The Vampire’s Redemption

Chapter 5

Michael’s house was a spacious but modest cottage on the outskirts of Ojai, on green hills so tranquil they could make anyone’s tension dissipate in an instant. Danielle’s tension, however, was not so easily deterred.

There was something downright chilling about Jack going out with Stephen. Although she couldn’t put her finger on it, something about Michael’s brother terrified her. She had only met the guy once, but it was enough to know that he was bad news—and not only because he had demanded that she stay away from Michael. Danielle had sensed Michael’s inner darkness, and she had sensed Stephen’s, too. Stephen’s darkness was different. It was much darker, and it was much more there. You only had to look in the man’s black eyes to know that something even blacker writhed somewhere deep within him. Danielle had not liked it, and she liked the idea of her best friend being alone with that darkness even less.

Possibly picking up on her distress, Michael had suggested that she come for dinner at his place. Danielle had accepted gladly, in no small part also because she thought it would be a good, subtle way of “waiting up” for Stephen. She wondered if Michael shared her concerns. She wondered how to even bring up the subject. How do you tell the guy you’re dating that you have the feeling his brother might be best kept very far away from you and everyone you care about?

As she drove along the hills of the Ojai Valley, Danielle’s tension did not dissipate; if anything, it increased. Her stomach was still in knots by the time she parked in front of the house, and it was still in knots when she finally rang the doorbell. It was a pity, really; it was a beautiful, warm night in the Ojai hills, and if it wasn’t for Danielle’s anxiety, it could have been a near-perfect night.

To her surprise, it wasn’t Michael who came to open the door. It was a dark-skinned man whose relatively short height was made up for by striking cheekbones and a bright, dimpled smile.

“Hello,” he said, in a deep but not unkind voice. “You must be Danielle.”

He appeared to be pretty much her age, and the more Danielle looked at him the more familiar he seemed.

“Uh…yeah,” she said, still taken aback by this stranger’s presence in Michael’s house. “Who are you?”

“I’m Eli. I’m a friend of Michael and Stephen’s.”

And then it clicked. “Eli?” Danielle repeated, eyes widening. “Eli Johnson?”

He stared blankly at her.

“Danielle Rowland. We went to high school together.”

Eli’s face lit up with recognition. “Of course! I saw you around back then but we were never properly introduced.”

It was true. They never had any classes together, but Danielle was good with names and faces, and she remembered him. He always struck her as a very kind person, and the warmth in his brown eyes as he recognized her now confirmed her impression from all that time ago.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, then,” Eli said. His handshake was as warm as his smile.

Danielle relished Eli’s kindness; it felt good to have some positive energy around her to ease the tension that was still eating away at her insides.

“Please, come in. Michael is waiting for you.”

“I haven’t seen you around here in a while,” Danielle said as she stepped inside and followed him down the hallway.

The interior of the cottage was cozily decorated with bare or white wooden furniture. Warm touches were added by tapestries in the tones of deep reds and sunny oranges. It was a soothing atmosphere, but still Danielle couldn’t shake the bad feeling that crawled under her skin.

“I moved to L.A. for college and of course I ended up staying,” Eli said. “I drive out here from time to time to visit my parents, but I rarely stay longer than a weekend. This is my first long visit in a while.”

“So you’re friends with Michael?”

“Yes. He and Stephen needed a vacation. Stephen suggested Ojai, so I offered them my family’s cottage in the hills. We hardly ever use it anyway.”

“You’re not staying here, then?”

“No. I’m staying at my parents’, I just come over to hang out.”

He was staring curiously at her, and Danielle realized then that the man was probably puzzled by all of her questions.

“Sorry,” she offered. “I didn’t mean to grill you.”

Eli laughed. “Don’t worry, you didn’t ‘grill me’.”

Danielle offered him a weak smile in return. She didn’t know what was up with the third degree she had just given a guy she had not seen in ten years. In fact, she didn’t know what was up with her, in general. Even with her worrying about Jack, she should still be happy to spend a night alone with Michael. She should be able to enjoy herself and bask in the company of the man she was falling in love with. Instead, try as she might, she couldn’t shake off a widespread feeling of uneasiness.

Eli led her to the kitchen. It was a spacious room, with one section entirely dedicated to a dining area. A fairly large, rectangular mahogany table was set for two, with candles burning within glass jars. The kitchen smelled like delicious food and considerate preparations.

Danielle looked around; Michael was nowhere to be seen.

“He’ll be here soon,” Eli said, guessing her thoughts. “He’s probably in his room trying to figure out what to wear. He’s been fretting over his wardrobe all day.”

Danielle wanted to go find Michael and tell him that he would look gorgeous no matter what he wore, and that as a matter of fact she wouldn’t have minded if he wore nothing at all.

“I’ll see myself out,” Eli announced.

Danielle looked over at him in surprise. “You’re not going to wait for Michael?”

“Nah. I’m not the one he’s interested in seeing anyway.” He winked.

Danielle felt herself flush. “It was nice to see you again,” she said.

“You too, Danielle.”

Eli flashed her one last polite smile before he did exactly what he said he would, leaving her alone in the wonderful-smelling kitchen. Curious, Danielle walked over to the stove and gingerly lifted the lid off the large pot to peer inside. Her nostrils were immediately filled with the most delicious smell. Magically, her stomach unknotted itself and let out a grumble. Her mouth started to water.

“It’s seitan stew,” Michael’s voice said from behind her. “Eli made it for us.”

Danielle jumped and almost dropped the heavy lid. She whirled around. “You scared me!”

“Sorry,” Michael offered, with a grin that let her know he really wasn’t sorry at all. “Sometimes I forget how lightly I tread.”

Danielle rolled her eyes. She carefully replaced the lid on the pot and walked up to him, smiling when she saw Michael was already moving to meet her halfway. Their lips met in a greeting kiss that spoke of a kind of intimacy and harmony that surpassed the few weeks they had known each other.

“Come on, let’s eat. How are you?”

There was a casualty to Michael’s voice and a lightness to his actions that for some reason made Danielle’s heart beat just a little bit faster in her chest. She was still reeling from their lovemaking of the night before. She was still feeling his body against hers, his touch on her skin, his powerful co*k inside of her. The memories alone were intoxicating. Apparently, the experience had an effect on Michael, too. He seemed lighter and more relaxed, more at ease around her. Could s*x have been the key to unlocking his still somewhat guarded personality?