Vampire P.I., Double Trouble

Chapter 2: Here and Now

*Nathaniel*

I was not asleep. In fact, I cannot even recall what it feels like to sleep. It was so long ago since I had surrendered to unconsciousness and enjoyed the bliss of sleep.

Since my transformation and becoming a vampire, I found better ways to spend my nights such as reading and furthering my education, learning instruments, and defending the streets from vagrants and prowlers seeking harm on unsuspecting civilians.

At least, it was how I used to enjoy my nights.

Ever since Claire Knight came into my life, however, I allowed myself to indulge in the relaxation of night, letting her sleep and taking time to listen to the soft thrum of her heart and her light breathing as she slept.

Our vacation, if nothing else, proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that I loved her with every fiber of my being. This spontaneous getaway was just the thing we needed not only professionally, but personally.

Taking time to enjoy life, especially a mortal one, meant more than all the wealth in the world. What was worth more than that wealth, however, was the smile on Claire's face as she gazed lovingly back at me.

I gaze into her eyes for several seconds, absorbing the moment, before glancing at the nearby window to see the twilight outside.

“Good morning," I greet her, stretching slightly to better fit her body beside mine. “Is something troubling you? Are you all right?"

She shakes her head, but follows up the motion by saying, “I just wanted to see you smile."

I feel a grin tug onto my lips and I reach up and brush away a few stray strands of Claire's blonde-brown hair that were trying to tangle in her eyelashes.

“As you wish," I say, resting my palm against the side of her face, letting the warmth of her skin spread through my body. Her features spread into a smile of her own and she laid her cheek back against my chest.

“Cheesy line, but I'll take it," mutters Claire as she stifles a yawn. I nod in agreement as I let my fingers slide down from her cheek, over her shoulder, and then back and forth in a slow, rhythmic motion along her arm. She sighs and relaxes, rubbing her leg against my leg.

“Is your mind preoccupied? You're not usually conscious at this hour," I remark, focusing my eyes back on the ceiling to listen to the sound of her voice. She hums an acknowledgment and nods.

“Yes," she mutters. “I was thinking about how lucky I am. Out of all of the people, all the chance encounters, I found you."

I raise my eyebrows and glance down at her unbelievingly. “You found me?" I ask. “Madam, I do believe it was I who found you."

Claire giggles and, very slowly, readjusts her position from being beside me to laying against my front. She folds her fingers and lays them against my chest, resting her chin on top of them.

“We found each other," she says. “And now, despite the odds, we're together. Right here. Right now."

I smile and let my hands rest on her hips, thumbs hooking where her legs meet the rest of her. I see her eyes lull ever so slightly and, for a moment, I swear I hear her heart begin to pound a little harder in her chest.

For several minutes, I close my eyes and let Claire's weight rest on top of me. Every part of me wants nothing more than to explore every inch of Claire as her feather-like weight presses against me, but I know Claire prefers, as she says, 'mixing it up in the evening' rather than the morning.

I want to love her, show her that I love her, in every way I know how. Instead, I let my hands ever so slightly slip up to her waist, keeping her firmly against me so I can feel the beating of her heart.

“What are you thinking?" she asks quietly, breaking the comfortable silence between us.

I think for a moment about the question before responding in the most direct way I know how.

“I am thinking about how much I love you," I say.

I look down at her features and see her smiling up at me. I lean up ever so slightly and place my hand along the small of her back as I begin rotating our bodies. Her arms instinctively reach up and wrap around my neck, holding her body aloft, as I spin both of us around and lay her against the pillows.

“I am thinking of the years that have gone by without you and how, only now, I see how fortunate I am to have you in my life and that an eternity wouldn't be enough time with you."

I feel Claire's skin beginning to burn hotter and hotter under my touch. I hear her heart racing in her chest and how her breath hitches every few breaths as she tries to maintain control over herself.

What a marvelous woman she is.

Without a word, I feel her knees part and press against either side of my hips. I can smell her excitement in the air. Even in the dark, I can see her cheeks flush pink. Every part of her is trembling, and I can't help but feel my own body respond to her reaction.

Arms still around my neck, she lifts herself and kisses me with her delicate, supple lips. Her fingers entwine themselves in my hair, grasping the roots firmly, but delicately. As she falls back, I fall forward and press her further into the mess of pillows and covers.

My arms keep me planked above her easily as our lips lock, a single breath sustaining us as her free hand grasps my side and attempts to pull me toward her. I feel my body beginning to stiffen, swelling in anticipation, but I pause and look into her eyes before lowering my hips.

Claire gasps and bites her lower lip, her grip along my side tightening as I slip myself into her. I choke back a sigh of delight as, once again, we are locked at the hips and lips, not even the smallest sliver of a gap between us.

Her body feels like a raging inferno against my petrified skin, frozen in time, but my frozen touch doesn't bother Claire as she has told me dozens of times before now. Hot and cold. Two sides of the same coin. I pull my lips away from hers to admire her beauty before pressing my lips to her neck and rocking my hips back and forth slowly to allow her to get used to me.

Claire's grip on me tightens. If I were human, I would venture to guess her grip would be crippling. To me, however, it feels like the clutch of a lifetime, fingers gripping the cheek of my left buttock, which makes me pause just long enough to hear her gasp.

“Don't stop."

Her pleading tone eggs me on to continue rocking my hips harder and faster, our bodies moving in perfect unison. My mind is consumed with adrenaline and desire. My body trembles at her touch, making every thought spiral into oblivion. Then, I feel it. I know what's about to come, and I don't try to stop it. I continue to swell as her legs slicken around me.

Claire bites back a scream as I let myself go, a burst of warm liquid soaking us and the sheets around us, dribbling from between her legs. I continue to move my hips until she catches her breath before pulling myself out of her and laying at her side.

Claire rolls onto her side, so we're laying front to front, arms wrapping around my torso as her head presses against my chest. I know there is no true heartbeat that she is listening to, but instead, she listens as I calm my breathing.

I close my eyes and listen to her racing heart slow back to its normal rhythm.

Wordlessly, she signs and, soon after, lets herself slip once again into the bliss of sleep. I keep my arms around her and press my lips to the top of her head, breathing in her natural scent.

As I close my eyes, I let myself relax and enjoy the moments between us, knowing the next day will be just as exhausting as today and, hopefully, just as exciting once the sun went down.