Nature or Nurture Ch. 18

Thinking of the interesting time they have ahead of them, Adison sighs audibly.

'What is that great sigh for?' Vincent asks her, smilingly.

'We were never so shy with each other, it's just so sweet,' she replies, dreamingly.

Suddenly, she feels two strong arms seize her, and the next moment she is crushed to a rather broad chest. Looking up, she sees two sulphurous eyes gazing at her, and a deep, husky voice says, 'Sweet! I'll give you sweet, woman!'

He lifts her off her feet easily and carries her to the four-poster, throwing himself on the bed with her pinned under him. Still holding her gaze locked in his stare, he kisses her passionately. And whilst not exactly ripping off their clothes, they do hurry to get rid of the layers between them. Adison soon finds out that her fear of Vincent having lost his violent self is completely unfounded. The glorious beast is still there, and his lovemaking is as wild as ever.

And then the husky voice, so much Vincent and still so different from the actor's clear baritone, speaks.

'So tell me, Miss Adison, now I have a name, will you marry me? Will you be Mrs Vincent Heathcliff?

Even if mothers scare their children with my name, and horses kick their stalls in fear when I pass by, will you love me?'

Taken totally by surprise, and delighted with Vincent's releasing his dark side, she soon manages to whisper, 'Yes, my love, I will. I will love you forever and I will certainly marry you!'

And then the moment for wild loving has passed, and they return to tenderness.

Knowing he is one and the same person, the difference is still so profound that she can't help asking, 'That really was you, wasn't it?'

For answer, he takes her in his arms so tenderly that her full heart nearly bursts. His slightly tragic actor's face gazes at her in an expression of total surrender.

'Since you fell in love with him at first sight, and we're both taking his name in a way, I thought it'd be only fair he'd ask you himself.'

Laughing, she jumps on him in retaliation for teasing her in a moment like that, only remembering his wounds when he stifles a cry of pain.

With an, 'I deserved that, don't worry, it wasn't bad,' he strokes her cheek, and continues, 'of course that was me, love, I couldn't bear even the thought of you marrying someone else. And now I may need a new bandage.'

And indeed, their wild love-play and her impudent move have caused him to start bleeding again. 'Stay here', she says, and she fetches her bag. And again she makes dressing his wounds such a sensuous deed, that when she is done, they have to repeat their whole lovemaking, only a lot quieter, or they'd never get any sleep tonight.

Lying side by side, they think and talk of the day a bit more, then go to sleep.

In Mina's room a few doors further down the hall, Victor decides not to offer to remove the pallet. She has been free of a demonic master only one night, and while he can imagine she doesn't want to be alone, that doesn't automatically mean she wants him to share her bed.

He doesn't even want to think what has been done to her, a young beautiful woman in total submission to an adept in magic connected to blood and sex.

Anything she wants to share, he will listen to, but even if he dared, it wouldn't be fair to ask for more.

Meanwhile, Mina realizes she has a serious crush on this man. He is beautiful, competent and at the same time so incredibly vulnerable and shy, he's irresistible.

But also very difficult to approach, he has such protections built around his heart. If he has ever only trusted his two best friends with his love, how can she ever hope to win it, with the taint of evil still around her, and with her past of betrayal and servitude to a master of blood-magic and, God help her, sex-magic. Why would any man want to associate with a woman like her, a vampire at that? If he hadn't been so shyly encouraging so far, and if Adison hadn't practically thrown him at her, she'd give up without even trying.

As it is, she tells herself to be patient. They will be living together for quite some time, and his friends have accepted her above her expectations. Just wait and take small steps. As he sits down next to her, comfortably close but clearly everything but relaxed, she wants to forget common sense, grab him and kiss him on his well-shaped mouth, sitting astride his boyish figure.

Instead, she reaches for his hand, and holds it until he does relax. Apparently that is enough for him, so it will have to do for her too, for now. Or, she can just ask him.

'Do you want to share a bed tonight, Victor?' she dares to ask. He tenses up instantly, but manages an answer.

'Very much so.'

Encouraged, she goes a step further.

'And would you like to kiss me?'

Too big a step, now he's struck dumb. Or is he? He nods, and forces the words out.

'Of course I would. But with everything you've been through, why would you want to...'

His voice fades, but she can suddenly read his mind.

'Why would you want to be intimate with a man after having undoubtedly suffered abuse.'

Now she's getting somewhere.

'I wasn't abused in that way, Victor. I was bait for Vanessa, and not expendable. I did horrible things, but I did them because vampires see people as food and entertainment, not as individuals. Now I'm free, and I think as a human again. And I believe in love at first sight again. I find you beautiful, and I admire your mind and your clever hands.

And your shyness attracts me like a beacon on a moonless night. Would you please hold me?'

It is easier when she asks him things, things he would never dare to say or do if left to himself. Holding her is one of them, and once he has his arms around her tightly, her head resting on his shoulder, he finds it gets easier to dare things.

Like letting his own face touch hers, and saying, 'I believe in love at first sight too. I do since I first saw you yesterday. But I would never have dared to do anything about it.'

She does not say anything, but she lies down on the bed, taking him with her. And then she kisses him, as intensely as Vincent kissed him that first time, but gentler, so much gentler. He doesn't experience intense lust, or a burning desire to have passionate sex. He just feels an all-overpowering sense of belonging, a sense of rightness.

Mina knows that this is as far as they are going tonight, holding each other, kissing and feeling complete. With this sensitive man, she will have to take it slowly. But he has already admitted he loves her, and that is so much more than she expected just a few minutes ago.

'Do you need blood tonight?' he asks tentatively.

'I could do with some, but I can stick it out until tomorrow easily,' she says.

'Please take what you need, I felt fine today,' he offers, 'will you bite me this time, in my neck?' Mina objects.

'I thought you wanted someone present the first few times, to make sure I know when to stop.' Reminded of that, Victor thinks about it.

'I trust you, you'd never harm me. Do you trust yourself?'

She considers.

'I am conscious now, and I'd rather kill myself than hurt you. And if I don't project lust on you, you will be totally aware so you can stop me yourself. I have spared my victims at times, but I've never fed off someone I loved before.'

Victor really wants to share this with her, and he is not afraid she'll drain him. She was nearly dead the last time, and in a coma.

'I want you to bite me in my neck, so we will be really close. Will you do it?'

The idea of feeding off him excites her quite a lot, and he smells too good to be true. Still, she needs to be honest with him.

'Feeding on your blood will be incredibly stimulating to me, you know. We've been taking it slowly so far, I don't want you to feel forced into any intimacies that you are not ready for. You can give me your wrist tomorrow, at the supper-table, and I will be totally fine. We have plenty of time.'

But he has felt her little shiver of anticipation, and it excites him immensely. He isn't afraid of getting fired up a little. He makes his decision, and offers her his throat.

'Please do it, I want it. I want you to get really horny, and I want to feel that way too. Don't project lust on me, I want to feel only the real thing.'

So she smells his neck, taking in his scent, feeling his delightful warmth. She smells and feels no fear in him, just eager anticipation, like her own. His skin is so appealing, she licks it to get a taste, sending a shiver through him. Extending her canines, razor sharp, and an inch in length, she shows them to him, ready to call it quits if he so much as blinks in fear.

But he doesn't, he even wants her to kiss him like that. Careful not to cut himself he explores her mouth with his tongue, expertly avoiding the razor tips of her canines. When they break off the kiss, he exposes his throat to her again, and she strikes. He feels a short, sharp jab, and then her blissful sucking.

This time, he feels lust rising, but it doesn't distract him from what is happening. He relishes the intense feelings he experiences, feeding the woman he loves, and feeling her passion rising. She takes it really slowly, not forcibly sucking out his blood as she did last night, feeding to save her life. But rather letting the blood flow from him to her, using just enough suction to stay connected, preventing spillage and giving him that exquisite feeling in all the nerves of his body.

Feeding slowly, she can make their bond last, but after four or five mouthfuls she breaks it. A few more drops well out of the small holes in his neck, and she carefully licks the punctures until they stop bleeding. With iron self-control she looks at him, to see how he feels. Those last few licks just did for him, he is overcome with love and lust, and he is ready to let it out.

So, Mina gets what she wanted from the first: she can sit astride this beautiful man, and kiss him to her heart's content. Then she can touch him everywhere, his blood still tingling in her mouth, and coursing through her body, spreading its warmth.

He is caressing her too, with decided heat, but still tenderly. She wants to feel him inside her, and she knows he is as ready as she is, she feels his erection touching her. But despite his need, he first shows her he is not as green as his shyness suggests. His expertise brings her one climax after another, tempting her to try some similar tricks on him in return.

They make a glorious finish, then collapse exhaustedly. Mina says hoarsely, 'That was very unexpected. I've never been fed or loved like that before. You look so...innocent.'

Gloating a bit, and intensely happy, he replies, 'I ám innocent, and very shy. That was just so..incredibly good. Feeding you, I mean. I couldn't control myself. But you could, I feel fine, not dizzy at all.'

Yawning hugely, he adds, 'But now I really want to sleep, will you be able to sleep already?'

'I'll stay with you until you are sleeping deeply. Then I'll pay a visit to your library and amuse myself for a few hours. Tomorrow, you'll find me at your side again.

You know you have fabulous blood, very hot, and very tasty.'

'Will you be able to live entirely off me? Can one person make enough blood, and won't the taste get boring?'

She laughs and strokes his hair and cheek.

'Your blood will be plenty for me, you'll get used to eating more and producing new blood. And it'll never bore me, blood changes taste with everything you do, the food you eat, drinks, even alcohol affects me if you've digested it first, your state of mind, happiness, sadness, everything makes it taste differently. Go to sleep now my love, I will watch over you as you watch over me in the daytime.'

And, resting his head against her soft body, he does just that. Mina watches him sleep for some time, stroking his hair and his face, more innocent looking than ever in sleep. When he gets restless, twitching, mumbling, she holds him until his sleep deepens. Then she covers him with the blanket like the sweet child he resembles just now, dresses, and finds her way to the library.

She will need a candle to read by, but she can find her way around in the dark easily, a necessary adaptation of her kind to a life in the shadows.

Having found quite a lot of interesting books, some poetry, some novels, but also scientific publications and Victor and Adison's own essays, she realizes she need not be bored at night for some months yet. Plenty of time to get Vanessa sorted out.

After that, she can join Victor on his night calls, she'll no longer need to hide here. She starts on an essay, wanting to get to know her lover better. Soon, it catches her interest, and the candle-marks fly by.

Then she is torn from her concentrated reading by the sound of knocking at their front door.

That is strange, Mina knows they have a medical practice, but no-one warned her of nightly callers. She decides to investigate, not wanting to wake anyone up until it has been proven necessary.

Once she's at the door, she can hear sounds outside of a carriage waiting, she must have missed it coming immersed in her reading.

Good job watching, Mina, she berates herself silently.

She peeks through the spyhole in the door to see who disturbs their rest at this time of the night. And to her shock, she quite clearly sees Sembene standing there, her father's friend who masquerades as his servant. She needs to make a split second decision, will she reveal herself to him, or will she wake Victor or one of the others?