Forbidden Love 01

CHAPTER ONE...

As fingers slowly drifted up her back to her neck, Annabelle sighed slowly to herself. She felt lips following the trail and latching themselves to her shoulder before sucking deeply. This tore a moan from her mouth. She was slowly turned over and felt the same lips kissing slowly, almost lazily to her left breast. She held her breath as they got closer and soon felt a warm tongue lapping at her hard nipple. She gasped and opened her eyes wildly and saw...

Nothing.

Oh God, Belle sobbed silently to herself looking around.

It was the dream.

Again.

The same dream she'd had the day before and two days ago. She touched herself and felt wetness. What was happening to her?

***

'What?' spluttered Belle's best friend, Claire.

Belle patted her back and smiled, albeit shakily. 'Don't go choking on me, Claire-bear,' she dryly said.

They were at the Starbucks on Park Street in Bristol having lunch. Belle had just told Claire about her dreams for the first time and suffice to say Claire was shocked. Couldn't blame her. I mean who had the exact same dream consecutively for three nights?

'Are you sure your body isn't reminding you that it needs regular shagging?' Claire said once she had settled herself.

Belle laughed, 'Regular shagging. Oh my God Claire, you're making me sound very deprived.'

'Aren't you?' she retorted. 'I mean you haven't had a boyfriend in what, two years? And you are too strait-laced to get yourself a pink rabbit,' she wiggled her eyebrows at this and Belle shook her head.

Ever since she broke up with Leo, or rather found Leo cheating on her with his secretary (very cliché, she knew. Idiot man couldn't even be original), she had gone off men in general. Become celibate. Claire couldn't understand how she was doing it. Claire was quite...*ahem* sexually active to say the least.

'So what do you think these dreams mean then?' she asked slurping her caramel frappuccino.

'Well I wouldn't know that would I?' Belle replied stirring her tea somewhat forlornly. 'I mean, they have been rather vivid you know. Honestly, I'm kinna scared to go to bed tonight. I really don't want it repeating itself.'

Claire gasped at her, 'Are you winding me up? You don't WANT it to happen? Babe, this might sound very wrong as obviously it's just a dream, but this is probably the only 'nookie' you'll be getting for the rest of your life so you had better hope damn well that it happens again.' She then smiled slyly, 'And this time, make sure you remember everything that happens so that you can report back to me. I'm on hiatus at the moment so you're gonna be my source of enjoyment.' She wiggled her eyebrows again lasciviously.

How on earth did a proper girl like her end up with such a sex-starved friend, Belle asked herself for the umpteenth time.

They had met as room-mates in Badminton College in Bristol in lower fifth and had stuck as best friends all through college, university and now work. Although, Belle worked in Burges Salmon law firm and Claire in Osborn Clarke, they were still as close as could be. Their flats were even in the same building albeit different floors.

'Really though,' Claire continued, 'What are you going to do? I mean, it's okay to say you aren't going to sleep for the next two days, it doesn't matter, it's the weekend. But what about Sunday? You don't want to go to work looking exhausted. Mark would be pleased.'

Belle scowled at that statement. Yes, slimy Mark. She had just been promoted to associate level and Mark was extremely displeased as he was still a normal solicitor and he'd been working there for three years before she joined. Plus she was now the youngest associate in the company as she was just twenty eight.

'Oh bugger. This cannot be happening to me. I really don't want to give Mark something to gloat about. The toad can't wait for me to slip up so that he can scuttle back to Pritchard with his report!' Belle sighed and stirred her now cold tea once more. The annoying thing was that she could not even see the face of the person/thing/entity that was tormenting her.

'Oh God what if it's a girl?' she suddenly gasped.

Claire stared at her puzzled. 'A girl that's...' she asked slowly.

Belle gripped her hand, 'A girl that's been driving me bonkers? And I've been enjoying it?' This was said with a flushed face, 'I mean don't get me wrong I have nothing against lesbians but...I'm not one so does that make me...I dunno bisexual?'

Claire guffawed at this and Belle frowned at her. She was serious. She hadn't been able to see the face of the person, just feel and every time she opened her eyes in her dream she woke up.

'Goodness, Annabelle Hemmingway! You truly crack me up. Bisexual. A girl. Only you would let your imagination run away with you.' Claire wiped her eyes with her paper napkin and shook her head still giggling a little.

'Hmph' Belle breathed a tad angrily. She really couldn't see what was so funny about what she was going through.

Claire noticed she was not best pleased and patted her clenched fist before saying gently, 'Belle sweetie, I'm not taking the piss out of you I'm just laughing at the whole situation. Obviously it's not funny especially if it's gonna cause you sleepless nights but...I don't even know what to say or do. At the end of the day it's a dream, or dreams. There's really nothing you or we can do about it.'

Belle shrugged. She understood what Claire was saying but she couldn't help feeling that it was a tad unfair that it was happening to her. Why not Claire? She would have positively revelled in this situation.

'Come on,' Claire said getting up and dragging her tense body. 'We are going to go back to yours, pack up stuff for the weekend and then straight back to mine. And we're gonna tackle this dream-disturbing sex-monster together.'

Belle giggled reluctantly, 'Fine'.

***

It was 11 p.m. and Claire had fallen asleep on her sofa in her living room. Belle went to her bedroom, took her quilt and went back to cover her sleeping form smiling as she did. Claire looked like a baby in her sleep. With her short spiky blue-black her, sea blue eyes and tall thin body, she looked like a force to be reckoned with. Asleep though, she looked so peaceful, her long eyelashes grazing her cheekbones. Belle smiled again and tiptoed out of the living room and into Claire's spare bedroom. She walked to the full length mirror and studied her face. She looked at her doll-like chocolate brown eyes, her full lips, thanks to her Nigerian mother, her long extremely curly golden brown hair and her soft, full cheeks. She wasn't beautiful or even pretty. Even she knew that no matter what Claire or her parents told her. She was cute. That's what Leo had always said to her. Cute. Cute-Winona Ryder, or Cute-Cuddly stuffed animal? She was pretty sure it was the latter. She slowly slid out of her wrap-around dress and was soon stood in her Marks and Spencer cotton bra and knickers. She studied her curvy body. Her breasts straining against her 34 DD bra, her tiny waist, her soft rounded tummy and her 'child-bearing hips' according to her mother. Belle always wondered what made her attractive to guys. Not like she had had boyfriends spilling out of her ears. Not like Claire definitely. She had had about three serious relationships and that was that. Some said her eyes were her best features, others her lips, a few her caramel-chocolate coloured skin. She sighed to herself, she didn't think she was attractive personally, especially not in this size-zero world. She was too curvy. She looked down again and suddenly....

Belle felt those fingers. She tried opening her eyes immediately but they were too heavy. Oh my God, she thought to herself fearfully, she was sure this wasn't a dream because she was semi-conscious but it had to be. There certainly was no one in the house apart from Claire and she could not possibly be the person doing this so who was it doing this wicked but oh so sexy things to her again? Those fingers glided down the middle of her breasts to her tummy. A finger dipped into her navel and then slid down to the top of her knickers skimming the edges slowly. Her knees buckled and she wondered how she could still be upright before realising that a warm hand was on her waist holding her up. She felt her neck fall to one side as those soft lips kissed the side of her throat. She moaned softly. Quietly. She felt her knickers slowly drop to her knees and then, oh dear, a long finger slid torturously to her clitoris and slowly pushed against it. She instinctively arched her back and felt something long and wondrously hard against her bottom. She instantly heard a sharp intake of breath and, although Belle could not say for sure, she was almost certain that the sound broke the 'spell' she was in. She looked up sharply opening her eyes and stared into the greenest pair of eyes she'd ever seen. She blinked in astonishment and...

'Belle. Annabelle. Oh my God are you alright?'

Belle looked up in dazedness and saw Claire at the door with wide befuddled eyes. Belle groaned slowly and looked back at the mirror seeing her state of nakedness.

'Oh God, Claire it happened again.' And with that she slipped to the floor and fainted.

When she opened her eyes she was on the bed looking up into a pair of worried blue eyes. She blinked slowly and asked 'What happened?'

Claire sat down next to her sighing shakily in relief. 'Oh thank God you're ok. I was about to ring for an ambulance.'

Belle looked around and noticed that she was on the bed, 'How did...'

Claire smiled somewhat smugly. 'I told you all those trips to the gym weren't gonna be in vain. I dragged you up here myself.'

Belle laughed quietly. Skinny Claire was able to log chubby her off the floor. Wow!

'What happened, Belle? I heard a noise, I don't know what it was exactly and ran to the room and saw you blinking, madly I might add, at the mirror,' Claire said staring down at her.

Belle struggled to sit upright and looked at her scared, 'You wouldn't believe me if I told you.'

'Try me.'

So Belle did, not leaving one word out. She ended with, 'And it was so real. I mean I wasn't even sleeping this time. Except if one can sleep standing upright and in front of the mirror. I felt every single thing so vividly. Even more vivid than my dreams. And those eyes. Oh Lord they were so green. I mean I'd have probably thought I was hallucinating as I only noticed them for a split second but the colour! I don't think I could have possibly imagined them.' Belle was shaking when she was finished, dragging the quilt tighter around her.

Claire hugged her tightly, 'Shush shush dearie. I don't want to see a single tear drop from your eyes.' She made her lie back down and went round to the other side lying down as well. 'In all honesty, Belle I thought they were just, I don't know, normal dreams until I saw you now. With my own eyes. You looked like...bloody hell you were in another world. And the window was open. Did you...'

Belle shook her head. The window, she hadn't noticed that. Claire looked truly puzzled. And slightly scared.

'That's odd, I never open this window. I mean I hardly even come into this room. it's the spare room for Pete's sake. Oh my God, do you think it was a rapist. I mean, I haven't heard anything in the news about rapists in Clifton but surely...'

Belle shook her head again, 'It couldn't have been a rapist or anything like that. I would have noticed something and there's no way on earth that I wouldn't have been able to open my eyes the moment I felt the...thing except if I had been drugged and really...that could not have possibly happened now could it?'

Claire reluctantly nodded. Belle did have a point. It couldn't have been a rapist. Belle wasn't even sure if it was a real person but there was no way she was going to tell Claire that! Claire would think she was running temperature and definitely mumbling gibberish!

'And you're sure it was the same person?' Claire asked.

'Definitely.' Belle replied, 'I mean, I can, or rather could feel it. It was the same person....I can't describe it to you. Can't even put it in words but...oh God Claire what am I going to do? This cannot keep happening. If this could happen now that I'm awake who's to say I'm not going to...I dunno, experience a 'fit' or 'spell' or something in the office?' Belle was steadily getting teary eyed and her last word ended with a sob.

'Bollocks, Belle. That's not going to happen. And anyway this person, whoever he is, definitely doesn't want to be seen even by you from what you can tell me. So I don't really think he'll be stupid enough to do something in the office in full glare of everyone. Plus he seems to be coming at night and that rules your office out then.' Claire retorted matter-of-factly.

Belle opened her mouth to argue again and Claire silenced her with a sharp look saying, 'No-uh. You shall not argue. I forbid it. Now go to bed and when you wake up. I shall make a proper brekkie for the both of us.'

At this Belle giggled. Claire could not cook to save her life. She couldn't even make toast properly.

Claire scowled at her and playfully chucked a pillow at Belle's head. 'Oh alright, I'll treat us to a lovely brekkie at Café Rouge okay?!' They both laughed and she got up to turn off the light.

Belle closed her eyes as Claire got back into bed and whispered a soft 'Good night' before falling asleep immediately.

Belle smiled to herself in the darkness. Trust Claire to sleep off instantly. She'd never met anyone who loved their sleep as much as Claire. She turned towards the window and stared at it slightly fearfully. She was not going to sleep tonight she silently told herself. She was going to stare at that window till...

...Aaah, she was asleep. Aleksander looked at her from his position on the highest branch of the oak tree by the window. She was exceedingly beautiful. In all his three hundred odd years of living he had never seen anyone as beautiful as she was. He shook his head slowly as he recalled what had happened earlier that night. She had actually looked at him. Into his eyes. His heart had skipped at that point. He had been shocked. The fact that she had seen him and the fact that his heart had actually skipped. That had never happened. Ever. He dropped from the branch, twenty feet to the pavement without making a sound and looked round. No one was on the street, but on looking closer, with his preternatural sight he saw a drunken man stumbling towards his direction. He saw, or rather smelt the slight cut he had on his left eyebrow and his nostrils flared. He had not fed in two nights. He took a step towards the man then caught himself. No! He wasn't going to feed on the man even if no one would mourn his inevitable death. He had promised himself that he was going to stop feeding on humans ever since he noticed the girl, Annabelle her friend called her. He turned around swiftly before he changed his mind and with extra effort as he was getting weak with hunger, he channelled his thoughts towards his home and in a twinkle of an eye found himself back in his room. He sighed quietly to himself. He did it. And he did not think anyone had noticed his absence. He turned from the window quietly and stopped upon noticing his father, mother and twin elder sisters.

Bollocks, in the words of humans he thought.

'Aleksander Romano,' his father quietly said in his deep authoritative voice. 'Where are you coming from?'

Aleksander stared at his shoes and mumbled a 'Hello father, mother. Katrina, Elena.'

'That was not what I asked you to tell me. Where. Are. You. Coming From?' His father's voice was slightly louder this time. 'Answer me Aleksander or I will forcefully read your thoughts.'

He looked up sharply at his father. He saw his mother put a restraining hand on his father's arm and noticed the slightly fearful looks on his elder sisters' faces.

'England.' He replied shortly.

He did not need to see their faces as their collective gasps said it all.

'England?' His mother whispered. 'Have you gone mad, Aleksander? What possessed you to go all the way there? Whatever for? Are you trying to destroy what we have spent centuries building? Humans do not believe in us and we like it that way. Please tell me you did not feed on anyone there. Please.' his mother ended her statement in a broken voice.

He looked up and saw his father staring at him sourly with a 'see how you are making your mother feel' look. 'No, mother I did not feed on anyone. I just went to...I just felt like exploring the continent. I'm frankly quite sick off staying cooped up in the castle and I promise you, no one noticed me.' Well almost no one he thought to himself, there was no way Annabelle would think of him as being a vampire. The poor souls did not believe they existed.

He would have chuckled to himself if his father had not suddenly bellowed. 'No one noticed you! Why did you disobey my rule in the first place? I clearly stated no one leaves the castle except to feed and that's just a mile away in the dungeon. Your sisters always obey my rules. Why can't you? Why are you so thick-headed? Let this be the first and last time you leave this castle. Assuming this is indeed the first time? Aleksander?'

Aleksander sullenly nodded. He was three hundred and twenty two years, it was time his father stopped treating him as a child. He looked at his sisters who were fifty years older than him. They were staring at him with exact expressions of shock.

His father repeated quietly, 'Aleksander, give me your word that you shall not leave the castle again without my permission.'

Aleksander stared at his father's mask-like face and replied so softly that no human would have been able to make out his next statement. 'I love you father but I'm sorry I cannot give you my word.'

His father's eyes widened in disbelief and his mother moaned slowly in despair.

'You dare disobey me. To my very face.' His father growled.

'Father...' Katrina started and was interrupted with a sharp 'SILENCE.'

The whole room went quiet, even his mother sharply stopped her keening. He stared at Aleksander for a full minute saying nothing and Aleksander stared back with a set look to his face.

'Leave us, everyone.' His father softly said. His mother and sisters looked up at him.

'I beg of you Claudio, don't...' His mother whispered and was silenced with a dark look. She breathed in slowly and turned to the door with his sisters. On getting there, she turned back and looked at Aleksander sadly before quietly leaving with his sisters. Aleksander took a deep breath and looked at his father when they were the only two in the room. His father had never struck him before but the look on his face was petrifying.

He nearly fell over with shock when he saw his father suddenly sigh wearily and ask in a tired voice, 'Why? Why do you always flagrantly flout my rules? Why, Aleksander?'

Aleksander had never seen his father look so defeated. He walked with trepidation to his bed and sat down. 'I do not always disobey you papa,' he started, reverting back to the fond way he called his father when he was younger. 'The first time I left here, I...' he went quiet as he realised what he had just confessed to.

His father looked at him in abject shock, 'The first time? How many times have you done this then?'

Aleksander muttered a 'Five.'

'FIVE!'

'Yes but listen father, the first time I went was merely to have a look at the whole of France for the first time without being chaperoned by you or your servants or anyone. I do not know what possessed me to go to England and the next thing I was there.' He slowly smiled to himself forgetting that his father was in the same room now looking at him with something akin to bemusement.