"Oh. That's nice of him," Rachel commented. She paused as Etienne grabbed the door handle and turned it, then turned it back. "What is it?"
"Uh... Rachel, did you unlock the door or just let it close?"
"You unlocked the door. I just let it close behind me. Why? What's wrong?"
Etienne grimaced. "The door locks automatically unless you flip the lever thing. We're locked out."
"What?" She stepped up to his side and turned the door handle, but to her horror the door stayed closed. "We can't be locked out, Etienne."
"I'm afraid we are." He sounded more amused than upset.
Rachel wasn't amused. She was already famished to the point that he was looking like a tasty treat, and if the cold made her need blood more urgently...
Turning a stern look on him, she ordered, "Climb in a window."
He shook his head. "Sorry. High-tech security system. It'll go off if I try anything like that."
"Well, can't you bypass it or something?"
"Sure I could, but why wreck my system to save myself a couple of minutes in the cold? Whoever delivers the blood will have a cell phone. I can call Bastien and have him bring my extra set of house keys. We'll only be out here a couple of minutes, I promise. And it's a nice clear night. I can show you my garden up close. You've only seen it from the house till now. I have some lovely night-blooming--"
"Etienne," Rachel began with irritation, then held her tongue. She was suddenly reluctant to admit that he was looking like breakfast. Her previous revulsion at biting people had been eased quite a bit by their love bites. Now was as good a time as any to find out whether she could control herself. She didn't want to bite one of her co-workers one night when she was feeling peckish.
"What is it?" Etienne prompted when she remained silent.
"Nothing," she said at last. "Show me your garden."
Smiling, Etienne took her hand. He led her back out into the yard and around the fountain to the main garden. It was a huge backyard. Rachel could only think that he obviously lived on the outskirts of Toronto. She couldn't be sure, however, since the yard was surrounded by a huge privacy fence that made it impossible to see out. Reminding herself to ask him later, she followed through the garden as he pointed out and named various plants.
It was a lovely garden, obviously made to be viewed at night, which she supposed made sense. There were lights here and there that she supposed were for highlighting, but none of them were on. Their path was lit only by moonlight. Rachel didn't have any trouble seeing, however. She guessed that meant her eyesight was improving, as Marguerite had said it would. She might have been more excited, but she was too hungry. Her body was actually beginning to cramp with her need to feed. Since Etienne didn't appear to be suffering the same, Rachel supposed she was still needing more blood due to the change.
"Why are you looking at me like I'm a big roast pig with an apple in its mouth?"
Rachel dragged her eyes away from his luscious neck and forced a smile. "Because you look so delicious," she said lightly. Without thinking, she moved closer and ran her hands up his chest, catching them around his neck to urge him down to kiss her.
Etienne came easily, lowering his lips with eager passion. Rachel sighed into his mouth with relief that it was so easy, then broke the kiss and began to trail her lips over his cheek to his ear. She nibbled lightly and teased, "You smell good enough to eat."
Etienne chuckled at her words, but his laughter died quickly and he stiffened in her arms. She'd begun to nibble along his neck. "Er, Rachel honey? I think you might be confusing bloodlust with lust. Its not a good idea for you to--aaah!"
His warning died as she found him through his jeans and squeezed. His breath immediately picked up and he was almost panting in her ear as she fondled him. "Well, maybe a little nibble wouldn't hurt."
Rachel laughed huskily and licked his neck. She really didn't have any idea what she was doing, was just following her instincts--and she instinctually wanted to lick his neck. Actually, Rachel wanted to lick everywhere. Etienne was like a big lollipop, or perhaps a Tootsie Pop. She wanted to know how many licks it took to get to the center of this Tootsie Pop, but knew she would bite long before she ever found out.
Rachel licked his neck again, her tongue running over the vein, sensing it with a natural ability that startled her. She wanted so badly to bite him. She was starving, cramping with hunger. She supposed it wasn't unlike a drug addict jonesing for a fix. She needed it bad, but it seemed rude to just bite him, and she couldn't quite bring herself to do it. She had bitten him several times last night, but always in the throes of passion. Rachel was feeling pretty passionate about him right then, but not enough to make it right. She had to fix that.
Releasing her hold on him, she slid her hands up over his chest, grasped his collar, and tugged his shirt open. Etienne just grinned as the buttons snapped off. Rachel was a little less sangfroid. She hadn't expected that, thought perhaps one button might pop and then she'd have to undo the others manually, but it appeared she was gaining some of the strength that was to be hers.
Her surprise only slowed her down for a moment. With his chest suddenly revealed, glowing almost silver in the moonlight, she heard an almost animal growl purr from her throat and let her hands slide over that exposed flesh. His skin was cool and smooth, soft as velvet but with the hardness of steel. Sighing in pleasure, she leaned forward to press her lips to the skin over his heart. The beat beneath was strong. He was vital and strong, and she wanted him.
Tipping her head back, Rachel slid a hand into his hair and drew down his face. She covered his lips with hers, rubbing them softly at first, then opening her mouth to catch and nip at his bottom lip with her teeth. She drew on it until it slipped from her teeth with a small plop that made them both chuckle. Then that was apparently enough play for Etienne. Gathering her in his arms, he covered her lips with his. There was no gentle rubbing, no teasing kiss. He covered her mouth, then opened his and thrust his tongue out to separate her lips. Rachel opened to him without hesitation and slid her own tongue forward to meet his, a moan half-smothered as their tongues tangled and slid against each other.
An answering moan from Etienne made Rachel smile, breaking the kiss somewhat. She let her lips drift away over his chin and down along his throat, inhaling the scent of him, but not stopping to be tempted by the promise of his jugular. She coasted her lips down his chest, pausing at first one nipple to nip and suckle and flick at it with her tongue, then to the other to do the same. Her nails ran firmly over his back as she did, so that he definitely felt it, but she drew no blood.
When Etienne groaned and arched and caught at her arms to attempt to draw her back, presumably to kiss her, Rachel laughed teasingly and simply dropped into a crouch. It put her at waist level. Tipping her head back, she smiled up at him wickedly and reached for the snap of his jeans. Etienne sucked in a startled breath as she undid them, then seemed to hold it as she drew down the zipper.
Rachel let her smile widen, then reached inside to pull out his member. She knew she had made a mistake the moment she leaned forward to take him in her mouth. The scent and taste of him made the urge to bite almost irresistible. Rachel could actually feel the blood pulsing and throbbing beneath the fragile skin covering his hard shaft.
Dear God, it would be like biting a sausage, she thought faintly. The juices would squirt thick and sweet into her mouth, then slide down her throat and feed the craving that made her body ache so. The thought was oddly erotic. It was also rather horrifying. Rachel couldn't believe she was kneeling before a man, contemplating taking a chomp on the manhood that had given her so much pleasure the night before. Jeez, it seemed obvious she wasn't ready to go back to work yet. If she was contemplating this, no one would be safe from her hunger.