A Tale of Two Vampires (26 page)

I sat silent for a few minutes, trying to work through everything he said.

“What of you?” he asked, suddenly looking very vulnerable and unsure.

I leaned down to kiss him, allowing my lips to linger on his warm, so very sweet mouth. “I don’t know what I feel, either, Nikola. I like you a lot, more than any other man I’ve ever known. I want to be with you, too, and I think that it would probably be very easy for me to fall in love with you, but I don’t want to become a vampire. I just… I just don’t think that’s for me.”

His expression grew shuttered, and he started to roll away from me, the hurt so deep in him that it made tears sting my eyes. “No, wait,” I said, grabbing his arm and forcing him to turn back toward me. “It doesn’t mean I don’t want to spend my life with you. I think I do, I really think I do. But not at the cost of my soul. If there was a way I could become like Imogen, but keep my soul—”

“Imogen has her soul,” he interrupted.

I stared down at him, his eyes once again a pale frosty blue. “She does? But I thought she’s a vamp, too?”

“She is a Moravian, but she has her soul. My son does not, but she does.” His eyes narrowed in thought. “I have wondered if it was due to her gender that she was allowed to retain her soul, while Benedikt was not. I have long meant to contact the Moravian Society to inquire about that, but more important studies always seemed to claim my time. However, I shall make the time to contact the society when we return home.”

I let that subject go in favor of one more important. “So you think maybe there’s a way I can be like Imogen? Because I would do that. So long as I could keep my soul, I would do that. It would hurt to see the few family members I have, like Gretl, grow old and eventually die, but that can happen at any time, and…and…well, to be honest, I can see myself spending a long, long time with you.”

“Then we are in agreement,” he said, one hand sliding down my back to my behind. “We will find a way for you to become a Moravian like Imogen—without sacrificing your soul—and you will return with me to my home.”

“Nice try to slip that last bit in while distracting me with a butt grope,” I said, leaning down to kiss him again.

He pulled me across his body, his legs capturing mine, erotic thoughts dancing once again in his brain. I let him fulfill all his smutty thoughts, content that, at least for the moment, we were of one mind.

16 July 2012

“Hey, Mr. Sleepyhead, wake up or we’re going to miss the fair, and it’s the last night for it, so we really should go so you can see Imogen and Ben.”

The voice that woke Nikola was filled with warmth and happiness, and made him think of pleasurable afternoons spent in bedsport. “I’m sleeping. You have exhausted me with your demands for sensual delights, and I, being a mere man, have used up all my strength ensuring the fulfillment of your many needs.”

“You’re a vampire, and everyone knows vampires don’t take naps. Besides, you’ve slept for three hours, and if Mr. Pokey down there is any indicator, you’re more than rarin’ to go again.”

“I may be a Dark One, you insatiably sassy wench, but I am also a man, and thus I need copious amounts of sleep after pleasuring my woman to the tips of her toes. What is that?” He squinted at a large yellow glossy object she set next to him on the edge of the bed.

“It’s a present.”

“For me?” He sat up, anticipation driving away the need to sleep. He had a secret love of receiving unexpected presents, something he’d never before told another person, but here was Io handing him some sort of slippery yellow paper that evidently contained a present. He was extraordinarily pleased.

“You haven’t even opened it,” Io laughed, pushing the object toward him. “I don’t know why you look so happy about it when you haven’t seen what I got you. I had to guess your size, and you may not like them, but if we want to go out and about, you need something a little more conventional to wear.”

“Garments?” he asked, pulling out of the slippery yellow substance an item that was clearly meant to be a shirt, although it lacked attributes with which he was familiar. It was followed by a clear slippery package that contained other objects, some sort of abbreviated black stockings that looked as if they’d barely go over his ankles, a somewhat worn pair of blue breeches, and an odd pair of shoes that had no laces whatsoever.

He loved them all. They were presents that she had picked out just for him, not for any other man, but for him. She had put much thought into them, considered what he might like, and chosen items that she knew would satisfy his needs and desires and wants.

She had brought him presents, surprise presents, presents he wasn’t in the least bit anticipating. He wanted to touch all the presents, wanted to lay her out on the bed and show them to her before stripping her naked and licking every inch of her supple, silky body. He was, in fact, trying to work out a way to combine the special joy of both touching his presents and engaging in lovemaking with her when she asked, in a hesitant voice, “Do you like them?”

“They are tolerable,” he said, going for a lofty, disinterested tone, as befitted a man of his stature.

“Man of your stature, my shiny pink butt,” she said, smacking him on the arm, her smile belying the words. “Do you like the color of the shirt? I wanted to get a red one, because red silk is just so yummy, but then I saw this blue one that matches your eyes, and I couldn’t resist it. And it goes nicely with the jeans.”

“The jeans are perfect,” he said, holding up the shoes to examine them.

“Those are the loafers, silly. These are the jeans.” She held up the long breeches. “They’re stonewashed, which I don’t particularly care for, but they were all the store had that I thought would fit you. Oh, there’s a belt, too.”

She handed him a slim black leather belt.

“There are castles on it,” he said, examining the embossing on the leather.

“Yeah, kind of touristy, but I figured no one would look too closely at it, so you wouldn’t mind—Nikola, what’s wrong?”

His throat tightened painfully. He had to swallow three times before he could finally get out, “Nothing is wrong. I am simply admiring the castles on the belt that you have given me.”

She watched him for a moment, her eyes concerned; then to his surprise she took the belt and shoes from his hands, pushed him onto his back, and leaned down, taking his face in her hands. “You are the sweetest man I know. I can’t believe you’re all
verklempt
because I bought you a few things to wear. Surely you must have received presents in the past?”

“Imogen embroidered handkerchiefs for me each Twelfth Night,” he admitted. “My wife would sometimes make me stockings.”

“And that’s it? Socks and hankies? No one ever gave you anything else?”

“My wife gave me children.”

“That doesn’t count. Oh, my poor, sweet darling—” He allowed her to kiss his face and chest, enjoying greatly the little murmurs she made as she did so.

He was ready and willing to make love to her right then and there, but Io had other ideas.

“Later, punkin, later. Right now, we need to get you dressed so you can take me out and feed me, because I’m so famished I could just about eat your belt.”

He quickly snatched the item in question out of her reach, just in case she wasn’t joking. After a short bit of explanation as to what the mysterious slithery material was (he made note of the word “plastic,” since Io used it a lot), he donned the male undergarments she said were commonplace, not at all displeased with how the silken material caressed his nether parts. By the time he had clad himself in the shirt, long breeches, and shoes, he felt very much like an adventurer about to step onto unknown shores.

“Well, it is kind of an adventure,” Io agreed as they left the hotel. “I know I felt that way once I figured out I had traveled back in time. Oooh, a burger place, just what I want. You aren’t going to mind if I eat in front of you? I hate to be rude, but I’m starving, and I know you can’t eat.”

“I can if I have to, but I see no need to do so. I am quite satisfied after dining earlier,” he said, unable to keep from pinching her adorable bottom.

She squealed, and, with a promise to be right back, hurried across the road to a small building that bore pictures of odd-looking food products on its walls. He contented himself with watching her, frowning when a man nearby turned to look at her as she walked past, automatically reaching for the saber he wore at his side.

Dammit, Io had made him leave it back at the hotel room, claiming that a weapon like that would attract attention from the local magistrates.

“
I
am the law at my home,” he said under his breath as he waited for Io. “No one would dare look at my woman in such a manner. No one would tell me I cannot defend what is mine. I dislike being incommoded in this fashion—”

His grumbling stopped abruptly when he caught sight of a familiar shape suddenly made visible as a wave of local villagers, strolling around the shops and businesses, parted briefly. Although the man had his back to Nikola, he could have sworn that it was his brother Rolf.

Had Rolf produced descendants after all? Ones who resembled him? He moved through the crowd intent on seeing the man better, but he disappeared into the crowd by the time Nikola had reached the spot where he had stood.

Nikola glanced around him, but was unable to find anyone who resembled the man he sought. He did, however, notice a shop behind him that had the words WE BUY GOLD on the window. He was reminded of Io’s explanation of how money worked in her century, and accordingly stepped into the shop, a few of his coins in his hand.

When he emerged a few minutes later, having sold only one coin, the shop owner saw him to the door saying, “I wish I could buy your entire collection, but as I told the other gentleman who offered me some silver coins, I cannot buy more than one without some form of identification. It is the law, you understand. If you bring me your passport, then I will be able to purchase more coins from you.”

“I will discuss your offer with my woman. She knows more about these things than me,” Nikola said politely, carefully putting into his pocket the paper money the man had given him. He had to admit that even though he wasn’t used to wearing long breeches, the ones that Io had given him were quite comfortable, and had handy pockets that he would make sure were included in all his breeches from that moment forward.

“Er…all right.” The man waved him off, and as Nikola returned to the shop where Io had gone to find food, he felt much more in control. He had clothing that would allow him to blend in, and now he had currency that would allow him to purchase anything he might need.

He was planning on buying some sort of present for Io when she hurried up to him with a small bag in one hand, while jamming some sort of long strips of food into her mouth with the other. “Sorry to take so long. You sure you don’t want anything? I got two burgers, and a jumbo fries in case you wanted to try modern food. You know, the kind without maggots all over it.”

He sniffed at her food, but it held no appeal to him. It certainly couldn’t come close to the scent of her that perpetually teased his nose and left him halfway aroused just being near her. “I do not require food other than you, thank you.”

She sighed blissfully as she ate another handful of the strips, sliding one arm through his and directing them to the main street that led out of town. “I’ll eat as we walk to the fair, if you don’t mind. It’s not a long walk, and although I could rent a car, I think we’ll have to ease you into the complexities of modern vehicles.”

“You wouldn’t have to do so if you had allowed me to examine the FedEx,” he pointed out, turning to stare at a woman who emerged from a shop clad in small scraps of clothing that barely hid her breasts and woman’s parts.

“Oh, that lady would have loved—what’s wrong? Oh.” Io smothered a laugh as his gaze went from the nearly naked woman to her. “That’s a bikini. It’s what some women who don’t have any body fat wear when they go swimming or, in that woman’s case, to a tanning salon.”

“I begin to see that there may be some merits to your century,” Nikola said with a little smile.

She punched him in the arm, just as he knew she would do.

“Dawg. Did you people watch while I was in the fast-food place?”

“I exchanged one of my coins for your currency. Look.” He stopped and pulled out the wad of paper money, showing it to her. “Did I negotiate an adequate amount for one coin? The man was quite excited about my coins, and wished only to give me ten paper monies for one, but I told him I must have more. He did not like that, but I know merchants well, and knew he would not offer me a fair price at first. After bargaining for a few minutes, he gave in and gave me these many monies, and I felt that it was a fair exchange. He also wished to purchase the rest of my coins, but said I must have identification in order for him to do so. I do not have a passport.”

“No, but I have one. Maybe I could—” Io’s eyes widened at the sight of the money, and glancing around quickly, she shoved his hand toward his pocket. “Put that away! I don’t know that there are pickpockets around here, but fairs usually have them, so I wouldn’t be surprised. And yes, that’s a metric butt ton of money, so you did very well.”