“Janine, can’t we take it a bit slower?”

“Why?” She looked puzzled.

“Well, you’ve just been sucked. I don’t want to over drain you. Oh, that doesn’t make sense, but you know what I mean. I don’t want to drink too much and kill you. ”

“I’ve been sucked four times in a night before now, I can take it, but you remember the score, right? No touching me except to suck and you have to wait until I am ready.”

“Why won’t you let me touch you?” I asked. It really did confuse me.

“Oh, you’re not special, big boy. No one touches me.” Her face was held in anger, but her eyes softened with sadness.

“No one ever?”

“None of your business,” she snapped.

“Sorry, but you intrigue me.” I walked over until our noses almost touched.

“If you touch me I walk out of here and leave you wanting.”

“Janine, if I wanted I could reach out and snap your neck before you’d have time to even think.” I don’t know what had made me so aggressive. It wasn’t like me at all.

She gasped, looked down and whispered, “You wouldn’t, though, would you?”

“No. I like you.”

“How can you like me? You barely know me.” She let her simple, A-line skirt slip down. It landed with a soft thump around her feet.

“Well, call it an instinct or something. You’re different, you’re gorgeous and you make me curious.”

“Believe me, if I didn’t put up the whole mysterious front, you’d not look at me twice.”

“Janine, stop it. You’re beautiful. Your hair calls for me to curl it in my fingers.” I ran my hand along the outline of her head without touching it.

“Your lips are plump and tempting. I want to kiss them until they’re dark red and aching from the attention.” Her chest heaved, but she said nothing.

“Your skin is so pale and soft, I want to run my fingers over it. I want to tweak your rosy red nipples until they peak and darken. I want to grab your curvaceous hips and pull you to me.”

I rested my hands millimetres away from her hips.

“I want to turn you round, bend you over and spank that plump arse of yours. It screams out to be reddened. I know you’d love it; you’d cream over my lap and beg for more.” I swear I didn’t know where the words were coming from, they just spilled out of my mouth, but every one I uttered was the complete truth.

“And I want to fuck you. I’ve seen the pretty pink of your pussy, the soft wetness within your secret folds. I want to lick you until you scream, then I want to fuck you, feel your cunt squeeze around me until I come.”

Our gazes were locked, and my hands still hovered over her hips. I was torn. I didn’t want the electric lust between us to break, but I couldn’t hold out against my need for very much longer. If I touched her, what would she do? She was so adamant she didn’t want to be touched.

“Can I do all that, Janine? Do you want it? Do you want me to touch you?” I had to have an answer from her. I needed to know that she wanted it as much as I did. Her tongue darted out and wetted her lips. I waited. I guess it should be listed as one of a vampire’s super strengths—though patience is not thought of so very highly, it is a virtue and great things can come to the vamp who waits.

“I’m scared,” she gasped, her vulnerability painted on her face. I ached to comfort her.

“I won’t hurt you,” I whispered.

“That isn’t what scares me,” she sighed, “but I do want you.”

“Then let me touch you,” I begged. “I want you too.”

If I’d blinked I would’ve missed it, but her head dipped in acquiescence and I gently laid my hands on her hips and pressed my lips to hers. I struggled to keep afloat on the river of lust and desire that washed over me. I’d never felt so connected with anyone before. I kissed her harder and deeper and gripped her hips tighter. I didn’t want to let her go. It was Janine who made the first real move. She reached up between us to pull on the buttons of my shirt. I followed the lead of her fumbling fingers and reached round behind her to unfasten the clasp that held her black bra in place. It slid down her arms and, after she’d pulled open all my buttons, she let it fall to the floor. Our mouths never parted. They danced over each other all the time, as if when we stopped kissing we’d run out of energy to go any further.

She slid off my trousers and I pulled my hands away from her breasts. They were soft, and hotter than I’d imagined and her nipples hardened with little coaxing from my fingers. I slipped my hands down to remove her knickers, the last barrier between us. We had clothes all around us and as we pulled tighter together we stumbled and kicked our way free of trousers and shoes and a tangle of forgotten underwear.

There are two people in there. One of the old velvet curtains is pulled across, but there’s a gap I can still see through. The two people are kissing. I can’t work out much more; the lack of light is an annoyance and I can’t really tell who they are. Both are clothed in black, but neither are wearing jewels, a long, sweeping skirt or a dicky bow, so I’m thinking they’re probably theatre employees.

They’re definitely not working, though. I take a glance around. No one else seems to be remotely interested in what’s happening in the box; all their gazes are glued on the stage. Some woman’s screaming. I’m assuming an important plot twist is going on down there.

When I look back to the couple I can see that one’s lost her top. I can definitely tell it’s a her and not a he, as the faint light’s highlighting the curve of ample breasts encased in a black bra. The guy, although I’m only assuming he’s a guy, is fully clothed. He may well turn out to have breasts too-but whatever he is, this other person’s fondling the woman’s chest. With great enthusiasm, in fact. I wish I could see in more detail but I’d declined to pay for a pair of opera glasses and I’m not going to fumble around for change to operate a pair now, so I just squint.

I know it’s not polite to stare, but it’s also not polite to make out in a public place. If they didn’t want to be seen, they wouldn’t be going at it in a theatre packed full of people, highlighted by the weird, green glow of the fire exit sign. I’m watching, but I surreptitiously check left and right now and again just to make sure no one is watching me… erm… watching. I don’t want anyone to think I’m a pervert, you know.