Alexandre was curled protectively around me, but we were no longer on the floor.
"I see you're taking advantage of this dating thing." I said upon opening my eyes to find Alexandre watching me.
"I never know when you might change your mind." He shrugged.
"Ouch. Ok, I deserved that one. Well, your back must be better for you to have lifted me, but you better be wearing pants under that sheet young man." I said eyeballing his lower half.
"And if I'm not?" Alexandre's eyes twinkled mischeviously.
"Your back won't be the only thing you will need to grow back." I responded promptly. Alexandre gaped for a moment and then the wolf look returned to his eye as he threw back his head to laugh.
"Aw, you mean we haven't reached the physical intimacy stage of our relationship yet?" He teased, drawing closer to me.
"Boy!" I warned, putting my hands on his chest, but he ran his fingertips down my spine, starting at the nape of my neck, making me shiver and twitch away from them, right up against the length of his body, and straight into his waiting arms.
"Hmm...It seems we are at that stage after all. You just flung yourself at me." Alexandre remarked.
"Trickery doesn't equal consent." I huffed.
"True." Alexandre said. "And all you have to do is tell me no, and I will stop." He ran his lips along my jaw and stopped at the pulse in my neck. My heartbeat betrayed me by kicking up a notch and Alexandre chuckled.
"Should I kiss you, or taste you?" He murmured against my skin hoarsely. "Or perhaps..." And the kisses continued down my shoulder.
"Hey...I thought you were old fashioned. Isn't this a little bold, like after marriage bold" I fretted.
"Carys, I'm over one hundred years old, I'm a vampire, and I'm french. Plus, remember those sexual revolution things? I tossed societal standards out the window many years ago." Alexandre chuckled, and placed the next kiss on my collar bone. "However, if you're uncomfortable..." He drew back.
"You don't fight fair." I complained. Alexandre chuckled and grazed his teeth across my neck. I shivered and stopped breathing as he heaved a huge sigh.
"I am quite hungry. If I don't stop this, I may lose my self-control and sample you instead." He ran his fingers down my side, causing me to shiver again, this time at his words and his feather-light touch.
"Come with me, Carys. I can't lose sight of you today." Alexandre told me solemnly. His eyes looked haunted, so I nodded my agreement without a word. When he sat up, I noticed the scar tissue was still healing on his back. I traced the zigzag patterns lightly and Alexandre tensed, then growled lightly as my fingers wandered over a particularly brutal scar on his hip.
"Don't start something you can't finish." He warned, capturing my hand. I blushed.
"Well, I'm glad to see you're wearing pants anyway." I replied, and plucked the waistband, quickly dodging out of the way giggling, before he could retaliate. I rolled out of the bed and made a mad dash for the door, and squealed as Alexandre caught me in the doorway, lifting me slightly off the ground in a tight hug. He set me back on the ground abruptly, panting slightly and kissed me on the neck.
"We'll have to continue this conversation when I'm less hungry..." Alexandre murmured and I turned to look at him more carefully. He looked pale, like paler than a vampire pale, with dark circles under his eyes. Worse, he looked exhausted. Basically: he looked sick.
Shocked, I raised my hands to his face and traced the new hollows there as if I could see him wasting away before my eyes. Hell, maybe I could, who knew with the vampire senses. He kissed my palm and took my hand and we walked slowly to the kitchen.
I made him sit at the small kitchen table there and fetched the blood myself.
"I'm not an invalid, Carys." Alexandre grumbled.
"Just, let me take care of you. For a change." I paused. Hadn't we had this conversation before? I shook my head and filled two cups, handing both to Alexandre.
"What about you?" He objected.
"I'm good, for now. You...most definitely are not." I watched him slurp down the first mug I offered greedily, and I could almost see a little color return to his face.
"Are you sure?" Alexandre asked me as he held the remaining cup towards me.
"I insist." I pushed it back towards him and watched him lick his lips in anticipation, downing the second in a few minute's time. I saw his muscles relax and that eased some of my tension as well.
"Are you feeling a little better?" I encouraged and he smiled at me slightly.
"You'll make a good mother some day." He said. I blinked and drew back.
"Alexandre, that's not really... I mean, that's kind of cruel since..we don't really even know if vampires can..And what even would it be?" I asked horrified. Alexandre grabbed my hand.
"There are many children in the world already that could use a mother's love, regardless of your own reproductive capabilities, or decisions regarding those capabilities. Alexandre said quietly, and I blinked again and looked at him curiously.
"But won't the odd hours and blood drinking and not aging thing be noticeable? I mean, kids aren't great with secrets..." I objected.
"We're rich, and even if you part from my company, I will not leave you penniless. Many of those things can be explained away by eccentricities due to your wealth. The blood drinking, well, you'll have to figure out a nice way to hide or deceive until they're old enough to understand. It's doable." Alexandre stifled a yawn.
"You have put a lot of thought into this..." I commented and Alexandre grinned lopsidedly.
"I always wanted a family. And...I could see that happening with you..if you were agreeable." Alexandre's words shocked me again.
"I... you... woah... I barely agreed to date you... You move way too fast buddy." I stammered.
"I told you I had very little patience, and when I set my mind to something..." Alexandre leaned across the table and kissed me gently. "However, this, like all things, I won't push you into. I will honor your decisions. However, I will play dirty and try every trick I know to win you over to my side." Alexandre's eyes twinkled and his kiss was slower, sweeter. I pulled back.
"Hey-cheating!" I accused, and Alexandre laughed, dropping back into his chair heavily. I eyed him cautiously.
"I really think we should get you back to bed." I told him with worry.
"You just want to see me with my pants off." Alexandre teased with the wolfish grin, and my face flushed beet red. He laughed the loud, full laugh again and stood. "I can oblige if you would like..." He said, gripping the waistband of his pants. I flushed even harder and grabbed his hand to stop him.
"You will be the first person known to kill another vampire with embarrassment." Alexandre laughed and sat back down.
"My dear Carys, the way you are acting, I'm tempted to believe you've never seen a male nude before." Alexandre chuckled and I blushed harder. Alexandre gaped.
"I mean..I obviously had education..but the way I was raised...and none of my relationships after I got away from home ever made it that far...I mean... I've seen medical journals and anatomical books and things..." I grew more flustered as I blabbered on. Alexandre swiftly knelt in front of me and held my face in his hands.
"I did not mean to make you uncomfortable Carys. I understand your upbringing had a long lasting impact on you. I just never thought someone of your age, with as pretty as you are, would have felt the need to reject her suitors." Alexandre kissed my forehead.
"Pretty? Suitors?" I laughed wryly. "What my father didn't ruin for me with his threats of shotgun revenge, I scared away myself by just being...me. There were rare few who even asked me out after a while, and I destroyed those relationships long before we ever got to the intimacy stage..." I gulped and stopped talking.
"I'm sorry. Let's stop talking about this, it's embarrassing and pointless and silly for me to be complaining away bitterly like this." I turned my face away from Alexandre, trying to free myself from his grasp, but he patiently turned my face back.
"I have half a mind to take you to my bedroom right now and show you what you've missed." Alexandre informed me and I gulped. "And half a mind to beat your father senseless." I sighed.
"I like the first plan better, but I'm not too sure either of us are ready for that. You still look dead on your feet, if you'll excuse the terrible pun. And me...well, I still have some trust and courage to find before I take that step." I smiled wryly at Alexandre, who shook his head sadly.
"Trust me Carys, you are beautiful and your past doesn't define your present. But you are right about me needing rest, and I will always await your consent. But in the meantime, I will try to help you find the courage you need. The trust, I'm afraid, is up to you." And with that, Alexandre kissed me until the room spun and I had to push him back to breathe.
"Point made. Now, seriously, let's get you to bed." I told Alexandre, standing up. He wrapped his arms around my shoulder and pulled me to him.
"Are you sure this isn't because you want to see me pants-less?" Alexandre taunted. I rolled my eyes.
"How long has it been since you've been laid Alexandre? You know what-don't answer that, I regret ever asking it, the moment it came out of my mouth I knew it was a mistake! Oh GAH NOOO!!" I began talking louder as Alexandre chuckled and tried to answer over my objections.