Counting Midnight Read online

  For the next hour, authorities were notified and statements made. When it was learned that Vasile Velisescu’s party had been attacked, paramedics were called in and everyone was checked out.

  Adrienne, Lori, and Mandy chattered and clung to their husbands, obviously traumatized by the events of the evening. Vasile noticed that Nina didn’t say anything.

  After more than an hour of filing reports and giving statements, the group was finally free to head back to their hotel. More and more, Vasile was concerned about Nina’s seeming emotional distance from everyone. When they returned to the hotel, he addressed the shaken couples.

  “We shall meet in an hour,” he told them, escorting Nina up to their suite.

  As soon as the door closed Nina was on him, ripping at his shirt. Vasile reached for her, bemused, but she ducked away from his hands. Finally she exposed the suppurating scratch that was all that remained of his wound.

  Pressing her mouth to the injury, she began to cry.

  “Oh Vasile, I was so frightened for you.” She was on her knees with her arms around his hips. Kissing his stomach, she said between sobs, “Please don’t ever do that again. I love you so much. I just couldn’t bear it if something happens to you.”

  Vasile lifted her into his arms and carried her to the balcony, settling into a comfortable chair with her on his lap. He kissed her and reassured her, stroking her like a frightened animal until she calmed.

  “Meu inimã, am I mistaken or did I hear you say that you love me?” Vasile asked her carefully.

  “Yes, Vasile.” she mumbled into his neck. “I do love you.”

  Cupping her neck in his palm, he gently tilted her head back with his thumb.

  “Please to look at me and say that again?” he asked, his voice strangled.

  “I love you, Vasile Velicescu.” Tears ran down her cheeks. “I loved you when I didn’t know you and I love you even more now.”

  “I know that I do not deserve you, my Nina, but I will ask you.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out the ring he’d had made for her. “Please to marry me, Nina, and live your life with me?”

  With difficulty, he fought the urge to compel her to accept. In time, he would tell her about himself. Hopefully, she would agree to mate with him for all eternity. In the meantime, he would settle for the pledge of a single lifetime.

  “Yes, please, Vasile. I want to marry you.” He was kissing her passionately before she could get all the words out.

  Slipping the ring on her finger, he told her, “I hope you like it. I designed it for you.” It fit perfectly. “The diamond is 4 carats and the cut is called Asscher.” he toyed with the ring on her third finger. “I know the band is thick and wide. I wanted it to hold the large diamond and the blue-green sapphires without getting caught on everything.” Realizing that he was babbling, Vasile closed his mouth.

  “Vasile, it’s beautiful. It’s incredible,” she breathed, staring at it.

  “All will know that you are spoken for, da?” he murmured, grinning sheepishly. “I hope it is not too heavy.”

  “The way you have designs cut into the band will make it lighter, Vasile. You can help me lift my hand if it’s too heavy.” she teased him.

  They dressed for their night cruise and prepared for dinner. Seeing that Nina wore a dark turquoise sleeveless sheath, he chose to wear lightweight white linen pants and a long-sleeved, casual, white cotton shirt. It was quite a departure for him but it felt good.

  As they approached the other couples, Vasile noticed that Nina was still distressed about the attack.

  “I should find that vermin and kill him for upsetting you.” Vasile gritted. He didn’t care if the others could hear him.

  “Vasile, you wouldn’t kill someone just for upsetting me, would you?” She knew he’d killed her attackers years ago.

  “Meu dragoste, I would die for you and I would die without you. To kill for you would be as nothing.”

  “OH MY GAWD that’s soo romantic!” squealed Adrienne. She slapped Michael hard. “And you said he was “doin’” her!”

  “No more violence, Adrienne.” Vasile admonished her. “Nina has agreed to join her life with mine and become my wife. You will all help us celebrate.”

  After that, Vasile’s amusement was divided between the women and their husbands. The women had descended upon Nina and were “oohing” and “ahhing” over her ring. The men were on their cell phones talking to co-workers.

  “You won’t believe what old Drac did.” he heard.

  “He was bad-ass, man, when that guy grabbed Nina.” someone else crowed.

  “You should see the rock—rocks—on that ring…”

  * * * *

  The minute the wheels of the plane touched the ground Nina was forced to make a decision. She had never been to Vasile’s home and he wanted to change that.

  “Nina, your little kitty already stays at my home. Please to come there now and begin our life together,” he’d argued.

  Nina had no argument against moving into his home instead of hers. He’d lived there many years and she had only ever occupied three rooms in her house. She wasn’t attached to it.

  “Everything is just going so fast, Vasile.” A nagging feeling was teasing at her and she needed time to think.

  In the end, Nina gave in and she went to his home with him. The minute the car drove through the wrought iron gates of his estate, Nina was overwhelmed with the “otherworldliness” of his home and its surroundings.

  The word “genteel” didn’t quite cover the home and grounds. The lawns were expansive and dogs that looked suspiciously like wolves greeted the car when it stopped. Vasile stepped out and the animals were all over him, wriggling with joy. He helped her out of the car and they sniffed her politely and then, seemingly, began to welcome her.

  Inside the mansion, marble floors and antique Persian rugs blended tastefully with comfortable furniture. There were paintings by the old masters and other priceless objects d’art for Nina to fret over.

  Vasile declared that the contents of the house were simply artifacts collected over the years. After encouraging her to look through her new home, Vasile went off to check his phone messages and email.

  Nina wandered aimlessly for a while, taking everything in. In the library, she found some pictures of Vasile’s male ancestors. She thought the similarities were remarkable and the nagging feeling in her grew.

  Finally exhausted, Nina wandered up to the bedroom she would share with Vasile and went to sleep. She didn’t stir when he joined her there.

  * * * *

  Having returned to work on Tuesday evening after their long weekend trip, Vasile and Nina spent the next few days catching up. She had more to do since she’d taken time off before the trip. He’d hoped that having her possessions around her had helped. He had noticed her leafing through a weathered diary that morning.

  Nina had seemed distracted the last few days but Vasile had chalked it up to nerves and extra work. Now they were embroiled in what seemed to be a never-ending meeting. He realized that something was on her mind but she was blocking him. He hoped she’d let him know what it was soon.

  The meeting dragged on while everyone around them hashed over the contents of spreadsheets, profit and loss margins, worldwide and Internet transactions, and research programs. They’d been sitting in this windowless conference room for at least two hours.

  She was uneasy, he could tell. A smile tugged at the corner of his full mouth as he felt her eyes on him again, but he kept his gaze focused on the papers spread out on the table before him. He could hear some of her thoughts. That’s how uneasy she was.

  “I think my brain is numb.” he heard at some point.

  As he tried to focus on some of the mental anesthesia his employees were so proud of producing, her little mental observations were killing him.

  “Keep talking. I always yawn when I’m interested,” she thought while the investment proposal team made their presentation.

&
nbsp; She’d steal glances his way. Each time she looked, he heard her shift uneasily next to him. She never caught him glancing back at her.

  “I don’t mind that you’re talking so long as you don’t mind that I’m not listening.” Inwardly, he groaned. She entertained him, she intrigued him, how he wanted to laugh and play with her right now. He’d give almost anything to ignore this foolish meeting.

  He mapped the curve of her swan-like neck with his gaze while he daydreamed of tracing his tongue along its curve and easing his fangs into the pounding pulse there.

  “Converse with any plankton lately?” he heard after one especially dry presentation. He chuckled to himself.

  They’d been sitting here for far too long. He couldn’t bear another second. Obviously, that would be too long for her, too. Gripping the edge of the table, he eased his chair back.

  “Thank you!” he said out loud while he reached with his mind. “Thank you, Larry. Obviously a lot of hard work went into your presentation. Nina? Anything to add?”

  “Um no, nothing to add just now. I want a disk of that presentation so I can review your research, okay, Larry?” she gave him an angelic smile. Larry actually stumbled as he moved toward her with the disk.

  Taking it in both hands, she smiled at Larry again and he leaned against the table smiling and looking down at her, smitten.

  “Enough Larry!” Vasile growled, annoyed. “We will break now for a meal if there are no objections? Nina, please come with me.” Vasile surged to his feet. Nina stood with him, holding the disk.

  He strode from the room with Nina following him nervously. He held his office door open for her and she entered. He locked it and was in front of her before she knew what was happening.

  Wrapping both arms around her, Vasile pressed her backward until her back was up against the door. His tongue took her mouth, pillaging and mating with hers.

  He had not intended to do this but his resolve had snapped.

  “Nina” he murmured. “You do not know how you make me crazy.” he gritted as he kissed her again and again.

  His hand trailed up her thigh as she unbuttoned his suit jacket and slipped her hands inside. She tilted her face back for another kiss, which he gladly supplied. He nibbled on her lips until the hand at her thigh found the lacy top of her stocking.

  Almost against his will, his fingers splayed and eased up her hip. Finally, they found lace at the top of her hip.

  “Nina?” he groaned. “What do you have on under this so conservative suit?”

  “It’s a princess cut, Jacquard suit but the skirt is shorter than conservative,” she argued.

  “Nina.” he growled in warning.

  She pulled her shorter than conservative skirt up so that he could see her stretch lace panties with the seven-inch rise at the hips. He turned her, groaning at the picture created by the sheer lace stockings and the barely there sheer panties.

  Looking into his eyes, she flattened the palm of her hand against his erection. She unbuttoned the waist of his suit pants and unzipped his fly. She pulled out his large shaft.

  Vasile lifted her and she reached down and pulled the thin crotch of her briefs out of the way. With her other hand, she guided the head of his cock to her entrance.

  “I want you inside me, Vasile,” she whispered. Resting her hands on his shoulders now, she dropped her forehead to his.

  Slowly, he slid his throbbing cock into her. She kept both arms around his neck while he held her hips in his large hands.

  In three strides, he walked to his desk and rested her bottom on it. She spread her legs wider as he held her in place. Nina leaned back, supporting herself with her hands. Vasile loomed over her as his hips pumped with a fierce, driving force.

  He could feel her orgasm but he couldn’t slow down. He continued to drive his cock into her, stroke after forceful stroke. Finally, with one last powerful lunge, he slammed into her and buried his teeth in her pulse. He felt her body climax around him again as she screamed into his shoulder. Quickly after the briefest of sips, he licked the tiny punctures closed.

  He gathered her against him, kissing her and whispering words of love to her. Slowly and carefully, he lifted her off of him and straightened her clothing. She stood against him for a long time.

  He didn’t know what she was thinking but he sensed her mind was once again in turmoil.

  * * * *

  “Vasile?” Nina finally spoke.

  “Yes, meu Nina?” he responded.

  “I want to ask you … I just want you to be more honest with me than you have been in the past, okay?” she looked intently at him.

  “Da, Nina, I will answer you and be honest.” Was it her imagination or had he just swallowed nervously?

  “Do you love me, Vasile?” she asked him.

  “Da, Nina, I love you more than life itself.”

  “From the first day that you came to see me after the rape, I kept track of how many minutes I spent with you. You only ever came to me in the middle of the night so I called it Counting Midnight.” She smiled wryly at him.

  He leaned over to the speaker on his desk and instructed Beverly to reschedule individual presentations from the remaining departments. The rest of the meeting was cancelled.

  Nina had seated herself in a chair at the back of his office and he moved to sit opposite her, focused on her words.

  “As I was saying, Vasile,” Nina went on, “I thought of it as an exchange of sorts. You gave me your minutes when you didn’t have to. They were precious to me.”

  He nodded and continued to stare fixedly at her.

  “You took from me the only things I had to give, my body and my blood. I gave them willingly.” Nina saw that Vasile was shocked.

  “You knew…” his voice came out in a choked whisper.

  “I knew but I didn’t know. I knew you drank my blood but I refused to think about it. When I was injured, I forgot … It was a lost memory.” She looked away for a minute. Looking into his eyes again, she stated, “I need to know what manner of man I am pledged to marry. I need to know what is expected of me, Vasile.”

  Vasile stared at her for a full minute, unmoving. Finally, he nodded as if he’d reached an understanding with himself. Nina waited.

  “You have obviously guessed that I am what is called a vampire. Shall I dispel any myths you have?” Nina nodded. She knew she was pale. She felt pale.

  “I go to church. I believe in God. I wear a cross. As I am Catholic, I make the sign of the Cross with Holy Water. I do not kill people by drinking their blood. I find too much garlic unpleasant because it smells bad; otherwise, it does not bother me.” Nina decided that he was clearing up the easy stuff first.

  “A wooden stake through the heart would kill anyone, myself included. The same is true if you remove someone’s head from their body. I cannot go out in the harsh light of day but I can be awake during daylight hours, though it drains me. I am ancient so I can go out in the early morning and late afternoon if need be” he continued his explanation.

  “What do you mean by “ancient”, Vasile?” her throat was a little dry now.

  “What do you think of as ancient, Nina?” he asked her.

  “Um, maybe a thousand years, I guess” she told him.

  “Good, I am not quite ancient then” he smiled winningly. She arched a brow at him. “I was born in 1078. I am nine hundred and twenty-seven years old. My birthday is near the end of the year.”

  “How old were you when…” she tried to ask how old he was when he turned but she couldn’t get the words past her dry throat.

  “I was thirty-six,” he said simply.

  “Can you read my mind, Vasile?” she asked.

  “Sometimes, meu dragoste. Before the accident, I could only read you when you were close by or when you needed me.” He reached for her but let his hand drop back to his lap. “I read you now when you are agitated and some other times, but I try not to invade your privacy. I would rather hear the words you would say to m
e.”

  She nodded. “Can you make me do things? I mean…”

  “I know what you mean, Nina.” he sighed. “Yes, I can make people do things.”

  “I drank your blood, didn’t I?” She sat rigidly, knowing the answer.

  “You have on three separate occasions,” he answered. “You were ill and my blood is strong.”

  She took a deep breath. It was time to ask the question she had been leading up to.

  “How come I haven’t become like you? Do you want me to?” she waited breathlessly for his answer.

  “Nothing would please me more than for you to choose to remain with me until we both decide to end our lives. You have not been changed because I wanted to be sure that it is your choice.”

  “You were… easing me into it?” she asked acerbically. He shrugged and nodded. “How does one change?” she asked after a minute.

  “You become mated to me when we drink one from the other while making love. It is best if we achieve orgasm together as well.” He gave her a small smile.

  “Really?” she breathed. She hadn’t heard that part before.

  “There are other ways but they can be—messy.” Nina considered this for a minute.

  She stood. He stood facing her.

  “I need to go and think about this, Vasile,” she told him.

  “Nina.” his voice sounded strained.

  “I’m not going to Moldavia, Vasile, only for a walk downtown. I need to think about this.” she wrapped her arms around her middle and turned toward the door.

  “Nina?” he called softly. She turned to look at him. “I am with you, always.” She nodded.

  * * * *

  Vasile paced the halls of his office building trying to keep an “eye” on Nina and still pay attention to where he was going. As he walked, he heard some of his employees talking.

  “Whaddaya think’s going on? They’ve been in there a long time.” he heard.

  “Think they’re fuckin’?” That Soames would never learn. Vasile was in the mood to teach him.

  “Soames” he growled. The man nearly fell out of his chair. “Whom did you suspect of fucking?” his voice was low and menacing.