Owning the Vampire King

The Water Won't Work

As he laid on my bed, I began removing all of my vampire books from my bookshelf, both fictional and nonfictional. I didn't want him to see them and be offended in any way.

"Stay here. I'll be right back."

I carried them to the bookshelf downstairs and began placing them in the corner where they would be left alone. I glanced at the Twilight Saga and chuckled to myself.

I'm glad William doesn't sparkle in the light.

I went back up to my room and he was still on my bed but sitting now. He looked up at me with a questioning expression.

"This is your bed where you sleep."

I nodded, not sure where he was going with this.

"Where will I, uh, sleep?"

I felt the color in my face drain and I stood there shocked. I hadn't thought about the fact that I hadn't prepared the floor for him to sleep on it. I looked around before I came up with an idea.

I went to my closet and pulled out a pile of blankets. I laid them neatly on the floor, leaving one on the side. Placing a pillow in the midst of the blankets, I pointed to them.

"Lay on those. Your head goes on that," I gestured you the pillow and then the blanket to the side, "Cover yourself with that if you get cold." He nodded, scratching the back of his neck.

"Do you want to shower first?"

He smiled that beautiful smile and nodded again.

He doesn't like talking, I guess.

"I don't have much to say," his voice was soft, a concept I was not used to. Ethan's voice was loud and sometimes harsh. Mom's was caring, but never soft. Will's up until now had been deep and nonchalant. The softness was uncharacteristic.

Wait. I didn't say that out loud.

"No, you didn't."

It finally clicked in my head. He's a vampire, and he can read my mind. I should probably be careful about that, then.

Cocking a brow, he nodded his head toward my bathroom, "May I borrow a towel?"

I mentally facepalmed and stood up. I led him into my bathroom and grabbed a towel from the closet. I set it on the counter and left him to clean himself up.

I closed the door behind me and sat on my bed, picking up the book I'd been trying to finish since yesterday. I opened it to the page I'd left off and read quietly for a few minutes.

I was still reading when my bathroom door opened and a flush-faced William came into view. The defeated look on his face almost made me laugh.

Almost.

"I need your assistance," he said, disappearing back into the bathroom. I set my book down and went to the door, opening it slowly.

Wil stood, in all his naked glory, glaring at my shower as if it had insulted him. I yelped before grabbing the towel from the counter and wrapping it around him.

I couldn't decide how to tell him that he couldn't stand in my bathroom naked with me there without embarrassing myself, so I just left it alone.

"It won't work," he pointed at my shower nozzle, and I almost laughed. He was completely serious.

"You have to pull this to get the water going. Then you turn it left for warmer water, and right for colder water. Understand?"

I watched him pull the nozzle with one hand, the other still grasping the towel I placed around him. Once the water was on he twisted it all the way left and smiled at me.

"Thank you," he said before stepping into the shower with the towel still wrapped around him. Seconds passed before he was out again, rubbing his scalded skin, the towel now on the ground.

I should have explained that better.

This time I couldn't stifle my laughter. I laughed hard and loud before finally straightening myself and helping him again.

I got him a new towel and decided to just leave it on the counter and avoid looking at him. I turned the nozzle to the right a little and put my hand under the water. I turned it more and repeated the motion until the water was warm.

"Try it now," I pointed to the shower, my gaze still turned away from him.

Will stepped into the shower and stayed this time, thanking me once more, flushing and looking away. I hummed and then left the room, closing the door behind me.

Laughing to myself, I grabbed some night clothes, my phone, and my speaker and went to the downstairs bathroom. I started some music while I turned on the water.

I stepped under the stream, grabbing the soap and humming along to the cheerful tune coming through my speaker.

I washed my body and never stopped humming to my music. I rinsed my body and shampooed my hair. After conditioning it, I rinsed again and turned off the water.

I dried my body and hair before moisturizing and getting dressed for bed. I walked back up the stairs to my room and found Will laying on his pile of blankets in a tee and a pair of shorts.

I smiled and got into my bed, sliding under the covers. I looked down to see him staring up at the ceiling and shrugged.

"Goodnight Will," I yawned.

"Goodnight Lillian."

My eyes closed and I drifted off into dreamland. Sometime in the night, however, a cozy warmth enveloped me. I welcomed it and fell deeper into sleep.