The Shape of Things to Come (Hypernaturals 15)

Afterglow

After love, more love, and a shower, Denise and I lay in the big bed. It is exceedingly odd to not have but two of us in the bed. I have been a hyper-sensed Vampire long enough now that my 'normal' includes not only the people but their scents. While the others linger on the sheets, they are not as present as they should be. Even on the Cruise ship during the last Conclave, for all the new scents of the ship and the ocean, there was the constant of them.

Jessica made a rule long ago that I am never to sleep alone, and I realize that is more than the comfort of skin on skin now. It is the familiarity that now defines 'home' for me. They do. I think Jessica, as a Vampire, understood intuitively that I, with my extended senses, would feel that strongly. Scent, like sex, is primal. Vampires are nothing if not primal.

At the same time, it is nice to have time to allow for this special moment with each other. Since Denise joined, it seems like we have ricocheted from crisis to crisis. In addition: Vera, Angel, Danny, DeWayne, Carol, and Lori have joined the big messy group that our Poly world is made of. I would not trade out that big happy pile for anything, but it's complicated and noisy and boisterous too.

I have had quiet moments, carved out, with Helen. Jessica. Morgan. The one-on-ones with Denise up to now have always felt stolen and rushed. A drive to a secret place in her Jeep, hurried sex, on to the next Council/Crew problem. I am sure Morgan, Helen, and Jessica feel the same way about their time with Denise. A basic rule we have in our family is to maintain the one-on-one relationships across each pair. Denise has gotten short shrift.

Right now I am feeling blissful. I have my arms around Denise and am taking in lung fulls of her scent. It's as if I can get inside her head this way. Not how Angel does. Different path. Same result. This is me basking in her Vampire afterglow via my Vampireness. Her happiness filling my head. Denise is settled into me and admiring her ring.

"I never had one of these, you know. Not ever." Denise said.

"When you said you had been asked but never accepted, I assumed that. You would never take an engagement ring without meaning to marry someone. Your ethos is deep, dear one." I felt her soft hair against my lips as I spoke.

She looked at the ring and touched it with her other hand. "I never would. Not like I needed the money to buy jewelry. Everything I had as Madam was for show. Part of the act. Sold it all when I turned over my last House in New York to my second-in-sex-command. I invested the money in other ways. Funny: I had Lieutenant's even back then. Vampire women I trusted to run my house and take care of my people. I never wore jewelry on Crew operations unless I was playing a part that needed it. One operation, where I was playing a hooker? Pure street role: fake tattoos instead of necklaces and earrings. I had to tone down my look. Go for rough. I couldn't look wholesome or expensive. It was a strange assignment for me. For three hundred years, that was my stock in trade. Looking like a sweet young thing that had a dewy-eyed innocent view of the world. Or the expensive and experienced Madam. Not street. It was kind of fun to play against type like that. Morgan would have loved it."

"Necklaces and Earrings? I noticed you don't have pierced ears. Not that many Vamps do." I said.

"Earrings were clip-on back in the day. It's a pain in the ass to maintain earholes when you heal as we do." Denise said. "Why? Do you want me to pierce my ears husband to be?"

"Nope. Body piercings are keep-out signs. When Vera had all that body hardware on her, I assumed that meant she did not want me to put my mouth there and chip a tooth. Worked the other way, too. A pierced tongue? No blowjobs. Most of what Vera had installed was after my time, thankfully. As bad as Vera and I were communicating with each other in my human days? She understood that if she wanted her ears nibbled to take out the hardware. Just how I am. Another of my preferences. I like to nibble on my lover, not Cubic Zirconia. Diamonds may be a girl's best friend and all, but they are not mine. Except for the ones on my ring. The one that matches yours." I held up mine next to hers.