The Vampire King's Mate

Chapter 4: No Bath-tubs in Heaven

Rose

I'm dead. I'm sure I must be dead. And the fact that the dark prince just kissed me... only proves that I must be dead... or dreaming or hallucinating. Because gorgeous men don't just kiss me. Or drive me to their castles in the mountains. Or hang a famous painting in my bedroom and tell me its a gift for me. Not in my life. In my life espresso machines explode and I live in the projects. His kiss was strange, his lips were so cold against mine. I wiped the numbing feeling off my mouth and started at him... because really I didn't know what else to do.

"I think you must be tired," the dark prince said with a smile. "It has been a stressful night. Why don't you relax with a bath before bed."

I perked up. A bath? A real bath that you could lay down in? I knew this must be heaven. "Each floor has a bathroom, for your convenience." the prince said, opening a door in the study that I had not previously seen. To my disappointment, it wasn't much bigger than my bathroom in my efficiency apartment... although all the fixtures were black marble and gold, it was still just a commode, a sink, and a shower stall. No bathtubs. "I don't really need to shower again," I said flatly. "I had a shower, just before..."

I tried to hide my disappointment as he lead me back down into the bedchamber. I would have happily stalled out in front of the painting, but he pulled me aside to another bathroom, which was much the same, and only had a shower stall. Oh well Rose, what do you expect? You can't have everything right? I turned but he was already retreating down to the first floor, the "sitting room" he called it. I sighed and trotted down the curving stone stairs after him.

"Because of space in the rounded towers, I designed the master bathroom to be on the ground level." explained the dark prince... the dark prince had a name now... Matthias Black. But I couldn't seem to wrap my tongue around it. He lead me across the plush carpet, again to a door I hadn't even noticed in the beautiful wood paneling. He pushed open the door and waved me inside.

I gaped at the bathroom, the black marble, the gold fixtures, the custom bathtub the size of a swimming pool. Now I knew for sure that I was dead, and this was heaven... or maybe I was in a coma dreaming... but whatever, I didn't want to wake up. I stood in shock as the dark prince twisted on the faucets and hot water began to pour into the bath from two spouts.

Matthias went to a cupboard and displayed thick, fluffy black towels, all kinds of exotic salts and oils, luffas and sponges and back scrubbers. He brought out some votive candles and a bottle of oil. He dripped a bit of the oil into the bath water, and the soothing scent of lavender filled the bathroom with the steam rolling off the surface of the water. He put candles around the bath and lit them, and then showed me the knob on the light switch that dimmed the lights, but didn't completely shut them off.

He came close to me again, and my treacherous heart started to beat faster. Was he going to kiss me again? Because I really wanted him to kiss me again. "Wait!" I held up my hand as something just occurred to me. "You aren't planning on getting in there with me are you?"

A chuckle rumbled up from his chest, and his blue eyes danced with amusement. "Would that be so terrible my love?" He moved closer, slowly. "Someday soon," he promised in that low, sexy voice, "I will know every inch of you." He reached up and brushed my hair back from my face with both hands. He stroked my jaw line with his thumbs, and then moved lower, brushing over the delicate veins of my neck. Some sensible and practical part of my brain told me I should stop this, and stop him... it wasn't right... letting a stranger touch me like this. Good girls didn't let men lean in and kiss the sensitive spot behind their ear. But I didn't want to stop him, and I wasn't even sure that this was real. So why not just let the fantasy play out? He moved behind me, and his hands slid under my shirt, sliding over my stomach, and then lifting my old tank top up and over my head. I lifted my arms obediently as he divested me of my covering. I could see us, reflected dimly in t,he mirror, and I felt a hot twinge of shame about the state of my body. All night long I had been surrounded by beautiful, svelte, perfect looking people. And here I was, all soft and curvy... too curvy. But his hands stroked my stomach, and moved up to cup my heavy breasts. The cool of his hands against my heated skin made my n*****s hard and erect. I was embarrassed, and tried to cover myself, but he pushed my hands back down. He stroked over my n*****s with the rough pad of his thumb and I moaned. I couldn't believe myself, I was literally making noises.

I leaned back into him and arched my back, silently begging for more. But he didn't oblige me. Instead he moved down, pressing kisses down my spine while holding my ample hips. When he got to the spot right above my tailbone, he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of my shorts and underwear at once, and slid them down my legs. Like a good little girl, I stepped out of them. He tossed them straight into the garbage. He stroked the outer edges of my thighs, and then followed them around and up until he had cupped the my mound in his large palm, and gently pressed against it.

Whoa. Never in my life have I felt so much desire bubbling up inside of me. Nor had I ever felt so desirable. He had melted me into a puddle with a few strokes, and I was ready to spread my legs for him. I was too far gone to even be ashamed of myself. But he never gave me the opportunity. He gave me one last kiss, in the juncture between my neck and my shoulder. "Soon," he promised, "But not tonight." And then he picked me up like a baby, and eased me into the hot, steaming bath. "Relax, take as long as you want. I have some business to attend to. I will have Jenny bring you some decent night clothes." And just like that he was gone, moving swiftly out of the room, and shutting the door quietly behind him... leaving me all hot and bothered in a gorgeous bathtub.

I put him out of my mind... who was he anyway? Some strange figment of my imagination... some dream I had long forgotten? I let my body relax into the tub, which was perfectly contoured. I let my head rest back and my limbs just kind of float weightlessly. Through half closed eyes I watched the candles flicker. The moist heat eased all the tension out of my muscles, and the sweet scent of lavender quieted my mind. I don't know when I fell asleep... but I woke up when the water had cooled considerably, and my hands and feet were completely pruned. I opened the drain and pulled myself out of the tub. My limbs felt heavy and weak, and very, very relaxed.

 I dried myself with the fluffy towel. My old pajamas were in the garbage. I considered pulling them back out and putting them on... but Matthias had promised that someone was bringing me something. How on earth Jenny, who was tiny and skinny was going to find something to fit someone my size was a mystery to me. I wrapped myself in the towel and cracked open the door.

 The sitting room was empty, but there was a white box sitting on the side table by the sofa. I padded barefoot across the plush, plum colored carpet, and opened the box. Inside the tissue paper is a very pretty green silk nightie, with a baby-doll fit. Underneath the the rather short gown was a pair of matching green silk and black laced panties. I had never owned such extravagant and sexy pajamas in my life. And they were my size. Well of course they are my size, I thought a little sarcastically. This is my fantasy, after all. I dressed in the bathroom so that I could get the effect in the mirrored wall. I looked... different. I found a brush in the cupboard and worked the knots out of my long hair. I pulled it over my shoulder and braided it, and then made my way upstairs to the big bed. I looked at the giant painting, and quietly said goodnight to the nymphs before I crawled onto the bed.

I have never in my life slept on a bed so perfect. It was like I was floating, there was no pressure on my body at all. I slid beneath the softest sheets, enjoying the feel of the cool Egyptian cotton on my skin. I curled up and slept, but I dreamed strange dreams of a blue-eyed man with ice-cold hands.

I startled awake in an unfamiliar room. Everything was overwhelmingly foreign. This wasn't my sagging bed and my ugly apartment. Everything was weird. The sheets felt weird. My clothes felt weird. The room smelled weird. The colors that swirled before my sleep-hazed eyes were weird. The cool pressure pinning me down was weird. I felt panic rise up like bile in my throat, and I started to fight against the great unknown... but as I began to thrash and struggle, that cool weight only pulled me down and held me closer. "Relax my love," a strangely familiar voice murmured. "You are safe. Everything is okay now. Breathe." He shushed me like a child.

I turned my head on the cloud-soft pillow, and he was there. The dark god, looking more gorgeous than ever. I memorized the shape of his face, the broad forehead, the straight nose, the high cheekbones, the full, sensual lips. I remembered those lips kissing me last night, and an involuntary sigh escaped my lips. He smiled lazily at me, and brushed a stray hair out of my face. Looking into his deep blue eyes calmed me, and the overwhelming fear of the unknown eased away until it was only a nagging worry in the back of my mind. "You slept in my bed." I blurted out.

"Actually, I think I could say you slept in mine. But what is mine is yours now." He cupped my cheek. "You look like an angel when you sleep."

"Ah, now I know you are lying. I probably drool and snore..."

"No. But you do talk in your sleep."

"What did I say?" His grin grew wider and his eyes sparkled, but he did not answer me.

"Are you hungry?" I thought about denying it, but my stomach grumbled instead. He chuckled, and tapped me on the nose. "Lets get dressed and get you something to eat."

I glanced down at myself in the pretty green nightgown. "Um. I don't have clothes." I felt myself turn a little green. "I think I need to go back to my apartment.."

"Don't be silly. I sent someone back to your apartment already. However, your clothes did not seem to be worth saving. I did, however, bring your sketchbooks and your collection of novels. Your artwork is really quite impressive my dear." He slid off the bed and stretched like a cat.

I blushed at his compliment. Or maybe I was blushing at the idea of some stranger going through my very modest and limited wardrobe. "So if you didn't bring my clothes..."

He waved away my worry and went to the wardrobe in the room. I guess I had been sleeping so soundly that he had been able to stock it during the night. There was an assortment of outfits neatly pressed and hung in the closet. I didn't know anything about fashion... for a so-called artist I had an abysmal sense of style. But I intuitively guess that these were very expensive, designer clothes. I selected a teal and floral print top, and a pair of Capri leggings. In the drawers under the wardrobe were an assortment of undergarments, and matching bra and pantie sets. I didn't even want to ask how Matthias had known my measurements, but I selected a black set, and retreated to the bathroom to change. I found a new toothbrush waiting for me on a sink, along with other personal essentials. I took my time to get dressed, and brush out my hair... looking at myself in the mirror, i thought I looked different. My skin seemed brighter, my eyes seemed clearer. I even smiled at my reflection - something I never, ever do.

I emerged from the bathroom and went to start making the bed, but Matthias stopped me. "Don't trouble yourself, my dear. We have staff to do that work."

I c****d my head at him. "Seriously? You don't even make your own bed?" It seemed kind of criminal to leave the tangled sheets and blankets for some stranger to arrange. This wasn't a hotel, and I wasn't used to being waited on. I had two hands, and I knew how to use them.

"Leave it, lets go down for breakfast."

He lead me back out into the castle, which was an impossible labyrinth of doors and halls and steps that led to different levels. Now and again we passed random people, all of which made a fist over their heart, and bowed as we passed. That was way weird. Who bows anymore? And why were they bowing at Matthias? They were all beautiful people... strangely perfect in appearance, which made me uneasy. I remembered the Victoria Secret model who wanted to kill me... but not bite me... and her Ken doll associate... and the beautiful Asian woman accomplice. They were all perfectly beautiful, straight off the red carpet, or the runway, or the glossy pages of a magazine. The people in Matthias's house were the same. Beautiful, elegant, flawless. I tugged at my shirt, which seemed a bit too tight across my bosom. These people made me feel like a shapeless dumpling in rags. All of them seemed to be sniffing the air around us... or else covering their nose. Did I have BO? I used the deodorant that was in the bathroom this morning??

"Don't fidget Rose," Matthias chastised me and squeezed my hand. "Here is the kitchen. Let me introduce you to our head chef, Maurice." He pushed through a door into a very modern industrial kitchen. It looked like it belonged to a five star restaurant... and who knows that maybe there was one here... it was a castle after all. It was all shining stainless steel, and a shining, immaculately clean black tile floor. Sitting on a high stool was a small man with an enormous nose and a tall chef's hat.

"Oh, my sire, you have brought her, marvelous!" The little man made up for his small size with big hand motions and a thick, dramatic french accent. "Finally, someone worthy to cook for. My dear, it is my great pleasure to meet you." He took my hand with a flourish, and kissed the back of it, which earned him a mild, reprimanding glare from Matthias. "Please tell me, what are your favorite foods? Anything you want, Maurice will cook it for

"Rose, Chef Maurice. " Matthias said. "Anything you want, just put in an order for him. He has studied cuisines from all over the world."

They were both so... pompous. I couldn't help but tease. I tilted my head a bit to the side, and said quite seriously, "But what if what I want most... is a pop tart and a glass of milk?"

Maurice stared back at me, just as serious. "Whole milk or skim?"

"Ugh, who drinks skim milk? That's just white water. Of course whole milk."

His eyes twinkled. "Precisely. Now what do you really want for breakfast milady?"

What, like I was just supposed to pick something out of the air, with no guidance or anything? Didn't they have a menu planned or something? I looked between Matthias and Maurice, but they just looked back at me expectantly. "Um, can't I just have whatever you are having Mr. Black?"

Maurice burst out laughing as if I had said something extremely funny. Matthias looked chagrined. "I'm afraid not, my dear. My diet would not suit you. Please order whatever you desire."

I racked my brain... I didn't want to order something really extravagant and difficult. And I didn't think that I would really find a pop tart in that fabulous kitchen. "Um... can you make waffles? With strawberries? I mean, if you don't have strawberries..."

"Absolutely. Please relax with "Mr. Black" while I prepare it for you. Out of my kitchen now please, let me go to work." He shewed us out a swinging door into a formal dining area. I looked around at the big long table with the white linen table cloth, and enough chairs to seat a party of thirty. "I don't want to eat in here," I mumbled to Matthias. He tugged my hand toward an outdoor patio, that was shaded by a maroon awning. "Perhaps you would prefer to dine out here. You can see the gardens."

Indeed the beautiful patio overlooked gardens of vegetables and flowers. I love gardens and growing things, but growing up I never stayed in one place long enough to have a real garden. The closest thing I had was Phil the spider plant. I hung over the rail and admired all the colors and flowers, the butterflies and insects dancing from plant to plant. I wondered what it would be like to get my hands in the dirt and plant seeds. I expected that gardening was a lot like art and painting... except that it was a work in partnership with nature. I might arrange the plants and seeds, but ultimately the finished product was going to be unexpected and out of my control. I felt Matthias move beside me. It was kind of disconcerting how fast and silently he could move, and it was weird how he was just always there, at my side, wherever I went. "Do you like the gardens?" He asked. It seemed really important to him that I approve of his little kingdom.

"Oh yes," I took a deep breath, and imagined I could smell the flowers, even at this distance. "I love plants and growing things..." I felt him give me a long, considering look.

"I imagine you do. To nurture and to grow things is very much ingrained in your DNA."

I shrugged. I had no idea what he meant by "ingrained in your DNA." What did he know of my DNA? But I didn't argue with him, because he was right... I think. I'd just never really had the opportunity to express that part of me.

"If you would like, there is an empty garden near the stables. You could make it yours. My gardeners are all at your disposal."

I laughed, "Whats the point of having a garden, if I don't get my hands dirty?" But in the back of my head I was starting to wonder... exactly how long was I going to stay in this place? Long enough to plant a garden? It reminded me that there was a lot to this unreal fairy tale that I didn't understand. I turned my back to the gardens and looked him directly in his eyes. "I need some answers now, Mr. Black."

He sighed. "Lets sit down, shall we?" He lead me over to a table, and held the chair for me, a kind of awkward moment for me, because nobody has ever done it. Then he sat down across from me. He steepled his hands in front of him, looked me straight in the eye and announced, "Rose, I'm a vampire."