Chapter 3

Robby gently eased Doug's door closed, believing that no one would notice he'd left if he was quiet enough about it. Once the door was firmly engaged, he turned down the hallway towards his place, ruminating on his fascinating evening. He'd taken two steps in that direction when a quiet voice interrupted his musings.

"I see we think alike, you and I."

Caught off guard, Robby faltered, startled by Elaina's honeyed voice. He steadied himself with a hand placed on the wall beside him and turned his head, recognizing her silhouette in the dim hall lighting.

"Uh, yeah, um, I guess you could say that," he stammered out. He blushed as he looked at where she leaned against the door across and down the hall from Doug's.

She had her hands behind her with her palms flat on the wood, her shoulders pulled back drawing his eyes to her chest. Her head was tilted down demurely, and she was peeking sidelong at him through the wispy strands that floated about her face. He noted that the kerchief was missing, and he found it trailing from a pocket in her skirt. She had one leg up with her foot pressed to the door.

He really enjoyed looking at her, and her demeanor helped him find the courage to walk over, placing himself directly in front of her. Feeling his native shyness pulling at his new-found courage, he simply watched her as she watched him, her head still down, her eyes focused on his through the curtain of her hair.

"Those things get to me after a while, you know?" she said softly. "I feel, I don't know, crowded ... hemmed in. Too many strangers trying too hard to have fun."

"I do know," Robby quietly answered. "I always feel like I've got to be someone I'm not, just to fit in."

He tentatively reached out and lifted her hair from her face, catching the scent of it before tucking it behind her ear. He let his fingers linger, trailing the pads of his fingers along the delicate whorls of her ear. He smiled crookedly at the feel of her skin and tilted his head to better see. With her eyes burning on his face, he wondered where he'd found the daring to touch her like this. He brought his attention back to her face and noticed her eyes glinting with a pearly sheen in the dim lighting. Her lips parted with a sigh, letting her dainty fangs glint in the light, her eyelids drifting low. He discovered that he rather liked that look: sultry and sweet, with a spicy touch of danger perceived thrown in.

Elaina lowered her foot and brought her hands out from behind her back, gliding closer to Robby. For a brief moment, he felt her breath against the fabric of his shirt. She lifted her face, her sultry gaze easing his fears, and, for a heartbeat, he felt like he was standing on the deck of a ship, feeling the tides roll and change. In that moment, he heard the immortal words of Captain Jack Sparrow echoing in the corridors of his mind:

"If you were waiting for the opportune moment..."

" ... this is it, " he finished under his breath.

Elaina heard him and her brow furrowed, a precursor to a frown. Before the clouds in her eyes could fully form, Robby grabbed his own bootstraps ... and kissed her.

It was everything he could have imagined.

He didn't just dive in and crush her lips with his. Mindful of the fangs behind those cool, lush lips, he lightly brushed her lips with his, supping at the pillowy flesh with tender pecks, nipping her lips with his. Her lips pursed as she returned his caresses in turn. Despite the passion of the kiss, only their lips had touched. Seemingly of their own volition, his arms moved and brought his hands to rest on the curve of her hips, his thumbs rubbing the indent of her waist; he could feel the cups where her belly swept down to meet her thighs. He eased back to look at her face shining up at his. The pearly sheen of her eyes was brighter, washing over the green of her eyes.

Her lips curled up in a sensuous smile, taking his breath away. She reached up with her own arms, running her hands up his chest, kneading his pectorals in passing, until she was able to curl her fingers around the nape of his neck, her fingers stroking and playing with the soft hairs she found there. The thought crossed his mind that he needed a haircut, but he lost his train of thought when she scratched lightly with her long nails. Her lips relaxed into a softer shape when she used those nails to urge his lips back to hers. He groaned when their lips met again, thrilling at her answering moan, and running his hands to her back, pulling her to mold her body to his. Through the soft suede of her vest he felt her surprisingly full breasts pressing against his chest, but the feeling was attenuated by the leather armoring her torso.

He groaned once more when he felt himself begin to swell against her, and he tried to pull his hips back to keep from embarrassing himself and offending her. Elaina was having none of that; she pushed her belly tighter against him and rubbed her soft flesh against his burgeoning heat. He broke the kiss with a gasp, struggling to catch his suddenly labored breath.

He marveled at the passion lighting her eyes and wondered bemusedly where the demure young lass he'd admired back at the party had gone. She smiled at the look of wonder on his face, allowing another flash of fang. Taking his hands, she leaned in for a brief yet fiery kiss. This time, she was the one to pull back.

"I believe we both know where this is going," she purred throatily. "I seem to remember that you said you lived nearby. I think it's time you show me where that is."

Robby gulped at the thought of this glorious woman entering his home. Actually, his distress was more than that: she would be the first woman who was not his mother that had ever entered his home. That, and, well, he was a bachelor after all, and housekeeping was simply not his forté. In general, he was a neater example of his species, but he still couldn't remember if yesterday's boxers had made it to the hamper. Elaina saw the indecision in his eyes and, misunderstanding his unease, drew in close to snuggle. The top of her head barely reached his eyes, but she managed to kiss his throat all the same, licking and nipping with her fangs at the vein pulsing there.

"It'll be okay, Robby. You'll see," she whispered into his neck, trying to encourage him with her passion. She stepped away from him, tugging his hands in the direction of his apartment. He briefly wondered how she knew which door was his, then rationalized that she'd seen where he was heading when he'd stepped out earlier.

Stopping in front of his door, he dug into his pocket trying to extract his keys. Just his luck, they snagged coming out, nearly tearing his slacks and causing him to drop them to the floor. Faster than he could see, Elaina snatched them out of the air on the way down, then gently placed them in his nerveless hand. "Good catch" was all he could think to say. He turned to insert the correct key in the lock ... and the door eased open. Frowning, he motioned for Elaina to wait as he stalked into the apartment, flipping on lights and checking each room. Finding nothing amiss, he shrugged and returned to the foyer.

"I'm going to have to get the super to look at that," he groused. "It's supposed to lock automatically when the door closes," he continued as he approached the threshold.

Although he had half expected her to follow him in anyway, she was still standing in the hallway. She was waiting with her hands clasped behind her back. Her left foot was up, her toes pressed into the hall rug, and she was swinging her upper body, looking much better than Jasmine could ever hope to. Her whole demeanor spoke of innocence yearning to be lost, and he became enthralled with her all over again.

Raising a finger to her lips, she made a moue. "Can I come in, Robby?" she pled with a little girl's voice. Her eyes were so big, they seemed to fill her face ... then she slowly blinked. "You have to let me in, Robby," she pouted. "That's the way it works."

Blinking and shaking his head, Robby shrugged off the spell she had cast over him, and reached out a hand.

Smiling whimsically, he said, "Elaina, won't you please come in?"