T/LC

Rated: Explicit (for language and carnality)

Cold Comfort (1/2)

By Shana Nolan and Cousin Mary 1-99

***********************

The scene was a sad one. A pale figure, her jacket wrapped tightly around her in a self-hug, standing over the freshly dug grave. Her head was down, she was trying to say a coherent farewell to the occupant of the mound at her feet, but sobs were breaking up her words.

And he had to stand and wait until his part of this particular evening came into play. Nicholas had asked him. Had asked him to take away from her the pain of permanent loss. To replace true memories with false. Not that Lucien Lacroix objected to it. He felt it strange, in his ancient view, to tinker with the mind of a rebellious young woman, but objections and reservations were two different things.

She paused in her lament, sniffing; this Lacroix took for his cue. "Miss?"

Tracy started, snapping her head up to look at her apparent intruder. "Get lost."

"Miss Vetter, I'm here to help you." He tried to keep his voice even, she hadn't recognized him yet, and he didn't want to frighten her.

"Bullshit." Tracy glared at the silhouetted man. Her cop's eye watched how he moved, like some great jungle cat. Graceful, lethal. He wasn't drunk, and if he were a mugger, he might be able to take her. She stiffened then, realizing he'd called her by name.

Lacroix sighed. So much for an easy task. "Miss Vetter... "

"And what the hell do you think *you* can do?" She laughed harshly, grief muffling most of her instincts. She knew she should back away from the approaching figure, but part of her didn't really care anymore. Who the hell cared anyway? Let him have her fucking purse.

Lacroix stepped closer, the black silk of his shirt rustling lightly in the cool Canadian air. Coming within arm's reach of the young blonde, he extended a pale hand out to her, the silver ring on his pinky glinting in the diffused light.

She didn't move but to glance around anxiously. She wasn't really scared, but being in an abandoned park with the corpse of her boyfriend and an unknown benefactor was not her idea of a fun night on the town. Casting a glance to his hand and back up to his face, she shook her head. Finally she took a cautious step back.

Lacroix took another step, quickly closing the distance. He touched her arm, running his large fingers down to her wrist, lightly picking up her warm, delicate hand in his large cool one. Tracy met his eyes in slight, but not entirely distasteful, surprise.

"Your hand is like Vachon's is... was. " Tracy frowned, thinking that it was really pathetic she felt more at ease with the undead then she did with practically anyone else.

"Yes, I know. There are reasons for that." Lacroix watched her put the pieces together; he knew the exacted moment she recognized him from the club.

She squinted at him. He was so tall, built like some great statue of antiquity, with his smooth pale skin and shorn hair. His black vestments and the little splash of silver were intriguing, coming in a close second to those eyes that were currently staring right into her soul. "So that means you're a... "

Lacroix chuckled. She must have been good with puzzles as a child. "Yes, I am."

At a momentary loss, Tracy blinked. This had turned out to be a nasty night, after all. Was Lacroix here to kill her or what? Glancing at the dirt all over her clothes, she remembered the object in her hand. She still held the stake she had pulled from Vachon's breast, shortly before setting him into the earth. She rolled it around in her stiff fingers and wondered if she would have to use it again. "So you lied at the precinct. And Vachon lied about you."

"Yes. I am Lucien Lacroix and I am, indeed, a vampire."

Tracy shook her head, aiming nasty thoughts at fate.

Catching her dark reverie, Lacroix stepped closer and placed a hand under her chin, lifting her face up towards his. She didn't fight him, but stared blankly with red and puffy eyes.

"Why don't I take you home, my dear, and then we can talk about this." He cooed.

"Why, so you can bite me in the safety and comfort of my own apartment?" She shot back.

"Only if you want me to." The corner of his mouth quirked up in a way Tracy found strangely endearing.

"Oh, that's cute. You want to help me, eh?" Tracy suddenly regained some of her fire; she glared at Lacroix with mutinous eyes. "Where were you before he was killed by that little bitch? How'd you know where to find me now? Are you stalking me? I don't relish the thought of using this pointy thing again, but I will... "

"Shhh, Tracy. Getting worked up again won't help." He tried to calm her, trying not to laugh as she waved the stake in his face.

"I want answers, dammit!" Tracy glared, then just threw the wood down on the ground as hard as she could.

"In time, my dear, in time." He leaned down, his face inches away from her own. Smiling slightly, he whispered into her ear, "Trust me."

* * *

Sitting down in her own couch, Tracy watched as her vampire escort walked into her kitchen and started a pot of coffee. "This is beautiful, Trace. A vampire is fixing you a nice cup of coffee after scaring the hell out of you. What next, psychotherapy from the Nightcrawler?"

"Ah, another listener." His voice floated amused from her kitchen.

Thrown for a loop, she shrugged. Vachon had never waited on her like this. Her partner kept her on her toes by keeping her in the dark. Her prom date fed and paid her way, but wanted a de-virginising backseat fuck for it. Her first boyfriend, at age 20, realized he was gay. So why was this immortal treating her like royalty?

"Because I want to and you need it." Came his matter-of-fact reply to her unasked question.

"Alright, this is pretty damn weird. You sneak up on me at the park and then read my thoughts like I was typing them on a screen or something. What's going on?" Tracy demanded.

Lacroix chuckled. "The hellcat wants the truth?"

"Yes, 'the hellcat wants the truth. '" She repeated sarcastically, purposely thinking about tree branches and tent spikes just to see if he'd react.

"I'm here to make you forget Vachon." Straight and to the point, Tracy flinched.

Her misery gained a nasty flare of anger then. "Oh, really? Not going to happen, hate to tell ya, but no way in hell!"

"You wanted the truth." He replied calmly.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I want my brain scrambled. But it won't work anyway." She sat back and glared at him.

A hot cup of coffee in one hand, he walked around the table and seated himself amicably next to her, handing the steaming cup over. "Oh? How so?"

The rich smell made a smile touch her face, but only briefly. "Resistor, ya know?"

"Ahh, well, I should at least try... " His tone pretty much saying he'd succeed.

"And I'm willing to bet that hot coffee really hurts even when dumped into an undead lap." She glared at his condescending face.

Lacroix cringed briefly. Yeah, it would hurt. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Oh, I don't know. My bathroom needs a good scrub. And hey, you could help with the laundry, and then-- "

He put a finger to her lips, stopping her snide commentary. "Or perhaps I could give you something Vachon never could?"

"A phone number?"

He chuckled. "Not exactly what I had in mind... "

Tracy's eyes widened. "You're not going to seduce me, are you?" For some reason, she smiled at that, then, she began to giggle. The giggles turned into full laughs and she doubled over, trying to hold her aching sides with one hand while she attempted to keep her coffee from spilling.

Lacroix watched her, part of him realizing she need an emotional release, but not particularly enjoying the one she'd found. "It is not that funny."

Tracy looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I know, I just," When she saw his consternated expression she began giggling anew. "Sorry, I mean it, really."

Lacroix frowned, not sure whether to be amused or annoyed by this woman. He plucked the coffee mug from her hand and set it on the table. Then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly.

That stopped Tracy's giggling immediately.

Unsure of whether to fall into the wonderful kiss or fight him off, Tracy froze. Her mind screamed at her, too much at once, it was all too overwhelming! She wedged a hand between them and pushed him back. "Wait a sec here."

"Is something wrong?"

"I... I don't know. This doesn't feel right."

His eyes met hers, watching her expression. "Then I shall leave."

As Lacroix stood up, Tracy just watched. He seemed to nearly glide to the door, and when his hand was about to twist the knob, she moved into action.

Grabbing his wrist, she slammed herself between him and the door. "No!! I mean, no, please don't go."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "What do you want, my dear?"

Throwing inhibition and all good sense to the wind, she used her steely grip on his wrist to draw him towards her, bringing his lips close enough to her to take them into her mouth. Emotions boiling beneath the very surface of her mind, she shoved them into the kiss, being possibly fatally forceful. But who the hell cared, anyway?

Stuck between surprise and amusement, Lacroix enjoyed it. Opening his mouth, he worked his tongue past her lips, truly tasting her for the first time. She was sweet, like honeyed wine, something he'd always enjoyed.

With his free hand, he wrapped his arm around her waist and forced her body up against his; he could feel her heart beat, hard and fast in her ribcage.

Finally gasping for air, Tracy shook her head. Being blatantly, painfully honest, she asked, "This... should this be happening?"

"You tell me." His voice was soft as velvet, softer than it could have ever been when transmitted over the radio.

"I don't think I care. Make me want to live."

Taking his hand back, he knelt down, shifting his arms underneath her. Picking her as if she weighed nothing, he carried her to the bedroom at the back of the hall.

Alarms screamed in her head, but she ignored them. One night stand with a vampire she barely knew aside, things like safe sex and that muck didn't seem to matter at the moment.

>>>>>>>>>

Disclaimers in part one.

Cold Comfort (2/2)

By Shana Nolan and Cousin Mary 1-99

Reaching the bedroom and stepping over the threshold, Lacroix set her down near the end of the bed. Touching a hand to the top of her head, he stroked the blonde hair gently before moving down. Standing in front of her, he ran his large, cool hands past her shoulders and across her collarbone, his fingers drifting to the top of her beige colored knit top.

Without any words, Tracy hooked her fingers at the waist hem of the shirt and pulled it off, not jumping when his fingertips brushed against the black satin bra she had underneath. She watched him as his eyes worked up and down her body and for once she didn't mind. About to reach around her back to unhook the bra, she paused as he caught her hands in his own.

"Let me," he whispered.

With an amazingly gentle touch, he pinched the hooks between his finger and thumb and squeezed them open, the undergarment now only hanging by the shoulder straps. Working gently down her arms, he slid the straps off, exposing her entire upper torso.

For a moment, Tracy reconsidered. This moment brought new meaning to the term "rebound." But once more, she threw inhibition to the wind. Her life. And even if it killed her; her choice.

Lacroix smiled. She was quite thin, but her ribs didn't jut out like some starving child's. Her breasts were small, but well proportioned. Hanging from her frame without wrinkle or scar, stretch or flaw, he was enjoying the view; it was a wonder that her partner, his son, had made no effort to become "closer" with this young woman.

She gave him a confused, slightly embarrassed look. "Now what?"

Stepping forward, he stood incredibly close to her. "Trust me."

She nodded as he made her step backwards until her knees ran up against the edge of the bed. His hands landed lightly on her shoulders and pushed her onto the comforter, he then coaxed her to a reclined position as his left hand ran down her sternum to her belly button ring. "That's lovely."

"Thanks. Couple years ol-- "

Her sentence ended abruptly as his hand continued down her front, running onto the cloth of her pants, past the zipper and between her legs. Tracy gasped. A rivulet of searing fire burned up her spine. When his hand lingered, the fingers exploring the discernable outlines of her labia, she moaned quietly.

Leaning over the bed, Lacroix kissed her once more and cupped a breast in his free hand, kneading the tightening apricot bud while his other hand freed the button and zipper of the pants fly. His hand slipped past the seam, coming in deliberate contact with her moist panties and her sex behind it.

Tracy's eye rolled shut. A thousand tiny sensations were setting her on fire. Her muscles tensed and untensed over and over, her clit begging for harder attention.

"More?"

Tracy squirmed underneath him. "Oh, yes. Please, yes."

Abandoning her breast, he slid the pants over and off her hips, glancing at the panties before removing them as well. Small and black, they made her pale skin seem all the more tempting. Slipping the scant fabric down, he let his fingers trail along her now bare skin, smiling wickedly as she fidgeted. The tuft of natural blonde was carefully trimmed, the clean shaved flesh pink, engorged and moist, desperate for his attention.

Beginning with her full, sweet lips, he planted kisses down her body. Lips. Neck. Sternum. Nipple. Nipple. Belly. Abdomen.

Inhaling deeply before going down on her, he caught the musky smell of her arousal, deep and intoxicating as laudanum. Willing his body to calm itself, his hard on straining against his pants, Lacroix smiled once and went down.

Tracy gasped. His tongue flicked against her clit, the tip running in between the folds of her labia. The nerves tingled with fierce, pulsing ardor. His tongue was strong... really strong...

Suckling, he dragged his tongue back down her nether skin and ran the tip tantalizingly along the outer edges of her vagina. When she arched her back and scooted closer to him, he shoved it inside her, the rough surface electrifying wall muscles. Lingering for a moment, he withdrew his tongue, savoring her taste and skimmed descended fangs along the rosy flesh.

A low, throaty moan escaped her lungs. "Oh, god, yes... " Her fingers wrapped around excess fabric of the comforter, clenched in tight fists.

And then he bit down.

She screamed, the orgasm hitting her hard.

When the world stopped spinning, Tracy stared down at Lacroix. He'd sat back on his heels, smiling at her arrogantly, proud and amused at how quickly he'd made her come. She next glanced down at her bleeding sex.

"You bastard!" Tracy grabbed the nearest thing, a pillow, and hit him with it. It was a pretty good blow, thin pillow right over her clenched fist. He lost his balance and fell over and she next clutched the pillow to her aching crotch. "You bit me!"

Lacroix climbed to his feet and stared down at her, "And you enjoyed it."

Tracy looked back at him before averting her eyes, well, he had her there. "Fucking vampire." She mumbled under her breath.

He chuckled and sat beside her, "That was, kind of the point." He turned her face to his and kissed her gently.

As they continued to kiss, Tracy felt him pull the pillow from between her legs. His fingers played lightly in her curls, before again dipping into her folds. She was still throbbing from his earlier attention.

Groaning, Tracy broke the kiss and slapped his hand away, "Enough already."

He arched a brow. "If you tell me to 'hit the road' after that, I may have to drain you."

Tracy's hand skimmed the evidence of his own arousal, "No, I wasn't going to tell you to leave," She grinned evilly at him, "It's just my turn."

Raising to her knees, Tracy leaned down and kissed him. Lacroix quickly raised to his own knees, more to stay on par with her than anything else. What was she playing at? Didn't she know he was the one in charge here?!

Tracy moved her hands roughly down his body, reaching around to skim his back and knead his buttocks. He really had a great ass. She then reached back around undid his fly, her hand slipping in quickly to cupped him.

Lacroix gasped, not expecting her boldness at all. She just didn't seem the type! She used his gasp to push her tongue further into his mouth, taking full possession. "Wait, this is not what I had planned I-" He pulled back, trying to slow her.

"You want me to leave?" Tracy arched her brow in a dead-on echo of his earlier words.

He groaned and shook his head, "No."

Tracy smirked, pushing him down onto the comforter and mounting his thighs. She kept one hand on him, rubbing, caressing, and let the other cup the side of his head as she kissed and nibbled the side of his neck.

Lacroix almost lost it there, she was good, damn good. He wondered briefly if things hadn't gone farther between her and the Spaniard than he suspected, she certainly seemed to know how to please a vampire. When her sharp teeth nipped at his jugular, he moaned loudly, pressing her face harder to his throat. Then she bit him.

He yelped and sat up with a start, Tracy just looked at him oddly. "What?" She asked.

"You-you bit me!" He held a hand to his throat, noticing the tiny trickle of blood slicking his fingers.

She giggled, "So? You bit me too."

He just looked at her in astonishment, Tracy took his stunned silence as a chance to remove the rest of his clothing. Which he allowed, rather confused as to exactly when he'd lost control of the situation. When she pushed him back down, he lay on his back, with Tracy on top of him. He left one hand trail up and down her back, cupping her backside, then up to her shoulders. The other just stayed at her waist, making sure she wasn't going anywhere.

Lacroix closed his eyes as she began to move, sliding up and mounting his thighs. Slitting his eye partially open again he saw her grinning down at him.

"Are you okay?" She asked cheekily.

Lacroix arched a brow and faster than she could follow, flipped her over onto the mattress. "Just fine, and you?" He kissed her thoroughly.

Tracy laughed into the kiss and wrapped her long legs around his waist. Lacroix quickly took his cue and plunged into her.

Tracy stilled beneath him, he was huge! Suddenly this didn't seem at all funny. She moaned and bit her lip to keep from calling out.

Lacroix smirked, before he too became lost in their coupling. She met every one of his thrusts, her small hands skimming and guiding his hips as her drove into her. She was a limber little thing, her legs opened wide for him, letting him plunge all the more deeply.

Tracy moaned, and suddenly he pulled out. She almost protested then, but a moment later he was bringing her legs up so her ankles slipped over his shoulders. Then he plunged back into her. The sensation was exquisite, the small contortion tightening strange muscles and relaxing usual ones.

As he slammed into her, Tracy wrapped her hands around her thighs, pulling them tighter to her body, feeling muscles ache and throb throughout her entire body. When his icy seed poured into her, she came, violently.

Bucking beneath him, her legs swung wide, dragging down either side of his body and pinning him to her. Before she could even begin to process the sensations pouring through her, Lacroix brought his face to her throat. She screamed out as another orgasm cascaded over her.

Then, everything went black.

~~~~~

When Tracy awoke the next morning, it was with a start. She sat up and bed and reached up to feel for bite marks, sure enough there they were. Her fingers skimmed over the raised, bruised flesh right at her jugular. Next she checked her pulse, luckily, she still had one. She looked down at the man sleeping beside her. Naked under her lacy pink and beige comforter, he seemed even more male.

She'd never felt more alive! Last night she'd looked death in the face and laughed. Tracy surpressed a giggle. Actually, last night she'd looked death in the face and fucked him.

Though she didn't think she'd made a sound, Lacroix opened his eyes then. He looked at her with an unreadable expression.

"I was just about to take a shower," Tracy smiled, "You wanna come?"

Lacroix sat up and drew her into his arms, setting his chin atop her head, "You really are a most baffling woman Tracy Vetter."

"Well, that's why you love me," She answered tartly, shrugging out of his embrace.

He gave her a long measuring look, causing Tracy's heart to skip a beat. That -had- been a joke.

Finally the corner of his mouth quirked up that way Tracy was beginning to adore and he nodded. "Shower."

Tracy grinned and headed towards the bathroom, "Shower."

~~~~~~~~~~

**Note- don't try that unless you're into yoga, you'll hurt yourself and the authors will not be held accountable ;-)