It's Hotter Than You Think

Dinner was over. And it was fantastic, exquisite. The steak so tender, the wine never better. Still Pepper wiggled in her seat, wondering why Deacon had demanded that they eat their food in the nude. The door was closed, and she could no longer hear the sound of people coming and going in the rest of the penthouse, but something was up. She could see it in the spark of dark mischief her undead lover had in his eyes when he looked at her, watching her eat so prim and properly at the table, dressed in nothing but a few hair pins to hold her hair up and show off her slender, pale throat.

They had talked, smiled. They'd fed each other bites off their plates. And the gifts he had given her were amazingly insightful for someone who'd spent so much time away trying to build his business back up. Lingerie, tickets to Cirque de Soleil, more tickets to see Korn and Godsmack, a book she'd been trying to get, new stiletto boots that reached up to the thigh. Six months worth of self defense classes, and a pistol. Small, petit, it could fit in her belt or in her purse. A box of shells came with it, along with his promise to teach her to shoot. And there was something more he said. Something that he had wanted to give her for a while, something that matched her eyes he said. And then Deacon handed her the box, let her unwrap the deep blue paper and the silver gilt bow.

Stunned into silence, she sat up straight as Deacon fastened the necklace around her neck. Her fingers lightly trailing over the sparkling gems, she smiled at him, capturing one of his hands before he could move away and kissing the palm, holding it against her cheek.

"This is just, oh Deacon I never..." Shushing her with a kiss, he took her hand and raised her up from the table, led her out to the small private courtyard. The jacuzzi was bubbling, and the warm scent of champagne filled the air mixing with the scent of the dozens of rose bouquets that had arrived, and had kept arriving all day long. Looking at her once more Deacon smirked, showing just a hint of tooth. Then silently he picked her up off the ground and carried her down the steps into the swirling, warm water. Only, it wasn't.

"De.. oh my god Deacon"

"Yep, champagne" With a smirk Deacon set her down, and splashed a little of it up over her breasts. Delighted she kicked some up at him and he caught her foot, pulled her under the bubbling alcohol. Her eyes closed, Pepper came up out of the jacuzzi dripping wet and pressed herself against him. Their kiss was sweet, warm, tinged with the taste of champagne.

Another bottle of the bubbling wine was opened, poured into two goblets set aside for that purpose. And later her shrieks of laughter turned to cries of ecstasy as she rode him, her legs clamped around his waist. Her hair streamed down her back, soaked in the fine, clear liquid that slowly took on a slight pinkish cast as the blood spilled from her body when he sank his teeth in to her throat. Drawing blood from her as she came. And came again not long later.

Meeting her mouth for a kiss once more, his fangs lightly pricking the inside of her lips, he whispered to her as he held her close to him, watching the lights of the city. The city he was going to own someday.

"My Pepper, my beautiful, hot, spicy Pepper. Happy birthday lover"