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It was the beginning of the London season, and Colin Bridgerton had just returned from his travels, this time having explored Romania. Always fully immersed in the history of the regions that he explored, this time was no exception. Having only arrived home a few days prior, tonight's Bridgerton ball would be the first opportunity for Colin to see his dearest friend, Penelope Featherington, and share all the exciting things he saw and learned while in the region. She had always enjoyed his tales of adventures and the history, and he is certain that he will be able to entertain her with all he had learned and observed. While they do correspond by letter while he is traveling, there are some things best shared in person.
At his mother's ball, Colin was making his way past Portia Featherington, Penelope's mother, trying not to make eye contact with her, lest he be wrangled into an uncomfortable conversation. He turned his head to the side as he was walking by and caught their reflection in a mirror. He was startled when he realized he was looking only at his own reflection, as he did not see Portia's reflection at all. In fact, upon further inspection, he was not able to see Penelope's sister, Prudence, in the mirror either. He could see everyone around them, but the two women were not there. He chanced a glance back at Lady Featherington, unfortunately catching her eye, but made a curt bow of his head as he rushed away.
Confused and slightly alarmed, Colin kept moving across the ballroom towards his original target, Penelope. She was standing in the corner near the refreshments as usual, and he hastened his footsteps to her side.
"Pen, there you are. I've missed you. I've so many things to talk to you about," he said, slightly out of breath from his near run across the ballroom and anxiety at what he must now address with her.
"Colin, whatever is wrong? You seem out of sorts, what has put you in such a state?"
"Penelope, I need to ask you something, but– I'm not sure how to ask you– because I'm not sure how you will react," Colin hesitated.
Penelope was nervous. ‘Did he find out about my feelings for him and does he want to end our friendship? Could he be about to confess his love for me? No, that can’t be it, but a lady can dream.'
Taking a deep breath, Penelope put on a brave face. "I'm sure whatever it is, Colin, it will be fine. Shall we go somewhere more private?"
"Yes, I think that's an excellent idea. A stroll in the garden perhaps?" he suggested, while taking her arm and hastily making their way out to the garden.
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Since it was his family home, Colin knew these gardens well and he led them to a partially secluded area away from the main house, with a bench to sit upon. The further from the house they walked, the more nervous Penelope became. 'Does he know? Why are we going so far from the house?' She was resigned to be honest with him about everything he asked. She wasn't keeping many secrets, and only one of them would affect her heart.
"Why don't we sit down, Pen?" Colin said nervously. This was not like him. He always knew just what to say, never outwardly nervous, but his hands were actually shaking. "Penelope, I-. Well.. I'm not even sure how to say this."
She reached over and took his hands in hers, and Colin noticed how cold they were even through her gloves. He rubbed his thumbs absently over her knuckles to warm them up.
"Colin, we are friends, and anything you need to say, I will listen. Please, just come out with it."
"Okay, you're right. I'm being dramatic." Sighing deeply, he rushed out the next words. "I learned so much in Transylvania that I wanted to share with you, and well, most of the things that I learned were about…well…vampires."
"Oh, really? Is that all?" Penelope sighed in relief. "I know quite a lot about them already, so no need to be nervous, Colin. Continue." Giving him a cheeky grin, she squeezed his hands encouragingly.
He looked into her eyes and said, "Penelope, aside from what I learned on my tour, I have always been fascinated by vampires, so I know that one of the things that distinguishes them is a lack of reflection. Tonight, I happened to notice that your mother and sister do not have reflections in the mirror." Then, as if suddenly remembering, he continued, "Your hands are always so cold when we dance. Even now, inside your gloves, I can feel that they are quite cold. May I?" He looked at her as he eased one of her gloves off her hand, getting a nod in response. "You see, it is ice cold." He held her palm between his own, skin to skin for the first time.
Penelope stared wide eyed at him throughout this entire speech. This was the last secret she expected to be spilling tonight.
"I just want to know if my best friend is a vampire. Please, Pen, tell me the truth."
"C-Col, Colin, I don't know what else I could say, except for the truth." Taking a deep breath for encouragement, she continued. "Yes, we are vampires, my mother, my sisters and I. It has been passed down through the generations on my mother's side. It's not clear where nor how it started, but it has been so for hundreds of years."
"I see," Colin said into the silence of the night.
"No, Colin, I don't think you do. You brought me out here in this secluded area alone, thinking I could be a freak. I don't understand why you aren't afraid of vampires, of me?"
"Because you are my Pen, and I know you would never harm me. We have always looked out for each other and I could never be frightened of you. Plus, I am fascinated by vampires and always have been, my trip only heightened this. I will confess to you that I've actually dreamt of becoming one for years. I have so many more questions, Penelope. Will you answer them?"
Overwhelmed by his enthusiasm and astounded by his admission that he actually dreamt of becoming a vampire like her, Penelope just nodded and encouraged him to continue. His barrage of questions was never ending, including ones about what she ate, how she slept, did she actually turn into a bat. Some were asked jokingly, but most were very serious inquiries. Including when he asked if she knew how to change someone else into a vampire.
"You must know how to change someone else, I mean can any one of you do it?"
"Yes, there are ways to do this, of course. But why are you so curious about that, Colin?"
"I told you that I've dreamt of becoming a vampire for years, Pen. Honestly, I think it started when I met you, years ago. It's almost like my subconscious knew about you or something. I would love for you to change me, so-"
"You know not what you are asking! I thought you meant just 'dreams', not that you actually want to be one of us. Oh, Colin, I could never. That's just too much to ask of me." Penelope was blushing from head to toe, but in the darkened garden, Colin couldn't see it. Turning someone was actually relatively easy, but it required the vampire and the subject to be attracted to each other and they must mate in order to turn them. Penelope knew that Colin didn't see her sexually. It would be mortifying for her to explain this to him, especially when he realized that it wasn't going to be physically possible for her to do it since he was not physically attracted to her.
"Penelope, are we not best friends? I would do anything in my power to make you happy, and I would expect the same from you. Just think, we would be able to be together forever. Immortal friends till the end. Can you even imagine how lovely that would be? I could take you with me on adventures and we could-"
"COLIN," she interrupted, "I cannot. It's not possible. There are things you don't understand. It's not so easy. Besides, I would still be an unmarried lady, I could not travel with you, you ninny."
"Yes, I suppose you are correct about that," Colin agreed, deflated. "But what is it that I don't understand? If you only-"
Frustrated and mortified at the thought of explaining, she stood from the bench and gathered her skirts. "I don't wish to speak of this anymore this evening. We should head back, we will be missed." With that, she quickly walked away from Colin, leaving him confused at her adamant refusal to explain.
****************
And so this went on throughout the entire season. Each time that Colin saw Penelope, he would casually bring up the topic, asking more questions about her lifestyle, and would eventually come back to how one becomes a vampire. He became so persistent that Penelope attempted to avoid him, although it would be impossible to do so. This was unheard of, since she usually hung upon his every word and cherished his every glance and smile. Penelope would deny him nothing, but she just could not allow her heart to be crushed as it no doubt would be, when he had to admit that he was not attracted to her in that way.
Colin, ever persistent, tried every charm he had in his arsenal, and as the most charming gentleman of the Ton, he had plenty. Penelope was a rock. She just would not budge on the subject, and refused to entertain any talk about how he could make his dream of becoming a vampire come true. However, Colin was stubborn and for some reason he found he could not give up his dream.
In fact, he was dreaming about it now more than ever. In fact, Penelope was all he was dreaming about. Anytime he closed his eyes, he would see her traveling the world with him, going on adventures together, sharing everything, including a bed. He couldn't tell her that he was dreaming of her in this way, though. She was a lady, his friend, and that wasn't something he should be thinking about his friend. He was a gentleman after all.
At the end of the summer ball at his family's country home, Aubrey Hall, Colin approached Penelope again, this time leading her out to the terrace after dancing with her.
"Colin, have you really asked yourself why this is so important to you? You are so insistent, yet you don't realize the damage this could do to our friendship. Our friendship means everything to me and I don't want to lose it."
Resignation filling his chest, Colin sighed, "Do you not want me around? Honestly, I just want to spend all my time with you, Pen. There's nothing more to it than that." Frustrated, he turned away from her. "Maybe I should be asking your sister, I'm sure she'd be happy to change me, and there is definitely no friendship to ruin." He started to walk away, presumably to look for Prudence.
Penelope startled and grabbed him by the elbow. "STOP, Colin. Stop this madness," she begged.
"I'll stop, but only if you tell me the real reason you won't do this. Please, Pen. I just need to understand."
"It wouldn't work, Colin! The only way the transition would work is for both parties to be attracted to each other, meaning YOU actually have to be attracted to ME in order for the transition to work, and we both know that's never going to happen! Now please, stop asking me!" With that, she turned on her heel and stormed off towards her room.
Shocked into silence, Colin's mind was anything but. He had always known that Penelope had an attraction to him, but he had never acted upon it, because he never wanted to damage their friendship. That had been a mistake. He didn't know how or when, but lately he had been dreaming about her, changing the way he saw her. He wanted her, not only as a friend but as his wife. 'What is she on about? Not attracted to her? How could I not be attracted to her, with those beautiful blue eyes that see into my soul, those plump lips and that luscious body? She's all I can think about. I have to see her and make her understand. I need to show her.' He was excited about this new prospect and decided to go all in. She needed to realize that he was attracted to her. He would see that she knew that and more. Because just the thought of her had his cock throbbing.
Not willing to wait another second, Colin set off after her, only to be caught by his brother, Benedict.
"And where might you be off to, Brother? You wouldn't be chasing after Miss Featherington, would you?" Benedict said, putting an arm around his younger brother's shoulder halting his progress. "You wouldn't want to tarnish her reputation by following her to her room after your little spat on the terrace."
Colin looked around and noticed that there did indeed seem to be a few spectators to his pursuit. Sighing in response, he said, "No, I don't want any harm to come to her reputation, obviously. We just have not finished our conversation. I need to speak with her and it cannot wait."
Taking pity on his oblivious younger sibling, Benedict queried, "Penelope is staying in the family wing, is she not?" Receiving a nod, he continued with a smirk, "Why don't you use the entrance on the other side of the garden, so that no one is aware that you've followed her. I'll keep watch down here to ensure that you are not disturbed by any of our siblings. Don't waste this opportunity, Colin. I assume you have come to a realization?"
"Yes, I believe that I have. Thank you, Brother. Although, I'll need some time to convince her of my sincerity."
"Don't worry, it's early yet, you have hours before anyone heads upstairs."
With a nod, Colin was off to the garden, grabbing a glass of champagne on the way to calm his nerves, downing it in one gulp. He placed the glass on the nearest table and he made his way to the closest exit.
****************
Penelope made her way down the hall to her bedchamber and quickly shut the door behind her. The tears came unbidden and she sank into the chair at the dressing table. She was glad that she was not sharing a room with Eloise any longer, having her own room at the far end of the family wing, several doors down from the family. She could break down in peace. She never should have confirmed to Colin that she was a vampire. Then she would not be in this mess.
She glanced up at her reflection. It was true that mortals could not see a vampire's reflection, but vampires could see their own and others. How else would they know how they looked in a new outfit or how their hair was dressed? She was pleasant enough looking, but had always been a wallflower, shy and quiet. No one ever really saw her. Colin was the exception, but he didn't see her that way, he'd even told her she didn't count as a woman. Wiping the tears away, she quickly braided her hair and got into her nightdress. Although the night was young, her night was over. She settled into bed with a book.
A few moments later, a soft noise from the hallway caught her attention. She quickly brushed it aside, as it was probably just a servant. However, her heightened senses knew the moment a hand settled upon the door to her bedchamber.
****************
Without knocking, Colin opened the door and stepped inside. He kept his back turned so he would not see anything he shouldn't, and so he would not startle her more than necessary. However, he was not expecting to have a small cold hand settle upon his shoulder, causing him to freeze in motion.
"Colin Bridgerton! What are you doing here? Why are you sneaking into my room?" Penelope whispered, releasing him. "What if I had not sensed it was you and defended myself? Do you really have a death wish?"
"Is it okay to turn around, Pen? I really must talk to you."
"Yes, although I don't think there's much left to say. Please, just get this over with."
Turning around, Colin felt his breath catch as he took her in. She was a vision, better than his wildest fantasies. He had seen her dressed in her day dresses and ball gowns, but here, in just her nightdress, with her hair braided to the side, she was ravishing. Cheeks pinkened, blue eyes bright and glassy, lips pink and swollen as if she had just been thoroughly kissed. The muslin nightdress was thin and he could see the outline of her body, large breasts, thin waist, wide hips and voluptuous derrière. He couldn't think straight. "My God, Penelope, you are so beautiful,” he whispered, leaning forward and caressing her cheek with his hand, his eyes drinking her in, focusing on her plump lips.
Penelope's eyes widened as she leaned into his hand and bit her bottom lip. Her eyes followed his, and when his eyes landed on her lips, she focused on his. Oh God, how she yearned to be kissed by him. Suddenly, her lips moved and said, "Colin, would you-- kiss me? Please."
Needing no further encouragement, Colin brushed her lips with his, gently at first, then sucked on her top lip, releasing it only to tease her lips apart with his tongue to gain entrance. Although neither was experienced at kissing, they made up for that with fervor, and let their natural instincts take control every step of the way.
****************
She couldn't believe this was happening. His hands were cupping her face as he kissed her gently. He pulled his face away, brushing a thumb over her lip. He pressed his lips against her cheek, remaining there and breathing her in.
"I have been a fool, Penelope. How could I allow you to think that I did not desire you as a woman? Your eyes," he murmured, kissing each eyelid individually, "see straight into my soul. Your mouth was made for kissing mine. I never want to let you go. I love you."
"Oh, Colin, I love you, too," she gasped. "Please, never do."
He kissed the small birthmark near her left earlobe, saying, "This beauty mark only makes you all the more enticing."
He captured her lips again, anxious to show her the depth of his affection and desire for her. When he captured a small moan from her, he was lost.
His fingers trailed their way down her throat tantalizingly slow, causing a shiver to run down her spine. He followed his fingers with open mouth kisses across her jaw and down her throat, finally settling at the pulse point. Colin may not have had any previous sexual experience, but he did have older brothers who had instructed him on a thing or two, so he knew that most women were especially sensitive in this area. He gently let his tongue taste her milky white skin. He let out a breath of hot air when she shivered, the contrast of his heat touching her cold skin was mesmerizing.
He felt her hands grabbing his curly waves while he was gently licking her pulse point and a small moan left her lips. When he sucked her harder, she tugged the hair at the nape of his neck. His hands had moved down to her waist, then to her hips, then they moved further down until they cupped her derrière. He squeezed it and pulled her closer to him, letting her feel how turned on he was, his throbbing cock pressed against her belly.
Not able to resist any longer, he scooped her up in his arms and she squealed, "What are you--"
"Shh, I've got you." He quieted her with a lingering kiss as he settled her gently on the edge of her bed. Her nightdress had been bunched up around her waist in his haste to lift her, which worked perfectly for him to stand between her luscious thighs.
Penelope's hands curled in the lapels of his jacket, pulling him closer to her. Keeping her eyes on her task, she slid her hands underneath, wanting to touch more of him, while pushing the offending garment from his shoulders. As it dropped to the floor, Colin captured her mouth with his and she tugged at his cravat, loosening and unwinding, eager to free his neck.
Colin worked the buttons of his waistcoat, fumbling slightly in his haste to remove the thing. When the final button was undone, he reached up and grabbed the end of his cravat, assisting Penelope by yanking it from his neck.
Her braid had come loose, and her fiery curls were tumbling over her shoulders. Aphrodite herself could not compare to the breathtaking vision before him. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes focused on Colin’s bare neck. She saw his artery pulsing in excitement, and as her center clenched in response, her fangs extended.
Pen pushed his waistcoat over his shoulders and unbuttoned his shirt. When it dropped to the floor, she looked at him, bare in front of her, she had never seen anything so beautiful.
Colin stood in front of her, his shaft straining the fabric of his breeches, making Penelope chuckle shyly. He leaned into her, kissing her softly on the lips, his hands following her legs onto the bed, up to her hips and ribs, the soft muslin of her nightdress following up. She shivered, the heat of his hands on her cold skin spreading like lightning bolts. Her hands reached out to touch his chest, caressing his nipple by accident and he hissed at the sudden icy touch. Her fingers move deftly down his rib cage towards his taut belly and the trail of dark hair there.
He seeked out her tongue and softly sucked it while his hands were still pulling her nightdress up. He slid it over her head and dropped it on the floor, stepping back to appreciate her naked beauty in full while she bent her head shyly.
Placing his hands on her shoulders, Colin whispered her name softly. “Penelope.” Capturing her eyes with his, she lifted her chin. “You are breathtaking." He dipped his head and kissed her deeply, growling with want. Her hands were tangled in his hair, gently holding him.
She offered no resistance as he kissed down her jaw and throat, his hands sliding down her shoulders and cupping her large breasts, weighing them. "So much better than I ever imagined."
He nuzzled his nose in between her voluptuous breasts, inhaling her scent. When his tongue touched her nipple, she inhaled sharply and tightened her grip in his hair, "Oh, Colin." Her back arched, pushing her breasts closer to him. She could feel his arousal through the fabric of his breeches. Why did he still have those on?
She wanted to touch his skin, to see what was lurking underneath that fabric. Her nails raked down his back, moving down to his backside. She had admired his thick thighs and magnificent buns while he and his brothers were fencing or otherwise roughhousing over the years. How any of the maids at Bridgerton House were able to get their work done was a question for the ages.
He continued sucking on her nipple, making her gasp and her hands start frantically squeezing and kneading his dough. When he groaned at her touch, she began pulling at the waistband of his breeches.
Colin realized that he still needed to rid himself of the garment, and that Penelope probably wouldn't know how to work all his buttons. He removed his hands and mouth from her breasts and tried to take half a step back so that he could unbutton his breeches. After releasing the front panel, he stumbled backwards, her nightdress having wrapped around his ankles, and he landed unceremoniously on his behind.
With a gasp, Penelope jumped off the bed. "Colin! Are you okay?"
"Well, that wasn’t very well done of me, was it?" Colin laughed, his deep blue eyes twinkling devilishly. As he moved off the floor, he took Penelope's hand and pulled her to him, kissing her softly. "Let's try that again, shall we?"
Guiding her hands to his hips, he nodded at her as she looked at him questioningly. He shivered at her cold touch as she placed her fingers underneath his waistband, grasping the fabric and slowly dragging it down to his boots, not looking away from his heated gaze. Her whole body moved down with her motions, and she planted open mouth kisses on his chest, his belly, his belly button, until she realized she was seeing a part of his body that no gently bred lady should even imagine. It was directly in front of her face and she couldn't help her curiosity. She reached out to place a kiss upon it, and she looked back into his panicked eyes.
"Pen," he gulped, grabbing her hands and pulling her to standing. "As much as I would love for you to- um- kiss me everywhere, I really want to get back on the bed." He searched her eyes, and seeing her wicked grin, he quickly divested himself of his breeches and boots, managing to stay upright this time, barely.
Suddenly, they were standing in front of each other fully bare. Taking in the other's form, they crushed their lips together, hungry for more while they explored each other's bodies, shivering at the opposing sensations of cold hands on hot skin and hot hands on cold skin.
Colin walked Penelope back to the bed and lifted her by her waist, gently moving her so she was laying down, her head resting on her pillow. He kneeled beside her, right hand grazing over her hip moving down her thigh as he savored the silky softness of her skin, left hand squeezing her nipple. She spread her thighs without thinking, not knowing exactly what she wanted, but knowing she wanted more.
"More, Colin," she gasped as she squirmed beneath him. "I need you."
No words had ever sounded so sweet; she needed him, and true to his word, he would give her anything. His hand stroked the sensitive skin behind her knee, while his mouth captured her breast, making her shiver in delight. Her hands were buried in his hair, tugging gently and holding him where she wanted him.
His hand moved up her inner thigh, fingers slowly stroking back and forth. When his fingertip reached her center, he lifted his head and looked into her eyes, seeking permission to continue.
"Please, yes," Penelope moaned as she arched her hips to reach his teasing fingers.
He leaned forward to kiss her, hungrily, passionately with all the pent up desire he felt inside, while his fingers stroked along her seam. When they slipped through her folds, she made a sound that he hoped to hear every night for the rest of his life.
Smiling against her lips, he lifted his head and asked, "Is this what you needed, Penelope?"
"Oh, Colin. I don't know what you are doing to me, but please, don't stop."
Smirking, he continued his exploration with his fingers, finding the nub his brothers had told him about and gently teased it, causing her to arch off the bed, nearly knocking him off in the process. Placing one hand on her hip to keep her stable, he kept up his teasing pressure with the other hand, alternating rubbing in circles and tapping with his thumb. He had been told this was very pleasurable for a lady, and judging by the reaction from the lady in question, he had been given very sound advice.
He slipped a finger inside and stroked it in and out, feeling her tight walls. Slipping another finger inside, he felt her gasp, and he allowed her to adjust to the new sensation, but continued his ministrations on her nub. As he felt her relax, he continued to stroke at the same rhythm as his thumb was moving.
"Oh, my God," Penelope moaned. He buried his face in her chest, his breath coming fast and hot, her hands gripping his shoulders. Penelope had never before felt such pleasure. The heat of his skin on hers was enough to melt her insides and she could feel something building inside her. She didn't know what was happening, but she never wished for it to end. She was moaning his name over and over, "Colin. Oh, Colin! Yes, Colin! More, Colin!" Her entire body tensed as she felt the most thrilling sensation she had ever experienced jolt through her body.
Colin had never seen anything more beautiful than his Penelope's face while she climaxed. He kissed her slowly, passionately and with all the love he had for her as he moved his body over hers settling himself between her luscious thighs.
"I love you, Penelope, and we don't have to do anything else if you don't want to," Colin said, praying that she would not decide to stop.
"Colin, I love you too. I want it all."
With that, he lined himself up at her entrance, so slick and icy cold. Under any normal circumstances, the cold would have him shriveled up and unable to perform this duty. However, here with Penelope, his need was so strong, that nothing could possibly stop his hunger or desire for her.
"This might hurt, but only the first time and only for a moment. I promise, I will be gentle."
"I don't care, I just want you. Please, Colin, don't make me wait any longer."
He pushed in slowly, her tight walls surrounding him in pleasure, and he paused to give her time to adjust and himself time to compose himself. She was breathing heavily, and he felt her cold hands on his hips, pulling him closer. "More," she whispered.
He captured her mouth in a hungry kiss, as he continued to push in slowly until he felt her barrier. He pushed through until he was buried to the hilt, and he knew he was home. Her legs wrapped around his hips automatically and held him inside. His breathing was ragged but he didn't pull away from the kiss. She was devouring his mouth, biting his lip, sucking his tongue. Desire was pouring through both of them, and they could not control it. His hips started to move of their own volition and her hips rose up to meet his urgent thrusts, obeying an instinct she didn't know she possessed. His body rocked inside her, moving him towards his own climax, but Colin had other things on his mind.
"Turn me, Penelope," Colin whispered softly in her ear, admiring how the candlelight sparkled off her glistening skin as if it were made of diamonds.
She stilled her hips, gazing up at him. "Are you sure, Colin? You can still back out of this."
"I've never been more sure of anything. You are my Pen and I am yours, always. I love you and I never want to be parted from you." He planted his arms next to her hips and thrust into her, unwilling to accept anything less than forever.
"I think it will be best if we change positions, then. With me on top of you, but if you change your mind, you must tell me immediately."
"I. Won't. Change. My. Mind," he growled. He grabbed her by the hips and flipped them over without withdrawing from her. She was on top of him so quickly, she was startled at the new sensations. She rolled her hips tentatively, letting out a moan when his tip rubbed a particularly sensitive spot. Her fiery red hair fell around them as she looked at him from above, creating another veil of privacy.
Penelope's fangs extended and she felt heat stirring again in her center as she leaned down and kissed him softly on the neck, murmuring how much she loved him. Before he had the time to react, he felt something sharp upon his neck, a white hot spike of heat with soft sucking at his pulse point. He let out a strangled gasp. It should have been painful, yet it was almost indescribable. He was writhing beneath Penelope, trying to hold back moans of ecstasy but they were escaping from his lips. He continued to thrust up into her while pulling down at her hips and felt her walls tightening around him as she sucked on his neck. Colin closed his eyes and felt light headed, seeing bolts of light behind his eyelids. As she clenched around him to the rhythm of his heartbeat and her orgasm overtook her, he could no longer contain himself and spilled into her, having a more intense climax than he had ever experienced with his hand alone. Would it always be like this?
Both breathing heavily, he guided her down onto his chest, pulling her into his arms, not willing to withdraw from the slick wet heat of her. He looked lovingly at his Pen and noticed a droplet of his blood at the corner of her lips. With a desire coming from deep inside, he licked the droplet with his tongue, the intoxicating taste like a heavenly nectar.
Penelope followed his tongue with hers, sucking it gently into her mouth, all the while holding his gaze. Her fangs had not yet retracted, and she felt heat stirring again in her center. She could feel him twitch inside her.
He felt her softly clenching around him, making him respond with a soft throb, and whispered, "Penelope, that was -, indescribable."
Smiling, Penelope sighed, "It was, wasn't it? How do you feel?"
"Amazing," he breathed out. That was the understatement of the century, as Colin had never felt anything like this. He realized that he, the Bridgerton with the ever glib tongue, had no words to capture the intensity, the passion, the sheer epiphany of the moment. Then he remembered, "Wait. Does this mean it worked? Am I going to change now?"
Penelope laughed because she knew her life had just been altered and she, the ever insipid wallflower, had finally won. And Colin had won, too. He didn’t know it yet, but he had. "You have already changed, you changed the moment we- well, when we both, you know." She glanced away shyly.
Colin just stared at her, unbelieving. "Are you certain? I thought it would be painful, but that was absolutely blissful." He lifted her chin so that she would look him in the eyes. He looked at her with wonder. "Pen! Your skin. It's no longer cold when I touch you."
Amused, Penelope smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "That's right, because we are the same now. You will also be able to see my reflection in the mirror. Vampires can see other vampires' reflections."
His lips found her ear and his voice dropped to a husky whisper. "I'll be able to see you in a mirror, you say? I can think of so many things I would like to do with you in front of a mirror."
Pen's face turned white hot. What was he saying? Surely he knew that just mentioning something so lewd, something so incredibly seductive, would drive her crazy. She felt her body reacting in a way that she had no control over, softly clenching around him. The prickly sensation that went down her spine at his words had heat coiled in her center and her face felt flushed.
As their lips were about to meet, Colin suddenly pulled back. "I love you, Penelope. I know that this is not the most romantic way to do this, but I cannot wait. Will you be my Pen, from now until eternity, and also be my wife?"
"Oh Colin! I've loved you for years, I've always been yours, and I always will be. Of course, I will marry you."
Her walls clenched around his newly erect member with happy anticipation of spending forever together. She pushed her hips down on him and he responded with a thrust up, invigorating their lust and they sealed their engagement with another orgasm.
