat disappeared a little when she swam. But it was all useless now.

“W-who are you? W-what are you doing h-here? And how did you find out about the Vampires?” Talia asked when she finally came to her senses. Oh, God. She could not believe she just stammered. She had encountered a lot of people from different walks of life but never had she stammered like this before. Great. She must look like a star struck fool in his eyes now. But she did not want to keep entertaining that thought. What mattered to her was the fact that there was finally someone else who knew about the Vampires’ existence aside from her and her family. She waited anxiously for his reply.

But before he could speak, her Uncle Ram came.

“So you, two, finally met! Great!”

Talia turned to her Uncle. The old man looked like he had just accomplished something huge. “What do you mean, Uncle Ram? Who is he?”

“Oh, didn’t he tell you yet? Beginning today, Idris Montecarlo here is going to be your bodyguard. I recruited him straight from Britain. He can protect you better than all of your bodyguards combined, Lia, because he can ward off Vampires.”

As if on cue, the man named Idris took off his sunglasses, revealing his beautiful steel blue eyes. He bowed and gave her that heart-dropping smile. “Glad to be of your service, Miss San Valentin.”