A/N: Well, here it is: The Conclusion. I've posted two chapter since Friday, so please go back if you aren't caught up. Enjoy!

Chapter 9

The next night…

I pulled into the driveway of Simone's oceanside home, noting that while her Porsche was there, the front of the house was dark. I sat there a moment, the ring I'd bought her heavy in my pocket, and not just because it was five carats. It was small enough to fit into a jeweler's box, but it was still by far the grandest gesture I'd ever made; maybe this is what Mick had meant.

I guess I was getting old and it was finally time to settle down. It sounds funny coming from a vampire, but I really was beginning to feel this way. I was tired of being alone and watching friends of mine so happily together, like Mick and Beth, and Daryl and Carrie. Freshies just weren't doing it for me anymore. Once I drank from them, all they were to me were pretty, half-empty shells. Sort of symbolized my life too, if I were really to get maudlin.

So what was it about Simone that had captured me so completely? Maybe it was because she made me feel figuratively alive after four-hundred years of being literally dead. Everything about her—from her smart mouth to her obstinacy to her beautiful brea--, uh, face-- made her the perfect woman for me. She'd challenged me in every way, even before I turned her. But now…my God, she was the Mt. Everest of challenges! She kept me on my toes, tested my sexual prowess, and kept me humble. Okay, scratch that last bit, but you see what I'm getting at.

So here I was, ready to take the plunge. I felt a sense of peace about my decision, because for once I was going with my gut where Simone was concerned, instead of trying to figure out what she wanted, or listening to everyone else's advice. She and Beth had both reminded me to use my instincts, and to tell you the truth, I was sick and tired of over thinking everything.

Turning Simone was apparently only step one on the path to eternal bliss for vampires. I realized I'd not taken the next step, and it all boiled down to this ring—the ultimate sign of commitment for humans and vampires. I'd erred again on the side of gigantic, but I think Simone might forgive me once she saw it. She was still a woman, after all, and I'd never heard a woman complain that her engagement ring was too big. I smiled to myself, and got out of my car.

As I walked to her door, I delighted in the smell of Simone laced with the sea air, along with the unmistakable scent of…human blood. Simone was in there somewhere feeding, and, on closer inhalation, I detected it was from a very familiar freshie. I tried the door, and it was unlocked, so I went right in. A single light down the hall emanated from beneath her bedroom door, drawing me like a beacon. Well, that, and the very masculine moans I was hearing.

I was certain Simone must have sensed my presence, but as I quietly opened the door she didn't try to stop me or stop herself from suckling at the neck of that Blake person, the freshie from the night of the Council reception. I watched in an odd mixture of disgust and arousal as the man fondled himself through his jeans as Simone took her own pleasure from his blood. She was in complete control of the situation, still fully clothed and obviously enjoying herself, not touching him except from where she was drinking. Her slightly closed eyes met mine without surprise, seeming to glow in the light of the flickering candle on the bedside table.

She was about to release him, when, with a final moan, his body jerked in completion. She detached and licked his neck before pulling gently away, fangs receding now that her hunger had been slaked. Blake lay back against the bed, panting loudly, eyes closed, hand still at his crotch as he struggled to regain control of his senses. I knew just how he felt.

He was still unaware of my presence, but Simone waited expectantly for what I might do. I realized what happened here in the next few minutes would determine the rest of my life. I could grab the little bastard and pull him apart limb from limb, like I really wanted to do, or I could make a big scene by throwing him out of her house in an impressive display of broken glass and carnage. The possibilities were endless. Or…I could remember that Simone was a vampire, like me, and, like me, she indulged in the occasional freshie now and then. It wasn't like she was sleeping with him, and it wasn't her fault he got sexual gratification from the experience—freshies often did. So…what to do?

"Simone," I said simply, quietly. Blake's eyes instantly flew open at the sound of my voice, and he sat up, banging his head on one of the wooden posts of her bed. I'm sure he hadn't forgotten my warning to stay away from Simone, for I sensed the fear jolting his heart and pumping the blood double time.

"Uh…Mr. Kostan…I-I can explain…" he stuttered, one hand covering the wet spot on his jeans while the other comically held his head. I tried hard not to laugh as he got off the bed, backing toward the doorway like he was trying to evade a cornered animal. My gaze returned to Simone, as the ghost of a smile hovered around her blood-stained lips. She had still said nothing in reply to my presence in her boudoir, realizing like me that our future was in my hands.

"Blake, is it? You like to play fast and loose with your life, don't you kid?"

He swallowed hard at my menacing tone. "I'm really sorry. But when Simone called me, I had a hard time resisting her—I'm sure you understand. P-please--don't kill me."

God, what a pathetic human being. For a split second I almost jumped him—it would be nothing to snap his neck and drain him the rest of the way. I sighed in keen disappointment because I knew I couldn't do it—not with Simone watching, anyway .

"Just get the hell out of here before I change my mind." He stared at me in shock. "Boo!" I said at last, waking him up. Without another word, the idiot ran down the hall, the distant slam of the front door punctuating his hasty departure.

"Well, that was impressive," Simone said finally. "Your self-control, I mean."

I laughed and sat down beside her. "You have no idea." I automatically reached for her hand, pleased she didn't pull away. I brought it to my lips, kissing her knuckles tenderly. I was strangely calm about what I was about to do. It didn't even occur to me that she might say no.

"You look like a man on a mission," she said, observing my confident attitude.

(Brief A/N: I was listening to Pink's "Glitter in the Air" while I was writing this—a gorgeous song by the way. It inspired me and sets the mood for what's to come. I'll wait for you to find it on your iPod… Okay, you can go back to your reading now .)

"Yes, I am of a sort. But if you want forever with me, this is how it's gonna be, you know. We'll take turns being angry at each other over one thing or another, probably on a weekly basis. I'll get jealous sometimes, and sometimes I'll kill someone who pisses me off. I'll drink too much whiskey and overdo it on the freshies. I may gamble too much for your taste, and want plenty of nights out with the guys. But I won't cheat on you, if you'll promise to do the same. And I'll love you until the day I die, no matter what happens between now and then. Are you sure you that's what you really want from me, forever?"

"Yes," she whispered, the tears flowing down her soft cheeks. "I know who you are, Josef, and the only thing I've ever wanted from you was a firm commitment. You turned me so that could happen, but you've still resisted it, fought it, fought me. And I know forever with me will be no picnic either. I can be impulsive, and being a lawyer, arguing is in my nature. I will also be jealous of your freshies sometimes, but I'll deal with it—so long as you don't sleep with them—and I'll be faithful too. I'm going to want time with you—away from work, away from Mick every once in awhile, to focus just on us. I would never interfere with that friendship, though. He's your brother, and I respect that, and I love him too. But I too will want time out with the girls, especially my new sister, Beth. And I'll love you until the day I die, no matter what happens. So, Kostan, can you handle that from me, forever?"

I pretended to consider it a moment, but it was so damn hard, what with the relieved happiness bubbling up inside me. I gave in to it and felt the goofy smile stretch my face as I reached up and wiped away her tears. "I think I can manage," I said, chuckling a little in glee. And then she kissed me, and it was like all the silly chick flicks I'd ever been suckered into seeing, all rolled up into this ball of joy that threatened to choke me, to overwhelm me in its intensity. I was so wrapped up in her, in the passionate mating of our lips and tongues, that I'd almost forgotten the ring in my inside suit pocket. That is, until Simone's wandering hand lodged against the unfamiliar bulge of that particular area. She pulled back from me abruptly, as if she'd been singed.

"What's that?" she asked hesitantly, no doubt recognizing the shape of a jeweler's box when she felt one. I reached in and pulled out the red velvet box for her perusal. I looked into her eyes. What she'd said was everything I'd wanted to hear. I'd meant what I'd said to her, and felt like I had already said my wedding vows. But a woman needed something more tangible, and the idea of her wearing my ring filled me with a kind of pride I'd never felt before. This was the moment my long life had prepared me for, and I couldn't believe I was ready, willing, and able to do it.

I opened the box, and like a sap, moved off the bed to one knee. She gasped, both at the sight of the huge diamond and the fact that I was actually doing this right. I felt myself trembling, and had to clear my throat before I could speak.

"Simone. I'm an ass, but will you marry me anyway?" The very balance of the universe hung on her answer, and she drew it out as long as she could, the sadist. I was about to give up and get up off the floor, when those sexy lips finally formed the magic word, "Yes." And then she said it three more times, kissing me after each until I couldn't stand it anymore and stilled her face between my hands.

"Are you sure?" I asked her seriously. She smiled indulgently.

"You really are an ass—can't you take 'yes' for an answer?"

"Put this on, and I'll believe you."

She put out her left hand and I took the ring from its nest. I slid the pink, square cut diamond encased in platinum onto her finger, and it sparkled in the candlelight. More tears began to fall, and she reached up and wiped them away, from my cheeks this time.

"If you tell Mick I cried, I'll take it all back."

"Too late now, Josef," she said fondly, pushing me back on the bed. "Your life sentence begins now."

"Thank God I've got a good attorney," I replied saucily. And then our mouths met, and neither of us had any further objections for a very long time.

The next evening, Simone was at my place, and we'd just finished a very fulfilling shower in preparation for meeting Mick and Beth for cocktails. We were going to announce our good news to our closest friends, and hopefully turn it into an impromptu engagement party. I watched her in the mirror of the master bathroom, a fluffy silver towel wrapped around her as she fixed her hair into a deceptively complicated updo. Still naked, I encircled her waist and pretended to bite the back of her long neck with my blunt, human teeth.

She reached up and ruffled my damp hair, latching onto my eyes in the mirror, both of us reliving our recent antics in the shower. My hands traveled up to cup her breasts, and she leaned back into my arms, sighing in contentment.

"We'll never be on time if you keep touching me like this," she murmured. Her towel dropped and I continued to watch our naked reflections, my hands caressing her as my erection pressed into her backside.

"They'll wait," I said. With very little prompting, she braced her hands against the marble sink while I took her from behind, my eyes feasting on the sensual picture we made.

Sometime later I tried to control myself again as I watched her slip into her sexy little black dress, her makeup and hair perfect as always. A flash of pink on her finger caught the light as she put in her pearl earrings, smiling at me as I tied my tie with experienced hands. This was the very domesticity I had only recently envied when I'd watched Mick and Beth at her place. I could hardly believe it was mine now. That Simone was mine.

"Well, shit," spilled forth the heavenly words from my goddess. She was looking in annoyance at her pretty bare feet. "I forgot to bring my good shoes."

"Fear not, fair lady, for I, as always, am prepared for every contingency."

She watched as I walked to my room-sized, walk-in closet, going unerringly to a clear box nestled among the hundred other boxes of my own. I removed the lid and pulled out a familiar pair of black sandals, holding them before her in a flourish.

"Your slippers, Madame."

She gazed at them a moment in surprised recognition, remembering how she'd flung them at me before jumping off a certain terrace. "I can't believe you kept them."

I shrugged, a little embarrassed at my sentimentality. "Jimmy Choos don't grow on trees, you know."

"I wondered later, after I wasn't so angry, whether or not I'd hit you with them."

I laughed. "I ducked—I have the reflexes of an Amazon panther."

"Hmmm…" she said, sitting on the bed and allowing me to place her sandals on her dainty feet. "A vampire panther. How very terrifying."

"Actually, I'm really just a big pussy cat." I looked up at her from my place at her feet, and playfully waggled my eyebrows at her.

She gave a sensual purr from the back of her throat, pulling me onto the bed by the tie. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty," she beckoned.

We were an hour late for cocktails.

Epilogue

"But Steven, you owe me this, man," I said into the phone. "His name is Blake Emerson, and I want you to make him a star. I heard you were casting a no-name for that new vampire movie. He'd be perfect in that role, have a real insight into it, if you know what I mean."

It was great to have connections in the entertainment world, especially when you can call in a favor.

The director sighed into the phone, knowing full well I wasn't going to stop harassing him until he agreed.

"Okay, Kostan. Who's his agent?"

I smiled as I passed along the soon-to-be-former-freshie's information.

Nothing I hate more than leaving loose ends untied.

The End

A/N: Thanks so much to all who read and reviewed. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. It was fun to get inside Josef's head, but now I'm ready to get the perspectives off all my beloved characters.

Next up, the four friends take a road trip so Josef can meet the prospective in-laws. I hope you'll come along for the ride.