Stories under the Velvet Sky

Chapter Nineteen: Waking Up

Resting comfortably in Adrian’s arms, I found that this time, I did not dream, nor did I suffer from my usual nightmares. It was an enveloping darkness, familiar and warm. I would have chalked up the lack of dreaming to the daytime hours, but no dream I’d ever had included such vivid smells.

It felt as if I were still aware of my surroundings, yet not aware enough to do anything about them, nor did I feel the need to do anything about them. I was entirely comfortable with simply laying there, not thinking about anything. There was relief in letting my mind simply take in the outside world through my senses, albeit lacking any sight.

I do not know for how long I merely lied there, recuperating from the strains of being tormented nightly by some unknown foe. From what I could gather before I’d fallen asleep on top of him, it was Adrian’s father who was responsible for all of my nightly horrors. I had no idea why his father had chosen to target me in particular, but it couldn’t be for anything good if it caused me so much stress that I could help but collapse on top of a man I felt so confused about.

If I had learned anything from all the books I’d read over the period of my lifetime, it was that in modern times, today in other words, relationships between a young woman of eighteen, and a man twelve years older than her, were frowned upon. Most often they would have very little in common, being from separate generations of society. Had it been a long time ago, such a relation would have perhaps been encouraged by the family; a way to marry off their daughter to a man of experience.

Yet now it would be most inappropriate to pursue any sort of romantic relationship between a younger woman and an older man. For the woman anyhow. The man would probably be met with aplomb for such relations. Society is filled with all sorts of stupid little paradoxes akin to that. Never mind that the woman might have never been promiscuous beforehand, no! The moment she decided to step out of her gender role it is somehow blasphemous and heresy!

All of it was so very confusing.

Well, if all else fails I could always use the excuse that he’s a vampire and age would be irrelevant. Because Twilight. That’s why.

A real shame that I have to fall back on that to justify having a relationship with an older man. Oh God, I think I vomited in my mouth a little. I shouldn’t be so surprised though. That book is what inspired this one…to be better I mean. Doesn’t stop me from wanting to burn all my copies.

Hehe, fire. It burns things.

Something hard poking my side made me shift slightly as I slept, except the shift only made it poke me harder. Like that was convenient.

A soft groan filtered its’ way into my ears, muffled by my sleepy state, “Kathryne, wake up,” it pleaded quietly, poking me again.

Deciding that it was finally time to wake up, I let my eyes flutter open, giving me a great view of Adrian’s neck. His chin was resting on top of my hair, and an arm was wrapped rather tightly around my waist. He hadn’t moved much since I’d fallen asleep, so I assumed that he’d been resting as well.

As for what was poking me...well that was harder to explain.

“Has your hand been underneath my shirt this entire time?” I asked him calmly, trying to keep my indignation from coloring my tone. I had to be careful and keep him from suspecting his imminent castration.

He chortled, moving so that we were both sitting up instead of lying down on the couch, “Maybe,” came his smooth reply, serving to further fuel my embarrassment.

If he thought probability was going to influence the outcome of this situation, he margin of error was seriously off, “And you haven’t removed your hand now that I’m awake because…?” if he thought that kissing me gave him free reign to fondle me, he was sorely mistaken.