Dracula's Groom

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN: Blood Exchange

Nathan

A half hour later I still wasn't ready to talk. I stood by the window that looked out over the city with a glass of champagne in my hand. Dracula had finished his examination before taking off his coat and draping it over the back of an L-shaped leather couch. As he sat down finally and stared at me from across the room, I could feel his eyes looking me up and down while at the same time burning a hole in the back of my skull. I finished what remained in my glass and went back to the cart that housed the first bottle while a second sat nestled in a bucket of ice.

"I'm surprised you came at all," I said, breaking the silence.

"Why wouldn't I come, Nathan? You're my fiancé. And I love you."

"I just figured you needed sometime to calm down. I know I needed to get away and think for a while."

"So that's why you took off. How do you think that made me feel?"

I nodded. "Upset, angry, devastated. I know saying, 'I'm sorry' will never be able to take back what I did. But I'm willing to try again."

"You mean that?"

I returned to the window, trying to find the words that would make him believe me that what I was saying was the truth. "I know what I did was wrong. But the idea of all those people staring at me and a big wedding is what I think scared me most of all."

"And what else? The constitution of marriage? Or was it simply me?"

"No. Of course not! I just...panicked. And before I knew it, I felt like I was having a nervous breakdown. I honestly don't know what made me feel that way."

He murmured in what I hope was a mutual agreement between us. "Then how do you suppose we settle this? I still want to marry you, that's what I want. I'm open to any suggestions that you might have."

"Seriously?" I asked and he nodded. "Okay. I want a private ceremony; just the two of us."

"That's it? No one else?"

"Yes. That's what I want. Now what about our honeymoon?"

"You leave that to me. It's a surprise, after all." I swallowed as I took another sip of champagne and caught him walking over to me. Standing opposite me, he took my glass and set it down on the floor as he reached for my hand. His other hand contained his mother's ring which was now my engagement ring. Placing the tip of my finger around the rim he said, "Nathan. Will you do me the honor of wearing this ring?"

"Yes. Yes I will."

The ring still fit perfectly on my finger as if nothing ever happened. And speaking of like nothing ever happened, Dracula made a move by putting his hand on my waist and pulling me in close. I laid a hand on his chest, my fingers grasping the front of his shirt as he tilted his head to one side and slowly leaned in to kiss me, or so he thought. I licked my lips and a familiar growl erupted in his throat.

"Do you want a taste?" I teased.

"Yeah," he said huskily. "Fuck yeah."

I giggled. "Then prove it...my King."

I turned him away from the window and pulled him towards the couch as I positioned him just right then pushed him back as he was forced to sit down. His eyes widened in bewilderment. But that didn't stop him from getting into the swing of things. Then I straddled his lap as he sat up and grabbed ahold of my ass with both hands. I gasped softly, our lips nearly touching as I caught the sight of his fangs make an appearance.

In a flash, his lips went straight for my neck but he didn't bite me. I moaned at the sensuous caress, the spine tingling scratching that the tips of his fangs made as they nibbled along my skin. "Dracula," I moaned as he wrapped his arms around me and held me tight to his chest. My heart was pounding against my ribcage while my blood raced in my ears. Everything was magnified from the touch of his hands to the delicate kisses he left as he made his way up to my lips and laid claimed to them.