Everything around them disappeared, the sound of passing carriages, of the servants going about their work. Her nipples tightened as desire spiraled through her veins. It seemed not to matter where they were. He could dissolve any barrier she erected. She might have let him have her right there in the morning room if she had not heard the clearing of a throat. It took a few moments for it to register that they were being interrupted. She pulled away. With a growl, Nico tugged her back, but she placed a firm hand on his chest.
“Nico, we have company.”
She whispered the comment. He finally opened his eyes and stared down at her for a few moments. The heated lust darkening his eyes almost had her leaning toward him again, but she fought the urge and turned to face the person who dared interrupt them. She gasped when she saw the woman standing there. She was dressed in a pleasant gray traveling dress, much too staid for a woman in her thirties, but this woman took her duties as a widow very seriously.
Her sister, Mrs. Diana Simpson, smirked at her, her cold blue eyes taking in the scene before her.
“Seriously, Cordelia, do you always entertain men in your breakfast room, or is this a special occasion?”
Chapter Four
Nico ignored Cordelia’s attempt to disentangle herself from him. The primal demand of his body grew with each minute. It was a bit disconcerting that he seemed to have no control, but at the moment he didn’t care. All that mattered was that she was there and he had to touch her. She had agreed to be his. That thought sung through his blood as he pulled her closer. Cordelia needed to understand what he wanted from her. Everything else dissolved as the image of stripping her naked took over his thoughts. Nothing but letting her know that she was his for now and forever blotted out any reasoning.
“Nico, please.”
Her voice was strained and there was a hint of embarrassment threading her tone. The haze of lust started to dissolve when he saw her glance over his shoulder. He finally grasped at the reigns of control and pulled his needs back. When he turned to face the interloper, he was surprised at the diminutive woman in front of him. Dressed in a gray morning dress, her expression was cold, her gaze colder. She raked it over them as if she were disgusted by their presence.
“Diana,” Cordelia said, her voice breathless as she tried to pull away from him. He would not allow it. If this was the sister, she would need to grow accustomed to him touching Cordelia in her presence.
“Cordelia, do you think you should introduce us?” he asked.
She gave a slight wiggle, trying to dislodge his hold. He tightened it. She gave him an odd look. The depths of her blue eyes seemed to be confused, but he never knew a woman as smart as his soon-to-be wife. She was not one of their kind or she would understand his need to touch her when he was near. It was something primal for all vampires. Their mate would become their life, and with that, it was essential to be in physical contact.
Cordelia sighed then pulled herself together.
“Nico Blackburn, my sister Mrs. Diana Simpson.”
He nodded in her direction. “My pleasure.”
The smile she gave him was filled with condemnation. “Of course. Cordelia, your staff is lacking in even the basic manners. They wouldn’t even escort me back to the room.”
There was a small moment of silence. “They are not my staff. They are Alex’s,” Cordelia said, her voice ripe with irritation.
Diana seemed to hesitate, and for the first time, he saw the woman was not as sure of herself as he’d thought. He knew there had to be friction in the family. There was in any family, but when the youngest was left to fend for herself without the help of anyone, there had to be something else going on behind the scenes.
“Mr. Blackburn and I are to be married. You should be happy.”
“Indeed?” Diana said as her attention shifted to him. “And why, pray tell, would I be happy about that?”
He felt Cordelia’s spine stiffen beneath his arm. He knew from his small amount of experience with his fiancée that she could stand her ground. That did not matter. As her mate, he was pre-engineered to protect.
“I would think a family member would be more accepting of one’s spouse,” he said. Only an idiot would miss the threat in his voice.
For a moment, there was another beat of silence, a tense few seconds that seemed to fill the air around them. He was not sure what Diana would do, but he did not care. Cordelia might be the bastard of their family, but she was to be his wife. It was best his sister-in-law understood the situation.
“Of course,” Diana said eventually.
“You are just in time for some tea, Diana.”
Diana turned her attention to Cordelia. If he had not been watching closely, he would have missed the way her eyes softened before her expression hardened. This was more than just an older sister showing up to berate the youngest for her behavior.
"Have a seat, Diana."
For a moment, he didn't realize his soon-to-be wife stepped away from him, and he didn't like it one bit. He knew it was part of her Carrier genes that brought on this need to always have her close. Mating was always a mystery to him. He had avoided innocent Carriers for this reason. Nico did not want to marry—correction—had not wanted to marry. He knew that the need to have her near him all the time was going to cause him more than a few sleepless nights until they married.
Diana nodded and took a seat at the head of the table, not allowing Cordelia and Nico to sit beside each other. Of course, she did it on purpose. He’d known his wife would be an obstacle, but now he was going to have to deal with her bitch of a sister. It did not matter. He would do the pretty until they were married. Once that happened, he would damn Diana to hell. She had allowed her sister to be left to survive on her own. That was something that he would never do, even if he hated the family member. English aristocracy was so bizarre to him, especially some of the women. Some of them seemed to have no empathy toward their own sex.
Cordelia did not give any indication that she noticed her sister's slight. Instead she spent her time getting their tea ready.
"I am surprised that you are here, Diana. You almost never come to town."
Cordelia's back was to Diana, but Nico noticed that look of panic before it vanished.
"I decided I needed some new clothes."
Cordelia said nothing, but Nico could tell that the clothes Diana was wearing were in the first stare of fashion.
"When did you arrive?"
"Late last night. I traveled all day to get here, and then I find the gossip rags all awash with the scandalous charades of my younger sister...well I came right over."
The disdain in her voice had his teeth threatening to descend. It wasn't for sexual need. A member of his family was being threatened, and his body took over. Of course, it might get better once they mated, but at the moment he had to keep it somewhat under control. He ground his teeth together to keep from baring them to Diana.
"This will be fun then. I will need some help with the arrangements."
Diana blinked. "Oh, but of course, your wedding. And when will that be?"
"The Duke of Queensbury is taking care of the arrangements for the marriage license. Once we have secured that, it will be a matter of days."
"Duke...you know the Duke of Queensbury?"
"Yes. He's an old family friend."
He couldn't keep the smugness out of his voice. He might not be royalty in the eyes of the English ton, but his family had more clout within the Vampire Alliance than any one duke had in regular society. In his world, Gray and his family were a few steps below his.
"I would think we could do it quite fast. Something conservative," Cordelia said. Her voice was small, her demeanor one of being defeated. He did not like it. This was not the woman who demanded an answer from him the night before.
"I would like to wait at least a week. My family would love to attend. And I wondered if your brother would be there to give you away?"
"Oh, no. I would rather h
e not attend."
"Cordelia." Her sister admonished.
"You don't want your brother to come?" he asked, completely happy with the situation. He didn't want to deal with a man who had virtually abandoned Cordelia to survive on her own the last few months in London. That made him less than a man in Nico’s estimation.
"Of course she wants him to come," Diana said.
"No, not particularly."
"You have been living in his house for the last few months."
"So nice of him to allow poor little Cordelia to live in a house and not on the street. He deserves an award," Cordelia said, sarcasm dripping from every syllable.
Diana glanced at him, and he surmised she did not want to air dirty laundry in front of a stranger. Yes, he was going to marry Cordelia, but they didn't know him. There was also a part of her that probably thought he would break off the wedding if he heard the rumors about Cordelia's birth.
He didn’t want to leave, but he sensed he needed to allow the sisters to talk. He finished his tea and set it on the tray.
“I must be off to the newspapers to set the announcement, and I need to send a message to my parents so they can prepare for their journey.”
Cordelia looked relieved. Aggravation wound through him. She should want to be near him, need him, as he needed her. Now she looked so happy he was leaving.
He stood and walked to her chair. He took her hand and raised it to his mouth. He did not kiss above her hand as was society’s way. He pressed his lips on her flesh. The scent of her blood had his body reacting. His own blood quickened, and his fangs started to descend again. He pulled himself back, figuratively and physically.
Cordelia rose, and he shook his head. “Stay with your sister. I can find my own way out.”
By the time he reached the street, he was feeling somewhat normal again. He drew in a deep breath of London air and immediately regretted it. He hated the city. Too many people, too much dirt…and a man to hunt. Once he had everything secured with Cordelia, he could focus his entire attention on the mystery.
All would be easy once he could settle Cordelia. Once she was officially his, life would be easier for him.
* * * *
As the door shut behind Nico, Cordelia waited for her sister to say something. Diana always had an opinion, and she rather liked letting Cordelia know what it was. It did not take her long.
"Really, Cordelia, do you not have a thought for your future? You are marrying a commoner."
She frowned at her sister. "What is so wrong with that? You did."
"There is a difference between someone like Michael and that man."
Yes, there was in Cordelia's mind. Michael had never been much of a man, and he definitely could not compete with Nico. On any level. There was something so good…so right with Nico. She could not understand what it was about him, but something told her he was someone who always honored his promises. It went beyond his proposal of marriage.
"I would think you would be happy for me. At least now the poor relation will be taken care of."
Diana pursed her lips, a sure sign that she was angry. Diana controlled so much, from her own household to her emotions. It had not always been that way. There had been a time when she was Cordelia’s entire world, but marriage had changed her—and not for the better. Now Cordelia always felt stifled in her presence.
Everyone could tell they were sisters. As their father had told them in many of his drunken tirades, they both had the look of their mother. Diana, though, just as their mother apparently had, knew how to make the most of her attributes. The outfit she wore was perfectly suited to her petite, rounded frame. The color of gray would make a lot of women appear worn out, but of course it was perfect for Diana. She had been outside on a windy day, and she did not have a hair out of place. She had her long blonde locks trapped behind her head. It looked painful to Cordelia.
"I do not think that way about you. I even asked you to come live with me once you reached your majority."
She had but Cordelia had felt intrusive. One week and she had wanted to leave. Michael had not been a nice man.
"Yes, but that was not to be."
Diana set her teacup down on the service tray and studied Cordelia. "And, you are fine wedding a man you barely know?"
"Is this any different than your marriage, or the hundreds of marriages that take place within the ton each year? I do not know one woman who can truly say they know their husband. Most of them believe the fairytale that they will marry for love. Within a month, most women wake up to the painful reality. I do not have that problem. At least I know he has the ability to take care of me."
"Yes, he is rich."
Cordelia sighed. "Yes, there is that. But the incident last night came upon us because I was attacked. Mr. Blackburn protected me."
"Are you telling me you were not truly compromised?"
"I have been in London, on my own, and lived with a father and brother who had the most debauched parties in recent memory. Amazingly, I kept my virginity intact. I do not think a few minutes with a man in a darkened library would have made me lose my head."
She didn’t think she was telling that big of a fib. She had lost her head there for a moment. The truth of the matter was there was a good chance he could have very well taken her virginity, and she would have been happy to give it to him. Even the memory of his hands on her, his breath feathering over her flesh, had her fighting the shiver that slipped through her.
"Indeed."
She glanced at her sister. Diana's expression had grown even more impenetrable. They had not always been like this. With her mother dead the day after her birth, Cordelia had spent a huge amount of time with her sister. She had been her primary caregiver...until she abandoned her to get married.
She pushed that thought aside. It did no good for either of them to dwell on the past.
"Yes. I have been independent since my majority, and since I did not want to live with our brother, I chose to come to London.” Although she loathed every minute of it, actually. London was dirty, the air sometimes foggy with the waste from the march of industry. Still, she could not admit that to her sister.
“That was not what should have happened.”
She studied her sister, trying to discern the emotion behind the statement. As usual, Diana kept it hidden.
“Well, you have your father to thank for that. According to his will, I am truly not part of the family. The way it is written, the family has no say in what I do."
That was the truth, and they all knew it. The will had effectively cut her off from the family. It had not hurt so much...they had been lost to her years ago. But the financial blow had been hard to accept. Until she had found writing.
Her sister looked away, and for the first time, she looked vulnerable. Then her jaw tightened. “You are right, and I guess there is no reason for us to go over old problems.”
She wanted to fight it out, yell, but the truth was it would do no good. "I am assuming there are places I need to go shopping for a dress...I guess." She shrugged, almost overwhelmed by what all needed to be done. Cordelia did not know if she would ever be able to accept her fate.
"Yes. I guess I can take you around to the shops today."
Cordelia sighed in relief. "I would like to wait one day if possible."
She would never admit it to her sister, but Cordelia was exhausted. She had little to no energy now. Once Nico had walked out the door, it was as if he took all of her will to actually work for the day. It was not like her, but she was assuming that it had been the stress of the night before and now this morning that did her in.
"I think that can be arranged." Diana glanced around. "You should come to stay with me."
For a moment, Cordelia did not know what to say. Her sister did not come to town often, and she did not offer Cordelia assistance. Ever.
"I am not sure that is necessary."
The look of disdain Diana sent her way would have shriveled most people. Cord
elia was accustomed to it, though.
"No, you do not understand what you are about to deal with. You will become an interest for people, and they will watch your every move."
Cordelia did not like the sound of that.
"From your frown, I can tell you did not think of it. Blackburn might not be one of the ton, but as he said, he has links to some of the most powerful people in England. If he can get the young Duke to do something like this for him, that is big. Very big. You will be the subject of much gossip, and your life is now not your own."
The panic she had been fighting earlier returned. It was now churning her stomach. "I can ignore it."
"Yes, but if there is one thing I know about the Blackburns, they will not. They might be mysterious and they may shun the London society, but they do take any slight against their family seriously. They have ruined others for less."
She knew they had a lot of power. That is why she had assumed the Blackburns had something to do with moneylending—or smuggling. If you have the money, you could control so much. Still, she was just the woman their son was marrying…and not by choice. She doubted that they would consider it a slight if it was done to her.
“I think you are exaggerating.”
Diana shook her head. “No. I heard that they left the Earl of Eddington to rot after he made a disparaging remark about a second cousin of theirs.”
“They were the ones who ruined him?”
“The only thing they would help with was the care of his family members. If I remember correctly, Adelaide Blackburn said she could not let his children suffer because they had a man of loose morals and a small mind as a father. That is your mother-in-law to be.”
"Good God."
"Really, Cordelia, do you have to be so vulgar?"
Cordelia smiled. "No, but sometimes I like to do it."
Her sister rolled her eyes, and for a moment, Cordelia was thrown back into her childhood. Diana had been a willing caregiver and very indulgent with her. It was because of those memories she could never truly blame her for abandoning her to marriage.
Desire by Blood Page 5