He did the reading thing and gave it back to me. “Yes, I’m immortal.”
Wow!
I was guessing!
My brows shot up.
“Maybe you should –” Edwina started, all of a sudden there, standing behind the couch looking a little worried.
Avery lifted a long knobby knuckled quieting hand and Edwina was silenced.
“What?” I asked and Edwina gave me a look.
I wrote sorry in big block letters on the pad and showed it to her.
Her head tilted to the side. She winked at me and fluttered back to the kitchen.
Avery spoke. “She’s concerned. As you’re in the life, you’re entitled to know about vampire culture. But other cultures are kept from you. They’re secret as the vampire culture is secret from all mortals outside of it. In other words, I can’t tell you what I am.”
My eyes went wide then I wrote on my pad and turned it to show him.
“Yes, Leah, there are other cultures, other kinds of immortals,” he paused then continued, “and other creatures.”
This was news. Seriously nutty, outrageous news.
I wrote on my pad again and showed him. He read it and smiled.
“I trust you to keep my secret, little one.” Only Avery, who was seven foot tall and mammoth, would be able to get away with calling me “little one”.
He went on, “Though, if anyone ever knew I told you, I’d be sentenced to death.”
I felt my eyes bug out in horror and he laughed and continued, “We take our secrets very seriously.”
I wrote no kidding on my pad. He read it and chuckled again.
Then I wrote why?
“Do the words ‘angry villagers’ mean anything to you?” he asked, trying to make it a joke but I didn’t take it as such.
I felt my heart hurt like it did last night when Lucien explained the world he was forced to live in. Not only hiding his magnificence but also being roundly and kind of sickeningly used and misunderstood.
I wrote angrily on my pad again and showed it to Avery. When he read it, his face grew soft, his big hand came out and he tugged a lock of my hair.
Then his gentle eyes looked deep into mine and he whispered, “Not all mortals suck, Leah.”
His words washed over me and I smiled at him. It was shaky, my heart still hurt but I was glad he didn’t blame me for whatever tortures his people endured from my people, either advertently or inadvertently.
The phone rang. Edwina answered it then brought it to me.
“Lucien,” she said and my heart skipped an irritating beat. I took it and put it to my ear.
Then I didn’t know what to do, his command was no talking.
Could I do long distance, mutant vampire abilities, telepathic communication?
“Leah?” he called.
I was silent.
“You can talk, sweetling,” he said softly.
I was relieved. Then I was cross.
“You know, it totally sucks that I have to wait for you to let me speak,” I informed him waspishly.
He chuckled. Damn the vampire!
I ignored the chuckle.
“Did you manage not to get arrested today?” I asked.
More chuckling. But, I noted, no answer.
“For my peace of mind, I’ll take that as a yes. So, did you break any laws?”
“Leah –”
I cut him off with, “Speeding ticket?”
He burst out laughing.
I fumed.
“You’re sounding better,” he commented after his hilarity died down.
“Like I said this morning, I’m fine.”
“You’re fine because you’ve rested your throat all day,” he returned.
He was probably right. That and Edwina’s obsessive administration of throat lozenges. I didn’t share either of these tidbits of knowledge with him.
“I’m on my way home,” he informed me.
“Goodie,” I said with saccharine sweetness but I felt my pulse race.
I ignored my pulse. Lucien ignored my grumpiness.
“Have you eaten?”
“Edwina’s making dinner now.”
“Good. I’ll be home in five minutes.”
“You know,” I said chattily, “you don’t have to call when you’re five minutes from home. We could have had this extremely pressing conversation five minutes from now, when you are home.”
“Yes, my pet, but I worried about you all day and found I couldn’t wait five minutes more to assure myself you were all right.”
That took the bitchiness out of me. Mainly because his words made me feel really, really good.
And that scared me silly or, in this case, it scared me right back to bitchy.
“Stop being so nice,” I snapped.
“Why?” His voice held a burgeoning chuckle.
“Because I don’t know what to do with it,” I replied.
His voice turned velvet. “Tonight, I’ll teach you what to do with it.”
My womb (and parts south) rippled and it felt great.
Moving on!
“See you soon,” I told him.
“Soon, pet,” he replied and then disconnected.
I hit the button to turn off the phone, ignored my still rippling female parts and announced to the room, “Lucien says I can talk and he’ll be home in five minutes.”
Edwina flitted forward, wielding a throat lozenge. “One more, dear, just to be on the safe side.”
I caught Avery’s amused grin as I took it and popped it in my mouth even though I didn’t need it and I didn’t want it. She was concerned. It made her feel better. I wanted her to feel better and, furthermore, I wanted her to be my new Mom so I didn’t want to scare her off with Leah Attitude before she took on the role.
The attitude would come later, the first time she told me to behave myself which would happen, no doubt about it.
Lucien had been wrong. He wasn’t home in five minutes. He was home in four. It was embarrassing to admit but I watched the freaking clock.
To hide the fact that I’d had such a girlie, obsessed with a hottie vampire who was going to join with me that very night thing, I didn’t bother to rise from the beanbag when he came in.
I should have known better.
He hooked the keys on the holder, nodded to Edwina’s greeting, shook hands with Avery and then came direct to my beanbag.
“Yo,” I said, looking up at him.
Mistress Cool.
His mouth twitched. My female parts rippled.
Before I knew it, I was plucked out of the beanbag and found myself in Lucien’s arms. Not like a normal, give your concubine a hug upon arriving home.
No.
He had my legs wrapped around his waist, my arms automatically went around his shoulders to hold on and his hands were at my ass.
His head tilted back to look at me and he murmured, “How was your day, sweetling?”
“I wrote everything I wanted to say on a pad of paper all day,” I answered. “Do you know how annoying that is?”
“Was it that difficult?” he asked, his black eyes dancing with suppressed humor.
It wasn’t.
“Yes,” I answered huffily.
I got another lip twitch, one of his hands left my ass, slid up my back and tangled in my hair.
“Your torture’s over,” he muttered before pressing down on my head so he could kiss me.
Not a normal, because you have company, give your concubine a seemly peck on the lips upon arriving home.
No.
A full on, mouths open, tongues dueling, ravenous, feasting snog.
I was panting when it was done and I’d totally forgotten Avery and Edwina existed much less they were in the room.
I’d like to take you upstairs right now, his mind told mine and his voice sounded deliciously hungry in my head.
One could say, at that precise moment, I’d like that too.
I decided not to speak.
&
nbsp; Then he asked, his voice in my head sounding both sweetly intimate and even more sweetly teasing, Throat lozenges?
I couldn’t help it and I didn’t know why I couldn’t but I giggled.
Edwina, I answered. All day. I’ve had six hundred of them at least.
His eyes were on my mouth, his mouth was grinning.
Ah, he murmured in understanding.
Avery cleared his throat. “I think we’re missing something.”
I looked at Avery then at Lucien before I pushed against his shoulders and placed the blame squarely and publically on him.
“You’re being rude.”
His brows went up but he dropped me to my feet and curled me into his side with an arm around my shoulders.
“You’re staying for dinner?” Lucien asked Avery and I marveled that even a courteous invitation from Lucien sounded like a command.
“Leave now and miss Edwina’s cooking? I’d rather…” Avery started, I tensed and Lucien’s and Avery’s heads snapped toward the front door.
“Company,” Avery muttered.
Reflexively, my hand lifted, fingers fisting in Lucien’s shirt at his stomach as I looked up at him.
This was wussy behavior, I knew, but we hadn’t had a lot of luck with the front door. Usually, someone at my front door meant a call to the handyman.
Lucien’s head was cocked and I knew he was listening.
Then he mumbled, “Fucking hell.”
“What?” I asked.
His eyes caught mine. Then he said, “Buchanans.”
He said this right before there was an imperative and constant knocking at the door, confirming Lucien’s words.
Only Aunt Kate could knock on a door like that. It was her signature. Even when she was coming over for a cup of coffee and a gab, she eschewed doorbells and knocked on the door like she was Queen of the World and how dare the lowly commoner inside not anticipate her arrival, sweep open the door and throw rose petals at her feet.
“Aunt Kate,” I whispered.
“Kate,” Lucien agreed.
“Oh dear, oh dear,” Edwina fretted as she fluttered toward the hall. “How many are there? I don’t know if we have enough food.”
Avery followed Edwina but Lucien curled me into his front.
I looked up at him when he asked, “If it seems your family will interrupt our plans for this evening, if I’m forced to eject them bodily, how would you react?”
He was teasing again. It was frustrated teasing but he still did it really, really well. I was seeing the benefits of having a kind of like boyfriend who was centuries old. He had a lot of good stuff down pat.
“I’ve decided I’m mad at them. They’ve been ignoring me,” I admitted. “But not sure about bodily ejection. Could you, you know, Mighty Vampire Lucien Command them to leave?” I said the words “mighty vampire Lucien” in a fake pompous voice which was why I think Lucien yanked me in his arms and gave me a tight hug as he threw his head back and shouted with laughter.
This was what my family saw when they filed into the room looking uppity and in dire need of a martini.
I decided to glare.
I mean, in my hour of need, they’d ignored me and here they were when my hour of need was beyond me (not exactly, but in a way) and the good parts (one particular one I had in mind) were happening that very night.
“I need a drink,” Aunt Kate announced grandly.
“Leah, honey, are you okay?” Mom asked worriedly.
“Is that roast chicken I smell?” Aunt Millicent enquired, sniffing.
“Ohmigod, I love your blouse!” Aunt Nadia screeched excitedly.
“Well, hello to you too,” I replied to them all. “So, you remember I exist?”
Aunt Kate’s eyes narrowed.
Mom looked guilty.
Aunt Millicent glanced away.
Aunt Nadia bit her lip.
Lucien gave me a shoulder squeeze and murmured, “Leah.”
“Sorry but I was expelled from Vampire Studies and I did happen to find myself living with a vampire and my family does happen to be the premier family of vampire concubines so forgive me for expecting a little guidance and support!” I fired off.
The collective of Buchanan women’s eyes moved to Lucien. Once they did, so did my own. Lucien let me go and shrugged off his suit jacket.
He dropped it on the arm of the couch and suggested, “Perhaps we should all have a drink.”
I didn’t think this was good.
Aunt Kate disagreed. “Capital idea!” she announced.
“Lucien?” I called.
Drink, he said in my head. I’ll explain in a minute.
He’ll explain? What did this have to do with Lucien?
Then it hit me. The aunties visit a month ago when I didn’t get the chance to talk to them.
I was right, this wasn’t good.
I crossed my arms, jutted my hip, threw out a leg and tapped my toe. If any of my past boyfriends saw me in this stance, they would ask no questions. They wouldn’t utter a noise. They would cut and run straight for the hills.
Lucien glanced at me as he headed for the drinks cabinet. When his eyes hit me, they traveled from chest-to-toe then straight to my face. Then I saw him bite back a smile.
Big, fat, vampire jerk!
I immediately changed my mind regarding our later activities. If he thought we were “joining” tonight, he had another think coming.
“I’ll make more stuffing and potatoes and warm up more rolls.” Edwina was fussing in the kitchen. “Maybe whip up a pie.”
I was about to offer my help when I was interrupted.
“You were expelled from Vampire Studies?” Avery asked, his amused stare locked on me.
“I was caught texting, passing notes, throwing spitballs and writing my Last Will and Testament,” I declared.
Avery burst out laughing.
“Spitballs?” Lucien voice came at me from behind.
I turned and saw he had a bottle of vodka in his hand, his brows were up and he didn’t look amused.
“Spitballs,” I snapped rebelliously.
“Oh, can we please not talk about that? It took some palm greasing to get that instructor to keep his mouth shut,” Aunt Kate lamented and sent me her look that since I was four and even now that I was forty never failed to pin me to the spot. “Anyone else learns of this and it’s sure to taint the Buchanan name.”
“I still think it’s kind of funny, Katie,” Aunt Nadia whispered, giving me a wink.
“Um, excuse me, but does anyone want to talk about my daughter nearly dying from a bad dream last night? Anyone? Anyone? Or is it just me?” Mom demanded tetchily.
I stared at Lucien’s back and stated, “I’d prefer to know why my family has been avoiding me for a month.”
Don’t try me, Lucien warned in my head.
Kiss my concubine ass, I returned to his.
He didn’t turn but I saw him shake his head in that way men do when they think women are entirely too ridiculous for words. But, seeing as this was Lucien, he did it far better than any man of my acquaintance and there were lots of men of my acquaintance who would shake their heads like I was too ridiculous for words.
It was then that I saw the drawbacks of having a kind of like boyfriend who was centuries old.
He had a lot of bad stuff down pat, too.
“Leah, I asked you a question when I came into this room.” Mom commanded my attention. “Are you all right?”
I turned to my mother and told her, “I’m fine.”
“What happened?” she asked.
“Oh, not much, except I woke up but my dream wasn’t quite done with me yet. I had the highly disturbing experience of being hanged, literally, but without actually being hanged.”
Every single one of my aunties gasped and even Avery winced.
Lucien’s sharp voice cut cleanly through the horror filling the room.
“Leah, a word.”
Then he handed the martini
shaker to Avery and walked out.
After the last incident that happened when I defied him in front of my aunties, I felt it prudent to follow him. He turned into the study and I followed him there too. He shut the door behind me, grabbed my upper arm and pushed me against it.
I looked up to see he was angry.
He didn’t delay. “You’re mother’s concerned. So concerned she flew across four states to check on you. You just told her something grisly, terrifying and life threatening happened to the daughter she loves like you’d relay the time of day.”
“Please, do not think to tell me how to handle my own mother.” I tried to make it as nice as I could. He might be the Mighty Vampire Lucien everywhere else but he was treading on thin ice if he thought he could get between me and my family.
He crowded me, dropping my arm and putting his hand on the door by my head.
“I see you need to learn respect for more than just me, pet,” he said in a low, dangerous voice, clearly thinking he could get between me and my family.
“You have brothers? Sisters? Cousins?” I shot back and his eyes narrowed.
“What the fuck does that –?”
I cut him off before he could finish, “No? Well then, you don’t understand what it means to be the black sheep in very close-knit family. They love me and I love them, like, a lot, but mostly, except Aunt Nadia, Lana, my cousin Natalie and sometimes my Mom, they put up with me. I didn’t want to come here. They made me. Then they left me to deal with it all by myself with only Edwina, Stephanie and you to help me out. I didn’t know any of you and you I didn’t even like.”
His face lost some of its anger, not all, but there was a hint of concern (and, dare I believe it?) even regret in his eyes.
“I curtailed their communication with you, Leah.”
“I figured that out in there, Lucien,” I informed him with a toss of my head toward the other room. “But do you think, for even a minute, I would listen even to you if my sister Lana needed me? Or Natalie? Or Mom? Or even Aunt Kate? Hunh? Do you?”
His hand left the door and came to my neck. Then his forehead came to rest on mine.
Then he muttered, “Not even a minute.”
“No, not even a minute. I was drowning, Lucien. I called out to them and they gave me no lifeline, just floated on their merry way.”
His other arm slid around me and he pulled me from the door into his warm, big, solid body.