Heirot

"If I wake up here with you, I imagine that will be true," Vlad mumbled.

It took Tenele a while to fall a sleep. She thought the whole time, her brain churning idea after idea in desperation. How could she fix this? He said Atul would marry them if she could remember? That was what she heard, right? But, no one knew when she would get her memories back... It might be never.

She had to talk to Atul and convince him that he could be with them, even without her memories. She would fix this mess. She could grow to love him.

Tenele slept restlessly, waking every few minutes with a start. She was thankful for dawn when the morning light filled the room with a hot orange glow.

The morning sun pulled the vampire's eyes open to a brightening room. Warm breeze blew in from their balcony. He rarely slept straight through the night like that unless the influence of Tenele or Atul's mind was linked to his. He turned his attention to the beautiful woman in his arms, still lying half on top of him. His body responded as if he'd never quite noticed her warm weight the night before. His thumb stroked her hair back lightly, and he wondered if he would be capable of getting out of bed without waking her up, or without trying to seduce her. He edged sideways so his growing interest wouldn't be felt through her thin gown.

The movement lured Tenele from the light sleep she'd dozed off into after waking for the millionth time. She blinked her gaze to him. "Good morning," she hummed, looking at how the warm light gave his usual pale cheeks color.

She sat up and stretched her arms above her head, arching her back. Her hand touched the back of her neck and she twisted her head back and forth to work out the knot that had formed there in her sleep.

Vlad noticed her watching him and felt a tinge of satisfaction. He looked over her tired features with a faint smile. "Morning. Did my beauty keep you up?"

Tenele laughed softly. "Did your beauty keep me up?" she asked, kneeling next to him. "No. But, I think it might have given me a sore neck. I slept strangely it seems. What about you, did my beauty keep you up?"

Vlad smiled wickedly, playing a joke out in his head that he didn't dare voice. "Always, Maiden Girl. I'm sorry for the stiff neck, all the same. He closed his eyes and thought about other things, just to calm his body down. "I need to get back to the library," he said in the closest thing the vampire really had to a yawn.

Tenele seemed to contemplate something for a second and she slipped her hands over his chest to hold him down and keep him from rising. "Do you have to go right now?" she asked softly, the loose straps of her gown slipping from her shoulders as she leaned over him. "It seems very early. We could stay in bed together for a little while longer, if you want?"

Vlad went still and stared up at her, his heart climbing into his throat. "I will stay with you, Tenele," he acquiesced quietly. Her warm hands pinning his chest were the only things keeping him from floating away. He reached up and touched her cheek, trailing his fingers along her neck to brush over her collarbone. He let the teasing caress stop there.

Tenele smiled at the soft flutter over her skin, closing her eyes. It felt very nice, so she tilted into the touch. She had no plans for what she wanted to do in bed, only that she wanted him to herself a little longer before she was reminded of how much Atul was wanted by him.

She would talk to Atul today, and settle this whole thing so Vlad wouldn't have to worry about his marriage anymore. She wouldn't stand in the way of Vlad's feelings for the man, since they were around much longer than her current self.

Tenele settled in next to Vlad, curling against him with her leg draped over his body. Her foot ran up and down the silk pants he wore on the inside of his leg. "I had no particular plans," she replied. "I just wanted to be selfish."

Vlad rolled into her embrace, weaving his legs with hers and touching foreheads with her. His arm wrapped her in tight against him, safely trapped. If she was in the mood for possessive cuddling, he intended to make full use of the opportunity before she changed her mind. He was good at possessive cuddling. His interest in her lay full and hard, pinned against her thigh, but he had no need to do anything with it. It was just one more part of him that was locked affectionately around her. "I can do this all day," he grinned.

Tenele smiled, feeling her heart race at the feel of that part of him, and knowing how much his body liked her. He did want her, she might not be enough for him, even if he said she was, but he did want her. There was something so warm about feeling wanted, that the butterflies took off in her stomach and she doubted she could reign them back in.

Tenele pressed her lips to his gently, curling her fingers around his neck. "This is nice," she whispered, snuggling into him. Her fingers traced little circles over his skin.

Vlad beamed with pleasure. She might not remember him, but the affection he felt from her seemed real. It was a miracle that she was accepting him at all, and this level of care from her seemed impossible, yet here she was. Kissing him, asking to be held by him. "I'm very lucky," he murmured, nibbling her nose playfully.

Tenele giggled softly at the feel of his light nips. "Possibly," she replied. "Very lucky..." Tenele thought about the hardness pinned against her, and wondered if he were restraining his desire. His body clearly showed it, but he'd made no moves to use it. From her experiences with men thusfar, she was admittedly confused by his lack of action. Maybe he was waiting for invitation?

Tenele felt a flutter of nervousness as she thought back on their last encounter. It had ended amazingly, and very poorly all in the same instant.

"Do you..." she hesitated to ask him. Her breathed fanned over his neck as she looked down at his waist. "Eh, do you want... I can if you want."

Vlad's grip on her went slack. There was something about hearing the dread in her voice as she asked if he wanted to make love. "No," he said stiffly. "No, I don't need that from you until you're ready."