42nd & Lex (22 page)

“Not like you’ve always heard about. I won’t
burst into flames or anything. The sun weakens vampires, dulls our senses. If
we are out in the sun too long, we become disoriented and go mad. We have a
sort of internal alarm that goes off when the sun comes up to remind us to take
cover. I guess that’s how the sleeping in coffins and only coming out at night
stuff got started. I try to avoid long term exposure, but any harm done is
recoverable after a time.”

“That’s good,” I say through a rather large
yawn.

“Get some sleep, dear one. We can talk more
about me later.”

“That’s okay. Once the sun comes up it will
be too bright in here to sleep anyways.” If only I could sleep without complete
darkness, I’d go to sleep and dream about what we’ve just done.

“No problem.” Lucan reaches over to the
nightstand and picks up a remote control. A whirring noise begins all around
the apartment. “I have sun shades for when it’s too bright out or if I want to
go to bed before they shut off the lights on the spire.”

“You think of everything.” I turn over to
snuggle against Lucan. “Goodnight.”

 It is almost noon when I wake up thanks to
the sun-blocking window shades. As usual, Lucan isn’t in bed with me. I listen
for him but don’t hear anything. My body feels delightfully sore as I stretch
beneath the covers. I decide to open the shades and force myself out of bed. The
remote is on the bedside table next to me and I push the buttons until the
whirring sound starts up again. As the shades retract, an angry hiss has me
bolting upright in bed.

“Lucan?”
I ask cautiously. 

“Can you put the shades back down?” he asks
from somewhere near the couch, his voice is tired and weak.

“Sure.” I push the remote buttons again.
“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.
It’s just that last night’s escapades have left me a little drained.”

“In
the literal sense?” I can’t help but ask.

“Aye.
The sun is a little harder to tolerate when I get this way.” He is patient with
my questioning, but I can tell he’s not in the mood to explain the ins and outs
of vampires right now. 

“What
do I need to do?” I ask, hoping the answer is something other than the obvious.
I am the only live blood source in the room after all. Playful nipping I like
but I’m not sure I’m ready for the real thing.

“Nothing. I just need to feed— uh, eat. Geez,
how romantic is this turning out to be?” he sighs. “I’m going to the Enclave
and I will back in a little while. I’m sorry. I should have planned this out a
little better.” Lucan stands up slowly from his post on the couch. He moves as
if he has aged a hundred years over night. “Don’t worry, love, you’re in no
danger. I promise.”

Shit, I hadn’t even thought about being in
danger of an uncontrolled attack. I am happy for my safety, but on the other
hand, I don’t like the idea of him feeding on someone else, especially not
after last night. Steeling my resolve, I ask, “Why not just eat in?”

I regret the words as soon as they are out
of my mouth. They seem so crass, so cliché, like something you would read in a Harlequin
novel—the kind with the half-naked guy on the cover, long hair blowing in an
imaginary breeze.

“Um, thanks, but no, Abri.” He moves towards
me for what I hope is a goodbye kiss. “Being Sodali binds us, the sex binds us.
I can’t go for the trifecta with you just yet.”

“Trifecta?” I snicker. “You mean if you
drank my blood that would bind us as well? What is it with vampires and
bindings?” They don’t want the world to know they exist, but they certainly
like to be stuck to it.

“Not to the world in particular, just those
we are meant to be bound to. A blood exchange is another level of bonding even
more serious than sex. The sex bond wears off after a while, blood is for
life.” With a knowing smile, Lucan bends over the bed and kisses my forehead. “I’ll
be back soon.”

“Maybe you should pick up some extra for
later on. I think you will need it,” I call out as he heads for the door.

Lucan turns around and gives me a sly smile.
“Be ready when I get back.” And with that, he is gone. A shiver runs up my
spine. Be ready? All I have to do think of last night to be ready. My stomach
growls urging me follow Lucan’s lead and take care of my own bodily needs. I
find Lucan’s button down on the floor a put it on before a quick trip to the
bathroom.

I am sitting on the couch with a bowl of
cereal when Lucan summons the elevator on the floor below. He’s been gone just
under thirty minutes. He would have to drive incredibly fast to make it to the
Enclave and back in that time, let alone feed. Ugh, maybe they have a
drive-thru.

The word ‘feed’ sounds so gross to me, so
vampire. I need to refuel my body too, but I don’t say I have to
feed
. I
eat, nosh, grub down, and even pig out every now and again, but I don’t feed.
The elevator is making its final push to the top and I force my negative
thoughts aside least Lucan hear me. It isn’t him, or even him doing it, it is
simply the term itself. 

The grate, amazingly still intact, rolls
open and Lucan steps off. “Now, where were we?”

I haven’t bothered to brush my teeth or wash
my face yet and I am suddenly self-conscious. “We can remedy that in the tub,
don’t you think?”

He reaches down to scoop me off the couch before
I can answer. “I need to wash my hair, badly,” I say, running my hand through
the sweat-matted strands. 

“Shower it is then.” Lucan is quite
animated. It must be the infusion of blood. “Aye, but also because of you, because
you are here.”

“So is this the obsession you warned me
about?” I kid as he carries me to the bathroom.

“Uh, well, I guess so. I hadn’t not—," he
stops and chuckles. I realize I am burying my nose in his shirt collar. “Guess
I’m not the only one.”

“Sorry. Guess not.” It’s weird; I can’t get
enough of his smell. He is fresh rain, cut grass, a summer breeze, and maybe
even grandma’s house all rolled into one. In fact, it is just about any memory
inducing smell you can imagine all at once and yet each one is distinct. Did he
smell like that before? I’m not sure I’ve ever smelled anything so wonderful
before.

“It is weird, isn’t it? And yet I’m not
anxious about feeling this way. There are none of the normal jitters about a
new relationship. No ‘Does she feel the same way?’ or ‘Am I getting too close,
too soon?’”

“Very weird.” I take one last sniff. “But
there is something different about you. You seem so much more animated, less
worried about what will come next.” Admittedly, I am feeling the same way.

“Well, I’ve been waiting a very long time
for this. I’m ecstatic that it’s working out. Not many vampires find their soul
mates. Not many people find them either, actually. So I guess we are both very
lucky indeed. Now about that shower…”

The buzz of Lucan’s phone interrupts us. His
face falls as he juggles me to one arm so he can answer. 

“Hello,” he says as he places me on the bed.
“Aye. Thank you. I’ll be there.”

“That was quick.” I can tell from his face
that it was not a friendly call. “What’s wrong?”

“Something’s come up with a project I’m
working on with my foundation and I’ve got to go sort it out before we lose the
deal. When I return we will do something fun. Dinner and a show, if you want. I
mean, if you want to stay and wait for me.” His face vacillates between hopeful
and worried.

“Of course I’ll stay.” I couldn’t leave if I
wanted to— I’m addicted.  

“I’ll
be back in a few hours,” he says with a smile as he plants a chaste kiss on my
lips. The amps ripple through me and he’s gone. I don’t know if I will ever get
used to the lightening fast movements. The door slams shut from the whirlwind
of negative pressure created by Lucan as he flies down the stairs.

I am reluctant to head into work after such
an amazing weekend, but the alarm feels otherwise. My lumpy bed is a total let
down after Lucan’s plush wonder bed. Then again, we hadn’t really done a lot of
sleeping the last few nights in his bed or mine. My body is stiff from our
activities and the lack of space. I try to reach the alarm only to realize I am
trapped. Lucan is asleep for once and, in his inanimate state, his arm across
my upper body weights a ton. He looks peaceful even though he isn’t breathing. The
thought crosses my mind that I am technically in bed with a dead body but I
banish it, unsure of whether he can hear me in his sleep.

I can’t believe how much my life has changed
since this time last week when I laid here lamenting my current lot in life.
Soul restless I think I’d called it. Well, I’d gotten the soul part right,
hadn’t I? The thought makes me laugh and the bed springs creak beneath us. The
movement brings Lucan a little closer to consciousness and he stirs beside me.
He pulls his arm in close to his body, freeing me from his dead weight. I take
the opportunity to scoot out of bed before he traps me again.

Since we showered in the middle of the night,
all I need to do to is fix my hair and find something to wear. I figure I will
play it low key today in my own regular clothes rather than Lucan’s couture
gifts. Mondays are khaki pants kinda days. I find a sweater, pull it on over a
white tank, and pick up a pair of low-heeled boots off the closet floor. 

I am pulling the flat iron through the last
of my hair when I hear Lucan stirring again.

“Good morning, love,” he calls. “Don’t go to
work today, come and play with me.” He is sprawled across the bed when I walk
back into the room. The thin sheet across his hips is purposely revealing just
enough to entice me back into bed.

“It’s hasn’t even been a week yet. I can’t
start ditching work for you already. Besides, Max and Linds will be beside
themselves if I’m not there to fill them in on my weekend.” I reply in mock
exasperation, as I plop down on the bed to put on my boots.

“How much are you going to tell them?” he
asks. He doesn’t mean whether or not I am going to give a minute my minute
account of the last two days.

“Just that we have the most amazing sex
anyone’s ever had and that you’re a vampire, why?” I bat my eyelashes at him
and he tosses a pillow at my head. “Just kidding. No intimate details, no
matter how hard they beat me. No matter how much they promise me. Just that we
had a great time hanging out this weekend. Normal new relationship stuff.”

Obviously relived, Lucan rolls over and
kisses the small of my back where my sweater has ridden up. If we start this, I
will never make it into the office. “No fair,” I pout. “I really do have to go
to work today, you know. Don’t you?”

“Sure, if I want to. But I’m the boss, so
it’s not like anyone can complain too much if I don’t show, right?”

“Lucan, do you have anyone that you talk to
about stuff? A best friend or something?” Lucan has never mentioned any friends
in our many getting-to-know-you chats.

“Aye, I’ve got friends. My oldest friend,
and I mean that in terms of years known and time spent on the planet, lives in
Italy. We talk pretty regularly.”

“What about girl friends?” The question is
out before I can stop it. I can’t even explain why I want to know.

“I haven’t had a girlfriend in a long time,
Abri. At least since Eisenhower was president—or maybe Lincoln.”

“You know there’s a hundred years between
Lincoln and Eisenhower, right?” I tease. “I’m sure you’ve had a girlfriend or
two in the last five hundred years, I’m not worried about that. I meant friends
that are girls.”

“Oh, I knew that.” His lashes sweep down,
covering the embarrassment in his eyes. “I have a few friends-that-are-girls,
as you put it. They’re all vampires though.”

“Just wondering,” I say, standing up. “And
it might as well have been a hundred years since I had a boyfriend, so we’re
even. I had better hurry if I want to get to work on time. I can’t just go down
stairs today unfortunately. Are you coming?”

“Yeah, just let me get dressed.” Lucan throws
back the flimsy sheet with a dramatic flourish, watching for my reaction. Even
in my lumpy bed with faded 250 thread count sheets, he is godlike. And it is
rather saintly of him not to complain about said lumpy bed and faded sheets. So
much for keeping my focus on getting out the door and not his naked body.  

“No fair tempting me.” I’m pouting again.
“I’m grabbing some breakfast, want anything?”

“No, I’ve got to swing by the Enclave
later.”

We sound just like any normal couple getting
ready for the week. Only one of us is heading to a secret club to drink blood
and one of us is heading to the kitchen for a granola bar. Well, at least he
didn’t say ‘feed,’ I remind myself.  

“I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve never, um,
experienced, well... I had no idea that sex would make me so...hungry.”

All I can do is shrug my shoulders. I had no
idea either.

We are out the door five minutes later and
heading towards the Chrysler. Traffic crawls at a typical Monday morning pace. Lucan
lets me out in front before heading for the garage to save time. Everyone is busy
and I make it all the way to lunch before Linds and Max descend on me begging
for information.

“My weekend was great. I caught up with an
old friend, went to this new club in the Meat Packing District called Vault. I
haven’t stayed out that late in years.” I purposefully leave out any details
about Lucan.

“Did you see Lucan O’Reilly?” Max asks. His
tone is almost accusatory.  

“Ah, yeah, I did.” I give him my best
what-the-fuck look. I still can’t figure out why he changed his tune on Lucan
after our first meeting in my office.  

“Are you guys getting serious?” Linds
interjects. “I think he’s so cute and mysterious.”

Max harrumphs a little before getting up to
leave. He mumbles over his shoulder. “Yeah, right.”