Dark Experiments

Chapter 2

Christian had just finished with his first patient of the day, Mrs. Corrigan, a female of their kind from Boston in her third trimester.  She and her life mate arrived today for a routine check up and ultrasound.  After assuring them all was well with Mom and baby, he retreated to his office to chart before his next appointment. 

Luckily most vampire couples were wealthy, a product of longevity.  Their species had a lifespan roughly seven times longer than a human.  This patient and her spouse had made a trip halfway across the country for her monthly exam.  The couple had spent tens of thousands of dollars to conceive their child and another good chunk of change flying back and forth to New Orleans.  Unfortunately, the couple would have to put their lives and careers on hold for the remaining eight weeks of Mrs. Corrigan’s pregnancy.  He’d ordered her to stay here in the New Orlean’s area at his country retreat where the practice housed mothers close to birthing.  A precautionary measure.  Babies didn’t always show up on their scheduled date.

Many years ago he’d turned the lower level of the house into a small hospital with delivery and surgery rooms and everything necessary to care for those of his kind. The top floor was a maternity ward with a nursery, occasionally used when the clinic’s hospital overflowed with patients, which these days was quite often.  Of course some patients provided their own lodging prior to birthing, but for those not quite as financially blessed, he, Asa and Noah put them up at the retreat for free.

He could hardly wait for his practice’s visions to become reality.  Once they had offices and doctors in cities across the U.S., and eventually worldwide, hopefully a patient’s commute would be a drive rather than a plane trip.  

A knock sounded on his office door and he glanced up from the chart.  “Come in.”

A moment later, Tiffany entered, her expression a bit hesitant.  “Your receptionist up front, Grace is it?  She directed me to human resources then told me to come here.  Hope I’m not disturbing you.”

Ah.  He’d been expecting her.  This was her first day--finally.  It had taken her a little over four months to dissolve her business so she could commit herself here one hundred percent.

He flashed her a welcoming smile and waved her inside.  “Darlin’, you’re never an disturbance.  Have a seat.”  He gestured toward the two black, faux leather arm chairs situated in front of his desk.  

She obeyed and settled in across from him.  Christian could sense nervousness in her although her expression revealed nothing of the sort; maybe a little curiosity.  She was bound to be a bit uneasy, but he had every intention of making her transition into the V clinic as pleasant as possible.  He was delighted to finally have her here and trusted she’d be a fantastic asset for the practice.  

Initially, he’d been hesitate to offer her the job because of the physical attraction he had for her.  It wasn’t unusual for vampires to date humans, but unless that human turned out to be the vampire’s life mate, the liaison be it short or long always ended.  Often with emotional tragedy.  He couldn’t do that to Tiffany.  He wouldn’t.  He hoped.

He’d convinced himself to be a good boy around her because he cared for Tiffany.  She was his friend.  However, if she ever gave him the chance to fang her, which was the sure fire way to discover one’s true life mate, he wouldn’t hesitate for a second.  As much as he liked her as a friend, he’d like her in his bed even more. 

“Chirp chirp,” she said.

Christian blinked, confused.  “What?”

“There’s crickets chirping in the corners of the room and tumbleweeds blowing across the back end of your office there, Christian.  You gonna stare at me all day or tell me what you expect me to accomplish for you?  You know, details.  Specifics.  Time lines.”

He started laughing.  He loved her sarcastic sense of humor.  “I’m gathering my thoughts.  Sorry.”

“Fair enough.  So how have you been?” she asked as she crossed her arms, her demeanor friendly but a bit cavalier as usual.

“Very busy, but good otherwise.  I’m glad you’re finally here.  How are things with you?”

She shrugged and offered him a cute, little half smile.  “It’s been a bit crazy trying to close my business, clear out my office space and still finish projects with clients, but otherwise I’m fine.  So where do we start?”

“Can you give me a second to finish charting on this patient?”  

“Whatever.  It’s your dime.”

Christian pursed his lips at her dry retort, which was just her way.  Asa, his best friend would take a shine to her because the two were so alike.  Noah on the other hand, his third partner, not so much he’d bet.  That vampire was very old school.

He picked up his pen and re-opened the chart.  The task needed to be done while the information was still fresh in his head.  Then he could focus on pertinent issues with Tiffany regarding her position.  Minutes into charting, a number of inappropriate positions with Tiffany which had nothing to do with her work at the V clinic began filtering into his thoughts.  

  Christian grit his teeth because Tiffany brought out a side of him that fueled his raw, sensual male vampire needs--to feed and mate.  She’d been in his office less than five minutes and already his pulse rate and breathing had spiked.  So had another part of his anatomy. 

He glanced at her now meandering about the room, her attention settling on a tall, wide bookshelf with medical journals, plants and bric-a-brac.  Done there, she walked across the room to the wall displaying his myriad of medical degrees which were many.  He watched her study them, while he studied her cute little backside painted into a pair of dark blue denim jeans. 

She was tall with the body of an Amazon woman, the features of an exotic goddess.  He knew her mother’s heritage, Lithuanian, Native and African American which explained the riot of waist length, curly auburn hair, generally pony tailed as it was today.  Her father was Irish, which might explain all the red in her hair.  And her eyes�"  Any man could get lost in those lipid, dark chocolate pools�"that is until she opened her mouth.  That thought made him smother a chuckle.  She did love to use the thing to tease, taunt and slice when the mood struck.  He was partial to strong, lithe women who could hold their own in any situation and that completely described Tiffany.  

Damn these thoughts!  

He had a whole new respect for the old adage out of sight out of mind.  Christian had known working with her would be hell on wheels for him.  His discomfort had heated up before the ink had dried on her human resources paperwork. 

Screw the charting.  I’ll do it later.  

Before he could consider the consequences, Christian got up and walked over to her. 

She turned and smiled up at him.  “You’re all done?”

“For the moment.”  A lie of sorts.  He hadn’t charted one full paragraph.  

She glanced back at the wall and pointed to his first medical degree.  “Geez, Christian.  You earned your first medical degree in 1948?  How old are you, dude?”

He chuckled.  “For a vampire, I’m just a pup.  One hundred and eleven.  Or will be next month.”

Her eyes went wide and round.  “I get vampire longevity, it’s just a little weird because you look my age.  And, uh, I guess happy early birthday.  Wow.  A hundred and ten, huh?  I suppose that makes sense.  Nathan is somewhere around a hundred and seventy or eighty and he doesn’t look much older than you.”

“It’s not weird if you’re vampire.  I’m sure you realize our species have benefits.”  She obviously disagreed based on the ‘yeah right’ look she returned. 

  “Maybe so, but the blood thing sucks.  No pun intended.” 

Did that comment mean she drew a line in the sand if she fell for a vampire?  

Occasionally, people of opposite species married without the human turning, but such a union was fraught with difficulties.  They couldn’t actually life mate, share the mating bond, or have biological children when one was still human.  He’d helped many mixed couples conceive through in-vitro.  Some of those unions worked.  Some didn’t.  As a physician he wasn’t a fan of inter-species marriage because the couple couldn’t achieve the spiritual and physic connection of two life mated vampires.

As a member of a vampire family, Tiffany had to know the basics about human/vampire relationships.  He couldn’t help wonder where she stood on that thinking.  If he knew she might consider turning for the right man, he might crank up the heat with her.  Might anyway.  The quicker he drank from her in order to discover if their minds and souls meshed during mental love making, the better the chance they could make a clean, painless break or….

“Ah, hell,” he muttered as his gaze skimmed over her, wanting her, wanting this uncertainty to end.

She stared at him as if he were crazy.  He must be.  Watching her now, Christian began pondering some other things too.  Things he’d like to do to those lips of hers, painted a pretty shade of dark rose.  He sucked in a deep breath and caught her blood scent, undisguised by her perfume and shampoo.  Those smelled good too.

S**t!  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this tempted to drink from a human.  He wasn’t a blood hunter.  For ethical reasons Christian transfused. When her sweet life essence began to swirl through his head with the affects of an illicit drug he began to fantasize about the intoxicating, delicious taste as it flowed across his tongue.

Powerless to resist, he drew in another breath, inhaling her again.     

“Are you sniffing me?” 

She took a step back with a befuddled, slightly chastising look, but there was also intrigue in her dark, almond-shaped eyes.  Maybe he wasn’t in too much trouble.  “And if I were?”  

She let out a soft, quick laugh.  “Well, I don’t know what to say to that other than I hope my anti-perspirant is working.”

He stifled a vampire growl; a normal reaction to a highly emotional situation such as anger or in this case desire. “No worries.  You smell like sunshine, honey and hell, I don’t know, but it’s good.  Real good.”  He was loosing it.  Yeah, he was totally loosing his mind because he reached out and took hold of an auburn curl which had strayed from her ponytail, wrapped it around his index finger and inhaled again.  More than his next breath he wanted to sink his fangs in her neck and taste her.  

Why wasn’t she protesting?  Part of him wished she would, but the part of him throbbing against the zipper of his jeans was pretty glad she wasn’t.  

“So this is how it’s going to be?”  She extracted the curl from his finger.  Her tone came across a little chiding, but intrigue still danced in her eyes.  

“Interesting.”

“Interesting?  How?”  He couldn’t wait to hear her thoughts.

She inhaled deeply.  “I know you like to flirt and I don’t mind.  But let’s keep it in the vault, okay?  I don’t need co-workers thinking you hired me because I have a thing for you or visa versa.  Outside these walls flirt away.  In fact I might too.”

That rendered him speechless.  So his suspicions had been correct.  This wasn’t a one sided attraction.  Good to know, yet both exciting and dangerous.  Ethically speaking she should be off limits, but he had enough sense to realize it wouldn’t go down like that.  Now that he knew for certain she was attracted to him, he intended to use that fact to his full advantage.  Not yet, though.  Tiffany portrayed the persona of a female Sherman tank, but a time or two he’d witnessed a few chinks in her armor.  He needed to be mindful of that and proceed cautiously.

He took a step back and folded his fingers together at his waist before they went to exploring something more interesting than a lock of hair.  “So Darlin’, what sort of questions do you have for me?”

She shot him a ‘are you frickin’ kidding me look’.  “A bunch, you can be sure.”

“I don’t know what to say.  I should�"“

“You should say nothing.  I’m not ready to tackle that elephant in the room just yet.  For now tell me where to begin.  What do you envision this system doing to improve the quality of care for V clinic patients and staff?”

He fought a grin.  Damn she was good at turning on the heat, then in the next heartbeat dousing the fire.  He should be thanking her.  Truthfully, he ought to be ashamed of himself for that unprofessional display just now�"but he was nothing of the sort.  “To be honest, Tiffany, I just want it to work easily and connect the dots between New Orleans and future V clinics and hospitals.  I can’t tell you how to get there.

  The way I see it, this is your ballgame.  I want you to do whatever you see fit to make this new patient filing system work seamlessly for the V clinic.  All I ask is that you keep me updated on your progress.  Money is no object.  I want the best user friendly system you can create for our staff.  I want you to train them of course.  If you need to hire help, do it.  You don’t have to ask permission.” 

“Sweet deal.  I can make all that happen.  Do you and your partners have a tentative date for seeing this project completed at this facility?”

“Honestly, no.  Asa is far too busy in Denver to worry about what’s going on with your position.  Right now he’s overseeing construction there, ordering necessary equipment and supplies, hiring staff and courting a couple of vampire OB’s to move to Denver.  Noah and I are covering for him.  As far as Noah is concerned...”  He paused there and let out a soft snort.  “Noah isn’t too happy about this system overhaul.”

“Humm.  Sore loser, huh?  Guess there was a vote taken and he got shot down?”

Christian laughed.  The girl was sharp.  “That would be correct.”

She chuckled then shook her head.  “Well, no worries.  I ain’t got a problem with anything we’ve discussed regarding this job.  Travel is cool.  I’m used to deadlines.  And Noah’s sour grapes won’t scare me away.  I’m here for the long haul.”

He nodded and bit back a smile.  She embraced her redneck roots and didn’t give a damn about grammar or high fashion.  Funny.  Neither did he.  Like him, she generally wore t-shirts and jeans.  Today she wore jeans but forewent the t-shirt for a bright green, gauzy, short-sleeved shirt, probably a little fancy for her tastes by nature.  He liked the bodice cut though.  Showed a little cleavage, a respectable amount, but enough to make his mind stray again.  He had to blink a couple times to gain his wits when she spoke.

“All right.  So where do you want me to start?  Do I have an office?”  

“Yes, but it’s not ready yet.  Maybe you can start shopping first.”  He pulled his wallet out of his jeans, extracted a credit card, then handed it to her.  “Buy what we need.  Computers, software, whatever.  There is no limit on this.”

She nodded.  “I won’t break the bank I promise.  Uhm, so what’s up with this Noah, doctor?  Just curious as to why he isn’t on board with this decision.  Has he got something against trees?”

Christian chuckled.  “He has something against many things.  He’s an older vampire and a bit of a curmudgeon.  All of us stay abreast of medicine as it progresses with both humans and vampires.  That’s why I have so many medical degrees.  We generally go back to med school about every thirty years or so.  Noah gained his last degree in 1985 prior to computers being common in the workplace and he’s overdue for another round of med school.  Despite his lack of knowledge regarding certain technologies that have nothing to do with a medical practice, he is a very astute caring doctor, I assure you.  I’ll introduce you to him later today.  Be prepared.  He’s a bit stuffy and uhm...well, he sort of....”

“Has a cob stuck up his a*s?” she supplied, then grinned wickedly.

He laughed.  “Exactly, but as I said, a damned good doctor.”

She chuckled.  “No worries.  He can’t be worse than Nathan.  He’s so old school, I’m surprised he hasn’t convinced my mother to wear hoop skirts and chiffon.”

“Trust me, he’s worst.  He doesn’t even believe women should be allowed to work outside the home.”

Her eyes rounded with horror.  “Oh my God.  Maybe I’d better not meet him.  I might just have to kill him on principle.”

Christian laughed some more.  “I’m sure more than a few woman have thought about snuffing him, but back to business.  I’m working on getting you you’re own office.  The painters are a bit behind.  They’re finishing up in there today, so everything should be ready for you by tomorrow.  For now, just work in here, figure out what you need to do, make some calls, price equipment, go shopping, whatever.”

“Okay.  Sounds like a plan.”

“Have you tied up loose ends with your business?”

She nodded.  “Yes, for the most part.  I have a couple jobs I need to finish but they won’t interfere with this.  Oh and I talked to Chelsie yesterday.  She’ll be calling you sometime next week to talk about working here now that her internship at Harvard is over.”

“Wonderful.  I can’t wait to bring your sister on board.  We need all the doctors we can get.  So do you think you can teach me, Asa and Noah to do this?  None of us are computer savvy like the human staff.”

“Hell, yeah.  In my sleep, dude,” she quipped, grinning.  “Don’t worry.  All of this will be so much easier than you think.  Promise.”

“Right on.”  He was so happy to have her on board.  This attraction between them aside, Christian knew the V clinic would benefit greatly from her knowledge and skills.  “And I promise I’ll behave, Darlin’.  Complete professionalism within the confines of these walls.  Otherwise, status quo on the friends front.  I want you completely comfortable here.”  He meant it unless her light ever turned solid green.

She gave him a ‘phsst’ and wrinkled her nose.  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.  And here’s a promise you can take to the bank.  If you ever do anything I don’t like or approve of, I will belt ya.  And you know me.  I fight dirty.”

There was more truth in that teasing statement than he cared to admit.  Tiffany was one tough cookie.  He’d known her for nearly twelve years, yet knew little about her personal life, except her passion for sports, hunting and other mostly masculine hobbies.  He knew her to be country to the core and liked that about her because he was Texas heart and soul.  She had a witty, sarcastic sense of humor and was fiercely protective of those she loved, but force to be reckoned with if someone threatened them.

Christian would never forget the day she’d killed Isabella, a feral female of their kind, meaning an evil, insane vampire.  Isabella had attacked her sister, Danielle; ripped into her throat, killing the human girl.  Her only chance for life had been to turn.  Her life mate, Dominic had been the blood donor.  He and Asa the surgeons.

Every vampire present in his country lodge that day failed to take Isabella down, yet little Tiffany had grabbed one of his compound bows, a broad head arrow and ended the b***h’s life in a single shot.  An amazing feat because Isabella had been a very old feral vampire with such telekinetic skills rarely seen by any vampire feral or normal. 

Tiffany had been just a girl back then, barely in her twenties, but tough as nails and still was, although she was no longer a girl.  She was a woman, beautiful, confident, sexy....  He broke the thought and focused on her again.

“Where’d you just go?  I was teasing you know.”

“Oh, I know.  Just cringing at the thought of learning all that computer stuff I’m sure you’ll be teaching me one of these days soon.  Do you have any more questions for me?”  

“Not at the moment.  Go do your doctoring business and leave me to this antiquated mess ya’ll created.  I’ll figure something out in time, which hopefully all of you can live with.  Including your partner, Vlad, whom from what you’ve told me, appears to be stuck in the dark ages.”

He chuckled.  “That he is, but thanks, Darlin’.  I’m glad you’re finally here.”  His gaze locked with hers and he saw something unmistakable in her rich chocolate eyes--desire mixed with a little confusion.  He felt both emotions himself.  

Not likely either of them were going to keep this attraction thing in the vault very long.  Elsewhere or here.  

“I need to go.  My next appointment’s waiting.  Later if I have time I’ll give you a tour of the facility.”  

“Sounds like a plan.  Before I dig in, where do you keep the coffee in this joint?”

He smiled because he knew she loved her coffee.  He made a mental note to buy her a kick a*s a coffee maker and cappuccino machine for her office.  “Follow me, Darlin’.”  

    * * * 

Tiffany’s head still spun as she trailed Christian out of his office and down the hall.  Now she knew for certain there had been meaning behind his playful flirting during those many Davenport/Peebles family gatherings they’d shared together.  Christian was attracted to her!  Desire had been blazing hot in his gold eyes and they’d been shimmering with blood lust too, something she easily recognized living around vampires for so many years. 

Why was this just coming out now? she wondered.  Granted they were never really alone at one of Mom or Nathan’s functions.  Kids were always running around; in and out of rooms, the house.  The sports and games they’d shared always involved other relatives.  It sort of made sense she supposed.  Today was the first time in�"well forever�"they’d been sequestered in a room safe from interruptions.  

Still at some point he could have pulled her aside and attempted to act on his attraction.  She couldn’t help wonder why he hadn’t.  The best logic for that seemed his position in their vampire family and friends’ cliche.  It would be very uncool for him to pursue her for a mere sexual thing and he’d have to bite her to know if there could be more�"both no no’s.  

So what about now?  No family and friends were around to witness anything.   

Humm.  She tapped her chin pondering possibilities.

Excitement and worry coursed through her with equally frightening intensity over the development.  Fantasizing about Christian was one thing.  A safe, delicious desire hidden deep in her heart, never to be exposed, like having a thing for a movie or rock star with a one in a million chance of coming to fruition.

Well, it wasn’t private anymore.  Christian had to have sensed the lust pounding inside her like a jackhammer during those few minutes.  She respected him too much to deny she’d liked the teasing looks and playful banter a couple in attraction mode naturally shared.

In one way knowing how he felt made her heart soar; made her want to pump her fist and yell, ‘Hell yeah!”  He was everything she’d ever wanted in a man and everything she’d never have because he wasn’t a man of her species.  That thought brought her out of her romanticized orbit with the speed of an astroid on a collision course for her heart.

What if vampires could become human?  What if they had been born the same species?  Would it matter?  Loathe, to admit it she knew the answer.  She didn’t want a forever with any guy because her ability to trust didn’t exist outside her mom and two sisters, Chelsie and Dannie.  

But she did want to explore things with Christian.  An affair.  Just a short one.  What would be the harm that?

The astroid scenario dummy. 

She forgot herself and let a little groan of misery escape.  Christian caught it immediately, paused in the hall and faced her.

“Are you okay?”

Busted.  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“I don’t think so.  If I did anything to upset you�"“

“I said I’m fine, damn it.  I need coffee.  I’m grouchy when my caffeine levels get low.”

   Before he could reply the blonde nurse, Katie, who she’d met along her tour to HR, ran around the corner of the hallway straight toward them, her blue eyes wide with fear.

“Dr. La Mond!  It’s Mrs. Corrigan.  I think she’s in labor.”

Author's Note

This is a romance. Looking for reviewers comfortable with building sexual tension.

Reviews

[SweetNutmeg]

I'm glad to know more about the vampire mating rituals and conventions, and how things work with human lovers. You explain that well, showing us rather than telling us. In general you are doing a lot of showing and very little telling. Excellent job on that.

Minor errors:

1. Initially, he’d been hesitate to offer her the job
Hesitant

2. Any man could get lost in those lipid, dark chocolate pools
I think you mean limpid

3. He was loosing it. Yeah, he was totally loosing his mind because
Losing, one "O"

4. I’m sure more than a few woman have thought about snuffing him
Women, plural

5. I’m working on getting you you’re own office.
Your

6. Christian was attracted to her!
I think maybe you could leave this out. You are showing us this information in the surrounding sentences, no need to tell us as well.

7. his position in their vampire family and friends’ cliche.
Clique is the word you're looking for, I believe.

8. A safe, delicious desire hidden deep in her heart, never to be exposed,
I love this. I know the feeling and you have captured it very well in this sentence.

9. The astroid scenario dummy.
Haha, funny. She's a cute character.

You mentioned building sexual tension. I definitely feel it building between them, but honestly, I'd like it slowed down even more. Make us crazy with anticipation. I personally (my opinion only!) would like this business meeting leave both of them still unsure if the other harbored mutual feelings. The curl of hair thing was sexy and exciting, but I would have enjoyed it more if he had passed it off as brotherly. I love to see my romance characters squirm in indecision and ignorance. I tend to torture both my characters and my readers. Writers can be cruel.