A Vampires Lover

-21-

The room is warm, well lit, and dark furniture surrounds me. I'm jostled awake by the kisses of my dog who begs me to wake up much faster than I was planning, "Okay, okay, I'm up!" I shove her off to better orient myself in the space. It's a well decorated and rich in taste. Almost overwhelming to someone like me.

"Good afternoon Lady Sapphire. How did you sleep?" Irene stands at the end of the bed with a tilted head. Her smile is weary, the only reason I'm forced back into the horrid thoughts before the black. That beast. I've never seen anything like it... And I couldn't handle it.

"Where am I?"

"His grace had another room made up for you after the monster stormed the castle. All is well and handled, however the walls need to be replaced." She waves absently to the room. It feels too grand for me. I can't wrap my head around the kitchenette and mini seating in the corner, or the gorgeous patio overlooking the dukedom in the back.

"His grace had this set up for me?" I look around swallowing the lump in my throat, "Are you sure?"

"I swear on it Lady Sapphire. Let's get you dressed and to the office. His grace is waiting on you, rather worried it seemed." Irene floats across the room with a grace I dream of picking up the dress tucked away in the changing area. Bella bounces happily over the bed, then zooms around the room launching herself off the furniture. Seems she's happy I'm alive and well, "I've chosen a comfortable number today. The duke requested I keep you simple."

As always, Irene is right. The silk white lays loosely on my curves giving me just enough elegance to walk the halls, but nothing to restrain me from walking comfortably, "We should go then." I mumble to her after begging for a simple updo on my hair. Sitting for curls sounds terrible when I want to crawl to his feet for answers.

"Let's." We exit the room with Bella at our heels. When we turn right from the door I turn my head back. Is that the door that... Did he give me his room?

The stroll to the office isn't long. Soon enough I'm strutting into the room with false confidence to approach the mouth worthy duke sitting at his desk. The pen scribbles across the paper without pause, just until I stand right in front. He looks delicious. Victor smirks. I don't know what at, but it's beautiful. The way his hair falls against his eyes, the muscles shifting when he pushes back in his chair. I'm mesmerized just by the sight, not to mention to pure comfort I feel when he scent begins to surround me.

He's wearing white as well today. A similar color to mine, "It's good to see you in good health. Has Irene ran you by the clinic?"

The clinic? "I didn't know I was supposed to go. I requested to see you as soon as I was dressed."

"And for what reason is that?" Victor looks past me to Irene sending her out. She doesn't hesitate leaving me alone with him.

"Let's play a game." Long ago I was taught about vampires. Their ways. One thing a vampire loves is a game, "Chess. First to check get's to ask, or say, anything they want. The other can't stop them. No matter the topic, nor the opinion. We go until a check mate." Instead of asking all the questions I have, demanding for answers on what happened and how he saved me. Instead of begging him to explain why I awoke in his room...I am going to choose the sanity of a game.

"Ready to share your darkest desires?" Ego. I like it.

"You won't win, but until then back and forth with pleasant fake conversation pretending that everything around us is normal will suit."

Victor snorts, "Normal is subjective."

It's not normal how much I want to crawl across this table and claim you, "Let's say our typical Monday where I sit in that desk and do your work."

Victor stands from the desk, knuckles white. He seems tensed about something. Chess shouldn't the reason his entire body stiffened pushing him to walk away as quick as he could. The games stay tucked in a corner cabinet, one he retrieves the board and pieces. I shove myself into a chair with the other directly across, "Do you enjoy chess?"

"Already breaking the rules?"

"I need distraction, Evelyn Sapphire, not rules. Or those won't be the only thing I break today." A sigh, then reluctance, "But I'll give you a question as well."

"My mother and I played as a child. My father could never understand it, so he just watched. Her and I would use this check game to talk through our problems. Something about sitting across from someone you love and pouring your heart out, but still have distraction between you, just solved my world of teenage problems."

"Tell me more."

I click my tongue backing into the chair while he settles the pieces. We stick without the timers, it feels like we'll need the freedom of time between us, "Tell me about your parents."

"Dead. As you've suspected. I choose not to speak on it. Ask me something else."

"You're a duke, every vampire your age is married, and you're not a crappy person. Most of time. Why aren't you married? Or at least courting?" I thought the question an easy one, one that he'd talked about the importance of his manhood and need for freedom. However he surprises me. He pushes a pawn forward, two spaces straight, with a smile.

"I prefer to keep to myself," Another long pause, "And she has to want me first."

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