Tristen leaned toward to her. Simon felt a twist of jealousy in his stomach when her eyes lit up as his face moved closer to hers.
“I am Vivian Bellarose. It is a pleasure to meet you,” she crooned, the sultry notes of her voice rising along with her hand that reached out and touched his cheek. “So this face is yours?”
“Every inch of it.” Tristen grinned until Simon thought he might purr like a cat underneath Vivian’s exquisite touch.
“Why anyone with features like yours would want to hide them is a mystery to me,” she said, her fingers tracing his square jaw. Simon caught the growl brewing in his chest before it rumbled out of his twitching lips. “Tell me. Is there some kind of requirement that everyone in your organization be implausibly attractive? You, Viktor, John, Charlie... I’m seeing a pattern here.”
“Did you hear that, Simon? She thinks I’m attractive,” Tristen said. He leaned a little closer to her. She held her ground and continued her examination of his face. “If beauty is a requirement to join our organization, then I believe you would find yourself at the top.”
He kissed the back of her hand. She fluttered her eyelashes and tipped her head. Simon nearly choked on his groan.
“I believe I’m also included in that organization, so it seems Vivian here finds me attractive as well,” Simon said, puffing his chest and raising his chin.
Vivian let her eyes drift to his. A peaked eyebrow was her only response before her attentions returned to Tristen. “It’s intriguing. You’re masculine without question, yet there is a softness to your features, an almost feminine beauty. It’s remarkable. I can see how you could pass off as a woman. With those eyes, makeup and a wig, you would make a stunning courtesan. I can see why Simon wanted to bed you.”
Simon choked on his beer and shot forward in his seat.
Tristen turned his smile to Simon. “I almost forgot about that! I really had you going there! I wonder how far I could have taken things?”
“I would have figured it out.” Simon coughed and tried to clear the ale that had entered his lungs.
Vivian withdrew her touch and sat back in her chair. “Nothing to be ashamed of, Simon. I really can see how he would make a tantalizing whore.”
“She thinks I’m attractive as both a man and a woman, Simon. I think that puts me in the lead. I wonder which version of me she would like to bed. Vivian, which would you prefer?”
Simon narrowed his eyes. Tristen may be teasing, but the thought of Vivian wrapped in his arms took the dull ache of jealousy that had been building in the pit of his stomach and turned it into a sharp stab. “All right, enough. We have serious business to attend to.”
Vivian raised her brow. The sharpness of his tone had not gone unnoticed.
The server arrived and set the three ales on the table. Tristen pulled out several coins from his pouch and placed them in her hand. “Thank you. Keep the change.”
“Thank you,” she replied and headed back to the bar.
“Now, where were we?” he asked, pushing the two ales to rest in front of Vivian and Simon, grabbing the last one as his own. He took a long swig of his ale and set it down on the wooden table with a satisfied sigh.
“We were finding out if you have located the map,” Simon said, the tension easing from his voice now that his attention was off Vivian.
“Ah, yes. The map. I have, of course, located it. It’s been procured by a Baron Walcott. He has an estate here in Liverpool. He collects artifacts and history pieces and keeps them in a large display room in his mansion.”
“Then we need to gain access,” Simon said. “Is it heavily guarded?”
Tristen nodded. “Extremely well-guarded. He knows the value of his pieces and pays a hefty sum to keep them under lock and key in his treasure room that’s guarded day and night.”
“What is the best point of access? Do you have a layout of his estate?”
“Luckily for the two of you, he is hosting a ball at the end of the week. I will secure you invitations. The rest will be up to you.”
“Aren’t you a man of many talents,” Vivian said.
“I have many, many talents.” Dimples formed deeper in Tristen’s cheeks when he smiled.
Vivian’s return giggle caused Simon’s hand to tighten around his mug, threatening to shatter it to splinters. For days they traveled together and he barely got a kind word or a smile. He had battled for her, even risked his life, and yet the only flicker of warmth and light he saw in her was the quiet moment they’d shared in the field. Sure, she had been slightly more pleasant since that moment, but the flirtation and kindness shown to Tristen after just meeting him caused Simon’s teeth to clench.
“Tristen,” Simon growled through his teeth. “When can we expect our invitations?”
“I’ll have them here within two days, along with some appropriate clothing to help you blend in.”
“Good. Then I believe we are finished here,” Simon said, his angry undertones floating just beneath the surface.
“Already? I just—”
Tristen finally noticed the intensity in Simon’s stare. A quiet understanding resonated in his aqua eyes. “You know what, Simon? You’re right. I do have much to attend to secure your invitations and clothing. Simon, are you the same size?”
“I haven’t gained a pound.”
“Good. Vivian? Any specific color you would like?”
“Whatever you think I’ll look stunning in,” she said with a smile.
“Vivian, you would look stunning in—” Tristen caught the look washing over Simon’s face and halted himself. “I’ll find you something perfect. It was a pleasure to meet you. Simon, I’ll be in touch.”
Tristen slammed back his ale and pushed up from his chair. Simon gave him a nod and watched him make his way through the crowd and disappear out into the dark Liverpool night.
“What an intriguing fellow,” she said, watching the door swing after his exit.
“That he is,” Simon blew out a puff of air. Normally he was always a little disappointed to see Tristen go. Today he couldn’t be more relieved to be rid of him... and the temptations he dangled in front of Vivian.
Why do I even care? She doesn’t belong to me and she never will.
Simon let out an internal sigh. The growing feelings he harbored for the woman defied understanding. She was rude, arrogant, and even cruel. Yet, her constant battering of verbal assaults and the wall she built around herself somehow only deepened his interest, sparking the internal war now raging within him. Women had a habit of throwing themselves at him, yet this one seemed impervious to his charms. How Viktor ever stormed past her defenses remained a mystery he hoped someday he could solve.
“Now what?” she asked, the coldness in her voice returning.
“Now we rest. Tomorrow we train.”
“Train?”
“Yes. You fought well, but you have much to learn. We have several days to wait so we should make use of our time. Tomorrow we rise and I will take you out to learn some new skills. Hopefully, they will keep you safe while we hunt down the map.”
“I thought that was your job?” She raised a brow.
“Consider it an insurance package should I become detained.”
“I suppose it can’t hurt, though you won’t be as good a teacher as Viktor, I’m sure.” She shrugged and took another sip of her ale.
Simon rolled his eyes. “Your precious Viktor isn’t here. I am. Now, would you like me to build on the skills he taught you, or would you prefer to be useless should we get into a real fight?”
Vivian pursed her lips. “I was hardly useless the other day.”
“You were lucky. Yes, you had some skill, but had he been as good a fighter as the four I was up against, you wouldn’t be here today. Now... will you let me train you?”
She huffed and finished with a quick nod. “Fine. I’ll meet you down here tomorrow.”
“What time?”
“When I wake.”
“
What time is that?”
“When I bloody feel like it,” she jeered. “Goodnight, Simon.”
With a wink, she pushed up from the table and walked through the crowd to the stairs leading to their separate rooms above. A sharp pull of air sucked through his teeth. Perhaps he should have stayed firm on his eighty percent take of the treasure... the extra thirty percent could be considered hazard pay for surviving her well-placed jabs. He chuckled to himself when she disappeared from sight. As much as he claimed to dislike her sharp tongue, his desire for her raged like an exploding inferno inside him.
“AGAIN!” SIMON SHOUTED at her across the small clearing in the woods. Beads of sweat gathered on Vivian’s brow, each one clinging to her skin, growing in size before releasing its grip and chasing the trail the others left in their wake.
“Heeya!” she shouted, plunging her sword into the straw dummy strapped to a pole.
“Position two!”
She jumped back, lowering her body, ready to pounce. Her sword arm rose above her head and hovered there awaiting his next command.
She was a quick study. Her talents and muscle memory were astounding for someone not properly trained. Without a doubt, with more training and time, she really could give Charlie a run for her money. Time, however, was not on their side. After three days of training, Tristen would be returning soon and the party was tomorrow. This would be their last day and he intended to make it count.
“Position five!” he commanded.
She leapt up and lunged forward.
“Keep your sword arm straight! Gain your footing and then lunge. You have no power without your footing! Rushing that move can be lethal for them if you do it right, fatal for you if you do it wrong! Do it again!”
Vivian tossed her sword on the ground. “I’m done!” She folded forward and gasped for breath, placing her hands on her knees.
Simon strode into the circle. “We’re not done. You have more to learn.”
She laughed between heaves of breath. “Oh, I’m done. I’m exhausted. Everything hurts. You’re an arsehole and this is over.”
“An arsehole? How is spending my time and offering my expertise to help you better protect yourself warrant me being labeled an arsehole?”
“You’re yelling at me.”
“I’m not yelling... I’m teaching.”
She pushed up off her knees and rose to meet his stare. “Your teaching sure sounds a hell of a lot like yelling!”
Simon glared back. “Would you rather I whispered little pleadings instead? ‘Please, Vivian. Will you please go into position five? Pretty please?’ Your opponent certainly won’t. I never thought you would be the sensitive type.”
She propped her hands on her hips. “That isn’t what I meant. And I’m not sensitive.”
Simon snorted. “I’d beg to differ.”
Her nostrils flared along with the fire in her eyes. The fury raging just beneath their surface burned hot and ignited the feelings for her he struggled to ignore.
“I’m not sensitive. And we are done.” Vivian spun on her heel and started toward the woods leading to the inn.
“Fight me,” he called after her.
She stopped dead in her tracks. A slow turn brought her to face him. “What?”
Simon pulled a wooden training stick from the pile on the ground. “If your training is finished, then prove it. Fight me.”
“I will do nothing of the sort,” she huffed.
“Because you know you aren’t ready. We have more training to do.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m ready. I can handle myself fine.”
“Then prove it.”
“Will you shut up if I do?”
“All you need to do is land a blow anywhere on my person and we’ll consider it a win.”
“Just one blow?” she scoffed. “Easy.”
Simon grinned and tossed her a stick. She snatched it from the air and started back into the circle. Her black hair flew out behind her as she twirled about. A single beam of light broke through the trees and illuminated her dark locks, a white light resonating off her waves like the moon reflecting off the darkness of the sea on the blackest of nights. She twirled again, landing in a defensive position with a smile to taunt him forward.
“Are you ready?” he asked, raising his own stick.
“I was born ready,” she taunted.
Simon took a single step to the side. She countered and followed along with him. He intended to exploit her main weakness, impulsivity, so he knew her patience would wear out soon and she would lunge at him. Before he could finish the thought she flew at him like a wild cat, her stick slicing through the air. He tapped it away like a pesky fly and side stepped her advance. The rage flashed in her eyes as she stumbled past him.
He roared with laughter. “Is that it? That is what you’re bragging about? Come on, Vivian. I taught you better than this. You may not be good yet, but you shouldn’t be terrible either!”
“I’m not terrible!” She regained her footing and lunged forward. He avoided her advance and tapped her on her bottom as she flew by.
“Seriously?” she shouted, glancing back at her rear.
Joy at her failure oozed from his every pore. It was about time Vivian Bellarose got taken down a notch or two. His enjoyment only fueled her fire and fanned the flames that threatened to burst from within her. She charged him again.
Simon easily evaded her, her momentum too powerful to allow her to stop. He caught her with an arm and swept her legs out from underneath her with a swift kick. Her eyes flashed white just before her back collided with the ground. Before she could blink, Simon sat straddled above her, his stick pressing to her throat, his lips hovering just above hers.
“See? You have much to learn.” A superior smile lifted his lips.
Quick pants were her only response. Defeat snuffed out the fire in her eyes. “Fine. I’ll train more.”
The sweetness of her breath and the smell of her hair invaded his nostrils. “Vivian. I’m doing this for you. I’m doing this to keep you safe. I’m not trying to torture you or anger you. I’m sorry that you mistook my intentions.”
Her breathing slowed. The anger in her eyes faded. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ll try harder. Thank you, Simon.”
There! For just a moment the shield surrounding her cracked. It flickered and faded, dissolving into a mist that revealed the real Vivian lying unarmed below him. Vulnerable, beautiful, passionate... she was all these things when she let her guard down. He could see her now... the same soft Vivian that revealed herself only beneath Viktor’s gaze. Her eyes bore into him, an intensity trapped beneath the swirling emerald hues. At this distance, he could see the flecks of amber, like tiny trees dotting the lush green meadows trapped inside her eyes.
Black lashes fluttered, her eyes glancing to his lips. His gaze fell to the lush red lips parted beneath him. The promises of pleasure they made beckoned to him and pulled him forward. The tension that had been suspended between them since meeting threatened to tear while his slow descent closed the distance. His heart hammered against his chest as he let her draw him in.
“Wait,” she breathed, his lips paused, ghosting above hers.
Agony gripped him, the torture of being so close and yet so far away ripped at his groin and stabbed at his soul. Just one breath and he could touch them, capture them as his own.
“No kissing,” she whispered. “I don’t kiss. It’s a rule. I’ll only charge you half, though.”
Simon felt like a club pounded him in the gut. “What?” He pulled up. The shield snapped back into place, Vivian disappearing behind it. The softness behind her eyes vanished and in its place returned the cold, calculating gaze.
“I don’t kiss men. It’s just not something I do.” She propped herself up on her elbows. “I will make an exception, though, since you are protecting me, and only charge you half price for sex. Consider it a great honor.”
Simon sat back on his heels. The breath refused to retu
rn to his lungs. It had been there... desire, passion, lust... all of it radiated from her eyes. He was certain of it. Then just like that, it was gone, ripped away from his grasp and stuffed back into the darkness she wrapped around herself.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he scoffed. “I thought...”
“You thought what? That I would tupp you for free? Not likely.”
He shook his head. Perhaps he had been mistaken. Perhaps the woman he thought he saw was only a mirage, and not the true woman inside. Hurt and anger collided within him.
“I thought... never mind,” he growled and pushed himself to his feet. “You’re right. Your training is complete. I will see you back at the inn.”
He tossed his stick down and stormed back toward the inn, leaving her lying on the ground. Being played for a fool was not a regular occurrence for him and it stung deeper than he cared to admit, even to himself. It was time to push his feelings for her deep down inside, just like she had done with the emotions he was no longer sure she ever had. Now it was only about the money.
CHAPTER SIX
THE PORCH SWING OF the inn creaked in rhythm to Vivian’s swinging. Warmth caressed her face with the rays of the afternoon sun beating down on her skin. The sweet smell of the summer fields drowned out the competing scents from the nearby city. Serenity soothed the anticipation of waiting for Tristen to return with clothes and invitations for tonight’s party.
A mule pulling a small, battered wagon moseyed up the dirt drive to the front of the inn and stumbled to a halt. She watched the old man grip his cane and guide himself down to the ground with a moan. Feeble steps took him to the back of the wagon where he slid a box from the worn wooden boards into his arms. His struggle to use his cane while carrying the box caused Vivian to hop off the swing and scurry to his side.
“Can I help you, sir?” she asked, arriving at his wagon.
“Aren’t you a dear? Thank you.” He slipped the box into her arms. After watching him struggle with it, the light weight surprised her. “I need to deliver this and my legs aren’t what they used to be. Would you mind?”
By The Assassin's Side (Daggers 0f Desire Book 3) Page 6