Dear Readers,

If I need to repeat myself to the fact that I own none of these characters and, in some cases via book, not the situations, I shall be very disappointed.

…

I'm just joking. But, really, I shouldn't have to reiterate the fact that I don't own Vicki or Mike or Coreen or Henry. Though, the latter would be wonderful to own. devious smirk A few people asked for another chapter… so I guess this is the evening after. Or something like that.

Your Obedient Servant,

R.W.

When Vicki's eyes snapped open, almost violently, she searched around for her glasses, and then a clock. She finally read the digital numbers across the room glowing a yellow-green; they said it was almost four thirty in the afternoon. With the season being the on-set of winter, she figured she had about half an hour before sun down. Half an hour before Henry. Wait… Henry?

She was in Henry's bed. She was in Henry's bed naked and tangled in his red satin sheets. Henry was lying next to her. She realized he was essentially dead until the sun disappeared. That meant she could take a shower. Thank god.

Slipping out from under the sheets, she modestly covered herself and tip-toed around the bed from a dead man. It wasn't like he could hear or see her. Still, she made it quickly and quietly to Henry's bathroom. Once in, she shut, but did not lock, the door, confident she could be done before Henry woke for the evening.

Vicki thought no further than the shower stall and the scorching water that would soon be relieving the soreness in her body. It was not the last night, but the overall of the last week that caused this seemingly constant tension coursing through her body as a whole.

She turned the knob on the wall of the shower to raise the water temperature to near scalding. If it had gotten any hotter, she just might have started to burn. The steaming liquid streamed out of the shower head in a pulsating, massaging motion. Nothing like a good, old-fashioned pressure nozzle to ease throbbing muscles.

The exact moment Vicki stepped under the water, she never wanted to remove herself. Putting her back to the stream, she used the wall she now faced as a support, bracing her arms and hands against it. She let the effervescent water beat at her skin over and over, occasionally shifting something in her stance to let the stream soothe some other part of her back. Before she realized it, twenty minutes had gone by. Smartly using the last ten, she washed herself, and then her hair, instantly recognizing the scent of the shampoo as a smell Henry carried everywhere.

When she stepped from the shower stall, she found she had neglected to even look for a towel. After scanning the bathroom and immediate area, all she could find was Henry's red satin robe hanging on its hook. With the mind set that she still had time before he woke, she pulled it around herself, inhaling mingling odors of Henry's body wash, soaps, and that smell that is both man and vampire. Placing her glasses back into place on her nose, Vicki opened the bathroom door. No sooner did she step over the threshold than she ran into a solid wall of bare skin and chest.

"You almost look better in that than I do. Almost."

Henry looked her up and down, his arms crossing over his chest. Vicki blushed slightly at the prospect of being caught in the act. Under the scrutiny of his gaze, for some reason, Vicki felt she had done something punishable. Her eyes dropped from his to focus on his chest; anything to avoid eye contact.

Trying not to laugh, Henry broke the decently awkward silence. "I said you almost look as good as I do. Nothing to blush about. There's some clean clothing for you on the bed. Now, if you'd be so kind as to give me my robe?"

When Vicki began to stare him down and pull the robe tighter about her, he chuckled soundlessly. "You forget, I have already seen you naked. And, if I'm not mistaken, it was your idea."

Finally, Vicki opened her mouth. "You haven't given me the chance to make it look better on me." With that, she straightened her back and wore what pride she still contained well. She sauntered past Henry to the bed and began to pick at the clothes set out for her; they were hers, but not from last night. A set she must have left here when she passed out on his sofa last.

With a preternatural quickness, Henry placed himself behind Vicki at the foot of the bed, his right arm snaking around her waist to draw her flush against him and bunch the material of his robe. The blood hue of the satin slid off of her left shoulder and Henry's free hand came up to brush across her bared, pale flesh.

"Trust me," he whispered into her hair behind her ear, "you look much better with it off." His teeth grazed the back of her neck underneath the wet fall of her clean hair.

A shudder ran like lightning down Vicki's spine at the closeness Henry presented. The sensation of his dull teeth on the ticklish part of her body gave her an impression close to modesty or even self-consciousness. There was something clicking in her mind about the idea that such a young-looking, accomplished, seductive, predatory, seemingly-perfect man could show such open passion towards a blinding, cowardly private eye such as herself. It was a charming idea that she should be able to show off such a prize as Henry.

The far away look in her eyes and the ghost of a smile on her lips made Henry slow his actions, turn Vicki around in his arms and just observe her, a crooked smile upon his own face. This woman never ceased to amaze him. He could only imagine the thoughts pouring through her mind as he watched the gears twist and turn in odd directions.

"Vicki?" he asked tentatively, not wanting to disrupt a specific train of thought.

"Hmm?" she replied a little hazily as her eyes found his and she came back to herself. When she saw the amusement, affection, and slight residue of arousal swirling a multi-colored well of his eyes, she couldn't stop herself from smiling.

"Are you alright?" he asked with a slightly elevated eyebrow.

Her smile widened a bit. "Yeah," she said with certainty, "I'm great." It was then that Vicki embraced her vampire companion in a tight hug, holding him as close as possible. She took one deep breath, inhaling his natural scent, reveling in it, basking in the feel of him against her, before she pushed away slightly. Looking back up at him, she said, "Go take your shower. We've got celebrating to do and I think drinks and a night out is suitable."

Henry cocked his head to the side. "What, pray tell, are we celebrating, milady?"

"Me, you… us."

"So there's an 'us' now?" he asked, slightly skeptic.

"What? You've changed your mind about me?"

He let out a small laugh. "That's a joke, right?"

"That's what I thought," she said with a smile. "There's one other thing we've got to celebrate."

"Oh?"

"You getting your robe back." The tone she used was teasing and she smirked and let the robe fall off of her other shoulder as she reached her arms around Henry. Her small hands splayed across his lower back as she slowly drew her nails upward.

His body arched into her and his eyes closed, a slight growl emanating from his throat. When she ran her tongue from the hollow of his neck all the way up the column to his jaw, he snapped. His mouth claimed hers hotly, and she responded instantly. There was nothing sensual or caring about the kiss. It was pure sex in itself.

As he devoured her mouth, Vicki felt Henry's cold hands slip to her front where he untied the band to his robe, the front spilling open, leaving the garment hanging by the bend of her elbows. Underneath the smooth cloth, his fingertips found the swell of her bottom and gripped, pulling her pelvis against his, crushing, letting her know what she did to him. Smiling, Vicki pulled away, pushing at his chest.

Henry let out a groan of frustration as she let the robe fall to the floor and pool at her feet. When he went to her, she held out an upturned finger, tsking him as she wagged it back and forth. She pointed in the direction of the bathroom, indicating his need to hurry along his prep for the evening. Growling almost angrily, he reached down, snatched up his robe and began his stiff walk to the bathroom. She met him at the doorway to run her hands along his pelvic area, grabbing his thighs and brushing her palm against his straining erection. She then scraped a trail down his spine with her teeth, following it back up with her warm tongue.

"You keep that up," he rumbled dangerously, "we will never leave and you will not be able to walk come morning." With that, he broke her hold and entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He enjoyed the rush of blood he heard through her body at the events his comment insinuated. He knew Vicki well enough to know that she was blushing, and not entirely opposed to the idea.

A/N: Kay... part dos, like those of you asked. If you want number three... it would be a confrontation with Mike... a club scene or two... you know, loaded with sexual strain like in the last bit of this. So review this and let me know what you think and what you want out of this... my plot bunnies suck unless it's smutty... so if there's more you want, I'll write it. I am at your mercy, so to speak.