Rare Blood

Chapter Five: One night in Satin

Roxy woke in Hector's bed, alone. She stretched, practically purring she felt so good. A popping sound caught her attention; it was the crackle of a fire. She sat up gathering the black satin sheet from his bed and wrapping it around her naked body. She teased Hector about his sheets before she fell asleep but one night in satin and she would never sleep in Egyptian cotton again. She tucked the satin into itself above her breast and went into the bathroom.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror she saw something that hadn't been natural on her skin in the thirty years she had been vampire, a rose colored blush. She turned her face side to side admiring what she saw. Her black hair even seemed shinier. Roxy still felt warm too something that waned and faded out within twenty-four hours after having blood. She didn't know what time it was but the heat should have started to dull. It wasn't though, not even a little. "Roxanne," Hector called to her. "I hear you moving. Come join me."

Hector was sitting in a high-backed red velvet chair with his feet propped up watching the fire. When she entered the room his eyes shifted to her. Roxy sashayed over to him and sat on the floor resting her cheek on his leg. He stroked her hair as he spoke, "Did you sleep well beauty?"

"Yes."

"Do you need anything?"

"Chocolate moose."

"My sweet has a sweet tooth," he said amused. "I'm sorry, there's no moose in my kitchen."

She pushed her lips out in a pout. "Mi amor, I have something better... turrón."

"What is it?"

"Turrón. I have it shipped from an artisan candy maker. It's a weakness of mine."

"Is it chocolate candy?"

He laughed. "You'll see," then he got up and left the room. She looked around seeing her cell phone on the end table next to the chair. She picked it up and had three missed calls from Cyrus and a message. He never left messages. She called her voice mail immediately.  He said "Roxy, we need to talk. You need to call me when you get this." She didn't want to hear it. Like Hector said, she was ready to be free. She tossed her phone on the floor next to her feet and watched the flames in the fireplace until Hector came back.

He held two wine glasses and a crystal dish with some stuff that looked like peanut brittle but darker. "You have got to be kidding me...” Roxy said.  “Spanish peanut brittle is so not going to be better than chocolate."

He said nothing as he handed her a glass filled with blood and sat back in the chair. Cyrus would never condone sipping blood from a wine glass in the house.  It made Roxy feel like she was being devious and she liked it. The blood didn't smell as good as she hoped but she was going to drink it. She put the glass to her lips, "No, No. You must try the turrón then have a drink," Hector said.

 She did as he instructed. The candy was good; it had the consistency of nougat and tasted like honey and almond. When the blood mixed with it though she was shocked to find it was a whole different experience.  "Mmm..." She closed her eyes savoring the flavor in her mouth.

"Delicious, right," Hector asked sitting his glass down noticing she moved her phone.

"He's been calling you," he said looking down into her eyes.

"He wants me to call him," Roxy explained.

"Don't. He doesn't deserve your loyalty."

"I won't. He may come looking for me though."

"Let him. You're with me now. He can't have you back," and Roxy sighed content thinking she had finally found what she had been missing.