Close to You. (SLASH companion piece to Ties that Bind.)

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original character Emma and the plot are my property. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Characters: Coraline; Emma; Mick; Josef.

Rating: M A high-level sex scene; some coarse language; strong adult themes.

A/N: Please note this story is FemSlash and contains quite graphic depictions of female to female sexual activity. If you are likely to be offended, please don't read it.

Close to You.

I leaned back in my chair, sighed softly and half-closed my eyes. From that vantage point, I was free to let my gaze drift discreetly over the tender young woman sitting across from me, as she sipped the blood almost hesitantly from a delicate china cup. She was thirsty – she must have been – but she didn't want to appear greedy and out of control. Well, good for her. She had more self-control than most any other fledgling I'd ever met.

That was just one of the things I admired about her.

Then again, perhaps it had more to do with the strength of her sire, than the girl herself? Of course, it was impossible to judge now. If I'd met her before she had been turned, it would have been easy to tell the difference between her own strength of character and the control she had inherited from her centuries-old sire. Nevertheless, I liked her either way. She was a very appealing blend of beauty, strength, courage, determination, and vulnerability. She also possessed a naiveté that I found charming. And above all, she trusted me, which I appreciated. She had shown that she was intelligent enough to make up her own mind, regardless of how much slanderous talk she'd heard about me.

Yes, a very attractive combination indeed.

She had a drop of blood at the corner of her mouth. I suddenly wanted to lean over and lick that drop of blood from her full lips. But how would she react if I did just that? Would she pull away, horrified, or would she allow me to kiss her, slowly and tenderly? I wondered if she'd enjoy the sensation of lips as soft as her own, kissing her throat. She was used to the sensation of her clean-shaven husband nuzzling her neck – but my skin was far more silky than his. If she accepted my kiss – perhaps hesitantly at first – would she part her lips and allow my tongue to tease and caress hers? Maybe she'd even slide her hand into my hair. Then I'd be free to run the tips of my fingers softly down her arm and back up to her shoulder. After that, I could allow my fingers to drift across the neckline of her shirt and then back up into her long dark hair. And oh, how I'd love to run my tongue down her neck to the opening of her shirt and blow on her skin.

She'd shudder. It would be delicious.

I'd pull back slightly, just long enough to see that she had her eyes closed. Then I'd slowly begin to unbutton her blouse. When she offered no resistance, I'd trail one finger across her cleavage where her bra met the soft skin. Next I'd slowly ease her blouse off her shoulders, caressing her arms as I did so. Would she moan at my touch? If she did, I'd re-trace the path my finger had taken, only this time with the tip of my tongue.

How would she respond to the feeling of my cool breath on her full breasts? Would she tentatively reach out and slide her arms around me? She'd be a little confused by her own emotions. She would find it odd to be in a sensuous embrace with another woman. She was accustomed to the feeling of her husband's broad, muscular shoulders and hard back, so to feel my narrow shoulders and well-toned feminine curves would be a new and strange sensation. Even so, maybe she would slowly slide her hands beneath my shirt and begin to caress my soft skin. I'd respond by unhooking her bra and slowly sliding the straps down her arms – and when I met no resistance, I'd throw her bra across the room and bend my head to take one of her rosy nipples into her mouth.

She'd moan and arch her back slightly, as I flicked my tongue back and forth across her erect nipple. Then I'd pull away and blow on her damp skin, making her nipple even harder. After that I'd quickly remove my own shirt and bra. Then I'd embrace her and slowly lower her backwards onto the sofa so we could both delight in the press of our breasts together and the feeling of soft skin against equally soft skin.

"Coraline?"

The sound of my own name startled me out of my daydream. I smiled and straightened in my chair, my expression one of polite inquiry.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. You just looked so lost in thought and it's almost time I was heading home. Josef will be waiting for me."

She smiled radiantly. Josef was a lucky man. He was also one of the three reasons that I hadn't acted on my impulses. First and foremost, Mick would be truly pissed off with me if I seduced Emma. Secondly, Josef would be far more than just pissed if I laid a hand on his wife. She belonged to him – body and soul – and he had made it abundantly clear to the entire vampire community what fate would befall anyone who harmed his wife. And I wasn't completely confident in my ability to convince him that I hadn't actually done any hard to her.

"Of course you need to get home. We don't want Josef to worry. I'm sorry, I lost track of the time while I was admiring your new blouse."

And the third reason – I finally acknowledged to myself – was that Emma's friendship truly meant something to me. I didn't want to spoil that. Anyway, perhaps in a century or two, she may be a little more open to having an adventure with me.

That thought made me smile.

***