“This is beautiful.”
“Thank you. The gardening is a project of Adrianna‟s. She loves to work with plants as you will soon see.” Richard said moving closer to me and reaching towards my teary eyes. “What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?” He raised his eyebrow.
“Okay, Daniel. He knew what happened yesterday. Apparently it didn‟t sink in until this morning.”
Richard frowned and his eyes narrowed, his jaw flexed then he took a deep breath.
“Did he hit you?”
“No. It was my fault.” As soon as I said the words, I reminded myself of those women who are beaten by their boyfriends and husbands and blame themselves.
“NO, IT‟S NOT!” Richard snapped. He drew back his body and took another deep breath. He exhaled slowly then calmed down. “Julie, no man has a right to hit a woman.
No matter what she did or did not do. You are a human being.”
“HE DIDN‟T HIT ME! And I‟m not necessarily human.” I stated flatly.
He rolled his eyes at me. “You know what I mean.”
I nodded. “Well, I hit him.”
Richard‟s eyebrows raised in amusement. “O-kay. Let‟s just say I am going to leave it alone. Are you okay otherwise?”
I nodded.
“Then we should go inside.” He motioned for me to follow him.
Curiously, I followed Richard into his home. The double wooden front doors were more private than the glass one‟s on my home. However, my father and mother wanted to feel like they truly lived in the woods. Richard apparently preferred the more private approach to woodland living.
Once inside the home, the first thing I noticed was the plants. He was right. The house was filled with an array of tropical foliage like exotic ferns and potted trees. Well, so much for them keeping the woodland out of the house.
The home of this vampire was beautiful. The walls were smoothly textured in a creamy, earth-toned paint. As we moved through the foyer into the formal living room, I was in awe. Elegant paintings hung throughout the room. I moved slowly to one of them. I could tell it was a Monet without even looking. Glancing to the rest of the paintings, I noticed they were all Monet.
“Is this your collection?” I asked softly admiring the paintings.
“Yes. You could say I have a taste for Monet.” He smiled gently. “Oh, please pardon my manners. Could I offer you something to drink?”
I turned to face him. Somewhere his sentiment wasn‟t exactly serious. From the grin that remained on his face, he was in fact making fun of me.
“Why Richard,” I began in my most southern accent. “I do so ever believe you are making fun of this southern girl‟s hospitality.”
“Oh! I beg to differ with you,” his voice silky sweet. “It is I, who is honored by your presence in my most humble home. I should never, ever, make fun of you or your splendid southern hospitality. Now, if the lady would prefer a fresh cup of coffee?”
I nodded and smiled.
“Please, make yourself at home.” He motioned for me to sit. Turning, he walked out of the room.
The room was beautiful. The furniture was not at all like I thought it would be. I guess being a vampire, I half-heartedly expected him to have many antiques at his disposal. However, this furniture was very new and contemporary. The sofa, chair and love seat were a warm olive color. The pillows were a mixture of olives, browns and creams. The wood floor was partly covered by a Persian rug. Ah, I thought, now I‟m really seeing the signs of money here.
Within a few minutes, Richard came into the room with a coffee cup. He handed me the cup then took a seat in the chair next to the sofa where I was sitting.
“Thank you.” I turned the cup to my lips.
“So, exactly what brought you here?” Richard asked. He was sitting back in the chair. Right leg crossed over his left. His fingers clasped together on his lap. He reminded me of a psychiatrist. Only difference, Richard was a beautiful and very inquisitive vampire.
“I need answers.” I was determined not to let my mind wonder. “You mentioned you know something concerning my mother.”
“Yes.” He nodded.
I took a sip of the coffee. Dear Fate, it was perfectly roasted. It was very smooth and with no bitter after taste. Probably the best coffee I had tasted, even better than what I was used to buying. Nothing could ever be better than Kona. But this one, Dear Fate, what was this?
“Richard, where did you get this coffee?” I took another sip.
“You enjoy it? Good. It was a gift from a friend. I believe it is called Jamaican Royal Mountain. He travels there quite a bit. We do have guests every now and then, and I do enjoy some comforts of coffee, the smell mostly.”
“It is very delicious.” My thoughts were distracted.
“You said you wanted answers about your mother?” he prompted.
“Yes. I also want to know about this Mithras.”
Richard nodded. “He is the oldest living vampire I know. Mithras is actually so old that no one knows how old he really is. He is the vampire who all vampires fear. The most powerful one of us we have ever known. It is said he is ruthless.” He shifted in his chair and brought his hand to his mouth. “I can tell you this much. It is not a quest I am so readily willing to take.”
“Richard, if he knows what this item is, maybe he knows how to destroy it. We are all running out of time here.” I pleaded.
“I realize this. More and more werewolves are coming in. Right now, there are more werewolves in the area of that mountain than I care to share. It is more than we can handle. Most of our neighboring covens have already left. They feel as though there is a war in the midst of us.”
“And you?”
Richard‟s eyes caught mine. I could see the turmoil wielding behind those eyes. He did want to leave. I knew it. I could see it.
“I can‟t leave.” He finally stated. Remorse rang loudly in his voice.
“Then what can we do? I need your help.” I pleaded.
“Then give me an incentive,” he firmly stated. His eyes locking onto mine again.
My heart raced. I watched Richard stand from the chair. He moved slowly and cautiously toward me. Gently taking the coffee cup from my hand, he set it down on the coffee table. Turning back to me, he took my hand and pulled me to him. His eyes piercing into my very soul, sent shivers down my spine.
“Give me something to risk my life for,” he purred softly.
For a moment, I couldn‟t breathe. His floral scented breath swept over my face.
Lingering in my senses, my mind bewildered at his words. What could he possibly want? What could I offer him that he considered of so much value? My people‟s lives were at stake, every one of them.
“What do you want?” My breath was in a gasp.
“I promise I will take no more than you offer.” He purred again. The tones in his voice sent my senses wild.
“Richard…”
“No.” He stated firmly.
He gently pulled me closer to his body, pressing me against him. I could feel the hardness, the wantonness between us. My breath shuddered. His face inched closer to mine. My heart thundered. The very breath in my body caught inside my throat as his lips gently touched mine. The coolness of his hand touching the back of my neck, he pulled me closer to him. Slowly, his lips grazed over mine. I felt the coolness of his tongue against my lips, parting them slightly. The sweetness of the flavor I remembered came back to me. The floral fragrance ignited the furnace inside of me.
Slowly he taunted and teased me. Fire flamed through my veins, urging me to continue. The battle was hopeless; I was fully intoxicated by him. The softness of his tongue wrapped around mine, pulling it inside his mouth. I had no power of return under his control. Pressing myself into the kiss, I lost control. My will was lost in the flames that burned inside of me. My body trembled and became weak as his strong arms gripped around me, holding me closer to him. He balanced me against him, supporting me in my weakened state.
There was no denying the woman who raged in my blood. I could feel him calling her to him. She ran to him, taking over what little will I had. All caution was pushed aside. It was her he sought after. It was her he called to, the woman who longed to be his lover.
My body ached. Every nerve in my body tingled as excitement ran through me. His hand slowly moved underneath my sweater. His cool fingers slid underneath my bra, gently tracing the hard points he found. A soft moan escaped his throat as his fingertips ran over those hardened points. They ached and hurt against his touch, and a soft cry escaped my mouth.
His lips left mine in search of something more. They rested on my neck, kissing the vein, which so elegantly arched herself to him. His hand moved down my stomach. Hot trails of flames burned against my skin where the coolness of his hand touched. My stomach quivered as his hand slid further down. Down to an area that was unknown to him.
“Do you know how long I’ve waited?
” He whispered against my neck.
“Waited for
someone like you to come along? To stir the feelings inside of me the way you do?”
My body quivered again. Giving in to what he was searching for, a breath released from deep inside my throat as I felt him. Smoothly and gently he moved. My hands grabbed his arms, digging my fingers deeper into his biceps.
Again, he softly pressed his lips against my neck. His motions were light and alluring as he feathered a kiss against my flesh. My heart rushed, pounding the blood to my hot and fevered arteries. His mouth met mine again as he continued.
The coolness of his tongue breached the inside of my mouth. He purposely continued to tease me, bringing me into another realm of existence. A soft cry erupted from me, and I knew I couldn‟t take much more. My body gave itself completely over to him and begged him to take me further. Suddenly he stopped, pulling back from the kiss he stared into my eyes.
The need on his face was clear. It was written deep within those beautiful eyes. The brown tinted contacts couldn‟t hide the need. My breath was in a pant. He had brought me so far and yet I was so unsatisfied. There was something left longing inside of me.
“
Now you know what it feels like to be me when I am around you,”
he whispered, his voice filled with pain.
I stared at him. How could anyone endure this torture? I wanted him. In that moment, I did. I was completely unsatisfied. My body burned with a need to be fulfilled.
My fingers tightly griped his arms. My breath heaved from my chest. My body ached completely as every nerve demanded total satisfaction. Was this what he was feeling?
The hardness that pressed against my thigh, was this his need? Did he feel this totally unsatisfied after over three hundred years? How could he live in such torture?
“Richard,” I shuddered.
“I promised you.”
I stared into his eyes and for the first time I saw something I‟d never seen before. He was in pain, tortured beyond all recognition. And I understood what he meant. My hand left his arm and went to his face.
“You have not known the love of a woman for over three hundred years?” The thought of it was broke my heart.
Slowly his eyes closed and he nodded. He had been alone for a very long time. He was alone. My fingers gently feathered his face. His beautiful face pressed against my hand, feeling the warmth my skin provided to him. It was so hard for me to imagine; Richard he had the ability to take what he wanted but he chose not to. He wanted me to give it to him. It wasn‟t about blood or sex, Richard desired more.
“You could take me couldn‟t you?” I knew the answer, but I wanted to hear him say it. “You could make me want you?”
Those beautiful blue diamond-like eyes opened slowly. “Yes. I could.”
“But you choose not to. Why?”
Richard stared at me a moment before answering. Slowly withdrawing his hand from me, he backed away. He turned away from me, faced the fireplace and remained quiet and motionless.
“Richard?” I moved closer to him. “Why?”
He released a long sigh. “There are some things in the nature of a vampire you would never understand. What little of my human side remains, that side will not allow me to take you unwillingly. I fight hard against the vampire side of me that wants to take you, all of you. It is a battle you would not understand. I see the beauty inside of you.
What you really are. My human side adores it, desires it actually. It wants the love I can still sense.”
I thought for a moment. Listening carefully to the pain he was sharing. I did know what he meant. It was very clear. Who was I to try and help him? I loved Daniel with all of my heart. I couldn‟t understand why I was even contemplating the thoughts I was having. There was no earthly way I could be heartbroken for Richard. But yet, my heart was bleeding for him. I knew his untimely story, his tragic loss. I knew how he must have suffered. Now, I was his torture. Could this be real?
“Julie, I will help you.” His voice was soft and gentle. His back was still to me.
“Forgive me, please. I will not ask anything of you. Your compassion has been enough.”
“Richard.” I couldn‟t help myself at this point. “You said it would put your life in danger if you help us?”
“Yes. Mithras is the most dangerous of all vampires. We all fear him greatly. He has been known to kill covens of vampires over one disagreement.”
“You would be willing to do this?”
“Yes.” He finally turned to me. “For you.”
My heart froze. “Then I can‟t let you do this.”
“Julie, if it means you will be safe, I will do it. Vampires do have a heart.” He said softly. Tears welled in my eyes. “Please do not cry for me. I do not deserve it.”
The hot tears fell, burning against my cheek. The pain inside my heart felt like a knife had cut right through me. Richard was an honorable man. Vampire - yes, but an honorable one no less. I couldn‟t help but wonder what happened to him. How did he become a vampire? He did seem to have a few human qualities.