Roses for Rachel

Chapter 14.

We sat in that dark corridor silently for a few minutes, the only sounds were our breathing and water dripping somewhere in the distance. "Rachel?" Calvin said my name sounding strained. I looked over at him, my eyes a little blurry from loss of blood. "I need to get you to a doctor, but..."

I followed his eyes down to the wound on my leg. "Is it bothering you?" I asked quietly.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" He countered, still staring at it. "But, yes...badly." He whispered, the color going away from his eyes. I shifted away from him, trying to hide the gash, and he finally looked back up to my eyes. "I won't hurt you." He said it like a promise, but whether or not it was a promise to me or himself, I was unsure.

I used the wall for support as I stood to me feet, wincing at the burning sensation from my leg. "I think I can find my way from here." I told him, staggering up the hall.

The second I had my back to him, suddenly he was right in front of my face, grinning from ear to ear. "You know, I think you are actually insane." He laughed lightly when I raised my eyebrows at him. "You honestly think I'd let you walk all the way back to you room, through dark passages filled with vampires, while your leg is bleeding profusely, after you've literally just had an attempt on your life?"

I laughed a little. "Well, if you're going to make it all that dramatic, I guess it does sound a little dumb." I started to take another step forward, but I lost my balance.

"Woah," Cal said as he caught me by my shoulders, steadying me. "I've got you." His voice was a low whisper and his eyes dropped from my eyes down to my lips.

I took in a ragged breath, biting my bottom lip and staring into his dark eyes. "Cal." I whispered his name, making a tiny smile pull the corners of his lips up. He lifted one hand from my shoulder and cupped the side of my face with it. The cold was shocking on my warm cheek at first, but then turned to comforting. I sighed into it as he brushed his thumb slowly across my cheek bone. He lowered his other hand to my lower back, pressing gently for me to move closer to him. When my body was flush with his, he brought both hands to my face, tilting my head back just enough, then he leaned down. My heart started pounding and I knew he must be able to hear it the way he smiled so big just before his icy smooth lips gently pressed against mine. He sighed, leaning further into the kiss, and tangling his hands into the crazy waves of my hair. I brought my own hands up tentatively to the tops of his shoulders, squeezing softly, and pulling just a little, trying to get even closer to him.

Despite the fact that he felt so cold, my body was on fire. Never in my life had I ever imagined a kiss could be like this. Reading about something, or daydreaming is one thing, the actual experience set fire to all of my expectations. I wanted nothing more in the whole world in this moment other than to stand in this cramped corridor pressed against this perfect man for the rest of my life. I crept my shaking hands further up, one hand on the side of his neck, the other exploring his tousled brown hair. I was in heaven, feeling his mouth move with mine and hearing the small moans escaping his lips, until he grabbed my face roughly, and pulled me away from him.

He dropped his hands to my shoulders again, holding me at arm's reach away from him. I was panting, my head feeling even fuzzier than before the kiss. I looked up at him and saw he was staring down at the ground between us, his eyes were jet black and his lips were going back and forth from normal, to being pulled up over his shiny teeth. "I'm sorry." He muttered. "Just...Just give me a second."

"Ok." I answered. At least this gives me a second to get my head together, and stop grinning like an idiot while he gets himself together. "Do you want me to distract you?" I asked when I noticed he still seemed to be having a hard time.