8Chapter 2: Where Was I?
My sleep was thankfully dreamless. This left me to wonder if what I'd experienced had been the actual dream. I stood up slowly, rubbing my eyes. I noticed that someone had put me in my pajamas (which were my darling's old t-shirts). I hoped it was Ulric.
As I was brushing my hair, I started feeling a throbbing pain in my neck. When I went to rub it, the mere touch of my fingers on the spot was unbearable. In the bathroom, I pulled back my mane of hair to examine myself. I was in utter horror at the discovery of a large, so-purple-it-was-almost-black bruise. It stretched from the middle of my throat to cover a small portion of my collarbone. I tried to think of other, more logical reasons other than "a full grown man bit me." It was no use. I kept coming back to Mr. Fire-Eyes.
Ulric nearly scared the life out of me when he popped up behind me. He kissed me good morning, smiling his perfect, heart-melting smile.
"You must've been tired last night. I found you on the couch passed out." He kissed my cheek. "I even had to put you in your pjs!"
I laughed. "It was kinda exhausting yesterday. That was the biggest crowd we've had yet."
"What's that on your neck?" he asked, all his morning cheer gone.
I inwardly cursed at myself for not covering it better. "I don't know. I woke up with it."
He turned me to face him, and I watched his deep brown eyes look over the purplish mar on my skin. His fingers ghosted over it and I flinched in pain. I hoped he hadn't noticed, but he did and ran the same hand through his hair.
"Maybe I should take you to the E.R. today instead," he suggested, exasperation and worry in his voice.
"No! You go shopping with Josh. I'll be fine." I didn't want his day to be ruined because of me.
"Alright," he said, clearly uncertain. "Josh is waiting on me so I'll see you later." He gave me a quick kiss and left, locking the door behind him.
I'd decided before he'd left that I'd try to get a clue on Mr. Fire-Eyes. Getting dressed in my usual attire of a t-shirt, jeans, and Chucks, I went down to the lobby to ask Wallace if he'd seen the man. As I began telling him of my meager description, recognition began to light the older man's face.
He scratched his balding head. "I'm almost certain you're talking about Ivanson Voss. He lives in number 708, right across from yours' I do believe," he stated cheerily.
"You've got to be kidding," I mumbled. He lived right across from me? A chill ran through my body. "Do you know if he's in?"
"Yes. I wouldn't advise bothering him now, though. He sleeps during the day," Wallace explained.
Like that would stop me. "Alright. Thanks, Wallace."
"Anytime, Ms. Moreno." He wished me a good day as I stepped back into the elevator. In less than five minutes, I was standing before a door marked with the number 708. My fists slammed on the door for at least another five minutes before I heard footsteps stomping toward me from the other side.
"I don't know how many times I've told you people to let me sleep! Gods!" His familiar voice continued to grumble until he reached the door and jerked it open.
"Well well well. If it isn't my favorite little songbird," he said, all anger gone from his tone. He stood in nothing but a pair of plaid fleece pants which almost distracted me from my mission. Almost...
"What the hell did you do to me?" I said harshly, flashing him the bruise on my neck.
He sighed before stepping aside to invite me in. Warning bells were screaming in my head, but I ignored them and walked past him inside. His apartment was identical to mine except for different furnishings. Black and blue seemed to be his favorite colors as they were the only ones I saw. He directed me to a black leather couch, where we both took a seat.
His hand moved to the bruise, his fingers brushing it. Only this time it didn't hurt, but his touch actually soothed the ache in it.
"I took too much. I apologize." He looked up at me with what seemed like genuine sincerity.
"Took too much? What did you do?" I felt like I was going in circles.
"I bit you," he said. "You're head must've been too foggy to remember."
I had to have looked at him like he had a third eye. "Bit me? What are you, a vampire?"
He wasn't when he answered, "Yes, to put it simply."
I was getting scared. This kid had to be psychotic and I didn't want to be his next victim. I stood and backed away to the door. But he stood as well, looking at me with this hypnotic stare that caused me to stop as soon as my back hit the door. His eyes seemed to glow, the bright red-orange swallowing me whole.
He was so close that my breasts were brushing his chest. His lips came down to mine in passionate kiss, something so rough and so heated that Ulric could never hope to give me. Before I knew it, I was laying in nothing but my underwear on his bed, his body on top of mine as he caressed and kissed me into submission.
Again, I heard the warnings in my mind. Again, I completely tuned them out. My bra was soon abandoned along with my panties on the floor, his pants joining them. He sat up and pulled me into his lap, taunting me with the feel of him at my entrance.
For the briefest of moments, guilt sliced through me. But then Ivan slipped inside me and I was on such high planes of pleasure that Ulric never crossed my mind again.