When Andy arrived, they went out for dinner. Nova paid and told Andy to forget about the expense. That she was really sorry about standing him up last night.
"Nova! Really! It's OK. Your friends were here. You had to see them. Besides... you already did something to make me forget all about that. You didn't have to, but that was really fun." Andy smiled in happy remembrance.
"It was. We are doing that again someday." Nova pointed across the street at a little stucco building. "They have a room for rent over there. I am thinking about taking it. Moving out of the hotel. How much more time do you need to work on your Doctorate?"
"Well... to be honest, I need more time than I originally thought. There is so much data to collect and collate, not even counting all the great stuff you gave me. Everything has to be double and triple checked. You would not believe who is on my review committee."
"I'll make you a deal then. This is a no strings attached offer, and it will not hurt my feelings if you say no. I can't be here all the time, but if I take that room, would you live there, with me, when I am here?"
"You want us to move in together?" Andy asked, eyes wide.
"Sort of. As I said, There are many other places I have to be, but I like it here, and I like you, and I like screwing in the men's room, and I want someone to come home to every now and again. You can spread out in the apartment. Won't have to live in that bar. I'll buy you a great big table or desk or whatever."
Andy looked very thoughtful "And...?"
"And nothing. If you decide to do post-doc work here and want to stay here, and with me. Up to you. If you want to move on that's fine too. No strings."
"I want to do it. I do. But it feels like I am going to be a kept man or something!" Andy said.
Nova looked at him "You can leave any time. No strings means no strings. I like you. I want to spend time with you. I hope you like me. I can help you with your work, but I won't be doing your work or anything."
"I like you very much, Nova. I have never met anyone like you." Andy confessed.
"No... No. I am sure you have not. Ok. It's a deal I'll take care of everything tomorrow, and you can move in whenever you like. I only have a couple more days here before I need to go away for a while. Business in the big city. All that."
"You never told me what you do." Andy pointed out.
"No. I didn't. I don't have to do anything, actually. Mom and Dad left me enough money I can screw around my whole life if I want. I work with museums. Consult on early American stuff. It's a good gig. Doesn't pay worth shit, but as I said, I don't need the money."
In fact, Nova owned the building across the street, but that is nothing Andy needed to know about. The current landlord did not know that. Nova did not give herself a break on the rent. Nothing could ever draw attention to herself as being out of the ordinary. The Secret required even small things to make sure it was kept.
Andy undressed Nova slowly, reveling in her smooth skin. He did not know if all women have skin like this, but he loved touching hers. He was encouraged on that point.
"Our last night here." Andy noted.
"We can come back from time to time. Relive early memories." Nova said with a grin.
"That would be nice... like this is nice... You are so nice..."
Nova worried about the pressure and the speed she was using here. No one in her world would approve of this. It's not that it is not done. It is that it always turns out badly. Screw them. She had a life to lead too, and she is not going to endanger anyone with this relationship. Andy has no idea what is going on, who she is, and she is going to keep it that way. She had centuries of practice at this kind of deception.
After their first round of lovemaking, they lay running fingers along each other's bodies. She edged up to put her face near his.
"You seem OK with all this. We are not moving too fast?" Nova asked, concerned.
"No... I'm fine. It all seems right somehow." Andy told her.
"It is. For now." Nova agreed. Happy. For now.
Nova thought about her ancient and unknown sister. Laying there, staring at nothing, her head back, her jaw open. Her fangs descended into clear view. Nova dropped her own hypodermic-like fangs out from behind her lateral incisors and slid them into Andy's neck. He stiffened, and she held him still with her strength so he would not injure himself. Andy relaxed as the hypnotic she injected arrived at his brain.
Her need had now reached the level where she needed to drink as soon as possible, but she also needed to take care of Andy first. She pulled back from his neck and whispered to him.
"Andy?"
"Yes?"
"We will more than likely never be in love. We will care about each other a great deal. We are both OK with being together because we respect each other and we enjoy each other." Nova was going to be sure no one on the Council had anything to say about her taking on a long-term human lover. She is due some happiness, damn it.
"Of course. I care about you. You are amazing." he said in sleepy tones
"When there are times, like tonight, that I bite your neck. You won't remember any of it. You'll only recall the sex. How good it is. How much you love to make love with me."
"I do love to make love with you. So much..." Came the sleepy reply.
"Good. I am going to drink now. Afterward, you will be ready to make love. You and I will take our time and make love slowly and completely. Whenever you see my fangs and I drink, all you will recall is wanting to make love with me after I drink. Wanting it to be good, for both of us. Do you understand?"
"I understand. I want to make love with you now. I want it to be good for you."
He did want her now, however, she needed to drink. The smell and taste of his blood raging in primitive places of her brain. Andy tasted as good as she hoped he would. He is healthy. He is happy and a happy man always tastes better. When she was done lightly sucking out the blood she needed to put her compulsion down for another month, she licked the tiny wounds. They oozed and stopped as the healing factor in her fangs went to work.
"Andy? I am done. You are wonderful and you gave me what I needed. Thank you. Now I need you to love me. Make love with me."
Andy came back to himself and rolled on top of her gently. He remembered nothing about her sucking at his neck other than he felt the need for her and knew somehow that she is ready and that her need for him is the same as his for her.
Vampire hypnotics work even better when it is something the person wants, and Andy wanted to make love to Nova. He liked her and he very much enjoyed their love life. He wanted her joy. His whole mind and body were bent on that goal. He had never met anyone like her. A woman that knew what she wanted and who told him how to please her.
Nova told herself she is not using him. She would give Andy as good as she got, and when the time came for her to leave him, she would leave behind someone that would be a gift to the next human woman in his life. She would apply her hypnotics one last time to make sure that all he had were memories of the good times, and the confidence to find himself a human love.
She was in no hurry for that day to come.