Romance with a Bite

by Tamsin Baker

  “I didn’t think clubbing was your scene.” She was a bit tipsy, but definitely not drunk. His annoyed expression was easy to read and his answer didn’t surprise her.

  “It’s not.”

  “Hey, Natalia, you’ve got some moves.” The unmistakable voice of Arvid came from behind her as he grabbed her by her hips.

  “I should have known that you brought him here.”

  “Don’t worry about him.” Arvid nodded his head in Zev’s direction. “He’s having fun on the inside.”

  “We all should go. We have an early morning,” Zev said.

  “Boo hoo. Too much work and not enough play is making Zev a boring guy,” said Arvid.

  Their tight relationship was evident and Natalia felt a pang of jealousy. She wanted to be that close with him.

  “Zev, can we have a chat?” She really needed to have a one-on-one before they went on their trip. “I came tonight after work, ut Segana was there.”

  “Yes, she gave me the folder. Thank you.”

  She wasn’t going to let it go. She needed to talk to him tonight, and she wasn’t going to let anything or anyone keep her from her objective.

  “Can we please have a chat?”

  “Natalia, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “Go up to the top floor. Segana is busy elsewhere tonight, drinking human blood,” advised Arvid.

  It was evident Segana was a vampire that didn’t like sharing her offspring. But she wouldn’t let the bitch keep her away from Zev, or at least from finding out why she felt such burning desire for him. It just didn’t make sense.

  “What’s with her obsession with you two?” she asked.

  “We were hot stuff in our day, like today’s celebrities,” said Arvid.

  She raised an eyebrow.

  “True story, I promise.”

  “So she’s some sort of selfish groupie? Sounds pretty sick.” Suddenly Zev grabbed her hand.

  “Come with me.”

  Shivers raced through her body at their contact. The reality was ten million times better than her crazy dreams. She let him lead her without complaint, managing to keep up with his quick and long strides in her designer stilettos. They entered a dimly lit corridor, went up some stairs and up to the second floor. Along one wall were a few leather couches and a several high tables with stools. On the other side were ceiling-to-floor windows with an amazing view of the city. There it was. Rome by night.

  “I love my city.” She looked at the far away Colosseum. “I’ve never seen it from this angle, but it feels like I’ve been here before.”

  “You never visited the colosseum?” he asked.

  “Of course, I have. But I have this feeling that I was there when it was in its glory.”

  He was still holding her hand, and she didn’t let it go. Instead, she moved closer to the heat of his body and she wished she could feel the beat of his heart. Of course, vampires didn’t have a heartbeat, but she was convinced that they did have a heart, like any other living being. How could they have feelings otherwise?

  “I really wanted to talk to you today, but for some reason it just wasn’t possible.” She knew very well that he had avoided her.

  “I felt today wasn’t the right time to speak.” He wore the same stern expression he had in the morning.

  “I don’t know what I could have possibly done to piss you off.”

  “Your dreams have to stop, Natalia. We can’t go on like this. You feel unsettled and I can’t sleep, and in this line of work that could be deadly for the president.”

  “I didn’t realise that you lost sleep,” she said.

  “Try to understand. I am not bringing you into my world. You are pulling me into yours. It’s unwanted and it keeps me from my routine.”

  Natalia disregarded his words, sure he was not being truthful.

  “No, it’s not about the dreams. Something else is on your mind.” She waited for a proper answer.

  “Word around parliament is you and the president have … an understanding.” His voice was low, as if he felt guilty for even mentioning it.

  “You want to know if it’s true. You want to know if I’m the president’s lover.”

  He just nodded. “I’ve lived long enough to know that sometimes situations lead a person to behave in a certain way.”

  She moved to the black leather sofa against the wall and sat, patting the spot next to her. “Come and sit next to me. I will tell you a story that no one else knows.”

  She waited for him to sit next to her. She really wanted Zev to know the truth. It wasn’t a secret after all, but for years it had amused her that people speculated without knowing anything. No one had gossiped to the press yet, but both she and Luigi knew it would happen the moment it was time for the next election. She didn’t care what people thought of her, but she did care what this huge vampire thought, and she wanted him to hear from her what was going on in her life.

  “As you know, assumption is the mother of all…” she trailed off for a moment then continued. “I met Luigi when I was five years old. We were at the hospital at the same time.”

  “My parents and I were in a car accident. While I survived, my parents did not. That same day Luigi lost his daughter, who was my age, to leukemia.” Zev’s arms surrounded her, tensing at first, then she relaxed and took comfort in the embrace.

  “From that day on I became the daughter he’d lost, and he and his wife were the parents that I’d lost. He also accepted Nonna as family, and the rest is history.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “There is not much you can say. Though I miss them, Luigi gave me a good life.”

  “Now I understand the banter, the hugs.” Zev said, more to himself than to her.

  “He is my family and I got the position because I earned it, not because he makes exceptions for me.”

  “We can see you rule the roost in there. No one can question your commitment to your position.”

  “Can you take your contacts out?” She wanted to change the subject. Talking about her parents was something that she rarely did, but she felt she had to explain everything to Zev.

  He let go of her hand and stood up, taking a small contact lens case from his back pocket, taking out first one, then the other, and put the case back into the same pocket.

  “They are like my dream. They appear black, but close up they have a hint of dark blue and velvet.”

  Her head was telling her to just go back downstairs and start dancing to forget about everything. But her heart knew what she really wanted. She wanted to be with him.

  “I wish I knew what the hell is happening to me.” She stood and buried her face in his chest.

  He didn’t answer, he just wrapped his arms around her and held her.

  After months of working together, this was the first time that she had been so close and intimate with Zev in real life. She didn’t want to break the spell, although she had so desired to kiss him. She raised her face and his lips came down to hers. For a moment she couldn’t breathe. She was too afraid to move even a muscle in case she would break the spell.

  At first, she focused on his beautiful black face and his velvet eyes. She was shocked but extremely happy. She heard the click of his fangs, but she trusted him. If he’d wanted her blood, he would have been after her from the start. But nothing except his soft lips touched hers and she knew he must have fought his natural impulses to keep his fangs retracted.

  Gently he caressed her lips with his, playing first with the bottom one, then moving to the top. She enjoyed every moment as he gently feasted on her, then became a bit more aggressive, kissing her with more pressure. Slowly, Natalia started nibbling on his lips, and Zev moaned. At the sound of his voice, she broke their kiss and buried her head in his neck, planting her lips there.

  He moaned, then she heard the click of his fangs again as he pushed her away and turned his back to her.

  “Why are you hiding?”

  “I don�
�t want you to see my fangs.”

  She grasped his hands His eyes were shut, but she could feel the pain radiating off him.

  “Don’t forget I live with a vampire older than you and I’ve seen her fangs many times.” She squeezed his hands. “At least it’s not the sound of a pair of dentures falling on the floor.”

  “Now that would have been a turn-off for sure.” He laughed

  Natalia couldn’t contain the feeling of happiness she felt in her heart. The feeling of familiarity was uncanny. She’d done this with him before, but when? How?

  Slowly she started unbuttoning his shirt, the sight of his gorgeous chocolate skin making her sigh. Her hand stroked the hard muscles of his bare chest.

  “I feel like I’ve touched you before.”

  ROME 2019 Zev

  Zev watched her dancing. She’d always loved to dance, his Hosidia. These days, the dancing was very different, very provocative. But he enjoyed watching her move like she didn’t have a care in the world.

  He wasn’t prepared to give Segana another reason to get rid of the love of his existence. He hadn’t planned on seeing her before the next morning when they had to depart for Florence, but Arvid would sometimes get a wild hair to go out and party like they were still youngsters. Zev had agreed to accompany him after Segana had left his apartment on the condition they only stayed for a few drinks.

  Here he was instead, with his Hosidia, listening to her life’s story, and about to kiss her again. He’d forgotten Segana for a moment, lost in the forbidden feelings Natalia created. He wanted to make her his, and kiss her passionately. When his fangs started to descend, he automatically pulled away from her to hide that he’d look like the vampire he was.

  Her kindness and emotional honesty struck his heart like a lightning bolt. He didn’t resist when she started unbuttoning his shirt. Her hand touching his skin was burning him all over. How in the hell was he going to keep his distance any longer? He could physically, he wasn’t an animal. But he was so in love with her that his mind was about to shut out everything else around him. How could he maintain the farce of not feeling anything for her when he was so consumed by her?

  He brought his trembling hands to the sides of her face, glad he didn’t have to explain how he felt because he was sure he wouldn’t be capable of uttering the words He wanted to take care of her, and he wanted to feel valued by her. He placed his lips on the top of her head in a gesture of protection, hoping she didn’t think he was just admiring her beautiful hair.

  “Are you nervous, gladiator?” she teased.

  “No, why should I be?” But she was right. He was nervous about everything, especially this feeling of happiness disappearing for another one hundred and forty years.

  He admired her long and slender neck. He could see she was excited—that special vein was pulsing. But no, he wasn’t going to bite her. He never had, and he never would. But he brought his lips to it. For a split second he felt her tense, as if she was going to be bitten, but then she relaxed.

  He started licking the side of her neck, then moved to small kisses, and finally tiny erotic nips with his lips. He placed his hands on her hips as he slowly he lowered her down to the sofa. He cleared his mind of all possible problems and complications and focused on the here and now, with his Hosidia in this private place.

  Her breathing was getting heavy, and she appeared to be past the point of no return. She wanted him and he wasn’t going to pull away this time.

  Zev gently stoked her brows and gently kissed her eyelids, then moved lower to her cheeks and lips. As he was kissing her, he lightly ran the back of his fingers over her cleavage, then back up to her collarbone. Everywhere his fingers touched, he followed with his tongue. He knew she would enjoy that. She always did.

  Natalia’s hands rested on his head, an erogenous spot for him always He was fast losing control and grasped the hair at the nape of her neck with one hand and kissed her savagely.

  He slid the other hand under her short dress, which had already bunched up at her hips and hooked a finger in the side of her panties, slowly pulling them down. She tilted her hips, helping him until they were off. He placed one hand on her midriff caressing it, slowly making his way between her thighs. He wanted so much to touch her inside, but was afraid he would awaken her memories of their past lives together. Somethings would be better left alone.

  Before he could collect his thoughts, her hand moved to cover his, as he was pushing a finger inside her entrance. Her body trembled under his touch. Slowly, he kissed his way down, caressing her torso, her thighs and eventually her lower lips. Each kiss was followed by a lick, until he found her clitoris. He was enjoying his exploration and the shudders of Natalia beneath him. It wasn’t long until he felt her shaking, her channel tightening around his fingers, moaning her ecstasy as she came.

  As her pleasure subsided, he moved up her body, kissing her midriff.

  “I need you now,” she whispered, undoing his jeans, pushing them down and grabbing his painfully hard cock.

  How many times she had touched him in the past, in the exact right way to make him loose his restraint?

  “Your wish is my command, beautiful.” He kissed her mouth.

  Positioning himself between her thighs, with one hand he gently guided his hard cock into her entrance. He took his time, wanting to make sure that he didn’t hurt her. Once he slid inside of Natalia, he began moving. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her hands came to his shoulders, her short fingernails digging in. He raised his face to look at her. Her eyes were closed, a sensual smile on her face, radiating pleasure. He thrust in and out, changing his angle occasionally, wanting to give her the most satisfaction possible. When she could take no more, her walls clenched around him and she climaxed.

  “I want you to come too,” she urged.

  Zev didn’t need any more encouragement. His muscles tightening, he pumped in and out, enjoying her muffled screams. With each thrust she would either bury her face in his neck or bite his shoulder. He was about to reach his peak, an orgasm that he’d waited over a century to have. At the critical moment, he pulled out and came until he nearly passed out.

  As they were both catching their breath, a sad realisation come to his mind. He’d behaved just like he had in the past, in their first life together, scared of getting her with child. He wasn’t human anymore, he could never procreate.

  But he had to push his self-pity away. Now it wasn’t the time. “We need to go back downstairs, unfortunately.”

  Her arms wound tightly around him. “I wish I could feel the beat of your heart on mine now like I did in the past.”

  Those were the words Hosidia would say every time they’d made love.

  She’d never said them in any other incarnation. He hoped it was only coincidental. But now it was time to return to reality.

  Chapter 9

  FLORENCE 2019 Zev

  The flight to Florence had been quiet, neither Natalia nor the president having any demands. She had been so busy with preparations that it appeared she forgot about him. While he should have been happy about that, it actually annoyed him. He shook himself mentally. This wasn’t a game of cat and mouse, this was about the love of his life. If she stayed away from him, she would be out of danger. But after the previous night, his desire was making it nearly impossible for him to ignore her. The taste of her had been the same, her reactions to him the same. He hadn’t slept all night. He couldn’t get the lovemaking they had shared out of his mind.

  “You look agitated, old man,” said Arvid.

  “Not in the mood, Norse.”

  “I bet you were last night, though,” Arvid teased.

  “I’m worried.”

  “Have you ever thought of getting rid of Segana and grabbing our freedom?”

  Arvid had suggested that many times, but while Norse was impulsive, Zev would think things through.

  “We both will become dust if we only dare, you know that.”

  “Not if
we have a good reason.”

  Zev knew Arvid was right, but neither of them was powerful enough to destroy their maker. They also couldn’t just have her killed for the sake of their freedom. Not even when she’d killed his Hosidia so many times, did he have the right to ask for her death. But maybe now things could be different. He would do anything to keep Hosidia alive, and now that Adonia lived with her, perhaps she could do something about it.

  “You know we just can’t get rid of her without just cause.”

  “Yeah, but now that you and Natalia have been together, it won’t take long until Segana senses that you are in love and she will attempt to eliminate her. You know it goes the same way every time. So, your duty is to keep the love of your life alive, even if it means killing Segana.”

  “I don’t have the power physically to do that, but we both know who can.”

  They both grew quiet, mentally preparing for the two days of duty ahead.

  The flight had been short, the drive to the villa a bit longer. The car transporting the president and his wife was in the middle of their small caravan, while the other two cars covered it from each end.

  Natalia had decided to ride in the same car with Zev and Arvid, and he was grateful that he wasn’t driving because he would surely lose concentration. The chit chat between Arvid and Natalia was irritating because he wasn’t able to do the same. He’d realized after they parted last night that it was best if he pulled back. Her safety was at risk.

  He closed his eyes and thought about how although Natalia didn’t physically look like Hosidia, but sounded the same. In all of her previous lives, she’d never resembled Hosidia. Fate would spare her that at least, so that Segana didn’t recognize her. But with her sounding so similar, many times he’d almost called her Hosidia. For a few moments he pretended she was chatting with him, and they were happy.

  “Zev what the hell are you dreaming of?” His eyes flew open at Arvid’s voice. ‘Your smile is from ear to ear.”

  He coughed uncomfortably, his smile gone. He let them continue chatting and he concentrated on the view outside. The light coloured road looked infinitely long, and the tall, green cypress trees gave it a sense of mystery. No other cars were visible and that made him very uncomfortable. The eerie atmosphere had him on edge, but the trip went smoothly.