"A most engaging character, but he is too foolhardy. Other vampires would have destroyed him without a thought. Creatures like that are simply too dangerous to be allowed to exist. Actually, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Saint Germain rings truer than any other fictional vampire I can think of."
Nicole sighed. "He is wonderful, isn't he?"
"Perhaps a little too wonderful."
"Jealous?"
"No. It is just that Saint Germain is too perfect. He always does the right thing. He always makes the right decision. His virtue never comes in question. How would you feel if you had to live up to that kind of unattainable perfection?"
"Well, I wouldn't like it, and I don't like it," she answered, her tone oddly harsh. "Hell, women face those kinds of comparisons all the time. Men want us to look like super models, movie stars and centerfolds. I'm sorry, I'm not anorexic, and I'm not getting a boob job. You'll have to accept me just the way I am."
"Which is perfect - perfectly wonderful."
Nicole immediately softened. "Ahhww, shucks." She took one of my hands, wrapped it within her warm, soft fingers. Her eyes met mine. "So, Count Farkus, what do we do now?"
I squeezed her hand gently. "That is up to you. I do not want to rush you into something you are not prepared for."
Her smile widened as moist lips parted. "This futon opens into a bed, doesn't it?"
I nodded.
"Wait," she said, as if she suddenly remembered something she should have. "How do you, well, you know - "
"Lovemaking with a vampire is not that much different from what you are accustomed. That is, if that was your question."
She smiled shyly, almost coquettishly. "But you'll bite me, right? But only just take a little bit of blood?"
"Yes, just a little. At the time of the climax of your pleasure. That allows me to taste your pleasure through the shared consciousness that occurs at that moment."
"Shared consciousness?" She sounded excited. "Does that mean I'll be able to feel you feeling my orgasm?"
"Hopefully."
Nicole practically jumped from the futon. She grabbed a handful of fabric and pulled it from the wall, nearly knocking me over in the process. "Let's get to it." Then, she paused. "Just another couple questions. I won't turn into a vampire when you bite me, will I?"
"No."
"Yeah, I thought so." She spread the futon as I gathered the pillows, sheet and blanket. "What about AIDS? I mean, you don't screen your victims. It might not affect you, or maybe it does. But how will it affect me?"
"That is a very good question." We sat together on the newly made bed, Nicole leaning into my open arms, her hands running over my back. "When I first heard of the virus, I ran some experiments. I can assure you that neither of us has anything to worry about. Perhaps, if I were to bite someone with the virus, then shortly thereafter, bite someone else while the previous person's blood still coated my fangs - that might be a problem. But the virus simply cannot live, let alone propagate, within my body. First, my body temperature is too cold. Second, whatever it is in my blood that makes me what I am, that is death to the AIDS virus."
"Maybe they could use your blood as a cure for AIDS."
"Then, there would be all these formally HIV positive people turning into vampires, but maybe someday one of us will figure how to isolate the vampiric part."
"Someday, but not today." Nicole wrapped her arms around the back of my neck and pulled me closer to her. Our lips met. Hers, moist, soft like rose petals, kissing me with passion and fervor, her tongue passing my lips, meeting my tongue, caressing my teeth, searching for the two very sharp, very pointy, very special ones.
Our mouths remained locked together, arms clamped around each other as we slowly peeled off each other's garments, slowly, ever so slowly revealing each other's secrets. Her hands unclasping each button, lingering upon the flesh underneath. Mine feeling the softness of her round breasts, the delicate lace of her brassiere lightly tickling my fingers.
Then, all secrets were stripped away, and we momentarily parted just to gain greater perspective in order to gaze upon the truth before us. And the truth was accepted, and it was beautiful, and we joined together again, hands again touching, kneading, probing, and soon lips and tongues did what hands had done.