Chapter Twenty-Four | Such Sweet Pleasure

"Karou, come sit with me?"

Slowly, cautiously, she reopened her bedroom door and looked out again. Warren was staring her down, waiting. Her mind instantly jumped to all the worst conclusions: Maybe I'm in trouble. Perhaps he's changed his mind and wants me to leave.

Karou wrapped her arms around her shins on the couch and looked at him sheepishly over her knees. "Uh–D-did you have a good time tonight then?"

Taking a generous swig straight from the wine bottle he was holding, he said. "Yes, it was a nice break from my usual routine, but I was a little disappointed you didn't join us. Magnus enjoyed your company last time."

Ah, so he wanted me to entertain Magnus so he could ka-noodle with Ellis.

Sucking the wine from his lips, Warren offered the bottle to Karou to share. For a long, indecisive moment, she looked between Warren's face and the bottle. I did want to drink wine earlier, but maybe now isn't a good time. Sensing her indecision, Warren obliged, shuffled over from his corner of the couch, and put the bottle into her hand. "Thanks. Y'know, I didn't go out of my way to leave; I was told I couldn't stay."

"I find that disappointing, too." Warren settled down into his new seat, nearer to Karou. "I've told you not to listen to Ellis, especially when she's telling you to leave your own home." Lounging back, Warren sighed and tugged his tie loose—he'd kept it on to guard his neck against Ellis.

Home? Karou picked up on his use of the word. It was the first time he'd called his unit her home, which meant more than he knew. It made her feel warm inside.

"I just didn't want to ruin your party, that's all." Karou stared down at the bottle of wine. "D'you think I should be drinking this late at night?"

"You don't have to if you don't want to, but we don't have to go to bed yet. That isn't to say you should get drunk." Warren cocked an eyebrow at her playfully.

"Don't you have a big day tomorrow?" Karou asked and brought the bottle to her lips. The face she made when taking a hearty swig of the dry white wine made Warren chuckle.

"We really need to find you something else to drink if you hate wine that much." When he took the bottle back from her, he unconsciously brushed her fingers with his own. He took another swig before handing it back to her. "What's happening tomorrow?"

"I don't hate it. It's just the aftertaste that takes some getting used to, and y'know what big day it is tomorrow, old man." Karou swatted Warren's upper arm with a smirk as if the magical effects of liquid courage had kicked in instantly. All that had actually happened was that she'd realised she wasn't in any trouble, and seeing as Warren was making jokes, she felt comfortable.

"You know about that, huh? You really have been studying me. Who told you?"

"I found out by accident. Magnus told me on the phone. Well, he mentioned that's why they were coming," Karou explained, but she didn't deny she'd been studying him. "Oh! Wait here; I have something for you." She disappeared but returned just as quickly. Climbing back over the sofa with a black box without wrapping paper. Karou presented it with a smile as she sat back on her heels.

"You didn't have t—"

"You got me a present, so I'm returning the favour." Karou offered up her gift, insisting, "Please take it."

"I wasn't going to refuse. Thank you." Warren it and slid off the lid to find a tie rolled up and nestled inside. On its side, the silky fabric shimmered like a coiled snake. "A tie?"

"Mhmm, do you like it?" She looked hopeful. "Now, I know it's not blue like you like, but I thought—"

"I like it."

"You do?"

"Yes. I like it. I don't have any green ones." Warren took it out of the box and ran it over his fingers, admiring how the silk wove into a scaley pattern. "Can I ask how you paid for it?" He put forward delicately. To his knowledge, she had no money of her own.

"Well, about that, you kinda brought it for yourself courtesy of Ms Finch. But I picked it! I'll wash the dishes for a month or something to actually 'pay' for it. Deal?"

"You don't have to do that." An unbridled grin spread across his face; her cuteness was impossible not to find endearing. "It's the thought that counts. Thank you." This time, his smile was that of genuine gratitude.

"You're welcome. Happy Birthday, Warren." While he was still examining the tie, she bravely leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Invariably, his reflexes were swift compared to hers, and before she could back away, he'd sensed her proximity and turned his face her way. His lips brushed over hers briefly. Caught entirely off guard by his willingness, she had backed off when he intuitively leaned into her kiss. Reacting without thought, her hand pressed against his chest to stop him. The look of surprise in his eyes captured her. Though he didn't understand why she'd stopped him, he immediately looked apologetic. To kill the moment with cold finality, there came a knock at the door. That must be Ellis. They thought in unison.

Figuring she should probably scuttle off into her room, where she could lock herself away from the amorous couple, Karou shifted, about to leave the couch.

Warren shook his head and instructed her to "Stay there." With his new tie still in hand, he tugged off his worn one and laid them both over the back of the couch.

"Hello, Ellis," Warren greeted his guest at the door but didn't welcome her inside.

"Hello, darling, " she replied. "I've got a present for you..." When Ellis pushed open the door, Warren let go of the handle, but he didn't step aside to allow her entry. From the threshold, Ellis' eyes locked onto Karou, and her expression soured. "I thought we would be alone. Didn't she have other plans?"

"I doubt it; Karou never makes plans," Warren informed Ellis.

Karou couldn't help but find it comical and heart-warming that he'd remembered. It was true she preferred to live spontaneously. She recalled telling him the day they'd spent at the lake together. Suddenly, Karou was playing back their day in her mind, and soon enough, she'd rewound her memories of the morning and how he'd kissed her in his bed. Maybe he'd been about to kiss her like that again before they were interrupted. I thought people only kissed like that in movies. Ugh, I can't believe I was going to stop him.

Karou left the seclusion of her mind in time to hear Warren say, "As you can see, now isn't a good time. We're about to go to bed. It's late; you should go back to bed, too."

"That's why I'm here, Warren," Ellis muttered through gritted teeth. Least of all, Ellis wasn't accustomed to being rejected, especially by her Fledgling.

"I meant, go back to your husband's bed, Ellis." Warren insisted with equal conviction and laid his hand on the door.

"I sincerely hope I'm reading this whole situation wrong." She gestured with her hand dramatically to Karou on the couch.

"Do I even want to guess what's going through your head?" Warren asked sarcastically.

"Are you sleeping with her?" Ellis glared over Warren's shoulder at Karou. The disgust Ellis put into her question made her wince back into the couch.

In reply, Warren sighed; to his mind, Ellis was just her usual irksome and jealous self. He glanced back at Karou briefly with a glimmer of an apology in his eyes before he attacked his Sire with an inflammatory answer. "What if I am?"

The instant the question left his lips, a bright amber blush came to Karou's cheeks while she stared hard at her knees with wide eyes. Of course, she knew it was just a game, a play to get Ellis to leave, but it was shocking that he'd insinuated there was that level of intimacy between them. Just then, a thought zapped through Karou's mind when a brave inner voice muttered; Maybe if you hadn't been interrupted.

Meanwhile, Ellis glowered. "Uck, I didn't think you'd sink so low. You can have your fun with her when I'm not here, but when I am, I expect your loyalty."

"As does Magnus," Warren had the last word and shut the door on his Sire abruptly. He didn't come away from the door immediately; he wasn't able. His face contorted into a grimace as he squeezed his eyes closed, with his back pressed against the vault-like door.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. Ellis is just angry, and she's making sure I can feel it."

"You can feel it?"

"Ngh… Mhmm. In here." Warren tapped his temple to indicate their telepathic connection as Sire and Fledgeling. "Don't worry about it. It'll pass. It's just like a bad headache." Once he'd centred himself, he sighed deeply to combat the discomfort of having Ellis' angry thoughts in his head. Refocused, he asked, "Are you ready for bed?"

"Uh, no, not yet. I'm wide awake."

Warren nodded in acknowledgement. Still massaging his temples, he wandered to his bedroom. For a second, Karou thought he'd decided to let her stay up alone and go to bed, but it was unusual for him not to say goodnight. Soon, she realised all that was happening was he'd decided to change into something more comfortable. The rain had soaked into the fabric over his back and shoulders on his mission to find Karou, and his shirt was still damp. She cast her hungry and shameless gaze across the lounge and down the hall into Warren's bedroom, where she watched him unbutton and shed his shirt. He stepped out of sight afterwards, mores the pity, but before long, he sunk back onto the couch dressed in pyjama pants and a t-shirt. Looking intently at his face, Karou asked the question because she couldn't get it off her mind unfiltered. "Warren, why did you say what you said when Ellis asked if you were... y'know?"

"To get her to leave. I hope I didn't offend you." With his head resting against the couch, his eyes had fallen closed, giving the impression that the drama had taken something out of him. Karou had previously observed how socialising drained his energy much faster than a twelve-hour shift working in his office.

Though he knew he could've dismissed himself and just gone to bed, he wasn't often in such an amicable mood, so he didn't want to deprive Karou of it. Most of the time they spent together 'trying to be friends', he'd remain almost silent, which he knew was no fun, but it was his nature. With a belly full of wine, his inhibitions were small enough for him to attempt to entertain her with conversation. "You must think I'm a creepy old man for even thinking something like that." His face, which had been still and sleepy, now smirked.

"You've thought about it?"

"I might've shown Ellis a few of the things I've thought about... It was convincing enough to persuade her to leave us alone. I'm sorry if I tarnished your dignity." Against the leather cushion, his head lulled to the side, and opened his deep ocean-coloured eyes to gaze at her—he was bloodthirsty.

"Heh! She might be a little scary but I don't care what she thinks of me." Karou kept her eyes focused on Warren's despite the peach blush blossoming on her cheeks. She figured it wasn't so bad that he'd thought about it. She already knew that just because he gave something thought didn't mean he was inclined to do it. Being a contemplator rather than a doer had held him back from his impulses many times since the lessons he'd learned in personal discipline back in his fledgeling days.

"How about what I think?"

"I—I probably care about that more than I should," Karou admitted with a slight eye roll. Unwrapping her arms from about her legs, Karou crossed them beneath her, though she couldn't stop fidgeting anxiously. "What do you think?" She asked sheepishly.

"I didn't think I'd spend my evening talking about this…"

"We don't have to! We can talk about anything... Or nothing." Karou cut him off, realising it would probably get awkward if he answered. As always, her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

"Ha-ha. You're not the only one dying to know. Magnus would love to dig around in my head to find my opinion of you." Warren chuckled, "I think I'm fighting the good fight so far. At least I haven't done anything too rash... But I would've kissed you if you hadn't stopped me."

"Must be all the wine blurring your judgement," Karou muttered dismissively and wholly embarrassed by his point-blank admission. Her nerves weren't staying at bay by any means. Though, for once, she didn't pick her nails. Instead, she took her anxiety out on the drawstrings of her pyjama shorts and twiddled them between her fingers; paying attention to an unfortunate stray thread.

"You're doing it again." Warren noted, and Karou's curious eyes gleamed when she looked at him—big and blue and beautiful.

"Doing what?"

Reaching to hook a finger under her chin, Warren tilted it up so she had to look at him and whispered, "Acting shy." He leant nearer and closed the gap between them almost entirely. Then, his eyes softened, "Does it matter if it's the wine?"

"You—you'll regret it." Even if she couldn't stop him from lifting her face in his direction, she could avert her eyes, but when her willpower gave out, and she dared to meet them, that was her undoing. It was too late to think of any more reasons not to because he was kissing her. The pull she felt to be closer to him, in the pit of her stomach, caused her to whine desperately against his lips. Consequences were quickly, completely disregarded, and a brave move was made—Karou grabbed his wrist, removed his hand from her face and autonomously climbed over his thighs to straddle his lap. Had she gone too far? Would this make him stop?

It didn't. Warren reciprocated her yearning for closeness and welcomed her onto his lap and ensured their lips parted only momentarily. Just as she had, he groaned in pleasure into her mouth, where his tongue danced with hers, devouring her with an urgency, he hoped would put any of her doubts to rest.

A long moment, where they were suspended in time as they each lavished in the taste of one another, went by, hazy in their minds like a deep-sleep dream. The slight saltiness of their saliva faded in the presense of the sweet dry wine they'd shared. All individual tastes mingled together, and soon all they could sense was the unique and addictive taste of their kiss. This was their third, and the practise had paid off, this one was perfect, Warren thought. He'd let go completely...

Neither could keep her hands to themselves. With one arm wound about her waist, and the other up her back and craddling the back of her head he possessively enveloped Karou against his body. There was no getting away. The way his hands fit her proportions felt like they belonged there. In eager reciprication, she grabbed the fistfuls of his shirt. The heat of her excitement spread over her skin—when she was so warm, she smelled so good—all the more alluring. Her heart raced, need churned deep, between her hips; it was such an alien but intoxicating sensation.

Karou might've jumped in headlong, as was her character, but unfortunately, her gumption was running out quickly. The doubts Warren had hoped would remain at bay, filled her head. How can this be anything extraordinary for him? He must've kissed dozens of women. Had dozens of better kisses. Touched nicer bodies than mine. Wouldn't he rather be kissing Ellis? Why did he make her leave when he could be getting so much more from her? Oh, God! He isn't priming me for that, is he? Ugh, stupid girl, of course not! He doesn't like you that much. It must be the wine making him do this. But Why do I want him so badly? He's taking it all in his stride. How can he be so calm?

It was all getting too much! It was too good to be true. She couldn't focus on what was happening in the physical realm when her cereberal one was so distracting, ugly and negative. Her fears made her back up, but when she tugged her lips from his, he made a sound she'd never imagined he'd be capable of—a whimper—a desperate and vulnerable whimper. It held so much meaning but was mostly a question—why had she stopped?

Karou's breath caught. She blinked open her eyes and from inches away she watched his expression altered—the relaxed, softness of his brow begun to harden, his demeanour icing over, promising to cut him off from her. She had to think fast if she didn't want to lose the man she had in front of her to the iceberg she'd chipped away at so fervently. Her Karou's hands ask the question; words might've sullied the moment, lightly she tugged at the bottom of his shirt. Let me be closer to you.

The boldness of her silent request took Warren by surprise. His left eye narrowed to question her. However, Karou had successfully kept his mood from taking a turn for the wintry. He didn't see any harm in obliging her; he wasn't ready for whatever this was to be over, either. Warren lifted his arms, and idled, inviting her to undress him. The prospect caused Karou to bite her lip; this was more than she had bargained for, but tonight, she decided to be brave and take advantage of his agreeable mood. So, tentatively, her dainty fingers negotiated the shirt off over his head. When the back of her fingers grazed over the side of his ribs, he giggled quietly, explaining, "Sorry, I'm a little ticklish just there."

Karou grinned, he never ceased to surprise her, and what he did next surprised her again. As soon as he was relieved of his shirt and found his face parallel to Karou's collarbones, he was quick to exploit her new position. His hands had roamed to the smallest part of her waist, and his lips moved in to kiss over her collarbones. Now he was in dangerous territory. Bloodthirst was creeping up on him, and his inner predator percived the proximity of her jugular.

Grasping onto Warren's shirt at his shoulder and chest, Karou nuzzled into his hair, enjoying the new sensations and where he was placing his kisses. Danger never occurred to her as he slowly edged closer to the side of her neck, but the hushed, pur-like growl that escaped his lips when he got there hit her with a hard dose of reality. What if he does it? What if he bites me? But... haven't I wanted him to? Her heart raced as if it might beat its way right out of her chest, and Warren couldn't deny how that excited him. When his hand reached up, and his fingertips rested just shy of her breast, he could feel her heart pumping hard behind her ribs. The rhythm encouraged the movements his of lips until they both heard the faint sound of his fangs bearing. It was almost embarrassing to him how easily she aroused his thirst, but she smelled so good he could practically taste how delicious she was through the surface of her skin.

"Ngh, Karou… " He whispered beneath her ear; his lips brisking the soft lobe. "Give me a reason to stop?" The question alone was significant, it harboured so many feelings, his words swelled, full of tenderness, yearning and a sense of moral turmoil. A decent but admittedly small part of him wanted her to scream, recoil in fear and run from him, but the rest, desired her to succumb. And seeing as she was likely to, he intended to break his promise to himself, yield to her curiosity and show her what it felt like to be bitten—all she had to do was give him permission…

"I—I can't. I don't want you to stop." Karou managed breathlessly. "Will it hurt?"

"Mmm, probably." Warren had to be honest. Although, it would have been painful if she'd wanted him to stop at kissing, especially after he'd already gotten so worked up. "If that puts you off, if you want it to stop, Karou, you should run."

Stroking her hand down his cheek, tenderly, Karou stared into the thirsty black pits of his eyes and promised; "I won't run."