My dreams were unfortunately all intimate dreams involving Alexandre. Inspired perhaps by the incident immediately preceding my sleep. I woke up with a flushed face to a thankfully sound asleep Alexandre and a silent Jeff and Bert. I tried to close my eyes and drift off, but the images in my dreams kept coming back to me, and I just couldn't sleep. Worse, Alexandre's closeness and scent were maddeningly close. I tried to pull free from him to give my hormones time to chill, but he clutched me tighter, causing me to gasp slightly in panic. Jeff looked at me in the mirror and I blushed hard. I resolutely stared out the window, trying to control my breathing. Blessedly, Bert intervened.
"Bathroom break!" He announced to the car, pulling off the road into a rest stop The sun had gone down and at some point Alexandre must have relieved me of my sunglasses while I slept, because the lighting of the parking lot was almost painfully bright as we pulled in. I sighed in relief as Bert parked the car and bolted upright when Alexandre's breathing pattern's changed and his grip loosened. I slid from the car as quickly as I could, Alexandre staring after me curiously as he got out on the other side. Jeff and Bert wandered towards the restrooms, not bothering to see if we were following. I took several paces in the opposite direction, heading towards a set of picnic tables under some permanent awnings, now shrouded in shadows. Alexandre ghosted along behind me silently. I put a table between us when he reached for me, his nostril flared in the wake of my passage and he struggled to control his expression.
"You smell...interesting.." He stated. Taking a seat slowly at the table, watching me as if I was a timid rabbit that was prepared to bolt.
"It's all your fault!" I hissed, arms crossed, turning halfway away from him. It was the only opening he needed. In an instant he was behind me, arms wrapped around me, holding me still, keeping me trapped against him.
"Oh, and how is that?" He purred, nibbling at my neck. My knees went weak and I tried to swat him away, but he had trapped my arm within his grasp. I moaned faintly.
"Like this!" I snarled, and jerked, trying to free myself. "And then I had these dreams, and when I woke up I wanted to rip your goddamn clothes off and if we had been alone I just might..." I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. Alexandre inhaled deeply and groaned against my neck.
"Carys." He said shakily, his teeth grazing my neck again, biting harder. I suppressed another moan halfheartedly. "Carys, may I taste you?" He whispered softly, and before I could think it through I leaned into him and nodded, turning my head away to allow him access. I felt his lips brush the skin covering my hammering pulse first, making me tremble, before he lightly grazed the skin with his teeth, and then the puncture, as his teeth pierced my flesh and I nearly collapsed. Alexandre held me up and I could feel the blood pulsing quickly from the wound as his gentle lips and tongue kept the wound clean, preventing a single drop from escaping him. I moaned again and pulled an arm free to wrap around his head, digging my fingernails into his hair. He gripped me tighter and I could feel every fiber of him pressed against me. I felt more than heard him groan as the wound began to close. He gently kissed the healing tissue and dropped us both onto the bench beside us. He kissed my neck again and laid his head on my shoulder. I shuddered hard and exhaled. I wanted more, but this wasn't the place. I leaned back into him, wanting to melt into him, remember the feel of ever angle and plane. He hummed appreciatively.
"When we get home, maybe we can do this properly." He whispered seductively, making me squirm on the bench. He kissed the back of my neck, and my body reacted immediately, arching into the touch. He chuckled against my spine softly.
"I do so love how reactive you are to me." He said, moving my hair aside and continuing down my spine until my shirt got in the way. I squirmed.
"Ready to go?" Jeff called from the edge of the picnic area. I sighed and relaxed against Alexandre.
"Do we have to?" I pouted, which I could tell immediately thrilled Alexandre to no end.
"Yes," He replied, "Because the sooner we get home.." He gently nipped my neck causing me to arch my back again. I swatted him.
"Stop showing off." I hissed and stood up, hearing Alexandre's soft chuckle behind me. He grabbed me around the waist as we walked towards the car, and the clouds suddenly pelted us with rain. I squealed and turned to Alexandre with a laugh. I had always loved a good storm when I was in a mood to enjoy it, and suddenly this was the perfect stress reliever after everything that had happened. At the look on my face, Alexandre brightened and swung me around in the rain, then raced me back towards the car, diving inside with a mad chuckle, trying to keep me from getting in. Bert was mumbling something about crazy rich people, so Alexandre took the opportunity to pull me into the car on top of him and kiss me loudly. Bert rolled his eyes and pulled out of the rest area, Jeff chuckled lightly, but eyeballed Alexandre in the mirror thoughtfully as he readjusted our positions so we could buckle in.
Although I was wet, I still managed to find comfort and warmth in Alexandre's arms. He held me gently and as the car rocked steadily down the road, I drifted off to sleep again. I heard Alexandre's deep breathing beside me and was able to relax even further, knowing that the sleep would undoubtedly help heal his body. Eventually, Alexandre slumped into a deeper sleep, and I pulled him towards me, resting his head in my lap, in what I hoped was a more comfortable position. I gently ran my fingers through his rain dampened hair, and watched as the corner of his mouth lifted into the gentle 'secret smile' I loved.
"You must really love him." Jeff observed from the front seat. I bristled. It was like having someone intrude on your private thoughts.
"In a strange way, I do, but it's more than that. He's rescued me in more ways than I can mention, and never once asked for thanks or payment. He's gentle and kind, and yet fierce and strong, when I need it. We're bound together in a way I don't think you'll ever really comprehend, and somehow he's capable of understanding me in a way no one else ever really has." I looked directly at Jeff, gazing into his eyes, his very soul. "So no, it's more than just love." He flinched slightly.
"Well, I'm just saying maybe it's wise to keep your options open." Jeff offered. "Like me, if you ever got tired of him, I'd be open to hooking up." He grinned and I stared at him until he shrugged uncomfortably. "Just an offer." He muttered. I felt Alexandre squeeze my hand and looked down. His eyes were filled that heartbreaking lovesick look again and my own heart skipped a beat. He raised my palm to his lips and kissed it.
"I love you." He whispered, and I felt my heart clench. I leaned forward and he raised his head to reach my lips, and brushed his lips over mine in a feather-light kiss.
The tapping rain on the roof was soothing and I was suddenly aware of my head falling back. I jerked awake, no use having a nasty pain in the neck. Vampire pun entirely intended. Sadly, it didn't last long, soon my head was falling back again and I gave up, leaning to the side, allowing my eyes to close. My hand was resting on Alexandre's chest and I could feel the slow rise and fall caused by his breathing. His hand laid on top of mine, comfortably. I imagined meeting him as a youngster and growing old together. We would have made hilarious old people. I snorted. My thoughts scattered slightly and I lost track of time. The rain stopped as abruptly as it started, and then there was nothing but the sound of the wet tires on pavement. Eventually the smell of home came to me and I opened my eyes wearily. We pulled into the drive and I gently shook Alexandre's shoulder.
"Woohooo, we're here." Said Jeff. Bert whistled as the house came into view.
"That is impressive..." Bert muttered.
"I wish your driving was." Jeff replied.
Alexandre blinked and smiled sleepily at me. He brought my hand to his lips again and sat up, sighing with relief as he saw where we were.
"Here's fine, gentlemen." Alexandre instructed as they neared the front entrance. Bert slowed to a stop and used a button below the dash to pop the trunk, still staring at the house with an open mouth.
"This place is amazing." He said, and Alexandre smiled politely. "You wouldn't happen to do tours would you?" I hopped out and grabbed our bags, while Alexandre was quizzed ruthlessly by Bert. He tried to escape the car, begging exhaustion, as Jeff slipped quickly out and ran to me where I stood near the front door of the house. He handed me a slip of paper.
"In case you wanna, you know, explore your other options later." He said, and raced back to the car, much to the chagrin of Alexandre, who headed in my direction.
"Young twerp." He growled, unlocking the door and watching as the car pulled away. "I should go after him and show him my teeth." He snarled. I giggled and kissed him on the mouth, causing the snarl to fall from his face. He kissed back eagerly and then pushed me away regretfully.
"Sadly, I must ask you to hold that thought. I really must go and get something to eat. And if you would like to continue our earlier discussion," He said pointedly "I suggest you do too." I blushed hard, and Alexandre chuckled, grabbing the bags from my hands and swooping me inside. He dropped them inside the door, closing it behind us, and kissed my hand before ushering me towards the kitchen. He handed me a bag of donor blood and pulled several from the fridge for himself. I eyed him suspiciously.
"Mmm... Just very, very hungry...In more ways than one." He said eyeing me as he tore into the first bag. I blushed again. He moved onto the second bag.
"Aren't you going to warm that?" I asked, taking a sip from my cup and watching as he finished off the second bag and ripped open the third. He shook his head and tossed the empty bags in the trash and looked at the remains of my bag. I offered it to him, and it was gone in seconds. He sat at the table for a few minutes while I sipped quietly at the counter. Alexandre held his head in his hands as if exhausted, but I watched as the color began to creep back into his skin. I sipped a little more from my cup and eyed his rosy hue appreciatively as he took a deeper breath and his muscles relaxed a bit.