Mesmerized

time.”
    She stroked his face and ran her fingers over his lips. “Are you sure?”
    He nodded. “Yes. I have protection too.”
    She felt something inside her snap and before she knew it, she was all over him. Kissing him, touching him, loving every inch of him. She had never felt so accepted for who she was until that moment. When they were together, there was nothing else, nobody else in the world. It was just them. When it was finally over, she collapsed next to him on the floor, in front of the fire.
    Peeking over at him, she asked, “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”
    Out of breath, he answered, “I’m fine.” He chuckled. "You are incredible."
    They fell asleep right there, curled up on the rug, with a blanket over them.
    ***
    The next morning, Lily turned to face Jake in bed. “So, what do we do now?”
    “We wait.”
    “For what?”
    “I don’t know. I’m still working on that.” He gave her that adorable grin of his. “We’ll be fine here. If anyone comes, we’ll hear them way before they get here.”
    “When we...ya know...last night, did it feel weird?”
    “No. It felt perfect. Why? Was it weird for you?”
    “No, a little uncomfortable at first.” She blushed a little. “I just wondered if you felt anything different at all because of what I am.”
    Jake grinned. "If by different you mean the most amazing sex I've ever had in my centuries of life then yes, it felt different." He stared into her eyes. "I'm falling in love with you, Lily. I never thought I would love anyone again."
    "I'm falling for you, too. Will you tell me about her? The girl you once loved?"
    Jake turned onto his back and grimaced. "I don't like to talk about Laura. It was a long time ago, and I'd rather not think about it."
    Lily furrowed her eyebrows. "That's not fair. I told you everything you wanted to know about me."
    Jake sighed. "What do you want to know?"
    "How did you meet?"
    "We met in London. I've traveled a lot over the years. She was selling cloth at a market."
    "What did she look like?" Lily was surprised to feel she was jealous of a dead woman.
    Jake got a faraway look in his eyes. "She was tiny and had long blond hair and blue eyes. Her smile could light up a room."
    Lily pulled on the hem of her shirt and looked at the floor unable to meet his eyes. "You were right. This was a bad idea. I don't really want to know anymore. I'm sorry you lost someone you loved. But, I'm glad you're mine now." 
    "Lily, you have nothing to worry about. In all this time, you are the first woman that I've been drawn to. I really feel like we were meant to be together."
    "I hope so. I've never felt this connected with anyone before." Lily leaned over and Jake's lips met her halfway. They spent the rest of the day entwined in each other’s arms. 
    ***
    "I need food." Lily grasped the sheets and pulled herself up to sitting position. She grinned playfully. "I guess we can't order a pizza?"
    "Probably not the best idea. There should be some meat in the freezer. I'll cook us up something. I'll give Sampson a call and ask him to bring some supplies such as milk and bread to hold us over." 
    "How long do you think we will be here? I guess we can't stay forever." Lily threw the sheets off and grabbed Jake’s t-shirt to put on. "Maybe, running wasn't the best idea."
    "We’ll give it another day or so and then you can call your mother and find out if there have been any changes. I have the means for us to escape forever if we need to." 
    Lily thought of her parents and Hannah. She really didn't want to drop off the face of the earth. She had just started to feel like it was possible to have a normal life. "I'll call tomorrow. Let's just enjoy the time we have alone together." 
    They were sitting at the little wooden table in the kitchen. Lily looked across at Jake. "Have you almost died any other time other than the fall? Before you said you hadn't found anything that could kill you."
    Jake clenched his jaw. "It's not something I'm proud of. After Laura died and the years kept passing, I felt so empty. I didn't want to be in this world any longer. I tried to take my life." He dropped his fork and looked at Lily. "I tried everything, and the curse wouldn't let me go. I eventually gave up and accepted that I had to make the best of what I had become. I started going to different schools, or getting jobs to learn new trades. If I was given an immortal life, I was going to live it." 
    She reached across the table and