Tirgoviste The Order of the Dragon

Stoking the Embers

     Vlad rose and made his way over to the bed. He pulled the curtain aside and sat down, stroking his fingers gently through Milos's hair. "Good evening, little one," he whispered.

     Milos remained motionless on the bed, not making a sound. I could see no visible sign of breathing. I wondered why Vlad had said he was waking up. A moment later, my question would be answered. Milos arched his back and took in a sudden gasping breath. His eyes opened slowly to reveal, not the beautiful, brown color but the deep, scarlet-red. His fangs were clearly visible and he continued to breathe deeply as if struggling for air.

     "It always takes a vampire a minute to get his bearings when he first wakes up. I would advise you to stand back just a little, that is if you don't want to die," Vlad cautioned me.

     I stepped back several feet but remained close enough to watch what was happening. Milos sat up and stretched, then looked around cautiously. He sniffed the air as if catching a scent, then turned his head sharply in my direction. Vlad reached out and placed a restraining hand on Milos's shoulder. Milos didn't seem to notice. His eyes were on me and he was focused, like a tiger on its prey.

     "Looks like it might be time for breakfast!" Vlad laughed. "Don't kill him, little one! We might find some use for such a powerful witch."

     Vlad stood up and turned to me. "I'm going to leave you two alone for now. For heaven's sake, feed that boy before he starts salivating all over the place! But remember, it's dangerous to be near him when he first wakes up. His hunger for your blood will be the primal force driving him. It takes him a little while to come back to himself. You should be safe for now."

     Vlad left, closing the doors behind him. I stood watching Milos. He was sitting up on the side of the bed, clenching and unclenching his hands. His head was down and he was looking up at me with those wicked, red eyes. I could feel his thirst. I was thirsty too but not for the same thing he was. He wanted my blood. I wanted his bite.

     I crossed the distance to the bed and sat down beside him. He turned slowly toward me. I leaned into him, closing my eyes and exposing my neck. I could have cared less at that moment what he was or about his past. It wouldn't have mattered if Vlad had told me Milos was a mass murderer. I had to have that high. He had to have my blood. I felt the familiar pain as he sunk his teeth into my skin, then the blissful high took me and nothing else mattered. I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on for dear life.

     "Don't let go! Don't let go! Don't let go!"

     "Never!"

     When his voice answered my pleas with that one word, never, I was satisfied. He wouldn't throw me away. He couldn't. We were bound together with our mutual chain of addiction. Only death, my death, could break it. I tried to hold onto him as he drew his fangs from my neck. I wanted it to go on. Thank goodness he had enough restraint to pull away when he did. I leaned back and looked into his eyes.

     The familiar brown was back. The fangs had been withdrawn. It was Milos again. He was smiling at me. "Did my grandfather keep you up all day talking?" he asked.

     "No, not all day but we did talk a lot. He told me all about your family history. Some of it I knew already but most of it was an eye-opener," I replied.

     Milos sat silent for a moment as if contemplating. He seemed to be unsure of how to continue. Vlad had told me that Milos didn't like to talk. I planned to change that. I didn't want silence from him. If we were "in this together" as Morsus had said, then that boy was going to have to open up.

     "So what happens now?" I asked. "Do we just stay here, in this room, and wait for somebody to come to tell us what to do?" I heard his response in my head.

     "We could go downstairs if you want, down to the club. Would you like that?"

     I refused to answer him mentally and spoke my response aloud. "I'd like that but I refuse to go anywhere with you unless you plan to talk out loud. The only reason you should be sending messages into my head is if you don't want anyone else to know what you're saying. When it's only me and you, you better talk out loud. Got it?"

     "Who do you think you are making demands on me like that?" he asked, spinning around to face me.

     "I'm your human and you are my vampire. That's how it is. We're stuck together in this mess right now and we have to make the best of it, until you're scary-as-hell grandpa and brothers, figure out what to do about it. Till then, buck up, nuff said," I replied, slipping my arm around his shoulders.

     "Come on. Let's go check out the club. Are there other vampires down there right now?" I asked.

     "Yeah, there are some others. They come and go. They won't bother you though. They'll know you belong to me. Mostly it's just the humans. Hey, are you hungry?" he asked.

     I was taken aback by his question. I hadn't really thought about it but I was famished. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten. "Yeah," I replied, stretching my arms and yawning. "I could eat something."

     "Come then. I'll introduce you to Kiva, then after you've eaten something. She can bring you down to the club," he replied as he walked toward the double doors. They opened for us and I wondered if he opened them mentally, or if they were wired to open on command.

     I followed him down the hall to a very sterile and modern looking kitchen. A petite, dark-haired, young woman was standing at the stove with her back to us. She looked decidedly Goth to me. I was about to say hello, when I noticed Mircea sitting at the table, a lit cigarette smoldering from the corner of his mouth. He was staring straight at me with his usual "not to be f****d with" expression. Needless to say, the greeting died in my mouth.

     Mircea reached up and slowly removed the cigarette, then turned toward the girl. "Kiva, you got a customer, baby," he said.

     She turned to look at us. I was surprised by how simply pretty she was. Her black hair was pulled up on top of her head in two, high pigtails with the back left to hang down to just past her shoulders. She had long, thick bangs, dyed a deep-blue that were brushed to one side. Her brown eyes were very large in her pale, pixy -face. She had a little, cupid's mouth and a small, slightly upturned nose. I was sure she was older than she looked but it was always difficult to tell for sure with girls. One thing I was certain about, however, she was as human as I was. I didn't need my psychic senses to tell me that.

     "Who the f**k is this?" she asked putting her hands on her hips as she looked me up and down, then without missing a beat she turned to Milos who had followed me into the kitchen. "Milos, you d**k-sucking faggot; get the hell out of my kitchen!" she shouted, throwing the wooden spoon in her hand at Milos though he ducked easily out of the way. It crashed against the wall behind him and fell to the floor.

     Mircea stood up laughing and approached the bristling, little, Goth girl. "Come on now, Kiva. I told you not to talk to my baby brother like that," he said as he took her into his massive arms and pulled her back against him, leaning down and kissing the top of her head.

     "I asked a question! I wanna know who the f**k this boy is. He clearly ain't a vampire," she said as she looked up at Mircea.

     "He's Milos's pet human," Mircea answered soothingly as he slid his hands up and down her arms. She shoved him away and turned back to the stove.

     "Get off me you horn dog! You already got it once tonight. You ain't getting it again already," she called over her shoulder. "Milo's human, that's rich," she said under her breath.

     "I'm not his pet," I mumbled as I sat down at the table.

     "Sure you are," Kiva said.

     "Always have to have the last word don't you, little b***h?" Mircea muttered as he flicked his cigarette into the sink and headed toward the door.

     Kiva turned to face him, her expression venomous. "What did you just call me?" she seethed at Mircea's retreating form.

     "Little b***h," he replied looking her straight in the face.

     Kiva reached over, grabbed an empty wine bottle and jumped up onto the counter so she would be high enough to reach Mircea. She then smashed the bottle against the back of his head. The bottle shattered and shards of glass fell to the floor. Mircea turned toward her with an annoyed look, not affected in any way by the blow.

     "Now was that really necessary?" He asked.

     "I thought so," she replied.

     Mircea grinned at her and turned toward me. "Women! She wonders why Milos likes boys better!"

     "I don't like boys better!" Milos shouted.

     "Come on, kido. Let's go downstairs. I'm thirsty. I can see by your color that you've already had breakfast but I haven't. This little cunt won't ever let me have a sip," Mircea said as he put his arm around Milos and pulled him toward the door.

     "Your God damn right I won't! I'm not your f*****g meal ticket," Kiva yelled after them. "Fuckers! So, what are you hungry for?" she asked.

     I wasn't expecting her to talk directly to me and it took me a minute to process that I'd been spoken to.

     "Hey stupid, are you in there? I asked you what you want to eat!"

     "Oh, sorry, anything is fine, you know, whatever," I answered.

     She snorted and tossed her head. I watched her take a package of bacon out of the refrigerator and my mouth began to water. I guess I hadn't realized just how hungry I was.

     "There's juice in the frig, glasses are in the cabinet, help yourself," she called over her shoulder at me.

     I reached up into the cabinet she had gestured to and got myself a glass then nosed around in the frig for some orange juice. I was half afraid to engage her in conversation but a burning question was on my mind.

     "So, are you Mircea's human or what?" I asked as I poured myself a glass.

     "I'm his girlfriend or "woman" as he calls me," she replied.

     "Are you serious?" I asked incredulously.

     "Yeah, why? Don't you think I'm good enough for him or something?" she asked, turning toward me with her little hand on her hip and that dangerous look in her eye.

     "No, I think you're gorgeous. I was just thinking, him being a prince and all...," I started.

     "Listen, I don't know what kind of f****d up relationship you have with Milos but with Mircea and me it's different. He doesn't drink my blood. I've never let him bite me. It's totally normal with us, I mean at least in as much as it can be. I'll admit it's not always easy to be in love with a vampire. He has needs, I realize that but we make it work," she said.

     "So you've never been bitten?" I asked, completely taken off guard.

     "Nope, never, not by him or anyone else; I wanted to make sure he loved me for the right reasons and not just for my blood," she answered.

     "So you're in love with a man who's been technically dead for how many years now?" I asked

     "Five-hundred and eleven years," she responded.

     "Man, that's f****d up!" I said, shaking my head.

     "And why is that exactly? Who the hell are you to say that to me? You're the one who can't stay away from Milos," she huffed.

     "That's different, I can't help it and I didn't ask for it. He's the one...," I started.

     "Now just hold up. As much as that little faggot gets on my nerves and God knows he does, you can't blame all this s**t on him," she stated.

     "Why do you hate him so much?" I asked.

     "Because he's spoiled and he gets away with anything he wants. They all treat him like a baby because that's how he likes it. They think he isn't responsible for his actions. I happen to know better. He's just playing them all, even Mircea. They know when they do wrong. He knows too but he isn't totally to blame for the mess you two are in. You went looking for trouble and man, did you ever find it!"

     "Yeah, I know, I mean I realize it was kind of mutually stupid of both of us. I guess we were in the wrong place at the wrong time," I admitted.

     "Understatement of the year," she mumbled. "So how do you want your eggs?"

     "Over easy, so how did you meet Mircea?" I asked.

     "I was singing in a club down the street. You know, fronting a band? Mircea apparently liked my voice or something. Anyway, he was passing outside the club, heard me singing and came inside to check it out. Big fucker walked right up to the stage and stood in front of me. As you know, he's not the type of man to be ignored. Not that I didn't try. But well, he's f**k-hot. I mean what can I say? He is what he is. I couldn't help but stare at him.

     "By the end of the song, I was singing directly to him and the rest of the room might as well have just burst into flames. I wouldn't have noticed. When the set was over, he reached up onto the stage, grabbed me, threw me over his shoulder, and carried me back here. It was kinda cave man of him but it turned me on. I like a man who knows what he wants and isn't afraid to take it," she laughed.

     "So did he tell you right away that he was a vampire?" I asked.

     "Yeah, pretty much; it's not easy to hide something like that. Of course, he wanted to drink from me and I told him to f**k off. I don't think Mircea is the kind of man who's used to being told to f**k off. I think if anyone else told him that he would just tear them apart but not me. I got that big bastard right around my little finger. He wants me and that gives a woman power you know," she grinned mischievously.

     "Yeah, I totally understand how that works. Women are always the ones in control when it comes to that. Oh, we like to think we are but deep down we know how it plays out. We want it, you guys got it and we're over a barrel," I said as I lit a cigarette. "You mind if I smoke?" I asked.

     "Your lungs not mine," she shrugged.

     "So I'm curious, it's none of my business, of course, but with Mircea being so big and strong and you being so small, how do you guys you know...," I asked.

     "Oh, yeah, well that is none of your business but you should know, I guess, since you're staying here with vampires. Knowing might save your life. Solid iron can hold a vampire if it's strong enough, at least for a little while. We had to go out and buy this big, mother f*****g, log chain made out of links of iron. He lies down on the bed; I wrap the chain around him and then its cow-girl time. Of course, he goes right into vamp-mode the minute his passion is aroused, and with him, it doesn't take much.

     "That big boy wants it all the time but I think it's like that for all vampires. They are very s****l beings, part of their lure I guess. Anyway, if I didn't chain him down, he'd break every bone in my body, not to mention the internal injuries," she replied.

     "Gross! I don't even want to think about it," I exclaimed.

     "Yeah, it wouldn't be pretty. It's impossible to be intimate with a vampire if you're human unless you take precautions like that. When it hits them, they lose all control. Ultimately, it all has to do with the blood lust. He would love to drink from me during s*x but I don't let him. Morsus thinks I'm cruel but I think I'm being safe. It's like insisting on a condom. What do you think handsome?" she asked.

     I was startled. No one had called me handsome for a long time. I blushed and lowered my head. "I think you're just looking out for your own interests. I don't blame you," I answered.

     "Good, it's nice to have another human to talk to. Sometimes I feel like I've been time-warped back to ancient Wallachia around here. When they all start talking in Romanian I just want to scream!" she said as she sat my plate in front of me.

     I tore into my breakfast and absolutely devoured it. She sat opposite me at the table and watched me eat, commenting from time to time about my sloppy eating habits. When I was finished, she suggested I go back to Milos's room and clean up, and then she'd take me down to the club.

     I followed her advice and went to get a shower. Someone had laid out toiletries on the sink in Milos's bathroom for me, a new toothbrush, still in the package, razor, shaving cream, and deodorant.

     I stood in the impressive marble-tiled shower with its many strategically placed jets and mused over last night's developments. It had all been too much for a normal person to take. I was still struggling with all of it myself. So, my new buddy was a five-hundred and some year old, vampire boy, his siblings were as well, not to mention that the actual Vlad Dracula was their grandfather! Holy s**t! The messes I get myself into!

     I finished up and stepped out to find that someone, probably Kiva, had come into the bathroom while I'd been showering and laid out some clothes for me on the vanity. I thought they might be Milos's at first but I was a couple of inches taller than him and he was definitely bulkier than me. No, these clothes fit me perfectly. Maybe somebody had checked out my clothing sizes and taken the liberty of going shopping.

     The shirt was a dark, navy-blue button up with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, a white, crew neck t-shirt and black, boxer briefs lay beside it and draped over the towel rack was a pair of dark, boot-cut jeans. I wrapped myself in a towel and picked up the blow dryer. One look around and I located what I'd been hoping to find, a bottle of hair gel. My long hair always needed a little help or it would have been a frizzy mess. I didn't want to go clubbing looking anything less than prime.

     Thirty or so minutes later, I emerged from the bathroom to find Kiva sitting on the side of Milos's bed appearing to be utterly bored. I looked around on the floor for my tattered Chuck Taylor's but they were nowhere in sight. "Where are my shoes?" I asked.

     "Just put these on. It's what he wants you to wear." Kiva replied pointing to a pair of biker-style black boots on the floor by the bed. They looked like they'd never been worn.

     "Who wants me to wear them?" I asked.

     "Milos I would presume. He picked out the clothes for you. They belonged to Morsus but he doesn't mind you wearing them. He has plenty of clothes and it's not like they can't go buy more. They have more money than God," she bragged.

     Moments later, we were walking down the claustrophobic hallway that led to the upper balcony of the club. She opened the door and reached back to take my hand. "Stay close to me. It's packed in here tonight. I'll take you to Mircea's table. Milos will come to you as soon he picks up your scent," she said.

     I followed close behind her, holding tightly to her little hand. I tried not to watch the seductive sway of her hips in the much too short, black, lacy, tutu-style skirt she was wearing. That paired with the fishnets, black, leather, knee- length boots, and black, leather vest, embroidered with little, pink roses presented a tempting ensemble for a red-blooded American male.

     As we approached a large, old theatre box to the left side of the balcony, I sensed Mircea's presence. I worked to hide my less than noble thoughts about his little, Goth girl, as we entered the booth and sat down at the table.

     Mircea and Morsus were there. An absolutely beautiful, young woman with very long, black hair and the same mocha-colored skin as the princes, was straddling Morsus's lap. I could see from the look on his face and the position of her head that she was most likely drinking from him. I found it odd that a prince would let another vampire drink from him. He picked up on my thoughts and I heard his voice in my head.

     "Why not? You find it pleasurable, so do we. Besides, she's my wife."

     I blushed and sat down opposite them. Kiva sat down beside Mircea and he leaned over, took her face in his enormous hand, and passionately kissed her. I had the good sense to turn away. Watching two beautiful people kiss like that was never a good idea. Brought out the nasty voyeur in me and aroused passions that were best left alone in this dangerous setting. Getting heated up in a room full of vampires was downright stupid and a sure way to get noticed. They could probably smell pheromones or something.

     "Yep!"

     Morsus's voice again. "Damn it, stay out of my head!" I said to him.

     "No can do, I'm all over you like white on rice," he answered as the gypsy beauty on his lap turned around to get a look at who he was talking to.

     "What a handsome boy! Is this Milos's pet?" she asked.

     "Yes, Divna. This is Alex. He's a witch like me," Morsus answered. "Looks like my clothes fit you pretty well."

     "Yeah, thanks, I appreciate it, man," I replied.

     "No problem," He answered and turned his attention to his wife's pretty neck.

     I looked away again but the view on the other side of the booth was no better. Mircea had sat Kiva on the table and was leaning up between her legs, his hands on both her knees, biting at the buttons on her leather vest. Her head was tilted back, her eyes shut and her lips slightly parted. I got the impression that I was in the make-out booth at a hooch parlor. I was toying with the idea of trying to sneak away quietly when I felt the wicked pull, the pull that meant the object of my addiction was near. A hand clamped down on my shoulder and I looked up into those familiar brown eyes.

     "Wanna dance with me?" he asked.

     "Do you think that's a good idea given our present company?" I asked.

     He laughed. "Come on!" he said as he pulled me up and led the way down the stairs onto the packed dance floor.

     We made our way, more or less, to the center of the room where he turned to face me. He put his hands on my hips and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Get into it. Don't pay any attention to the others. Their jealous of me, that I'm a prince and that I found you first."

     As I reached out and took hold of his arms, my memory was jolted by something Vlad had said about Milos; that he would be frozen forever at sixteen with all the greed and self-centeredness of a sixteen-year-old. The remark he'd just made seemed to validate that statement.

     I decided to play along with his little game. Besides, if the vampires in the room were jealous of Milos, then the humans were positively green with envy of me, especially the pretty girls. Apparently they'd been hoping Milos would sink his teeth into them for the night. I could tell by the way they were looking at us that they were disappointed.

     Milos pulled on my hips, dragging us closer together and ran his tongue down my neck. I involuntarily leaned back and exposed it to him. It was like an instinct. He began to suck at the skin just below my jawline and tightened his grip on my hips as he ground his body against me.

     It was impossible to stay focused under such circumstances. I was vaguely aware of the close proximity of other vampires and that they were watching with morbid fascination. I could feel my psychic alarms going off, warning me of the danger but I was unable to disengage myself from him. It would have been pointless to try. The dark beat of the music continued to hypnotize me and I became almost disorientated in the smoke-filled room. I felt feverish and drunk with my desires. My vision began to waver and I felt my hold on reality slowly slipping into the pale…

     I reached behind him, yanked his shirt out of his jeans, pushed my hands under it, and began to slide them up and down his back, feeling the muscles contracting beneath my touch. God but his skin was so warm! I'd always thought that vampires were supposed to be cold but he certainly wasn't.

     He raised his head from my neck and looked deep into my eyes. I felt the dizzy feeling begin to take me but I held his gaze, returning it as best I could. He flashed me a fang-filled smile and leaned closer, pressing his forehead against mine. I head his voice speaking in my head.

     "Kiss me."

     I'd wanted to kiss him since the first day I'd seen him. I reached up and took his face in my hands, pressed my lips tentatively against his, then went in for the kill. I knew I was a good kisser and I wanted to prove it but I'd forgotten, for the moment, that I was kissing a vampire. He had something entirely different in mind and of course, I was the one surprised.

     The instant my tongue passed into his mouth, he caught it between his fangs and pressed down gently. I felt the sharp pain, then the high, as I tasted my own coppery blood. He began to suck on my tongue, drawing the drops of blood from it and moaning against my mouth. That sound was enough to send the waves of pleasure rolling through my belly.

     He began grinding against me once more, pushing me backward as he did so. He was impossibly strong and I was in no shape to defend myself against him. It never occurred to me to be afraid of him. The thought didn't cross my mind. Lucky for me, someone older and wiser was looking out for both of us.

     "That's enough of that you two. You're causing a spectacle."

     Milos broke the kiss and I looked up to see Morsus standing behind him. "If you want to carry on like that, the dance floor isn't the place to do it. Come back to the booth and draw the curtain. You don't want everyone in here to know you're hooked on a witch do you?" he asked Milos.

     "It's no one's God damned business!" Milos fired back.

     "Let's do what he says Milos," I insisted. "I think he's right. We are causing a scene."

     All the vampires around us had closed in and were staring at us. I felt uneasy. Morsus turned and looked at them, his expression an obvious warning to them not to come any closer. Lucky for us, they got the hint and the crowd began to break up.

     Milos was bristling at Morsus and seemed about to start something. I took his hand and tugged on it, pulling him toward the stairs. "Let's go back to your room. I'm not really in the mood to be around so many people," I said.

     He stood stock-still and held his ground. "I want to stay right here," he replied.

     "Fine, stand there, I'm going back up," I said as I began to follow Morsus up the stairs.

     "Don't walk away from me!" Milos hissed against my ear, closing the distance between us lightning-fast and clamping his hand tight on my upper arm.

     Morsus, who was halfway up the stairs, stopped, turned, and stood watching us. I realized he was waiting to see how I would respond before he intervened. I heard his voice speaking silently to me. "Be the witch that you are. Show him that he can't boss you around."

     I turned to face Milos. His eyes were glazed over in deep crimson, his mouth slightly open exposing the tips of his elongated fangs. He was breathing hard; an angry scowl marred his handsome features.

     "Take control of him, Alex. He's just a boy in thought. You're older in mind. Make him obey you! You're going to have to take some responsibility for him now."

     I turned back toward Morsus and sent him my irritated thoughts on the subject. "Damn it, Morsus, what the hell do you want me to do? I'm just a human remember? He's a vampire prince! How the hell can I control him?"

     Morsus didn't answer but continued to stand there looking at me. I turned back to Milos in frustration. He hadn't changed his position or expression. I decided to try another tactic. Morsus had encouraged me to be a witch. That was just what I'd do; be witchy!

     I put my hands on Milos's shoulders and leaned around to whisper in his ear. "Come on; let's go back up to your room where we can be alone. We don't need anyone telling us what to do. Don't you want to be alone with me?" I asked, throwing my best effort at compulsion at him.

     He remained silent, continuing to breathe hard and glowering up at both of us but after a moment of my continued compulsion, his expression softened a bit. I stroked my fingers through his soft, dark hair and brushed my lips against his cheek. "Please come with me," I pleaded.

     To my relief, he relented and took my hand, allowing me to lead him up the stairs, following Morsus's retreating form. I could see Mircea standing at the head of the stairs, a reproving look on his face. I was afraid he would say something scolding to Milos and start the whole fight over again but a look from Morsus kept the big boy quiet and he let us pass.

     Milos turned to look up at him, tauntingly, almost inviting Mircea to say something. I hooked my arm around Milos's waist and continued to pull him toward the door leading to their private rooms. I didn't feel I could stop my efforts at compulsion until we were locked behind that door and heading to his room. The club was obviously not the best place for either of us to be when we were together. We got too distracted by each other and forgot to be sensible.

     As soon as the door clicked closed behind us and we were in the dreary hallway, I shut off the compulsion. Milos turned, grabbed me by the arms, and slammed me up against the wall, rattling the old paintings. He stood, holding tightly to my arms and staring at me with a predatory look plastered all over his angelic face. Again, it never occurred to me to be frightened of him. I knew he wouldn't kill me. I'd never believed he could. A moment later, any rational thoughts in my head were scattered when he was all over me.

      His mouth was hot against mine, his tongue invading me, twisting around mine. His left hand twined tightly in my long, blonde hair, pulling my head back, his right hand gripped me by the neck. I could feel him tightening it, cutting off my air slightly. I could still breathe but I had to work at it.

     We moved down the hallway, slamming and sliding against the wall and pushing some of the paintings crooked as we kissed and pulled ferociously at each other. We were like animals in heat or horny teenagers in the back seat of a Chevy. Anyone witnessing the two of us might not have been sure if we were fighting or making out. The passionate energy we were expending was so violent, so forceful, the male in each of us fighting for dominance, neither one willing to surrender.

     We fell through the double doors to his room, arms, and legs wrapped around each other, landing on the floor beside his bed. Somehow or other, I ended up on top of him and braced myself up, holding onto his arms, as I looked down at him. His face was flushed slightly with arousal, his full mouth open just enough to draw deep, rapid breaths and show me his fangs. The mere sight of them sent the heat through me and reminded me how good it felt when they were buried in my neck. His beautiful, brown eyes were back and they were wide open and fixed on mine.

      I feared I was falling in love with him. I tried vainly to hide that thought from him but he picked up on it right away. He grinned at me and thrust his hips up against me. His silent voice intruded upon my less than virtuous thoughts.

     "Of course you're in love with me but I think you're more in love with my bite!"

     I felt my face burn and I knew I was blushing. He took advantage of my flustered state to throw me off balance and rolled his weight on top of me. Now it was my turn to be held down by the arms as he hovered over me.

     "What are you thinking, Alex, luring me up here alone? Don't you know how dangerous that is?" he asked.

     It was the first time he'd ever called me by name and the way he said it, with that slight Romanian accent, made me shudder in a good way. "Does it matter?" I asked him. "I mean if you really wanted to hurt me you would have done it when we were sleeping today."

     "I can't hurt you when I'm sleeping!" he exclaimed.

     "Let's get up off this floor. Hardwood isn't the best place to be lying when you have a vampire on top of you," I said as I tried to roll out from under him.

     He held tight to me and wouldn't budge. I felt him grinding slowly against me again and I fought to prevent myself from getting distracted by it. I tried to remember Kiva's warning about how it was dangerous for a human to get a vampire sexually aroused. I thought of the possible scenarios that might occur, each one ending up with gruesome death for me but nothing seemed to take my mind off of what he was doing.

     "Stop that!" I warned, again trying to slide out from under him.

     "You don't want me to stop," he said, his voice deep, husky and seductive.

     How could I argue? I didn't want him to stop. I wanted it to go on and on. I was hard as a rock. So was he. This was completely insane! I knew it. Before I could make another protest, he did stop but only long enough to grab me and toss me up onto the bed as effortlessly as if I was a rag doll.

     I landed face down amongst the pillows and struggled to roll onto my back before he could get hold of me again but there was no need to fear. He was standing beside the bed looking down at me and smiling that wicked fang-filled smile I loved so much.

     "Happy now?" he asked silently.

     I didn't bother to answer him but sat up against the headboard of the bed to watch as he began to undress.