Rachel managed to control herself as he found her a plate and set out her food, but then she fell on the sandwich and chips with a ravenous hunger that was almost embarrassing. She didn't stop eating until she had consumed every last crumb and drunk every last drop of pop; then she sat back and frowned. Her stomach was full to bursting, yet her brain was still claiming she was hungry.
"You need blood," Etienne told her gently, seeming to realize her craving. "Bastien said you'd need a lot of it for a while. Your body is still changing."
"I thought I was done."
"Mostly done," he corrected. "There are still a couple of things left."
"Like what?" she asked curiously. She wondered if he would mention orgasms.
"Your senses will sharpen. Your ability to smell is already improved, but it will grow keener. And your eyesight, of course. You'll be able to to see in the dark."
"Your mother mentioned that," Rachel admitted. It didn't sound too bad. It was certainly better than facial lumps and bumps.
"Come." He stood. "We'll fix you up with an intravenous."
"I hate needles," Rachel complained, but she got reluctantly to her feet. "I mean I really hate them. I practically have a phobia."
"You need more blood. You won't feel better until you get some," Etienne lectured. He led the way up the hall.
Rachel stuck out her tongue at his back, but she knew he was right--she needed more blood. Her body was positively clamoring for it in a way that was almost painful. It was becoming obvious that her plans to leave were scotched unless she could bring herself to down bags of cold blood, but the very idea made her shudder.
"Can't I just bite someone?" she asked. For some reason, the idea held more appeal than a cold Baggie--although not much more. "Of course, it would have to be someone I don't like."
Etienne glanced back, mouth open, but paused when he caught her eyeing his neck. "Hey! I created Blood Lust, remember? Your favorite video game."
"Yes, but you're also the one who turned me in the first place," she reminded him.
Apparently, Etienne didn't catch that she was teasing. Guilt crossed his face, and he looked apologetic. "I am sorry about that, but I couldn't let you die."
It was simply no fun at all to tease someone so guilt-ridden. He obviously felt bad about the whole ordeal. Shrugging, Rachel moved past him and started up the stairs. "I'll get over it. I suppose this really is better than dead, right?"
Etienne's heavy sigh made Rachel pause and turn back. She didn't like him all grim and unhappy like this. She hadn't really meant to make him feel bad. Jollying him out of it seemed the best way to fix things, so she smiled brightly and said, "So... since you don't want me to bite you, maybe I can go find my boss and bite him. He's the one who put me on the night shift for three years."
Etienne looked uncertain. "It's daylight."
Rachel arched her eyebrows. "I thought you said we could go out in the daylight?"
"We can, but then you'll need more blood to repair the damage sunlight does to you. Besides, biting really is something we try to avoid at all costs."
"You know," Rachel said with mild disgust, "sometimes you seem lacking in a sense of humor." She turned to continue up the stairs. "I was kidding about the biting bit. If I can't stomach biting a Baggie, I certainly wouldn't do much better with a live person. Sheesh."
"Oh. I thought you might be joking, but I wasn't sure."
Rachel laughed, not believing him for a minute. It didn't really matter, though; she had only been teasing him in an effort to distract herself from the idea of having to go through the intravenous deal again.
It had always amazed Rachel's family that she could work in the medical field yet still act like a baby when it came to shots and such. She'd grown better over the years. For instance, she no longer cried like a baby as it was done. Still, shots were a stressful ordeal for her. But she had too much pride to show fear to Etienne, so she suffered his hooking her up in silence and merely closed her eyes, hoping he would think her weary and not cowardly.
"Well..."
She opened her eyes and glanced at Etienne curiously. He had finished with the IV and now stood uncertainly by the bed, looking as if he weren't sure what to do next. Noting his gaze was fixed on her lips, she had the brief thought he was debating kissing her; then he gave himself a slight shake and moved away, muttering, "I'll be in my office. Wake me if you need anything."
Rachel grimaced at the idea of his sleeping in that small dark box meant for the dead, but merely murmured good night and watched him leave.
The moment she was alone, she closed her eyes to avoid looking at the intravenous. Her mind wandered, immediately beginning to pull out images and sensations from earlier. She recalled in detail those passionate moments here on the bed with Etienne, every little sensation, every indrawn breath, but when the point came where Marguerite entered the room, Rachel's mind rebelliously made up its own scenario. Instead of being interrupted, the door stayed closed and Rachel found what her hand had been seeking. In her mind, Etienne was well endowed, as he had claimed. He was also as hard and smooth as a time-tempered stone, and...
Etienne sighed and shifted in his coffin, his mind full of images: He was back in his room. Rachel lay atop him, her br**sts revealed to his hungry gaze, her hand slipping inside his slacks to curl warm and firm around his erection. He groaned, jerking in her hold, his body responding with eagerness. When her hand slid the length of him, he had to stop her or embarrass himself.
Growling deep in his throat, he bucked and shifted, rolling her onto her back in the bed, then rolling over her to take control of the situation. The abrupt shift startled Rachel into a gasp and made the top she wore gape open, revealing even more of her pale br**sts. Taking advantage, Etienne dropped his head to lick the smooth, salty-sweet skin as he'd longed to do earlier.