Pleased with himself, his smile widened. “Well, I cannot say I am not disappointed by your answer. Still, I wish you only the best and pray for your happiness, Vincenzo.”
“Thank you, Niccolò,” I replied, returning his smile. “That means a great deal to me.”
Extending his hand, Niccolò handed me a card. Upon it was his address, inked in lovely calligraphy. “As my home in Florence is quite a distance from here, please allow me to leave you with my calling card, should anything change. I do not know when I shall return here, but I want you to know that my offer holds true anytime, should you reconsider.”
“Of course, Niccolò, and thank you,” I replied, still feeling rather poorly for denying him.
Leaning forward, he graciously planted a kiss upon each cheek. “It has been a pleasure becoming so well acquainted with you, Vincenzo. It is my sincere hope that we shall meet again one day soon.”
“As it is mine, Niccolò,” I replied in return, and meaning it.
With that, he left me.
I was taken aback by the way I felt.
Never had I felt a fondness— adoration even— for a Vampire. But Niccolò was different. More than the friend he had become, he was by far the finest man I had ever had the pleasure of knowing— Vampire or not.
Chapter Five
For some reason, I could not cease my preoccupation with Giuliana’s upcoming session with a Vampire that night. Although I could not explain it, I just had the most unsettling feeling carving a pit into my stomach, which gave me the urge to go find her and take her away from that place, even if I had to do it kicking and screaming.
I should have listened to my instincts.
However, repentantly, I did not.
What was I so afraid of? Losing the benefits, the status I had managed to attain at Sanguelascivia? Or was it the possibility of her rejection which truly had me so stagnant?
Wanting to be unoccupied in the event of anything happening, I managed to eschew my own lineup that night. I was sure I would face the consequences later, but I did not care. Sometimes there were more important things. Besides, I had always been an exemplary performer and servant here. That should account for something, after all. Not many had stuck around this place as long as I had.
Several hours later, my heart skipped a beat as I watched Giuliana make her way back to the stage to line up for the patrons. There she stood on display for all to see in a flowing gossamer white gown. I swallowed hard.
Oh God, without even trying, she is just far too enticing!
Without revealing it completely, the transparent fabric provocatively hinted at the delicate line of her figure, the luscious roundness of the breasts which lay beneath.
However, though I couldn’t quite place my finger on it, she seemed a bit off. In this line of work, one had to always be on top of their game, lest they apply poor judgment. The consequences of such a thing could be fatal.
Too soon, it was her turn, and as expected, countless hands of eager male Vampires shot into the air, all vying for the chance to taste her. My stomach twisted at the very thought of it, of one of them sinking their fangs into her sweet flesh, of one of them even touching her flawless skin with their icy hands. Giuliana hesitated, clearly overwhelmed, and after much deliberation, she finally chose a Vampire with whom I was not familiar.
The cavernous pit in my stomach dug deeper.
Something is not right. I do not like the look in his eyes.
How can I be so frozen? Why do I not just grab her now, pull her away from here?
I knew very well, that I could not feasibly steal her out from under one of them. They would never stand for such insolence by a mere human. I would not have lived to breathe in her exquisite scent another second. And then what good would I be for her?
I despised how helpless I felt as she led him down the corridor. My skin began to crawl. I did not want to believe it, but I could not deny that something was just not right. All of my instincts alerted me to do something, but what exactly could I do?
Inconspicuously following a short distance behind them in the corridor, when they went inside the room, I made my way near the room and just hovered, on guard for anything unusual.
Only a handful of extended seconds passed.
And then it happened.
The moment I feared, and yet, had been anticipating.
Her horrorstruck scream pierced my ears, eliciting me to jump forwards. Before I could reach the room where he held her ensnared, the screams quickly became choked off into mere gurgles, filling me with more anger, fueling me.
Giuliana!
Bracing myself, I burst through the door with my shoulder. The startled Vampire ripped his fangs out of Giuliana’s throat, and tossed her scantily clad body aside to dare me. Without a moment’s hesitation, I turned and grabbed a large shard from the smashed wooden door and aimed it at him.
Rash creature that he was, he lunged forwards at me, nevertheless. I knew then it was him or me. Only one of us would walk away from this. And if it was not me, then nor would Giuliana. If the sanctity of my own life was not a sufficient enough motivator, than surely hers was.
As he moved in on me, his eyes searing their murderous intent into me, I inhaled deeply and with all my strength, plunged the stake through his frozen heart.
The bloodthirsty creature dropped to his knees before me, his flesh instantly melting away from his bones as he shrieked in ghastly torment for his demise. It was the most hideous sound ever I had heard! Within seconds, all that was remaining of the once misleadingly dashing Vampire was a skeleton in a bloodied heap of sludge upon the floor.
Glancing up from the grisly scene, my eyes met Giuliana’s. Though barely conscious, they were staring in horror at that which she had just witnessed. I realised that she likely had not seen the gruesome aftermath of a Vampire slaying before. Although, neither had I.
Oh no, after observing me kill so easily, will she now fear me? I must say something, must let her know that I am still the same man…
I opened my mouth to give her some sort of reassurance, yet before I had the chance to say anything at all to her, she fainted. I lurched forward and caught her in my arms.
Giuliana’s eyes closing, her lovely head just fell back. She was out cold. Evidently the traumatic incident was just too much for her, naïve and delicate woman that she was. Not to mention that he had nearly drained her.
I have always detested these despicable creatures!
Turning the handle upon the door, suddenly I feared what would be waiting for me on the other side. With the way that Vampire had shrieked, he was sure to have alerted others to his doom.
Would they be waiting for me outside?
If so, I was most certainly condemned, but I vowed not to allow anything to happen to Giuliana. Although, at this point, I had no idea how I was to accomplish that feat. No matter, I would find a way to get her to safety.
Nonetheless, I must.
With the door open, I was relieved to see nothing waiting on the other side. But I didn’t make the mistake of believing that meant that I was in the clear. Holding her close in my arms, I quickly made my way back to her chamber.
Oh, how good she feels! Too long I have waited to be this close to her, although this is not at all the way I would have imagined it happening…
Chapter Six
Once safely inside her chamber, I laid Giuliana gently upon her bed and tucked her snug and warm beneath the bedcovers. Unable to resist and wanting more than anything to be close to her, I disrobed. Peeling back the covers, I climbed in beside her, slipping my arm beneath her. Wrapping my arms about her, I wished I had only listened to my instincts and done something to keep her safe in the first place.
The warmth of her body against me was the most relaxing thing I had ever experienced. Suddenly I had the sinking realisation that if she were to perish, I felt I would not be able to go on. That feeling unsettled me as nothing had before.
For three long hours
I lay watching her, gazing upon the awe-inspiring beauty of her, hoping, praying beneath my breath, though I had never made a habit of such nonsense before then. But little did I care. I would elect to try anything if only it would save her, promise to bring her back to me.
Much later that night, at long last, she awoke!
After laying her head down ever so gently upon the pillow, I slipped out of the bed to get some water. I walked back into the room just in time to see her eyes trying to open.
Upon seeing me standing there, she cried out in horror, which was not at all the way I had envisioned it would go.
Determined to make her realise it was only me, I promptly grasped her by the shoulders. “Giuliana!” I shouted, shaking her, desperate to bring her back to reality. Much to my chagrin, in her distress, she recoiled from me, shutting her eyes tight. “You are safe now. It is I, Vincenzo.”
As though in disbelief, she opened her eyes again, looking up at me gazing down at her in concern.
“Vincenzo? It is really you?” she questioned in disbelief.
Smiling joyously at her, I could not refrain from chuckling. “Of course it is I, Giuliana. Have you no recollection of what happened last night?”
At my question, Giuliana scrunched up her face and paused a moment, becoming lost in her thoughts. A shiver ran through her as her mind replayed the frightening earlier events of the night. She studied me, as though searching for an answer.
Finally, to my relief, she spoke. “Did you actually bust through the door and save me from that bloodthirsty vampire or did I dream it?”
I felt my body tense at the mention of the Vampire, a loathing filling me. “Yes, Giuliana. I heard your scream and came as fast as I could.”
“I do not know how to show you my gratitude, Vincenzo?”
“Your being alive is gratitude enough, Giuliana.” I responded, gazing into her eyes meaningfully.
She searched my eyes again as though hoping for something more.
I decided to risk it and properly convey my feelings to her.
Reaching up, I brushed the hair from her face, taking the opportunity to stroke my hand over the side of her head. “You are so beautiful, Giuliana. There are many beautiful women here, but you possess a type of beauty which I have rarely seen. I sense goodness in you.” Lowering my hand, I placed it over the swell of her breast, eliciting her to inhale sharply. “In here.”
Not bothering to remove my hand from her breast, I leaned into her, until my face was so close I could feel her breathing on me. Her breath caught in her chest and I sensed she knew what was coming next. Her eyes falling shut, I tenderly touched my lips to hers. In light of her earlier trauma I restrained myself from kissing her as resolutely as I would have preferred, waiting instead for her receiving of it before going further.
To my delight, Giuliana immediately parted her lips, slipping her tongue out to glide across mine. Elated at her sign of acceptance, I was unable to restrain myself any longer. Breathing in sharply, I responded with my tongue darting into her mouth, seeking hers out more eagerly. As our tongues entwined, my hand crept up the back of her head, entangling into her silky hair. With a mind of its own, my other hand dropped lower to discover the softness of her breast.
Though I could have kissed her forever, I longed to explore all of her. My mouth departed from hers, eliciting from her a whimper, which made me smile, to travel along the line of her jaw. Feeling my mouth suckling gently upon her earlobe, she sighed a heartbreakingly beautiful sigh. As though she had never before touched a man, her hands set to exploring my chest, her fingers weaving their way through the hair which covered it.
It was endearing.
God, how this sweet woman drives me mad!
Filled with adoration, I kissed the delicate spot just behind her ear, making her shiver.
“Oh Vincenzo, you do not know how many times I have dreamt of this moment,” Giuliana whispered breathlessly as my mouth moved on to explore her neck.
She has?
“Not nearly as many times as I,” I breathed onto her throat.
She stiffened just slightly as I neared the fresh wounds from the close call with the Vampire. I kissed them ever so gently. “I am so sorry this happened to you, my Giuliana.”
Drawing back to look at me, her eyes were full of questions. I would surely answer every one of them, if only I knew what they were. My mind went crazy, wondering what she could be thinking. I wished to know every single thought which passed through her pretty head. I yearned to know everything there was to know about her.
“Do not be. I am not,” she replied, a sort of hesitance evident in her tone. “What I mean is, had it not been for you, Vincenzo, surely I would not be here now… here with you.”
My eyes softening as I gazed upon the woman I adored, my lips turning up into a remorseful smile. “I am only sorry it took that for us to be together as this.” My lips claimed hers again, kissing her more insistently this time, my tongue seeking hers out, desperate to communicate my feelings for her.
As her hand leisurely grazed down my torso, I reveled in the knowledge of her discovering me for the first time. Quickly making her way to my lower abdomen, sensing where she was headed, I sucked in my breath, my hand squeezing her breast in response. Under our kiss I felt her smile.
Running her fingertips lower still through my thick growth of hair there, the back of her knuckles teasingly, just barely brushed the tip of my already fully erect organ.
Apparently determined to make me squirm, which is precisely the position in which she so easily had me, she persisted in teasing me, running her hand all about my core, but never actually coming into contact with the centre of it.
I had to give it to her. She was good.
Without seeming like she had any clue as to what she was doing to me, she just kept on doing it, smiling ever so innocently. Evidently, she was in no rush. It took everything I had in me not to grasp her hand and plunge my cock through it.
But I did not, allowing her the pleasure of knowing me in any manner which she desired. I was just elated to finally be this close to her. I was sure not about to do something to ruin it.
Still, I had to do something to distract myself from the ache of anticipation she was feeding into me. Removing myself from her delicious mouth, swiftly I lowered myself to seek her breast. Her hands positioned upon my broad shoulders, my mouth engulfed her nipple, drawing it in, my tongue surrounding it ravenously. I knew she approved when she bit her lip, a little moan escaping from her.
Giuliana’s hand set to wandering across my abdomen again, tracing the line of my hips, feeling beneath her fingertips the muscles of my buttocks. Unable to resist the bravado, I flexed them for her, so that they became firm under her hand.
I was instantly rewarded with her resulting gasp, making me smile.
Palming her breasts, I moved my mouth from one to the other, eliciting another gasp from her as I began suckling upon the left nipple. As though in invitation, her legs below instinctually parted. My cock leapt at the primitive response I evoked in her.
My God, she is perfect!
And then, as though entirely of its own volition, her hand migrated back to my centre and wrapped about my erection. Already beautifully in sync with one another we both moaned. The intense pleasure of it instigated me to suckle harder upon the nipple in my mouth.
Within her hand, I felt my cock grew hotter, filling with more blood as she stroked its length, reveling in the feel of it.
Oh, how I yearn to be buried deep within her!
The manner in which she stroked me was as nothing I had ever felt before. Perhaps it was only because it was Giuliana doing it. Whatever it was, I was in awe. Letting out an elongated groan, her nipple escaped from my mouth. Before I had the opportunity to take it back, she slid her lithe body down mine, aligning her beautiful face with my engorged organ.
Gazing up at me, her face told me she needed to know my response to her bold move. My expression conveyed to
her my pleasurable surprise. Holding my breath in anticipation, I stared down at her with longing. Surprising me once again, Giuliana smiled up at me mischievously, holding my gaze as she placed her soft tongue against the crown of my cock.
That was all it took and I was consumed with lust.
The intensity with which I had desired this woman before this moment, that was nothing compared to how desperately I wanted her now.
I knew right then that she had the ability to make me forget I had ever been with another woman. And I would gladly do it, never to look back.
Sweeping her tongue lightly over the tip of my cock, she circled it delectably, tracing the ridged underside of it, driving me insane. It took everything I had not to thrust myself into her alluring mouth. And then, as if to add insult to injury, she ran her tongue all the length of my shaft down to my balls, which she proceeded to kiss her way over to the opposite side and then back up again.
I thought I would surely explode any moment from the insane torment of this pleasure. I began to get the feeling she was delighting in making me squirm as this. Perhaps she intended on making me plead for more.
At last, after a few more torturous rounds of this treatment, she gave me what I desired. Her parted mouth hovering over my upright shaft, at once she took it into her gorgeous mouth as far as she was able. Entangling my hands within her lustrous hair, I groaned long and low. To my delight, she persisted in her sucking of me, her tongue flitting ravenously all over it as she did so.
“Oh, my God, Giuliana!” I groaned hoarsely through my lust, my fingers raking her shoulders.
Unable to take this beautiful torture another moment, I propped myself up on my elbows and looked down at her as she was doting lusciously upon my organ as though it were a lollipop. “Woman, you will surely be the undoing of me!”
In one motion, I placed my hand beneath her arms, lifting her up, and laying her body against mine, my hypersensitive engorged organ between us.
My hands squeezing the cheeks of her buttocks, I pressed myself against her pelvis. Taking her face within my hands, I kissed her hard, taking all of my frustration out upon that mouth. Rather than resisting me, she seemed to welcome it.
The Love of Vincenzo: Paranormal Erotic Romance (Anam Céile Chronicles) Page 5