Adelaide finds herself without a home and without hope, until a mysterious stranger stops to help her.
Jean-Luc is drawn to Adelaide. Even though he hasn’t been human in a long time, he feels human emotions for her. Welcoming her into his home, and into his bed, he determines to keep her forever.
When Adelaide discovers he’s a vampire, will it make a difference to her? And what will happen if her parents ever find out?
*NOTE: this is a 6000 word short story, no cheating, no cliffhanger, guaranteed HEA. Previously released as a “hot flash” under the same title and author.
The December air bit into Adelaide, chilling her to the bone. She’d been tossed out of her home and had nowhere to go. Roaming the streets without so much as a coat, she looked for a doorway that might shelter her from the wind.
Entering Washington Square Park, she hoped to find shelter among the trees. When that failed, she curled up on a park bench and hoped she didn’t freeze to death. It wasn’t customary for New Orleans to be so frigid, but a cold front had moved into the area. The weatherman had said it might even snow, an oddity in the crescent city.
She closed her eyes and thought of the warmth of her bed. At nineteen, it wasn’t unreasonable for her parents to think she should be more independent, especially having attended Cathedral Academy for her high school years, the best private school in the French Quarter. She’d been accepted to several colleges, including Tulane, but none of them had felt right. Now she wished she’d just selected one. It would have made her parents happy and she wouldn’t be freezing to death right now.
Sleep overtook her and slipped into nightmarish dreams. Shivering in the cold, she was oblivious to the man standing in the darkness, watching her.
***
Once he was certain the young woman was asleep, Jean-Luc crept up on her. He knew if left out in the elements she would surely freeze to death, and while it wasn’t his concern, he felt compelled to help her. Not having cared what happened to a human in over a hundred years, he was uncomfortable acknowledging the power this slip of a girl had over him. Logic told him to leave her, but his un-beating heart wouldn’t be ignored. It seemed as if she had cast a spell on him, which he knew to be ridiculous since she didn’t know he existed.
Lifting her into his arms, he walked down Frenchman to Royal and headed toward his home, a large mint green Victorian near Esplanade. Even without lights on, he could see well enough to unlock the door. Being a vampire had its privileges.
Pushing open the door, he entered the large house and kicked the door shut behind him. Taking the steps two at a time to the second floor, he entered his bedroom. Candles burned on candelabras, shadows danced on the walls. A fire burned in the fireplace, keeping the room toasty. While he no longer felt the cold, the fire reminded him of his human life.
Jean-Luc studied the small Creole, and gently began removing her clothes. He went to the armoire and pulled out one of his black button down shirts. Lifting her, he dressed her quickly, hoping to get her warm.
He pulled the covers over her and brushed a tendril of dark hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. He wondered who she was and how she came to be out in the cold. Judging by her clothes, she wasn’t from the poor side of town. It seemed obvious she belonged tucked away in some grand house, warm in her bed. He loved puzzles and determined to solve this one.
Stripping out of his clothes, Jean-Luc climbed under the covers and pulled her into his arms, her soft body immediately curled into him. As his cock rose, tenting the covers, he groaned in frustration. The delectable morsel lying next to him guaranteed he would be miserable until morning.
Jean-Luc made sure to avoid sunlight during the day, but despite the belief that vampires had to sleep during the day, he usually spent his time reading. He could even consume liquids, but they weren’t filling like blood.
Her heart pumping blood into her veins made his teeth ache. He wanted nothing more than to bury his cock in her pussy, feeling her surround him as he plunged his teeth into her neck, drinking the sweet nectar that filled her luscious body.
With a sigh, he watched her sleep, instantly becoming alert when she moved and her lashes fluttered.
{"id":"1","mode":"form","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/harleywylde.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/harleywylde.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":100,"top_media_type":"featured_image","featured_image_url":"https:\/\/harleywylde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/BookBrushImage-2022-10-14-20-446-200x200.jpg","featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"International Bestselling Author Harley Wylde","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"International Bestselling Author Harley Wylde","form_subtitle":null,"currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you so much! You're support means a lot to me :)","payment_confirmation_title":"International Bestselling Author Harley Wylde","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
