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It was difficult to catch Helen Magnus off guard. It always had been. She was far too perceptive of her surroundings and Nikola could have sworn she had vampiric hearing at times. But never the less, he enjoyed the challenge and he suspected so did she.
Besides, their natural competiveness to outdo each other called for it.
Although, while she was a formidable opponent, he wasn’t exactly at a complete disadvantage either. Being a vampire certainly had its uses, he thought to himself, her delicate scent filling his nostrils as he wandered down the quiet hall. She was close and, judging by the faint scent of floral perfume and tea, heading in the direction of her office no doubt.
Perhaps I’ll surprise her on her way there. A playful smile touched his lips, footsteps quickening as he stalked his prey.
He turned down the corridor when she came into view.
The vampire admired her for a few seconds longer, watching from the shadows as she walked through the vacant hall, her heels clicking against the polished floorboards. Her head lowered to examine a clipboard filled with reports.
Within an instant, he was behind her, no longer making an attempt to conceal his presence in the darkened hallways.
“Morning Helen,” Nikola whispered near her ear, delighting in her soft gasp of surprise as his hands rested gently on her elbows as the clipboard clattering onto the floor. “A bit early for bureaucracy, don’t you think?”
“Nikola, I swear to God...,” she growled, hand letting go of the gun strapped to her thigh, as he chuckled.
“Now, now,” he admonished lightly, eyes gleaming. “That’s hardly the way to greet someone.”
“Neither is sneaking up on me at three in the morning,” she countered exasperated. “I could have shot you.”
“Could have. Would have. Didn’t,” he finished with a smirk.
“You forgot ‘should have’,” she replied as he pouted from behind her. “And here I was hoping to do some paperwork in peace.” Helen sighed, although she sounded more amused than anything.
“Oh Helen, after being away all week did you really think you could sneak back to work without me interrupting you?” he asked teasingly, hands moving from her elbows to rest on the curve of her waist, his touch tentative and light as if asking for permission.
“As hard as that is to believe, yes,” she answered wryly, leaning against him which made his heart beat so wildly, it threatened to impale itself on his ribcage.
“But clearly I overestimated your generosity.” She traced over his hands with hers, a smile in her tone.
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He drew her closer to his chest, their little game of chase forgotten for the moment as he savoured the feeling of her in his arms.
“I can be generous,” he murmured against her hair.
“Yes, but your generosity usually doesn’t involve letting me do paperwork.”
He couldn’t help but smirk at the delicate flush on her cheeks.
“On another note, I don’t remember you being quite so… cuddly.” She gazed up at her mischievous vampire.
“I missed you.” He answered simply, holding her close, but loose enough in case she wished to move away. It was a delicate balance, one he pushed but never to the point of breaking.
“I see, and you decided to express this to me in the hallway?” She arched her brow inquiringly, but the mirthful glimmer in her eyes told him she did not object to his attentions.
“Only because you happened to be walking in the hallway.” he explained, thumb gently tracing the curve of her waist. “And I am nothing if not an opportunist.”
Helen tilted her head with a rueful laugh. “On that we can agree. However…” She tapped his arms which were snaked contently around her. “Next time, you are overcome with the desire to shower me with affection, please at least wait until I have reached my office.”
“Just your office?” He asked slyly and she rolled her eyes at him.
“Cheeky, now back to important matters, did you manage to fix the generator for the abnormal enclosure on level three?”
Nikola sighed. “If you mean the one with the furry dragons that hate junior, then yes.”
“Peskadraconis,” she corrected “And they don’t hate Will, they just…. aren’t used to him yet.” Helen bit her lip.
Nikola gave her a doubtful look “They’re not used to me, and yet I didn’t inspire them to set me on fire.”
“True.” She inclined her head. “You just inspire foreign diplomats, and my staff, to do that,” she countered playfully.
“Touché,” he replied, eyes gleaming. “But I noticed you weren’t on that list to burn me to a crisp.”
“No, you’re far too useful,” she teased.
“Useful?” He gave her an affronted look. “Really? That’s it? That’s the only reason you would spare me from a flaming death?” he exclaimed in disbelief as she chuckled at his petulance.
“It’s a reason,” Helen admitted tracing patterns over his hands that he found rather distracting. “I never said it was the only reason,” she added more quietly.
“Care to repeat that darling? I don’t think I heard you,” he whispered deviously.
“You heard me perfectly well, you narcissistic Vampire.” She retorted affectionately, as he grinned. “Besides, my methods of dealing with you are far more effective.”
“More like cruel,” He drawled against her hair. “I’m still getting over the fact you left me with the children for a whole week, while you went to Venice.”
“For a Heads of House meeting,” she reminded him.
“That’s no excuse.” His eyes narrowed, unconvinced.
Helen sighed “You had a cellar filled with wine, and plenty of Praxian technology to keep you occupied while I was away, now hush before you wake up my staff.”
“Fine.” He relented childishly, eyes brightening, “I’ll stay quiet but only if you ditch the paperwork and stay with me a little bit longer.”
“Your ideas of a little bit longer and mine are two very different things, Nikola,” she remarked wryly. “You realise I am required to get some work done, not just spend all my time with you.”
“I know.” His eyes gleamed. “But you have to admit, that I’m far more interesting than signing forms.” Nikola kissed the side of her neck right above her pulse point.
“You’re also far more… trouble.” Her breath hitched as his teeth gently grazed the exposed skin of her shoulder, then trailed up to her throat. She smelt so wonderful, he was so intoxicated by her scent let alone the woman herself.
“Nikola…,” she warned apprehensively, causing him to draw away, lips ghosting over her skin for a moment, but not touching. “You promised you wouldn’t bite.”
She wasn’t afraid of him, of that he knew with upmost certainty. But that didn’t mean she was entirely comfortable with having a Vampire adoring her with his teeth. A human was one thing, but a creature of renowned bloodlust was very much another.
“A promise I have every intention of keeping. Your blood is safe from the likes of me.” He began softly, letting his hands slowly slide from around her waist, but Helen caught his arms, trapping his hands with hers. Something that made his heart flutter wildly in his chest.
“Then what prey tell were you doing?” she asked looking up at him. He found no anger or agitation in her eyes, nor colouring her tone, merely a gentle confusion that only served to increase his regard for her.
“Well, I promised I wouldn’t bite,” he began, his eyes filled with mischief. “But I never said I wouldn’t nibble.”
She slapped his arm and he chuckled “You’re incorrigible.”
“Possibly.” He nuzzled her shoulder. “But you still keep me around.”
“Yes I do.” She admitted gently.
Nikola let out a deep metallic like purr that made her smile.
“It still amazes me that you can do that.”
“Do what?”
“Purr.” Came her amused reply as she ran her hands up his arms which he found more than a little distracting. “I wonder if all vampires possessed that ability, or it’s just something you do.”
“While I am unique in many ways,” he began in his usual arrogant fashion and she snorted. “I suspect my ancestors were capable of it too. I couldn’t do it until I became a vampire and only around certain people.”
“Oh,” Helen murmured, voice fading slightly, her touch light on his arms. “Certain people?”
Disappointment… no, envy, lingered within two centuries’ worth of well-practiced detachment. Something that was not lost on her vampire, no matter how hard she tried to bury it under that confident mask of hers.
“Helen,” he tried and she glanced away from him. “You must understand that I….”
“No, I understand Nikola, really I do,” she said quietly, lacing her fingers through his on her waist. “It would be unfair to expect that you haven’t…. grown fond of others over the years.” A faint bitterness coloured her tone.
She is jealous.
“Now I’m positive you haven’t caught onto my meaning,” Nikola said lovingly before turning her deftly in his arms, so she had no choice but to face him.
“I’d say it’s rather straight forward,” her words were light, yet the hollowness of her tone lacked any real mirth. The curve of her lips more like a grimace than a smile, eyes downcast.
“By ‘certain people’, I meant you.”
Helen’s eyes widened.
“I…..But you...,” she replied, slightly flustered as he chuckled. “Well, what else I was supposed to think with such an ambiguous statement?” she exclaimed.
“Consider it payback for all your little teases over the years.” He tilted his head with a smirk “Although you did seem rather more jealous than I expected.”
“I wasn’t jealous,” Helen protested.
“Oh really?” he enquired teasingly.
“Yes really,” she defended, not quite meeting his gaze, pushing lightly against his chest. “Now stop smirking or you’re sleeping on the couch.” Her smile softened the threat of her words.
He grinned one last time, but wisely refrained from the many witty retorts his mind had composed. “Coming back to our former conversation, do you accept my proposal?”
“That depends.” She glanced upwards, as if contemplating the possibility. “How long did you have in mind?”
“However long you feel gracious enough to give me.”
“And if I refuse to give you any?” Her eyes shone with challenge.
“Then I shall have no choice but to pester you all day, as compensation for abandoning me,” he answered childishly.
“And I will never get any work done.” She titled her head with a sigh.
“So, you’ll stay with me?” he asked hopefully, having Helen in his arms was the only thing stopping him from bouncing on the spot.
“For a little while yes. But can we please move out of the hallway?”
“Absolutely," he smirked then softened. “As soon as you have greeted me properly.”
“Always a catch with you, isn’t there?” She laughed, her thumb traced his collar. “And I did greet you, I even called out your name.”
“You scolded me, then said you should have shot me.” He muttered, his gaze flicking between her eyes and her lips.
“Given our history, I’d say that’s par for the course,” she teased, smiling at his chest. “Besides, I thought you hated being conventional.” She looked up at him.
“I don’t deny that,” he admitted, tentatively stroking her waist. “But I thought it might be interesting to see what it would be like.” He gave a little shrug. “Call it curiosity,” he added although he was certain she saw right through that. Into the vulnerable part of him. The part that made his heart stop every time she didn’t push him away. He had become so used to that aspect of their relationship, that sometimes he forgot she reciprocated his feelings.
“Just curiosity?” Her hands slipped from his chest to his shoulders, arms winding around his neck. Her proximity made it difficult to avoid her enquiry. Something she was counting on if that knowing look was anything to go from.
While he was good at teasing her. She was far more skilled at teasing him.
“I’m not turning domestic, Helen, if that’s what you’re implying,” he huffed, while her fingers played idly with his hair, making him purr softly.
He glared at her.
“Perish the thought.” She winked, her lips curving deviously. “Now If I kiss you hello, will you finally permit us to leave the hallway?”
“You have my word,” he breathed as she drew closer her hand cupping his cheek.
“Good,” she whispered softly, before pressing her lips soundly against his.
It seemed catching her by surprise was a good Idea after all.