Forbidden Love 03

CHAPTER THREE...

'Okay. So what you're trying to say is that he left without saying goodbye or anything? Men and bloody one-night stands!' Claire huffed disgustedly.

Belle sighed with weariness. It had been two days since THAT night. She did not want to think about it again. Whenever she remembered it, she always inwardly cringed. She could not believe that she had been that, that uninhibited! How on earth had she been able to act that way? She could definitely not call it making love. More like having very crude sex. And with a stranger too. She did not even know his last name! Oh God, she sighed once again.

Claire cuffed her chin gently, 'Don't worry about that sad twat. He has no idea what he's missing out on. You are a lovely sweet beautiful talented girl and if he's just the 'love 'em and leave 'em' types then he's the one missing out on a great thing not you.' Claire then shrugged, 'Not like you fancy him anyway. It's just your pride's that hurt. You wanted to be the one that left him not the other way round right? I mean...' She trailed off when she saw the half-exasperated, half-angry look on Belle's face. 'Oh My God. Did you fancy that...that creep??? Don't forget he used to sneak into your bed at night. Okay, fine he's a definite hottie but you should be calling the police when next you see him....if you see him that is.'

'Enough, Claire!' Belle finally yelled.

Claire was taken aback.

'I know you mean well. I mean you are my best friend and you're looking out for me but the best way I can put all this behind me is if I forget about it and you harping on and bloody on about it isn't really helping.' She noticed Claire looking a little hurt and she sighed again. On realising that she had been sighing quite a lot she sighed once more then smiled ruefully to herself. 'Okay forgive me Claire hun, I'm just tired you know. Really stressed out about it. I do not fancy him by the way so get that thought out of your head. I'm just... I don't know. I mean I definitely wanted to sleep with him but after everything I just wanted to talk. Not talk the way girls normally do after great sex, just find out why exactly he had been coming...or as you say sneaking into my place and stuff. I know I should've done it the moment we got here but...oh Claire it was impossible. I really, literally wanted to rip his clothes off. It wasn't just lust...I can't describe it; I've never ever felt that way before. Bloody incredible, it was.'

Claire smiled at her and sat back down on Belle's bed, 'I think I get what you mean. I've certainly felt that way before. Trust me. Oh well, get your mind off it, there's nothing you can do about it, I mean he's not coming back again I think. Sorry if this sounds hurtful but maybe he just wanted the sex and now that he's got it he doesn't see any need to err...visit.'

Belle shrugged although she felt something break inside her. She knew Claire was right but...she could not be in love with him. She gasped silently. That could not be right. She did not know this guy. She had had great sex with him but that was it. He hadn't even stayed around. Just crept off in the middle of the night. Instead of being furious with him, she was secretly hoping that he would come back with a credible explanation for his disappearance. Oh God, Belle get a grip of yourself, she silently scolded. She was not a teenager anymore having silly crushes on strange, albeit sexy men; she had to snap out of it instantly.

'Earth, to Annabelle. What is wrong with you? Are you even listening to a word I'm saying?' Claire snapped her fingers in front of Belle's face.

Belle jumped startled and smiled sheepishly, 'Forgive me, was just thinking that I should really...err...get back to what I was doing before you came. Have a deadline by Friday and I haven't even looked at the documents. Don't want Mark crowing gleefully while I get bawled out by Derek.' Derek was the senior partner in charge of her tax department.

'Oh' Claire looked at her suspiciously, 'Well as long as your mind's off him I guess I'll leave you to do your stuff. I've also got work to do but I really can't be bothered. Grrr...have to be determined. Anyway I'm off home. Remember I'm just a flight of stairs away so if you need anything...a talk, whatever. Make sure you come over immediately okay, Belle honey.'

'Yes, Claire-bear. Now go. Need to concentrate.' She stood up and hugged Claire before walking her to the door, 'Oh and Claire, thanks...for everything. Even the horrible comments of him just wanting sex.' She smiled wryly as Claire blushed.

'Eh well, hun that's what friends are for. To be horrid yet honest and sweet all at the same time. And since I'm the best at that, that makes me your bestest friend in the whole world.' She hugged Belle tightly again. 'Bye babe.'

She left and Belle closed the door softly smiling to herself. She ran her fingers through her curls shaking her head as she walked to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. It was already 8 p.m. Time to tackle her boring document from boring work. She looked up at the window and gasped at the reflection of Aleksander behind her. She whirled round opening her mouth to scream...

Aleksander was at Belle's side in a hundredth of a second and he hurriedly covered her mouth with his to stop her scream. He groaned silently to himself. This was definitely not what he intended to do but now he couldn't stop himself. He kissed her thoroughly for at least a second before noticing how stiff she was in his arms. He stopped and looked at her and was rewarded with a sharp hard slap across his face.

Belle was as shocked as he was by the slap but a tiny part of her felt vindicated. How dare he creep into her house, yet again, and kiss her like nothing happened. She looked at him and was startled by what she saw. For the first time she was seeing him properly under the light and he was exceedingly pale. Her palm prints were as red as scarlet across his face and, there right before her very eyes, they faded immediately.

Her eyes widened as she gaped at him, 'What on earth...' She started...

Oh no, Aleksander thought as she trailed off looking very scared. Oh dear, the curse of being a vampire. Being able to heal in a nanosecond. Of course it would look odd that her prints had faded instantly. And he was aware of how deathly pale he was.

'Look Belle, I just want to talk...'

'Leave my house' she whispered softly. It was as clear as day (he smiled to himself at that pun) that she was valiantly trying to hide her fear. He could sense her reaching as quietly as she could for her cordless telephone before she even knew she was going to do so.

'Okay. You are angry with me. Livid even, fair enough. But please listen to me. At least before you call the police. Or Claire.'

She silenced another gasp. How did he know she was going to reach for her phone. Okay this was starting to creep her and not in a normal, 'help he's a burglar way'.

'How do you know I want to call the police, or Claire?' She asked.

'Because it's the same thing I'd have done,' he replied.

Oh, makes sense then. But that did not stop her from feeling that there was something wrong about the whole situation. More wrong than him doing a runner and coming back to give some nonsensical reason. There was something definitely off here.

'Okay, you've got five seconds and this had better be good.' She folded her hands trying to look stern but secretly struggling to stem her fear of him.

He cleared his throat. 'Well since I've only got five seconds then it's this - I'm a vampire'

She stuttered in disbelief. Was he winding her up? What utter nonsense! 'This is the best you can do? Can come up with? That you're a vampire? Do I look utterly senseless or stupid to you? Leave my house. Leave my bloody house this sodding minute!' She shrieked.

He did not look surprised at her outrage. Obviously he was aware that there was no way on earth that she was going to believe his nonsense.

'Do you want me to prove it to you?' He asked calmly.

'How? By biting my neck, you freak!' She scathingly replied.

She noticed him clench his jaw tightly and suddenly...

He was furious. She did not believe him and he really could not blame her. Of course she thought he was 'winding her up'. Thus, without thinking he swooped her up in his arms and flew out the window. At the back of his mind, he knew he was going to be in very deep trouble if he was caught by his parents, or God forbid, the elders, but he did not care. He had to prove to her that he was not lying and that trumped every other thought or warning in his head.

'Oh My God!' She screamed. Or rather thought she did but it came out as a squeak. She was flying. He was carrying her and they were flying! They were sodding flying! Okay there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. She was dreaming simple.

'You're not dreaming, I assure you,' she heard him say drily.

Oh crap, did she say that out loud?

'No, you did not. I can hear your thoughts so it's best I warn you not to think horrible thoughts about me.'

She looked up and saw him smiling down at her. He was smiling. Teasing her even. He thought this was a joke. She was definitely hallucinating. One of her dreams, but instead of caressing her in this one they were 'apparently' flying. She tried to pinch herself.

'Ow.' That hurt. Oh God, that meant she was not dreaming then.

'Okay. Okay, I believe just...put me down. Take me back home.' She whimpered.

'I'm not going to hurt you okay. Stop shaking.'

He sounded angry, what the hell was he angry about? She should be the one steaming, well apart from peeing herself due to fear.

Why did she think he wanted to hurt her? He was just trying to prove a point. Okay maybe flying without any warning was overdoing it, but at least he did not feed from her. And anyway he could never hurt her, he loved her. Oh God, he was using or rather thinking that word 'love' again. Why on earth had his father put it in his head? He sighed and started again, hovering in mid-flight, 'Look, there is no way I'm going to hurt you. I think I'd rather hurt myself than hurt you. And you obviously don't believe me so I'm going to turn back now and drop you back at your place. But you have to promise me that you are not going to scream or freak out or anything. Just...listen to me, please.'

She nodded or looked like she did. He turned round and flew back into her flat through the window before depositing her on her kitchen floor.

Belle almost stumbled once she felt the sure hard floor beneath her feet. She never believed she could be so thrilled to be on a hard surface. She looked up at him, a bit frightened but oddly sure that he would not do anything to hurt her. He was not looking at her. He was studiously staring at her fridge like it was the answer to all questions. Clearly he was avoiding her gaze. What did he have to be scared off? She irritatingly thought. She was the one entertaining a bloody vampire for Pete's sake.

'I'm not scared. I just don't know how to start,' she heard him say softly and almost groaned out loud.

'Okay let's get one thing straight. I would really, and I mean really appreciate it if you could stop reading my thoughts, or at least pretend to not read them. Having one answer my questions without actually asking them is really getting annoying. It's a violation of privacy even. You being privy to my thoughts. What if I don't want you to read them?' She glared at him.

He smiled at that sheepishly. 'Well, there's really nothing I can do about it, Belle. I can't not read your thoughts. And you can't hide them from me. Only other vampires can do that and only the strong ones at that.'

'Really,' she scathingly replied, 'and you are one of the strong ones I presume?'

'Yes' was the simple answer.

'Oh.' She was silent. She did not know what to say at that. Well. One of the strong ones. It was a good thing she wasn't dead then. She quickly snuck a look at his face and when she saw the narrowed gaze and clenched jaw, she realised that he had read that thought too. Oh well at least he was not making any remarks about it.

'Oh God,' she sighed, running her fingers through her hair and walking to the living room to sink unto a sofa. 'I hope the word God doesn't offend you, or I don't know, make you break out in hives or something?'

He laughed and sat down on the sofa across her, 'No. It doesn't. As hard as this may be for you to comprehend, I'm actually Catholic.'

She snorted at that, 'Catholic. Uh-hunh. Now I've heard everything. A Catholic Vampire. Tell me this is not some Blood Ties episode because it sure as hell feels like it. I'm the Vicky to your Henry Fitzroy, only I'm not going blind and I sure as hell am not white.'

He did not look too pleased at her remark but she really could not care less. Her world had been turned upside down. Not only was she having a perfectly sound conversation with a man who claimed he was a vampire but she also believed him. I mean what other explanation was there for all the things that had been happening? Especially the flying bit? Oh God, she gasped. She had had sex with this...this...

'Don't,' he suddenly was at her side grasping her arm quite strongly. 'Don't sully what we did by calling me any name. Or referring to me as a 'thing'. Just...please don't.' She quickly nodded suddenly frightened again. He noticed the scared look on her face and quickly released her arm. He stalked back to the sofa and sat. Then got up and walked to the window and stared out. 'So no questions for me then? Nothing as to why I've been coming to your bedroom? Why you out of all the other girls in Bristol? England? The world? Nothing?' He turned back and glared at her.

Why was he looking at her with such anger? Belle thought. It wasn't her fault that all that was running through his head. As a matter of fact she did have questions for him but what was the point when he could read her thoughts and would answer them before she could even voiced...

'You're right. Fair point.' He muttered.

...them. See, there he was. She mutinously thought, would you rather I think the questions than ask them. Oh mighty vampire? Would that be easier, more fun for you?

He smiled wryly, 'If that would make you feel better. If you'd rather not talk to me then yes. Although it would get frustrating, not for me, but you.'

What's the point? It saves me having to talk, Aleksander. If that is in fact your real name, she sarcastically thought.

He laughed at that, 'Why on earth would I want to fake a name like Aleksander? Don't be absurd, you strike me as too intelligent to act this way.'

'Oh, you mean childish?' She burst out. 'I do apologize, really, but you don't expect me to act all mature about conversing with a vampire. I mean I never used to believe in such. Still don't know if I do. So if I want to act childish then I sure as hell will. Oh crap, Claire is definitely not going to believe this. She will finally, finally believe that I'm off my rocker at last.'

He shrugged, 'It's up to you if you want to tell her. She is your 'best' friend isn't she? But I'll advise you not to because, as you said she wouldn't believe you. And anyway I would like to remain anonymous if possible. As for you being childish; well you can't help it. It is human nature. And anyway you are still young. Very.'

'What do you mean 'very'? How old are you, Aleksander?' She suddenly asked, half-dreading the answer.

'Let's just say I've been around for more than a few centuries,' was the wry answer.

Belle gasped. Centuries. She suddenly felt faint. This was surreal. In fact. Surreal was an understatement. She suddenly wanted him out of her house.

'I'd really appreciate it if you went.' She couldn't believe that tiny voice was hers. 'I have a deadline. At work. I need to concentrate. I don't think that would be possible now but...I need to try and I need you out of here to do that.'

He opened his mouth to say something but she quickly said, 'Don't worry your secret's safe with me. No one would believe me anyway. But I'd really appreciate it if you never came back. Please. Just...go.' She ended wearily.

He sighed then made for the window. She turned her head away but suddenly felt her face being pushed up and she was gazing into his eyes and, against her will, longing for him to kiss her. He seemed to read her mind, or maybe he felt the same way too for he lowered his lips and kissed her softly.

Tenderly.

'I never meant for you to find out this way. I really care about you. I was hoping you would feel the same way too. Then I could break the news gently. Well as gently as something as momentous as this could be broken.' Aleksander said softly against her lips. 'I'll go and never come back if you don't want me too. But if you ever change your mind and want to see me; a whisper, a thought, even a smidgen of a thought of my name and I will be here. I swear it to you. And I truly wish that you do want me because I don't think I will ever be able to stop thinking about you.' He whispered this last bit and kissed her once more, before vaulting out of the window and back to wherever he came from.

Belle put her fingers to her lips and stared out of the window. Oh My God. She was doing the unimaginable. The unthinkable. She was falling in love with a vampire!