First Chair (3 page)

A heavy, superstitious feeling stabbed her heart as if heralding the beginning of something momentous and strange. Christina squared her shoulders as she fought the uneasy sensation and made an effort to focus on the task at hand.

She’d a lot to do; the least of which was figure out a way to beat Felix at his own game. 

~~~

Christina emerged from the shower. Picking up her moisturizing cream, she slathered it on with a generous hand. Sitting on the bed, she applied the fragrant cream on her feet, legs, and even her back. Finally, she donned her robe and went out into the living room. Her gaze fell on her cello that stood in one corner. Tears pricked in her eyes.

Determined to not waste any more time lamenting about the state of her career, she walked over to the bookcase. Perhaps she could take pleasure in reading something? Her finger traced the spines of various books, but nothing intrigued her. The morbid thoughts plaguing her refused to give her any respite.

How could she have trusted Felix so blindly? If anything, she blamed herself for being in this precarious condition. The manager had told her about the audition, but she wondered if there was any point in going for it. Felix was determined not to give her the job. Why humiliate herself further by going up on the stage, playing for him, and then getting rejected?

She sighed. The doorbell rang, breaking into her thoughts. Christina walked over to the door, peaked into the hole and was shocked to see Count Van Bower standing outside.

“What is he doing here?” she muttered, feeling self-conscious. She wasn’t dressed for company. Should she take a moment to throw on something more appropriate? What the hell? He was the one who came in unannounced.

She squared her shoulders and opened the door. “Count Van Bower, what a pleasant surprise.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” His gaze traveled from the tip of her curly hair to her face scrubbed clear of any make-up, down to her body clad in a silky, white robe, and her toenails painted with a soft peach nail polish. “You look beautiful as always.”

That should have been her line. Up close, he was devastatingly handsome. Dressed in black pants, a white shirt, he looked as if he had just stepped off the cover of a magazine. Good enough to eat, she thought.  

“Please come in.” Belatedly, she remembered her manners. Stepping aside, she allowed him to come inside.

Seeing as how his gaze traveled to her living room, the neat rows of books on her bookcase, and the gleaming counters of the open kitchenette, Christina was glad she’d taken the time today to spruce up her apartment.

“You’ve a lovely home.” His voice was gravelly, masculine.

Feeling conscious, Christina gestured for him to take a seat. “Please sit. I’ll go and change.”

“Actually, for what I had in mind, you’re perfectly dressed,” he announced as he walked over and took a seat on her couch.

“Oh!” She ran a hand over her hair, not sure what he meant. “I don’t understand.”

“Come and join me.” It wasn’t a request, but a command.

To her surprise, Christina found herself walking over to sit beside him. All thoughts, and the capability of lucid reason, seemed to have fled her mind. All she could do was gaze into his eyes, hypnotized by his mesmerizing stare. He appeared to exude a charisma she couldn’t fight.

“What can I do for you, Count?” her voice was a little breathless.

“I’ve heard about your little problem, Christina. And I was hoping to offer a solution.”

Why couldn’t she think straight? Her gaze glided down his face to his muscled chest. Her hands itched to open the buttons of his shirt and run her fingers on the smooth skin. She licked her bottom lip. “A solution?”

“It has come to my attention that you wish to win the position of the first chair.”

“Felix has said no,” she muttered.

“What if you had the power to make him say yes?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you know who I am, Christina?” He raised his hand and touched the edge of the robe at her collar bone.

“You’re Count Van Bower,” she said, acutely aware of his fingers that were easing the robe down her shoulder. She could feel her heartbeat increasing at the delicate touch.

“I am, yes.” His eyes never strayed to her right shoulder that was completely bare now that the robe had slipped down. She could feel her nipples tightening, becoming erect as she met his gaze head-on. “I am also the founder of the Van Bower Orchestra Hall.”

Christina moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. His hand flowed across her collarbone to her left shoulder, his fingers as light as a lover’s gentle touch on her burning skin. “Van Bower Hall is two hundred years old. It…you can’t be the founder. It would mean that you are…”

“Two hundred years old. Yes, I am.” His eyes twinkled with mirth even as he slipped the robe off her other shoulder. Now, the garment sat snuggly anchored by her breasts and the belt that cinched at her waist. She wore nothing underneath and if he pulled the belt, she would be completely exposed.

She longed for him to make that move.

Her lips lifted in a hesitant smile. “You’re joking with me, Count.”

“I certainly am not,” he retorted. “And do you know why I look so young and virile when I am more than two centuries old? I’ve to admit that I have a secret, Christina.”

Her blood boiled as he held a corner of the belt and tugged it. The robe fell open, showcasing her milky white breasts and her dark, erect nipples. Still, his gaze didn’t move down to view the magnificent offering. Instead, he raised his hands, using the tip of his index fingers to circle the nipples, the movement so slow and excruciatingly soft that she wanted to scream with impatience.  A vortex of desire built up inside her. She wanted to rip his clothes off and mount him, moving fast and hard until she satisfied the need building deep inside her.

“What’s your secret, Count?” she managed to say.

His lips lifted in a smile, showing his pearly white teeth. “I’m a vampire.”

What was she supposed to say to that?

~~~

Christina inhaled, taking in a deep breath as he brushed the pad of his fingers on her nipples. It was hard to imagine that she was sitting still, half naked, in front of a man who claimed to be a vampire.

“A vampire?” she said.

“The undead. The harbinger of doom. Drinker of blood. Stuff legends and nightmares are made of. I am all that and more. Are you scared?”

She was disturbingly aroused. But scared? No. Christina shook her head. “I think…”

“Yes?”

She leaned forward, her lips an inch above his. The male smell of him assailed her senses. “You’re incredibly sexy.” Christina kissed the vampire. His lips were soft, cool and so was his skin, she found, when she touched his cheek with her hand. He sure did know how to kiss. All thoughts escaped her mind as his tongue brushed against hers, his scent mingling with hers. Need that was bubbling inside burned ever so bright, making her feel as if surely, she must be on fire.

His hands caressed her breasts, held them, pressed, and kneaded as his lips moved under hers. She was a bundle of nerves; all sensation and feeling. His hands were rough, at times, painfully so but she liked it as he devoured her with his hands, his lips.

She flicked open the buttons of his shirt, removed the garment, and flung it in one corner of the room. He held her hand as she tried to open his belt. “What’s the hurry, Christina?”

She was burning with need, desire. He eased her out of her robe, making her sit naked in front of him. With one hand, he pushed her back until her head rested on the couch, her legs bent at an angle. Putting his hands on the back of her thighs, he straightened her legs, and adjusted her position so that her feet rested on the couch.

“Open your legs,” he ordered. She obeyed without hesitation, yearning for his touch. It didn’t matter that she was exposed, vulnerable, and helpless as he put his hand on her vagina and began to rub. Delirious with raw need, she arched her body in response. Moisture coated his fingers and then one of his fingers found the sweet spot. The sweet joy of it nearly made her scream.

She found him staring at her as he moved his finger up and down, rubbing and stroking. She was a mass of quivering need and smoldering passion. Christina closed her eyes, allowed herself to flow with the sweet agony of the sexual need that consumed her. The orgasm came quickly, hard and fast, rippling inside her as her body jerked and shuddered. A soft moan escaped her lips.  

His hand stilled. Gently, he straightened her legs so that her feet rested on his lap. Christina opened her eyes, feeling as if she’d just tasted nirvana. “That was incredible,” she said.

Sex had always been great. Christina knew how to take and to give. But this had been something else. The feeling of complete helplessness and vulnerability as he reduced her to the state of an animal only concerned with her most basic needs was unmatched.

And she had a feeling that this had only been the beginning.

~~~

Count Van Bower lifted her off the couch and carried her to the bed. He moved with an easy and fluid grace as if she weighed nothing. He put her on the bed, took off the rest of his clothes, and placed them on her desk’s chair.  Seeing his hard, muscled body, Christina sucked in a breath. She was already aroused again.

He was hard, his penis rigid and ready. But still, he didn’t come to the bed. Instead, he crouched and with a powerful leap jumped to the top of her cupboard. Her eyes widened with disbelief. A moment he’d been standing perfectly still, and the next he was somewhere else.

“My speed and stamina are unparalleled.” He leapt off the cupboard on to the bed. Putting his hands under her butt, he lifted her high and then brought her down straight on his penis. With one powerful thrust, he was deep inside her. He arched his hips, pushing his penis as far as it would go. Moaning with need, crazy with lustful hunger, Christina moved up and down. He controlled her movements with his hands, setting the pace. The tug started in her belly, the yearning, the craving for sweet release. It built slowly, agonizingly soft at first and then increasing until finally she was caught in the throes of a momentous wave. She squealed, closed her eyes as a powerful orgasm undulated through her body. Her belly tightened. The muscle spasm was uncontrollable, unbearable.

Christina shook with relief while he watched her with an amused grin.

His hands cupped her breasts, squeezed, moved to her back and settled under hips. He lifted her easily as if she weighed nothing and brought her down to lay by his side. Christina could still feel the vibrations of the last orgasm in her body. Her legs trembled, and her heart beat at a furious speed. It felt as if her insides had melted and turned into jelly. She couldn’t even lift her hand.

He moved his leg over hers, his arm over her chest, entrapping her. She could feel his hard penis against her hip bone. He was still erect. His outstanding control amazed her.

“I can feel your heartbeat. So soft. So fragile.” He put his hand over her heart and then leaned it to lick her shoulder. 

Christina slipped her hand over his chest. She couldn’t feel his heart beat. “What about yours?”

He grinned. “Vampires are technically dead. Our hearts don’t beat.”

Despite seeing evidence of his extraordinary strength and agility, she wasn’t quite ready to believe him. She moved her hand around, trying to find his beating pulse. But all her efforts were in vain. He, indeed, didn’t have a heartbeat. Finally, she stopped trying. Her gaze shifted to his face. It was unbelievable, impossible. “You’re…a vampire.”

“Are you frightened now?”

She couldn’t deny the truth. “A little bit.”

“Only a little bit. You amaze me, Christina.” He dipped his head and took her nipple in his mouth, sucking greedily. She couldn’t help it. Her body had a mind of its own. Tingles of desire snaked down her belly. He raised his head. “You’re an extraordinary woman. I have had my eyes on you for a long time. And I’ve a preposition for you.”

“A preposition?” She shifted so that she could trail her finger up his thigh on to his penis. She held it in her hand, enjoying the feel of the smooth, hard feel of his manhood. 

“Two hundred years is a long time to be alone,” the Count said. “Oh! I have had women. Many, many of them, indeed. But you’re by the far the most magnificent creature I’ve come across. I want to turn you, Christina.”

She touched the tip of his penis and rubbed at the moisture that gathered there. Bringing her finger to her mouth, she tasted him. “Turn me?”

“It would be so easy for me to turn you into a vampire. One bite and my venom will go into your bloodstream, and soon, you will be a creature like me.” He cupped her cheek with his hand. “Are you afraid now, my pretty?”

Perhaps she should have been scared witless. But instead, she was tied up with ropes of hot desire. She kissed him, enjoying the feel of his lips against her, the taste of his mouth, the soft caress of his tongue. Already, she yearned to feel him inside her again. “If you wanted to hurt me, Count, you would’ve done so by now.”

“Beauty and brains. It’s a hard combination to resist, Christina.” He smiled. His fingers drifted down her belly into the curly nest between her thighs. Gently, he pushed apart her legs. “I don’t want to hurt you. And I wouldn’t do it without your consent. I want a partner, a lover, and a companion. You’re perfect. It would be my gift to you. Immortality and an ability to succeed at whatever you choose to do. As a vampire, your natural talent would be greatly enhanced. So much so that you would be able to become the best cellist in the world if you so wanted. Forget about Felix, everyone would want to hear you, to be near you, and to have you play for them.” He shifted, put his hands on the bed, his body raised above her, poised just so that the tip of his penis brushed against her wet opening. “The world will be your oyster, Christina,” he growled near her ear as he plunged inside her.