Chocolate Temptation

We were to meet at the bar close to Laurent's Inc. to discuss strategy, or that's what I thought the meeting Vanir had scheduled was for as I walked into the bar, JP Cooper's voice serenading the air from a jukebox.

I ordered a dry martini and settled into my seat waiting for my partner to show his face, the events of the day replaying through my mind. Lanie's shock at finding out, according to her, that the hunk of lickable, fuckable pure male was my partner still made me laugh till this point.

The waiter dropped off my drink, informing me that the drink had already been paid for as I brought out my card.

Checking the time, I sipped my drink, the having to wait, grating on my nerves. The bane of my existence walked in ten minutes later, greeting the waiter with familiar familiarity as he headed towards me, his eyes glinting and his teeth flashing.

"Dalia", he breathed out my name, like oxygen, essential for survival.

"A minute more and you would have had yourself a table for one", I retorted, hating the lust his presence unleashed on my body.

"I'm sorry for keeping you", He apologized, ordering the idle waiter to come back later, his fangs visible through his smile.

"Why did you hide your fangs earlier in the project room?", I asked, curiosity getting the best of me.

He flashed the fangs in question and a bolt of lust

shot through me, "I hid it because I wanted to."

"Don't insult my intelligence by obviously lying. If you don't want to tell me, say so".

My response caused him to beam, and he said, "I'm a newbie. How do you think the others would react when they find out that the newbie is a vampire?"

"Valid point", I murmured.

"Why computers?", Vanir inquired, after a beat of eerily, uncomfortable silence.

"What?", I asked, not totally understanding his question.

"Why computers? I would have tagged you for a guns and ammo person, with all the bite", He said, laughing.

"If I had been a guns and ammo person, I wouldn't have been here with you".

His brows deepened, the effect intense, "What do you mean?"

"I would have been in jail", I quipped. "For shooting at every egotistical person I come across, like you for example".

His eyes dawned in understanding and he let out a sexy boisterous laugh, before saying huskily, his eyes glazing, "You can't kill me".

"I said shoot, not kill". Shaking my head, "This is not what we came here for". "Not what I came here for", I corrected.

"Yes, the problem at hand"

"You've been briefed?", I asked, surprised.

"I have".

"And what do you think?" I inquired, testily.

Vanir replied crisply, never taking his eyes of me,

"I'm beginning to think humans are smart".

I glared, my hackles rising at the casual, almost diminishing way he said 'humans', the pompous son of a bitch, "Humans?", I questioned. "What makes you think that?"

"Someone's angry", He smirked. "I don't think, darling, I know".

Reining in my temper, the temper that was curated only for this man, "Excuse me". I got up and headed for the bathroom after asking directions from the waiter.

How could he be so smug at making those assumptions? I took sometime in the bathroom, breathing out steam, and hoping the wait grates on his trifling ass.

I headed back five minutes later to find another woman had occupied my seat and they were obviously comfy.

"Wow", I let out, on reaching the unremorseful sod who was grinning contently. Then I looked at the woman, her dark hair resembling mine, her boobs propped up for all and sundry.

I picked my bag from the table and left, feeling laughing eyes on my retreating back, the scent of chocolate following me out.

---------

I got to work the next day, and found another embossed note with the same rose gold italic letters as before, "Thoughts of your 'teeth' make me hard", it read and my heart skipped a beat. A lily flower was next to it this time, the scent of the lily encompassing the office. It was official, I had a stalker.

Claude walked in three hours later, his breath heaving and his appearance dishevelled, like someone had roughed him up.

"What happened?", I cried out in alarm, helping him to sit, his pain evident in his wince. The thought that vampires were somewhat invisible adding a question mark in my head. "Who did this to you?", I inquired.

"Nothing", Claude replied grouchily. "When did you get to work?", he asked instead.

"Three hours ago", I said in a duh tone.

"Huh", Claude muttered, then turned to his computer, powering it.

A light knock sounded on the door, disturbing the silence of the office, Vanir's stylishly quiffed hair popping. He spared a glance at Claude, before focusing on me

"It's lunch time".

Frowning at the time displayed on my computer and found he was correct, "What makes you think I'll have lunch with you?"

"It's lunch slash briefing", he answered, entering the office like he owned the damn place. I looked to Claude for a reaction, finding him alert and staring too hard at his computer.

"We can do the briefing in your office, no need for lunch", I countered, hoping Claude would butt in, in my favour.

"I don't have an office and you haven't eaten", Vanir shrugged, "Two birds, one stone". Turning to Claude, he asked, smiling, "Don't you agree?"

"100 percent", Claude replied, his eyes unmoving. And I had to pick my mouth from the floor

"Really? You'll throw me out to the wolves just like that?", I demanded.

Claude finally looked up from his computer at me, smirking, "If the wolves feed you, I see no problem".

Vanir grinned wickedly, "He concurs. Let's go darling", he said, straightening from his leaning position on my desk, his body lithe and graceful. I'm fucked.

I seethed, the air in the room being sucked out by the two pompous assholes in the room, "I'm not going anywhere with you. I'm sure you can find one or two ladies to stroke your ego at your lunch while you send me the briefing over mail", I finalized, dismissing him and facing my computer, staring at the glowing screen. I heard Claude snicker, and I felt Vanir's smug grin as he left, his ego not bruised in the slightest.

-------

Working till late on an empty stomach because I couldn't stand smug people and temptations, my head pounded like a bass drum as I made my way out of Laurent's Inc. to the subway station.

Barely feeling my legs as I walked, the consequences of my stubborness weighing on me, my mind already at home as I narrowly missed walking into a sleek red Audi that had stopped in front of me.

Claude got out and walked to me, opening the front passenger door, "Get in".

His impasive face propelling me to follow his orders. I buckled my seatbelt and we drove off.

"Were you waiting for me?", I asked as he sped down the road,

"No", he replied, oh so cheerfully, after taking a turn into the street that was home to the exclusive restaurants of Moon City.

Coming to a stop in front of The Maguire, he ordered me again to get out and I did immediately. Throwing his key to an eager valet, he ushered me inside the elegantly decorated restaurant, leading me to an already reserved space.

"Why was the space already reserved?", I inquired, my brows spiking to my hairline.

"That's because I reserved it", Claude answered, plainly as he pulled out a chair for me, making sure I was sitted properly before taking his sit. Like the perfect gentlemen.

"A date?", I asked, curiosity getting the best of me, again.

"I don't need to have a date before I eat fancy", Claude bit out, placing an order for a wine that I had never heard before.

"Mhmm", I hummed and went back to staring at the beautiful interior of the restaurant, the lights a glimmering backdrop on the fancy chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

"Why haven't you eaten?", Claude asked, after the waiter had delivered the wine and gone away with our food orders,his eyes spearing into me.

"I haven't had the chance", I replied, taking a sip from the wine and biting back a moan. What was this stuff?

"You had the perfect chance this afternoon", Claude countered, his fingers playing with the stem of his wine glass.

"I don't eat with partners", I lied with a straight face. Cringing inwardly at the obvious lie.

Claude's left brow lifted, clearly sensing my lie. Damn vampire traits. "You eat with Lanie, all the time", he prodded, calling on my bluff.

"Lanie's not a partner", I countered. "She's my friend".

"Me then. You are eating with me".

"That's because you ordered me to", I quipped.

The waiter came back a minute later, our food on a silver platter, the steam coming from the tray making me salivate.

The young man placed my order of salmon and sweet potatoes in front of me, reciprocating for Claude's order. I beamed, inhaling the scent wafting in the air, the scent of food about to go into my stomach.

I took a bite and swallowed my moan along with the food, the flavours worth the long wait. I had almost cleared my plate before Claude spoke again,

"Things are becoming dangerous, another vampire revolution is being threatened, and now with the bot's thing. It's not safe to be going home late anymore".

"Awww he cares", I retorted, "I have a taser and a Glock 42 in my purse", bluffing about the Glock.

Eyes shimmering with laughter, Claude countered, calling on my bluff again, "I doubt you know how to even use a gun talk less of carrying one".

"You don't know what I'm capable of", I humphed petulantly, finishing the wine in my glass and observing the class of people in the restaurant, when someone caught my eye. Someone who was walking towards our table, ethreal and six four inches of glorious man muscle. Vanir.

"I thought I would join you", He voiced on reaching our table, his mouth molding into a smug smile.

"We're leaving, so you thought wrong", I said on the contrary, looking at Claude to confirm my statement.

Vanir dragged a chair from an empty table and mounted by my side, sitting when Claude didn't confirm my claims.

I glared at the man in question before turning to Vanir, my voice coming out in a whisper "You can't do that here".

"Who says I can't", Vanir replied, raising his hand to flag down a stand by waiter. The waiter appeared with the speed of light, looking white as sheets, "May I take your order, sire?"

"First of", Vanir began, "Is there a problem with my doing this?" When the waiter shook his head in the negative, he continued, "I'll like a Meux Chateau 1949".

The waiter visibly trembled, "We're out of vintage, sire"

Vanir inclined his head, as I watched the play of conversation, enraptured, "Out of vintage wine? A fine establishment such as this, out of vintage wine?".

The waiter, who looked like he was already dead and buried kept mute at his onslaught.

"I'll just have a glass of water then" and the waiter left.

"Must you be so condescending?"

"Must you be so fiery?", He fired back with a sarcastic grin, and added "I like it though".

Irked, I asked, "Why are you here?"

"Are you stalking me?"

"No, darling, I have a date", Vanir replied, rolling his eyes at me.

Claude cleared his throat, his eyes laughing as he watched us banter like two small children.

Unable to stay a second longer, I stood up to leave when Vanir commanded in an icy whisper,

"Sit back down now". The order froze me at the spot, as if the words had wound round my bones and stopped all form of movement. I sat back down and stared him off

Vanir sipped his water, before saying "we have a job to do, don't we?"

"Finally", I muttered, facing him, bringing my notepad out from my purse as Claude excused himself out of the table to answer a call.

Vanir faced the direction of the door, his eyes perusing every person ushered in, as if searching for someone.

"Watching for your date?", I jibed, inwardly boiling.

Vanir turned to me, licking his lips as he grinned and replied before turning back to the door, "Yes I am".

When a stubby, potbellied aged man walked in to the restaurant, the waiters crowding around him as he and his escorts were taken into the VIP section of the restaurant,

Vanir signaled for the waiter, who came immediately,

"We'll like to be upgraded to the VIP section".

"Sure this way, sir", the waiter responded and led us to the VIP section, the lights dim and the area cut off from the restaurants.

Eyes wide with confusion and curiosity, "I whispered, when we were finally sitted, two tables down the opposite direction of the old man, "What is going on? What are we doing?"

"Our job", Vanir replied, tersely, ordering a bottle of champagne from the waiter.

"And what's our job?", I hissed, hating being kept in the dark.

"We're spying", Vanir answered, pointing in the direction of the old man with an incline of his head, explaining, "Andrew Carlos, Senate Councilor on the Human side of the Council, and an active protestor during the Human Protest on newly made violence, claiming that the newly made killed his wife and only daughter". When he finished, he stared into my eyes as I processed the information, he asked "What do you see?"

"A motive", I stated, my eyes glancing obscurely at the man under surveillance, "How did you know he was going to be here?"

"I have my ways", Vanir replied smugly, putting his finger to his lips to be quiet as another man joined the man under our watch, garbed in all black from head to toe with shades covering his eyes.

"They are about to make a deal", Vanir revealed, after a while of eavesdropping on their conversation, "Something is about to be bought".

"Do you think it's the bots?", I inquired

"I don't know, they're talking in codes. So obviously it should be something illegal like it".

The shades man stood abruptly and stormed off, leaving the old man confused and livid.

"It's time to go, darling", Vanir said, hoisting me up from my seat opposite him, his speed mind boggling. I hadn't even known when he had stood.

We rushed out to find the front lot empty of the man we had been chasing

"He was on to us. Fuckk", Vanir said, his frustration tensing the air.

I stared in dismay at the dwindling busy street, the man nowhere in sight.

Vanir began walking towards the parking lot by the side of the restaurant, to a black, unlicensed Audi, the car unlocking with a thump.

"I really hope we're not carjacking", I queried.

"No, we're not darling, get in" he laughed, slipping into the car. Looking back at the restaurant, i inquired, "What of Claude?"

"Get in", he said again, increasing the intensity behind the order.

"I'm not leaving without Claude", I snapped, and Vanir appeared in front of me in a split second.

"Claude left ages ago", he divulged, opening the front door for me and gesturing for me to get in.

"That's not possible"

"For fuck's sake, you can call him if you like, just get in".

I slipped into the car reluctantly, the leather seat smooth against my skin. Vanir rounded the car and got in before taking off.

"Are you trying to kill me?", I exclaimed as he drove like the maniac he was.

"Can't do that, I need you, don't I", the words coming out husky from his mouth, doing things to my body. Why had I agreed to do this?

"Where are we going?", I asked, my eyes on the round as he turned into a familiar street.

"Your house", he replied like I was stupid.

"What?", I shrieked, "How do you know where I live?"

"I guessed", he shrugged, the obvious lie tainting the atmosphere.

"You guessed? You can't just guess where someone lives", I answered incredulously, "You're a stalker".

"I'm not", Vanir countered, bringing the car to a stop two houses before mine, the scent chocolate filling the air as he turned to look at me, his eyes glazing.

"What are you doing", I asked suspiciously, my nerves strung up

"What do you want me to do?", The question coming out huskily, his velvet voice caressing me. I stared at his mouth, paralyzed, wondering what it would feel like and Vanir growled, "Don't look at me like that".

"Like what", I whispered, the air charging with sexual tension and chocolate.

"Like you want to be thoroughly kissed, like you want my tongue buried deep in your throat, like you want my hands squeezing and tormenting your breast", my breath hitched, imagining and imagining, he continued, his hands cupping my cheeks, "Like you want my tongue lapping at your juices. Like you want to be fucked till you can't think no more. Don't look at me like that", He said, his voice strained, his thumb shaping my lips as I breathed out in pants, my body on fire.

"Or I would fulfill those wants and dirty thoughts", he leaned and whispered, his teeth nipping at my ear and sending shock waves down my spine.

I got out of the car and walked to my house on trembling legs feeling his eyes on me the whole way down, my nipples like pebbles against my bra. I slept well that night after getting myself off on night sky eyes and dirty words.