Time, Death & Scar Tissue...

15. Complexities

“When did you get here?” Kathryn felt as if she just woke from sleepwalking to find herself somewhere unfamiliar. She walked around the table and into his embrace, still flushed from the shock.

“Two hours ago, it's nearly four.” He kissed her softly. “You were so absorbed I hesitated to interrupt.”

“I didn't mean to ignore you though. I'm bad company when I write.” He held her close for a moment before leading her to the sofa. Kathryn hesitated before sitting.

“Something wrong?” His eyes narrowed slightly.

“No, I'm just hungry. Give me a minute to eat some fruit or something.” He joined her in the kitchen while she ate a banana. At least she didn't feel as desperately hungry as she had earlier, just unusually tired. “I'm sorry; I don't know what's wrong with me today.”

“You were working so intensely I'm not surprised you need some sort of nourishment. Were you able to make your phone calls?”

Kathryn nodded and swallowed the bite in her mouth. The comfortable ease of a few minutes ago evaporated when she realized she was going to have to tell him about the conversation with her father.

“You know I'm planning to go home for a few days over Thanksgiving.” She started, sounding a little more guarded than usual.

“Yes, have your plans changed?” He seemed to sense her cautious approach and sounded wary himself.

“No, not exactly.” She took a deep breath and found she couldn't look at him. “And you know that my father likes to think he's going to arrange a 'suitable match' for me.”

“You mentioned that.” She would have sworn that she could feel his eyes narrow.

“Well, when I go home, he's got someone he wants me to meet.” The words came out in a rush as she finished the last of the banana and tossed the skin in the trash. She tried to make herself look at him and found that she couldn't meet his eyes. He grasped her arm lightly at the elbow and led her back to the sofa, holding her chin and forcing her to meet his eyes when they were seated.

“What are you telling me Kathryn? Specifically.” Kathryn could feel her heart racing. He wasn't hurting her, but something about his presence shifted to something almost threatening.

“I'm telling you that I got blindsided by a smart lawyer.” She squirmed a little and felt the heat rise to her cheeks. “He's been manipulating situations for years. I just don't have that kind of practice yet.”

“But you did agree to meet this person.” The tone of his voice hadn't risen, his light touch hadn't changed, but it was all that Kathryn could do to be still under that icy stare.

“What could I do? I told him I wasn't interested in meeting someone else and I'm not. But I know how he is; if I had been too much more insistent than I was he would have hired a Private Investigator, if he hasn't already. I know you value your privacy so it seemed better to just sit through a boring dinner and give Daddy time to get used to the fact that I'm not available anymore.” Kathryn could feel herself on the verge of tears. His face softened a bit and his thumb stroked her cheek.

“How long will you be home?” He asked, some of the menace gone from his voice.

“I leave the Tuesday before; I’ve arranged to take a late flight so that day is pretty much gone. I'm home Wednesday and Thursday and come back on Friday. I'm sure dinner will be all arranged at some nice restaurant on Wednesday night.” She lowered her eyes; he kissed her softly and drew her close against his shoulder. Kathryn trembled against him.

“He really expects you would meet someone for such a short time and decide to completely alter your life?” He stroked her back softly. She sensed the tension in his body, but the menace was gone.

“That's how it happened with my mother. What he didn't know was that she never loved him, not really. He thinks he swept her off her feet and she liked him well enough to stay married to him but there was no great love there. He thinks I'll see someone he introduces me to the same way he thinks she saw him. I'm going to call Grandmother tomorrow night and see if she can talk some sense into him.” Kathryn's heart was still beating fast.

“Why would your mother marry a man she didn't love?” He asked, stroking her back lightly.

“I don't know. But Grandmother never loved my grandfather either. I think it's some kind of a curse or something, at least that's how Grandmother talks about it. ” Kathryn found herself relaxing. “So now I'm probably stuck having dinner with Arnold Hyde.”

“Has he at least told you anything about this person?” Kathryn snuggled closer.

“No, but I've met his parents. Unless Arnold was adopted he's probably some kind of mutant.” She laughed softly and he chuckled. “Well that's not true exactly, he works with Daddy and he's bright enough to know that if the boss asks if you want to meet his daughter that the correct response is 'yes, of course.' Other than that, mutant status still applies.”

He lifted her chin again.

“I don't like this Kathryn, but it seems as though it’s not entirely your choice. You will tell me if something changes.”

“You'll be the first to know. Between Corey and my father you probably think I'm more trouble than I'm worth.” Kathryn smiled a little but at this moment it was her worst fear, not because she had slept with him, but because she cared about him and would miss him if he weren't in her life.

“When one reaches my age, one learns the value of patience.” He kissed her lightly and Kathryn knew the subject was closed for the moment. “So what were you working on so intensely when I came in?”

“Well, I finally got an idea that I can run with. I'm not sure what my editor will think, but I'll burn that bridge when I get to it.” She sighed as he started working his fingers through her hair.

“That sounds very mysterious.” He chuckled softly.

“It's probably been done before, but Paul will be commenting on faith in general and the role of faith and religion in people’s lives. How much is deeply held conviction, how much is going along with the masses and what happens to those who don’t go along.”

“A vampire discussing faith,” he mused, his fingertip traced the shell of her ear, making Kathryn shiver pleasantly. “An interesting concept. Will he be talking about his own views on the subject?”

“More just the observations he's made over the years, I'm not sure if his faith is going to have anything to do with it yet. It'll probably turn out to be very boring and ponderous and I'll have to start all over again.” She laughed softly.

“On the contrary, I would be very curious to read it.” His fingers rubbed the back of her neck gently.

“Then you'll be the first.” She kissed his lower lip softly

“I'm honored.” He stroked her cheek softly.

“I'm selfish. I know this one is going to rely heavily on history to make it come alive so to speak. You're so much more competent with that than I am and I know you'll be honest enough with me to tell me if it's lousy.” Her finger moved lightly over his chest, her eyes closed.

“I'm still honored. Were you able to reach Miss James?” His fingers stroked down her back lightly.

Kathryn groaned and rolled her eyes and then told him how she found the policeman at her door at Corey's request. She could tell he was upset again, but at least this upset wasn't directed at her. His face betrayed nothing, but there were subtle changes in his body that she was getting better at recognizing.

“The driver should have called me.” She could hear that he was displeased.

“He was about to, but I stopped him.” His eyebrows rose as she looked up at him.

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Because it was all over and the detective was leaving by the time the driver said he should call you. At that point it just seemed like bothering you for nothing. Even if he had called when we first got there it wouldn't have made much difference. The whole thing was over in five minutes. Please don't be upset with him, he seems terrified of displeasing you.” Kathryn tried to suppress a yawn, a little shiver running through her body.

“Is your key still outside?” He ignored her comment entirely and Kathryn hoped she hadn't gotten the driver into any trouble. He seemed like a nice guy.

“No, I gave it to Mrs. Feldman next door. If God shows up in person with a really REALLY good story she might let him in. Other than that, the place is safe.” Kathryn laughed a little and yawned again, his arm tightened around her waist. “I should go, I'm half asleep now.”

“Then stay.” Kathryn found it really wasn't in her to protest any further. The thought of feeling him next to her in the dark seemed like the most comforting thing she could think of at the moment anyway. She already felt as if she was floating. She nodded.

“Go get comfortable, I'll be right in.” He kissed her softly and Kathryn got up slowly. She stretched and picked up her backpack.

Once she changed she was glad that she brought the nightgown instead of an old t-shirt. It flattered her without being overt and it definitely felt nice against her skin. When she emerged again, Kathryn noticed the bed had been changed to deep green sheets with a black coverlet and she had a stab of guilt. She knew she had bled when he entered her and she hoped the other set wasn't ruined. When she was shopping she would have to try and find a similar set to replace it.

Kathryn got in and curled up, barely hearing him enter the room, and then the bathroom and finally she felt him get in next to her. He pulled her closer and she curled up against him, sighing comfortably. His hand stroked down her back and over her hip, eventually stopping to finger the hem of the nightgown. His lips were soft against hers and Kathryn moaned a little.

“Do you dress when you sleep alone?” His lips teased hers softly.

“Yes.” Kathryn felt herself blush a little. She tensed a little when his hand moved up under the gown, stroking her bare hip. Her eyes were down.

“Maybe this was a bad idea.” She whispered, Kathryn could feel fear knotting in her chest and she pulled away from him. He kissed her softly, his mouth reassuring.

“I want to feel your warm skin next to me with no barriers, and that's all.” His voice was soft, but the command was obvious. The memory of his cool skin pressed against her body was clear and the thought of feeling that again was something she dearly wanted. Slowly Kathryn sat up and he did too. She looked nervously over her shoulder at him and wondered where all of this obedience was coming from all of a sudden. She pulled the silky fabric over her head and he tried to take it from her hands but Kathryn wouldn't let go.

“Please,” She was holding the comforter over her breasts and trembling a bit. She had wanted to say more but found that nothing else would come out. She couldn't even look at him. He kissed the bruise on the side of her neck softly before letting go. While the light touch was painful, the gesture was comforting and possessive at the same time. She put the gown on the empty nightstand at her side of the bed. Confusion about her feelings swirled again. Kathryn had always been very much in charge of the direction of her life, her grandmother and mother had always encouraged her to have her own mind. There was also a part of her that was just as strong that found it completely natural to give up some of that control to him. He pulled her close again, her back pressing against his chest, his arm around her waist.

“I will always prevail, Kathryn.” He spoke softly and she turned to face him, resting against his chest. He stroked her back softly.

“That scares me.” The words were out before she had the chance to think about them, she realized she was trembling.

“Because you've been told it should?” His lips teased the spot just below her ear and Kathryn felt herself relaxing again.

“No, because sometimes there's a tone in your voice and it's so familiar or it reaches something in me that's unfamiliar. It's so confusing.” He moved her so that she was resting more on his chest. His fingers twined in her hair, moving her head, letting his lips tease down the side of her neck.

“Stop thinking, Kathryn. It will only serve to make your confusion worse.” His mouth lingered over the bruise, drawing a soft whimper from Kathryn. It still throbbed dully and even his light touch was painful. His arm held her firmly and the dull pain sharpened for a split second. Her nails bit into his arm as she tensed, relaxing completely when the pain and ache dissolved. The gentle movements of his mouth seeming to draw out all the fear and confusion and the last bit of energy she had. Sleep crept over her and Kathryn welcomed it.

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LaCroix had not intended to taste her blood again so soon. Her body was still replenishing itself. But then she voiced her fear and her vulnerability was more than he could stand. Hunger didn't drive him to open the tiny wound. If he had been hungry the few drops of her blood that oozed from the tiny breach would have only served to inflame him. He wanted the connection with her. He wanted to feel her surrender. He wanted to lose himself in her flavor. The last thing that he expected was that she would be comforted by it.

He had been deliberately gentle, not wanting to cause more undue pain to the angry-looking bruise. He had expected the weak struggle, but it was clear that was because of the momentary pain of her skin being broken. Once that pain had passed she relaxed completely. Her breathing fell into the deep, regular pattern of sleep before her blood stopped oozing. His mouth worked lightly until the wound sealed itself. She had groaned softly when he took his mouth away.

He wasn't surprised by her turmoil, this was a confusing age. The place of a woman had changed greatly since his beliefs about the order of the world had been formed. Perhaps in some ways that was a good thing. If she hadn't written her books he never would have met her. She would have been married off to some friend of her father's, perhaps to cement an alliance, perhaps to simply have her taken care of by someone else. Of course that presumed she wasn't a slave. There were qualities of a servant about her, but her features were clearly aristocratic.

The tug of recognition struck him again, though why it had chosen that moment was beyond him. He still wasn’t able to place her and he brushed the feeling aside again.

Some of those changes had subverted the true nature of men and women and what they were meant to be to each other. While he valued her intelligence and strength and didn't want her to lose those things, he knew that whether she was mortal or immortal, if she were within his sphere she would submit to his control. Each time she struggled he sensed she was questioning the instinct to simply do what he asked. If she could confront a police detective he doubted that authority figures had much effect on her. She seemed to work just as hard at manipulating her father as he did at manipulating her so he suspected that she didn't automatically respect older men. He wondered if there was anyone who inspired that kind of simple acceptance in her. The familiarity comment was interesting though. He knew that he felt it, but he hadn’t considered the possibility that she felt it too. Even if she did though, she couldn't possibly feel it in the same way that he did.

LaCroix noticed she was shivering and her breathing told him that she was close to waking. He shifted her body carefully, spooning behind her before pulling the covers up over both of them. Kathryn sighed softly and settled again.

The friend was proving to be a problem, but one that could be remedied. His first instinct was toward a permanent solution, but that would cause Kathryn a great deal of pain. For whatever reason, she valued her connection to Corrina James. There was another way though. One of the young ones from the club had her well under his control that first night, and he happened to know that one had particularly poorly developed mental skills. Perhaps it wasn't the boy's fault, he was very young and without the benefit of much instruction. It did mean though that Corrina was highly suggestible. He would place a few simple, well-tailored suggestions and see what happened. A permanent solution could always be implemented.

The family was something else. The father disliked him, though from what Kathryn said the grandmother didn't. He could tell it was the grandmother's opinion that mattered most to her. The arranged meeting over Thanksgiving bothered him, not because he doubted her but because the idea of someone else being close to her in that way put him on edge. LaCroix couldn’t even begin to count the number of lovers he had had through the centuries. He had needs and wasn’t about to apologize for that, but sex was also a useful tool. It established power and dominance within a new alliance. Desire was an effective means of control, and with certain people pleasure could be even more effective than pain. He was rarely possessive of those he took to his bed, he wasn't interested in having them as his own and so they weren’t worth his effort. They were just convenient or necessary. She was different. When LaCroix looked down at her sleeping profile he saw something that was HIS and he was possessive of what was his. The thought of someone else being close to her made him want to keep her from going. That was perhaps drastic enough to drive her away from him, and that was not the desired result.

He stroked her stomach softly and wondered how such a small girl had so many complexities.