The Stirrings of a Cold Heart Ch. 07

"Once, a long time ago." He closed his eyes a moment and pictured a petite young woman with soft blond hair and bright blue eyes sitting on a low stone wall smiling at him. On her lap she held a healthy baby boy who had his mother's hair and his father's gray eyes. The pain this recollection brought to his cold silent heart was like a thousand knives and he quickly buried it.

"What happened to her?" she asked. Erik opened his eyes again and looked at the lovely young woman before him.

"She died," his answer was curt. Aidan could see that the memory was painful and pressed him no further.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea. Now I see why you are as distant as you are and why you never speak of your past." She watched the ancient vampire walk to the doorway and look out over the snow covered countryside. "I was told once by a seamstress employed at the opera that there is someone in the world for everyone. Sometimes I find that hard to believe." He never acknowledged what she was saying and she was afraid that she might be starting to annoy him. "I suppose I simply talk too much sometimes."

"Hardly," the vampire answered, turning back towards her. She walked towards her companion and was on the point of saying something when her foot slipped on a rock and she started to tumble. Desperate to break her fall she grabbed for something and mistakenly took hold of Erik pulling him down with her. The pair landed unceremoniously on the cold, hard, muddy ground with the ancient vampire on top looking down into the face of his mortal companion. She couldn't help laughing at her own clumsiness and to her surprise he smiled and laughed too.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, just embarrassed. Now you know why I sing opera instead of dance in the ballet." She reached up and touched his smiling cheek. "I didn't think it was possible, but I do believe sir, that you are smiling and the look rather becomes you."

Laying there together on the ground Erik found himself enjoying the feel of her small body against him. Holding her in his arms and smelling her skin and hair was intoxicating and to his great surprise and pleasure he found he was becoming physically hard. At first he didn't believe it, but he couldn't deny that his baubles were beginning to feel heavy and there was an unmistakable sensitivity to his bellend that he had not felt in ages. He had believed that to be an impossibility. Vampires engaged in sexual activity through the exchange of blood, nothing else. It was one of the lessons he had learned from his master, yet holding this young woman had not only made him feel alive, but awakened his body as well.

Wanting to feel more and unable to resist he lowered his lips to hers, relishing the taste of her kisses. His arms enclosed her and he could feel her heart pounding beneath the great wool cloak she wore. He pondered the idea of bringing her over to his world and making her part of him forever. It would take only a matter of moments. He thought of the places he could show her and the centuries they would share. What a pity it would be to allow someone with so much vitality and beauty to grow old and die, he thought. He could give her the world . . . at least the world at night. No, she belonged to the daylight, he knew that. There were mortal joys he would never be able to give her, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy this moment.