I was confused. “But you took me to A Feast.”
His hand squeezed my thigh. “To see, to watch, to experience, to be with me amongst my own, not to participate.”
My head turned to look at him. “You were never going to feed?”
He glanced at me briefly then back to the road before he stated implacably, “Never.”
This caused me to feel an extreme sense of relief.
Then I felt an extreme sense of fear that I felt so relieved.
Then I felt the extreme desire to cover his hand with mine.
Then I mentally kicked myself.
Shortly after, the sleek, high-performance sports car eating the miles serenely beneath me, I fell asleep.
Chapter Nine
The Lesson
I woke for the first time since I’d been in my new bedroom knowing exactly where I was.
But something wasn’t right.
I opened my eyes and saw the big, wide bed empty in front of me.
Lucien wasn’t there.
Elation and disappointment crashed against each other and they caused a very strange sensation that I didn’t like one bit.
Then my mind traveled back to the night before.
I thought about The Feast and all I’d seen.
Then I thought about Lucien’s behavior and the conflicting emotions it made me feel. Most specifically that I liked being out with him. It wasn’t what I’d call a fun date but it was interesting and being on his arm was weirdly thrilling. He acted a complete gentleman (well, mostly) and I hadn’t had that in a long time (as in, never). Not to mention his possessive-protective streak, which made me feel safe and if that wasn’t enough to screw with my head, nothing was.
Lastly, I thought about falling asleep in the car after Lucien assured me he was the kind of vamp who didn’t…
I went solid and then whipped up the bedclothes and stared at my semi-naked body before pulling the covers back down.
I was wearing nothing but a pair of black, lace panties. I fell asleep in the car and that damn vampire carried me upstairs, took off my clothes and put me to bed.
In all that he’d done, and there was a lot that he’d done, taking off my clothes while I was asleep seemed like the worst (well, at that moment it did).
Only I was allowed to show my body to who I wanted to show it to when I was in the mood to show it.
Okay, so it could be argued that he’d had his tongue in my mouth (more than once), and his hand in my pants (again more than once), and he’d sucked my blood (also more than once), and he controlled my mind (way too many times, which meant twice, which was two times too many).
But this was taking it too far.
While my head was preparing to explode, the bedroom door opened and Lucien strode in.
When I saw him, I was so shocked, my fury vanished and I came up on a forearm to get a better look.
He was wearing faded, well-worn jeans and a tight-fitting, long-sleeved white t-shirt.
I’d never seen him in anything but a suit (and his pajamas, of course). And, I’d never seen him in anything but dark colors.
I didn’t think he was the type of guy to wear something as everyday normal as jeans and a tee.
And he looked good in them. No, great.
Even better than the suit.
Phenomenal.
My mouth started watering.
His eyes went lazy and he grinned.
My heart skipped a beat at seeing that look I liked way too damn much about one second before I remembered I hated him and he’d taken my clothes off me the night before.
“You’re awake,” he commented, walking around the bed while I watched him.
I remembered my plan and Obedient Leah kicked in instantly.
The game was afoot.
“Yes,” I answered, clutching the covers to my chest.
He stopped at my side and in a flash he’d plucked me out of the bed, sat on the edge and had me settled in his lap.
Seeing as I still wasn’t used to his incomprehensible speed, not to mention I was mostly naked, this freaked me out.
Luckily, his arms were around me and he was pressing my torso to his chest, hiding my nudity.
“Did you sleep well, pet?” he asked softly in my ear.
I nodded.
His lips went to my neck where he muttered, “Good.”
Then they slid around to my throat.
His mouth felt nice, too nice. So nice, I couldn’t control my tremble.
“I like that,” he muttered against my throat.
“What?”
His lips came to mine, his eyes open and watching me as he answered, “When you tremble in my arms.”
What did you say to that?
I didn’t know so I just mumbled, “Oh.”
I felt his mouth smile against mine.
With him in his gentle mood I was losing my will to play games. My will preferred to throw itself bodily at him and rip his fantastic looking jeans and tee off his equally fantastic looking body and have my way with him.
In an effort at control, I asked, “Did you sleep well?”
His head moved back a couple of inches and one hand came up, fingers sifting through my hair at my temple and back, pulling it away from my face while his eyes watched.
When his fingers had glided the length of my hair down my back, his arm curled around me again and he said, “My first good night’s sleep in the last week.”
This admission surprised me. I couldn’t imagine anything causing the Mighty Lucien to lose sleep.
It surprised me so much my head tilted to the side and I enquired with genuine curiosity, “Why haven’t you been sleeping well?”
His arms grew tighter before he answered, “At first it was anticipation for your Bloodletting. After your initiation, it was concern because the wound wasn’t healing swiftly. Then, my pet, I found it difficult sleeping beside you.”
My heart lurched even though my brain reminded it that it should be rejoicing. Another collision of sensations that wasn’t exactly pleasurable.
“You have difficulty sleeping with me?” My question was a whisper.
His hand slid up my naked back to capture a lock of hair and I felt him start twisting. This felt nice too.
It always did when he did that.
“It’s your scent, Leah. It’s intoxicating.” His mouth came to mine and brushed my lips before he pulled back again, a grin tugging the corners of his mouth as he continued, “Especially when you’re aroused. Your natural scent mixed with the scent of your sex is overpowering.” My body went stiff and his arms gave me a squeeze before he finished, losing the fight with his smile, “In a good way.”
I examined his arrogant, self-satisfied smile while briefly considering karate chopping him on the shoulder.
However, this would probably be as effective as a gnat landing on him.
Instead, I asked solicitously, “Would you prefer if I bathed before going to bed, darling?”
I saw his eyes flash, I wasn’t certain if it was anger or amusement, before his head bent to the side and his mouth was again at my neck.
“Only if I’m bathing with you,” he answered.
Damn. That was a good comeback.
“Whatever you want,” I replied dutifully.
“Mm,” he murmured effectively, so effectively the timbre slid across my skin, making me shiver. “I like that idea. Maybe I’ll only allow you to bathe when you’re with me.”
Oh my God.
Now what had I done?
I had no choice. I had to go with it.
Trying to keep my voice even, I enquired, “Do you want to do that now?”
I felt his tongue touch my neck and that made me shiver too.
Then he said, “Not now. I’m hungry.”
A sudden bolt of electricity slammed between my legs giving me an off the charts happy tingle.
He wanted to feed. And I wanted him to feed. I despised that I did but I also couldn’t deny i
t.
“You’re hungry?”
“Yes,” he said against my neck and then lifted his head to look at me. “Your choice today, Leah, in here or in the kitchen.”
He wanted to feed in the kitchen?
Really?
That was crazy! What if Edwina walked in?
“If we do it in the kitchen, what if Edwina walks in?”
His brows drew together. “She’ll have to be there, unless you intend to cook for me.”
“Cook for you?” I parroted stupidly, finding that idea both intriguing and terrifying.
I mean, I know how to cook. And the idea of cooking for Lucien was kind of nice even though that admission further proved my insanity. But what if I messed it up? This I did a lot, especially when I tried something fancy and I doubted Lucien ate non-fancy food.
And anyway, why were we talking about cooking?
He studied me while these thoughts chased themselves through my head before saying, “You can cook, Leah. You can do what you like. It’s your house, not Edwina’s. Are you saying you want to cook?”
Oh. I got it.
“You’re talking about breakfast,” I breathed in a voice that denoted my mental heel of hand to head slap.
He smiled another arrogant, self-satisfied, now even so far as smug smile before he said, “You thought I wanted to feed.”
“Erm…” I wriggled in his lap then remembered I was mostly naked so getting away from him would expose my upper body and I wasn’t ready for that so I stilled.
His large hands slid to my hips and tensed. “I can’t feed, pet. Not until tonight.”
That was news to me.
“You can’t?”
He shook his head saying, “You aren’t used to me yet.”
This further confused me.
“I’m not?”
The smug smile came back before his face disappeared in my neck again. “We could try.”
Oh my.
“But you’d be weak all day and it’s Saturday. I have plans for you today.”
He had plans for me. Plans that required me not being weak.
I didn’t know if that was good or not.
“Plans?”
One of his hands came up to cup the back of my head and he looked at me again. “First up, another lesson, this time about feeding.”
“Okay,” I breathed trying but not quite achieving the feat of not sounding disappointed.
He grinned.
Damn the vampire!
I tried to look dutiful. It was hard.
He studied my face then burst out laughing while he stood, putting me on my feet.
He began to set me away from him and, panicked at the idea of baring myself, I latched onto his shoulders and pressed my body against his.
His head tilted down to look at me.
“Leah?”
“Close your eyes,” I whispered before I could stop myself
“Pardon?”
“Um…” How to do this and be submissive? “Would you please close your eyes, darling?”
His hands at my waist gave me an impatient squeeze.
“Why?”
“I’m nearly naked,” I explained softly and, I thought, unnecessarily.
His hands gave me another squeeze, this time also pulling me even deeper into his body as his head dipped closer.
“I saw you last night, pet.”
“I know.”
His face came even closer.
“You have a beautiful body, Leah.”
My eyes slid to the side.
“Look at me,” he demanded.
My eyes slid back to his.
“I don’t want you hiding yourself from me,” he ordered.
“Is that an order?” I asked just to confirm.
“Not unless you make it one,” he answered.
What the hell did that mean?
“So, what you’re saying is, you’re not going to close your eyes?”
“No.”
Really, he was a jerk.
He must have read my thoughts or, since he couldn’t do that unless I was speaking to him in my thoughts, he must have read my face.
Therefore he kept talking, “I’d like to understand why this is an issue.”
“I’m naked,” I explained, again unnecessarily.
“And I saw you last night,” he repeated, his tone stating clearly he thought this was unnecessary too.
“It isn’t last night anymore. It’s this morning.”
“And?”
“The sun is shining,” I went on.
“The sun?” he asked
“Yes. And I’m awake,” I continued.
His hands slid around to my back as he murmured, “I see.”
“You see what?”
Instead of answering, he said patiently, “I’ve had my tongue in your mouth.”
“Yes, but –”
“And your blood has filled my mouth.”
“Yes, but –”
“And I’ve had my hand in your pants.”
This was all sounding familiar.
Still.
“Yes, but –”
“And my finger in your –”
“Yes!” I snapped, cutting him off. “But this is different!”
“How?”
“It just is.”
“Explain it to me.”
“I can’t!”
He sighed before stating, “You’re standing mostly naked in my arms. I can feel your skin, smell your scent, touch your hair. You’re pressed against me and you’re saying the thought of me seeing your breasts makes you uncomfortable even though I’ve seen them before?”
That made it sound stupid.
I dropped my eyes and looked at his throat.
“That makes it sound stupid,” I said in a small voice.
“Show yourself to me, Leah.”
My eyes snapped back to his. “What?” I breathed.
“Do it,” he ordered and it was definitely an order. I could see it in the hard set of his jaw and the intensity of his eyes.
I really had to make certain lighter fluid was on Edwina’s grocery list.
Doing my best to be Obedient Leah, I pushed against his arms at my waist to take a step back. He didn’t let me go. He kept his arms around me so I was forced to arch my back.
I looked away the minute his eyes dropped down. It was only a second before I was again pressed against him, his hand in my hair, cupping my head and putting pressure there so my cheek was against his chest.
He bent so he was talking into the hair on top of my head when he spoke again softly, “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
Actually, it wasn’t.
But I’d never give him that.
So instead, in my most obvious, well-behaved voice, I agreed, “No, darling. It wasn’t.”
I felt his body go solid and his hand in my hair twisted before he noted, “You try me, pet.”
Good, I thought.
His hand tugged back, taking my head with it so I was looking up at him.
“You’re lucky I enjoy it.” His voice was a warning.
Great. He enjoyed it.
Boy, I was lucky.
“Put on a robe, meet me downstairs. We’ll have breakfast in the kitchen,” he commanded before he touched his lips to mine and let me go.
I nearly flew to the bathroom and it took all my effort not to slam the door.
“Is there something particular you want for breakfast?” he called through the closed door as I slid on my robe.
“Whatever you want,” I called back and then stuck my tongue out at the door.
“I saw that, Leah.” I heard him say and he didn’t sound like I was trying him anymore. He sounded amused.
I didn’t care if he sounded amused.
My mind and body froze.
“What?” I called between stiff lips.
The door opened, I jumped and Lucien crossed his arms on his chest and leaned against its frame.
“I saw it,”
he repeated.
“But… I thought,” I stammered then breathed, “you can see through doors?”
“No, I can’t see through doors. You were speaking to me.”
“I was gesturing to you.”
He grinned. “Same thing.”
I stayed silent.
This was not good news.
“This new game is fun,” he noted, freaking me way the hell out. “Almost better than the other one.”
I tried innocence. “What game?”
He shook his head, his hand shot out, curled around the back of my neck and he pulled me in so he could kiss the top of my head.
When he let me go he said, “Time for your lesson. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
Without another word, he turned and was gone.
I stared at the still open door of the bedroom.
Then I screamed.
But only in my mind.
And since I was screaming because of Lucien, I really hoped he couldn’t hear.
* * * * *
I took my sweet time doing my morning business and sauntered downstairs to the kitchen.
Edwina was at the stove. Lucien was nowhere to be seen.
“Hey, Edwina,” I called.
“Hello, dear.” Edwina threw a smile over her shoulder. “Did you have fun last night?”
I wrinkled my nose.
She smiled then shook her head, muttering with distaste, “Feasts.”
She turned back to whatever she was doing and I strolled to the coffeepot.
“You want a refresh?” I asked, reaching for her empty mug.
“Please.”
“I’ll take one too, Leah,” Lucien said, striding into the kitchen and I just barely controlled my glare.
“Of course, darling,” I murmured to the cabinet with the coffee mugs, taking two down.
“Black, three sugars,” Lucien continued.
He took three sugars?
It really was too bad that vampires didn’t get diabetes and at that moment I didn’t care how unkind that thought was.
I measured three, gargantuan, heaping teaspoons of sugar into Lucien’s coffee, splashed mine with milk, asked Edwina her preference and then passed them around.
I took my mug and went to sit on one of the stools.
“Lucien’s ordered poached eggs on toast, Leah. What would you like?” Edwina asked.
I avoided looking at Lucien and replied, “I’ll have whatever Lucien’s having.”
I felt Lucien turn to me but I continued to ignore him.