Southern Charm

Written by Hellz Blaze, first written 2008

Chpt 4

Vicki sighed as she plopped down as best as she could on the fainting couch in the corner of the room and looked at the copies of the photos that they had taken and printed out in Carmichael's very modern office.

He had refused to let Vicki and Henry call the police, so they had done the best as they could with preserving the crime scene for posterity with the tools that they had available, a digital camera and plastic sandwich baggies that had the zipper seals. Mr. Lewis's body had been wrapped carefully in a large plastic sheet and placed in the estate's walk-in cooler so that he would be better preserved. And everyone at the party had been interviewed. If they hadn't been anywhere near the incident or hadn't known the victim they were sent home, the handful that were involved or had seen something were given rooms to stay at the estate, it was large enough after all. Carmichael had tried to get Vicki and Henry into separate rooms like the rest of his guests however she had adamantly refused. He was her partner and they needed to be in the same room, and besides, Henry had a condition called Xeroderma pigmentosum that caused him to be allergic to sunlight, which is why he had to stay inside during the day. Heaven forbid that one of Carmichael's servants opened the shades while Henry was sleeping and it caused him to get sun burnt the same severity of a third degree burn. Carmichael was very understanding of Henry's medical condition and since he had been adamant about not calling the police when she wanted to, even had a friend on the force she said, he left them to themselves in the largest guest room with the heaviest curtains, and a locking door which they gave them the only key for.

"These curtains will suffice," Henry stated as he pulled them as tightly closed across the windows as he could so as that no light could penetrate into the room. "I would still rather be at home though."

Vicki put down the notes and the photos and looked at him, she could tell that he was feeling the dawn approaching by the way his shoulders had hunched a little under the jacket. "How long?" she asked softly. It was amazing how well she knew him now, his little tells. The way that his eyes sparkled in mischief when he was up to something, the way his shoulders hunched the closer dawn approached when he was away from his home, and the way she could see the softness in his smile ever time he looked at her.

Henry looked at her as he shed the jacket and hung it up in the wardrobe provided in the room. "Just over an hour and a half," he responded and tugged at the tie and hung that up too. "Thank you," he murmured quietly as he pulled his pocket watch from his vest and set it on the nightstand.

Vicki understood what he was thanking her for. For insisting that she stay with him, for making up a perfectly reasonable and legitimate reason for him to stay in the room all day. She watched as he shed the vest and then the shoes he was wearing before sliding his arms out of the suspenders and un-tucking the shirt from his pants. He looked simply breathtaking at that moment. It was the most un-kept she had ever seen him before. Sure he had been dressed in his scruffiest clothes before when she had visited him while he was painting, but this… this was different. This was a man who at the end of the day was just a man, strong and intelligent and thoughtful, and at that moment, was the sexiest man she had ever laid her eyes on. She set the pile of papers aside on the dresser beside her, and removed the hair clip, earrings and choker. Feeling slightly not herself and yet more herself than she had ever felt in her life, she surprised them both when she asked softly, "Henry, will you help me out of this dress?"

He looked sharply at her for a moment in shock, surely he hadn't heard her properly. They stood there looking at one another for some time, he could see the sincerity there and couldn't speak for the emotion he felt. However, just as he saw the beginnings of her walls going back up he was able to react, afraid to break the mood that had come over her or for her to change it to some glib remark he replied just as softly, "Of course, My lady."

Henry stepped over to her as she turned to face the dresser and stood in front of it and the large mirror there. With all the shades drawn and all of the oil lamps lit she could see the light reflecting on his handsome face as he stepped up behind her and began undoing the multitude of buttons running down the back of the dress. She shivered at the touch of his cooler fingers on her heated skin, the velvet was getting heavy and hot, but that was not why her skin was flushed. While he took the time to undo each of the delicate buttons with such care, Vicki studied Henry in the mirror before her.

Once again she was struck by how handsome he was, both inside and out. Henry was not just a pretty face or an un-dead member of royalty, he was compassionate and kind, and fought for what he believed in and protected all those under his care and what he considered his kingdom. Sure he said that it was his territory more often than not, but Toronto was his home, his land, his kingdom, and the people in it were his to oversee and protect. And while that over-protectiveness could be downright infuriating at times, Vicki understood it and respected him all the more for it.

As the dress slipped over her arms and down her body to pool on the floor revealing the vintage corset and bloomers that she was wearing, she had taken off the shoes she had been wearing when they had come in to the room, she watched him take in her underwear clad form with something akin to awe. She surprised them both once more as the soft words floated out of her mouth, "Have you fed yet Henry?"

He wrenched his eyes from her and locked gazes with hers in the mirror, "No… I haven't," he replied simply as she stepped out of the dress and kicked it to the side without breaking his gaze, the beast within him stirred to the surface and Vicki saw it happen as Henry kept it in check. She nodded slightly as she took as step back into his arms as he took a step forward and wrapped his hands around her waist. He breathed in her scent and relished in it, letting it wash over him and enfold him like a warm blanket. Vicki watched Henry's face closely as he closed his eyes and smelt her hair and skin, sliding her hands over his arms encircling her waist she entwined her fingers with his over her stomach and tilted her head to the side just a little as she pressed back into him.

Henry opened his eyes and looked at her again, "Are you sure?" he whispered in her ear so softly she almost missed it. She smiled softly and slid her hand on the side that he was nuzzling into the curls at the nape of his neck and gently tugged his head down so that he pressed his lips to her throat. He groaned low in his chest at the way she was offering him this gift. And it was a gift to Henry, everything that Vicki gave to him willingly was a gift in his mind, he just hoped that one day he would give him the one gift that he had been waiting for for so long. Taking the hand at her waist with his opposite he trailed his now free hand up and cradled the other side of her neck as he placed light kisses on the throbbing vein under his lips. Vicki's hand tightened in his as well as tugging lightly on his curls as he slid his sharp fangs into her throat with ease. She gasped at the initial pain of the bite, but soon sighed as the feelings of desire and wantonness slid through her senses. She knew that Henry's bite could be intoxicating, she had been subject to it before, but this, this was ecstasy all on its own. He drank slowly as if savouring a fine wine which only caused her to spiral upwards into desire's grasp all the faster.

It was over all too soon, Henry removed his fangs from her throat and tenderly licked at the wounds until they started to heal over. He kissed her lightly there on the spot where he had bitten and then nuzzled her hair and kissed the side of her temple. "Come to bed Vicki. The dawn is approaching and I would like to rest with you in my arms," he entreated softly still worried that if he spoke too harshly or too glibly that he would break the spell that she seemed to be under. Sliding her hand from his hair she turned and helped him remove his shirt and pants before crawling under the cool cotton sheets of the massive king sized bed in only their underwear. Vicki lay on her side with his arm draped gently over her shoulders, her head on his shoulder and her arm resting lightly over his chest as the drowsiness of the dawn began to take him. "Promise me that you will be here when I wake up?" He asked sleepily, fighting the calling of the dawn.

Vicki looked up from her resting spot and locked gazes with his sleepy eyes. "I promise Henry. Rest well," she whispered before leaning up slightly to place a light kiss on his lips. The tingling feeling of her kissing him was the last thought that he had before the dawn stole his last breath. Vicki smiled softly at Henry as he was pulled under and played with a lock of his hair as she settled down again on his shoulder and allowed herself to be pulled into Morpheus' grasp herself, feeling safe for the first time in a long time snuggled in the Vampire's arms.