Annie Nicholas - Prima

Daedalus strode around the vehicle and tossed the keys to the valet. They bounced off his chest. “Eyes forward, boy.”

She set her left hand onto the arm Daedalus offered. His black dress jacket felt soft and silky under her palm. She didn’t recall him packing it in Chicago. It must be part of the corporate life he’d left behind. Daedalus didn’t appear awkward in his tailored suit like some large men, but even formally dressed, he still moved like a predator.

He hesitated by the entrance and stared at her hand. “You haven’t worn your engagement ring in a long while.”

Anticipation fluttered in her chest. The diamond sparkled even in the dim light. “I lost a lot of weight while in the hospital. It would have fallen off.” But she’d always kept the ring with her even though her future had been stripped away. Daedalus had returned this future back to her. She could now think about marrying him once more.

“Resizing it wouldn’t have been difficult.” Not for him, but for her this ring symbolized who he’d fallen in love with, and it hadn’t fit anymore. Both of those versions of her were gone, yet he somehow managed to care for each no matter the differences.

She leaned her head against his shoulder. “It fits now.” Becoming a vampire had changed her, just like the attack had. Those things were out of her control. What she did with her life after these events wasn’t. She saw that now.

After the attack, she’d felt like her life was over, so she didn’t bother living. Funny how it took dying for her to see that mistake. She wouldn’t let this second chance go to waste.

He tapped the cane she still carried. “You shouldn’t need this anymore.”

She glanced at it with a sad smile. “Call it a comfort. I used it for so long it felt strange leaving it behind.”

Daedalus opened the door for her and followed close behind with a possessive hand on her waist.

The interior’s dim lighting cast the room in shadows. Unlike human restaurants, tables didn’t fill the space. Couches lined the walls, some with curtains drawn, others not.

She swallowed, her mouthwatering as the scent of blood drifted around her. Without realizing, she took a few steps toward the smell until Daedalus’s strong hold stopped her.

“I reserved a private dining room.” He spoke with the hostess.

“Name?” She opened her book.

“Daedalus Pal Robi.” He stepped into better lighting.

Her eyes went wide. “Th-this way please.”

Thick carpet softened Sugar’s steps. She held Daedalus’s arm for balance. Hunger burned in her gut like glowing coals. Living off a diet of dead cells had left her starved.

They passed a couple sitting on a lounge chair in the public room. A man dressed in a collarless white shirt sat between them as the female vampire fed from his neck. Sugar’s legs stalled. The donor’s eyes closed and he sighed. She half-expected the male vampire to tear out his throat, but he ran his hand over the female’s leg, watching with earnest interest. Nothing erotic, just intimate.

“Shhh,” Daedalus crooned by her ear, his hand caressing the back of her neck and easing the tension building there. “We’ll take this slow.”

“I don’t know if I can manage that.” Prying her gaze from the feeding took all her willpower.

“We’ll get an appetizer to start. It will ease your hunger and then you can take your time feeding.” He pulled her toward the back of the restaurant where the hostess waited by a door.

She handed him a menu. “Your waitress will be with you soon.”

“Does Nick still work here?”

She nodded.

Daedalus returned the menu. “We won’t need this then.” He gestured for Sugar to enter the room.

A set of lounge chairs faced the door that matched the restaurant’s ambiance. The burgundy wallpaper absorbed the dim lighting and softened the edges of the room. Fresh flower bouquets decorated the side table next to a glass pitcher of ice-cold water. She ran her fingertip over the wet condensation on the outside of the vessel. “Who’s Nick?”

“A career donor.” Daedalus undid the buttons on his jacket and settled on the closest sedan. He patted his lap. “Let me do the ordering tonight. Eventually you’ll learn what flavors you like.”

She set her cane against the wall and approached him, but the urge to pace kept her from accepting his invitation to sit upon his lap. “People have flavors?”

“Sure. Their lifestyle makes them taste differently. Innocence, drugged, athletic, promiscuous…” He shrugged. “You know my favorite.”

“Bad guys.” She grimaced. “I imagine they’re bitter.”

“Depends on how much fear and adrenaline is pumping in their system.” He grinned, flashing his full, long fangs. The smile of a devil. Her devil. “It’s an acquired taste.”

“How did you acquire it?” She plucked a flower from the vase, inhaling its sweet scent.

He pursed his lips and stared at the wall. “I think my kind is programmed to like it.”

“How?” She set the flower back.

He watched her and rubbed his chin, as if trying to decide something. The silence grew thicker in the room. “From the time we awaken as vampire, Nosferatu fledglings are tossed into a camp. The training is brutal, and so is the feeding. No watermelons for us.” A small, wistful smile played on his lips. “They send humans into the camps when it’s time to feed but they make sure there’s never enough to go around. Hunger makes you sharp.”

“That’s awful.” She hurried to his side. He rarely shared anything of his past, and she didn’t want to end this small miracle, but she sensed his guilt. Tonight wasn’t about hurting each other. She wanted them to find a connection to bind them together forever.

“So when you are fed a strict diet of fear-drenched blood it becomes an…addiction.”

She stroked his head. “Why choose Nick?” Did he want her to share his tastes? Fear wasn’t something she wanted to inspire in anyone.

Daedalus ran his hand over her leg until his fingertips reached just under her mid-thigh hem. “He’s a masochist.”

The hairs on the back of her neck rose. “What kind of kink do you think I’m into?” She bopped him on the forehead. “A few days with fangs and you think I’m ready for BDSM?”

He blinked with a bemused smile. “It’s not like that. Though there are a few places where we could find that if you ever change your mind.” He gestured at their surroundings. “Babe, this is a respectable restaurant with a wonderful reputation. It’s where vampire couples can come have a romantic dinner.” Lacing his fingers with hers, he pulled her onto his lap. “Relax.”

“Then why do we need someone like Nick?” She pictured black leather and metal studs. If her heart could race, it would.

“I’ll do my best to teach you to feed gently.” His hand slid between her knees and crawled higher as he spoke quietly by her ear. “But Nick won’t mind if it hurts.”

Her breathing grew ragged from both his touch and the thought of finally sinking her teeth into someone. “I’m too hungry. I don’t like feeling out of control.”

“You don’t seem to mind it when I make you lose it in bed.”

“That’s different.”

“Not really. Feeding for a vampire is still passionate.” He gripped her thigh. “But it doesn’t have to be sex.”

“You’ll stay with me?”

“Fuck, yes. I’m not leaving you alone in a room with Nick. I’d have to kill him after.” He pressed a tender kiss under her ear. “Someone’s coming.” He lifted her from his lap and set her next to him.

A young woman in the same professional uniform as the hostess entered. “I’m Rosaline, and I’ll be your service attendant tonight. Can I get you something from the bar?”