“That must have been tough.”
“It was.” The memory of her first shifting still haunted her. “And it’s not something I’ve ever got to tell anyone until now.”
“I feel honored.” Adrian bowed to her.
After a lifetime of keeping all her secrets bottled down, it felt good to have someone to talk to, but she had a more pressing question to ask. “About mates, what makes them so special?” Her only example was her parents, and they could be intense. Was it because her father was a werewolf? Or were they just an overly passionate couple?
“Like among the mortals, mates have the power to comfort their partners. But supernatural mates’ senses are keener, and their unions are for life,” he said.
“And what about bloodmates?”
“I’m afraid I am as ignorant as you are on the topic, but judging from my over-the-top reaction to you and everything that concerns you, I would say that we are in for quite the ride.” Adrian’s eyes shone, and his mouth curved up into the most sensual smile. He opened his arm toward her, and she took his proffered hand. “Let it be clear, once and for all,” he whispered, leaning to her ear and raising goosebumps on her skin. “I would never glamour you unless you expressly ask me to.”
His tone made it sound as if women usually begged him for it and his boast rubbed her the wrong way. “Why would I ever do something so stupid?”
“Because there are a few useful ways I can think of that would enhance your sexual pleasure,” he answered against her skin. “Mental bondage is a thing.”
“Is it?” Lavinia couldn’t understand the appeal of giving her control away, not even for good sex.
“There are plenty of private clubs where master vampires dominate their submissives with their glamour without ever physically touching them,” he said. “I’m not into it, but to each their own.” His look became heated. “And so that we are completely clear on the subject, even if you asked me, I would need a compelling reason to grant your wish.” He brushed the shell of her ear with his finger. “I’m not above using other vampiric gifts on you, though.” His deep voice made her swallow.
“Like what?” she asked.
“For example, my saliva contains a chemical that stimulates your endorphins so that my bite doesn’t hurt you. In fact, it will give you much pleasure. I intend to use that. A lot.”
Lane’s timely arrival saved Lavinia from having to look for a smart comeback when she couldn’t think of any. Her mind reeled with the thoughts Adrian had expertly planted there. The man didn’t need to glamour her. He just needed to utter a few words, and she was a goner.
23
Lavinia’s revelations about her childhood had shocked Adrian, but he greatly enjoyed this verbal sparring with her.
His bloodmate was inexperienced and naïve, and yet, she wasn’t overly impressed by his status and held her ground like a more seasoned woman. So refreshing; even though his entire body hurt from the need to be one with her, he looked forward to more stimulating conversations with her.
Mark reentered the scene too soon, spoiling Adrian’s opportunity to deliver his next sexually charged comment. Lavinia’s blush was adorable, and he wanted to see how far it would spread.
“I’ve just talked with the coroner,” Mark said, looking at Adrian with a troubled expression.
“And?” Lavinia asked, drawing Mark’s attention to her.
Adrian couldn’t help but take her hand in his. It was just a loose hold, to remind his friend that Lavinia was off-limits. He knew Mark would have never disrespected him or Lavinia, but the compulsion to claim her before the entire world was impossible to ignore. Never one to act irrationally, Adrian remained at the mercy of the Thirst. The malady’s symptoms had changed, and now his body craved Lavinia with the same intensity he had craved blood until a few hours ago.
Mark gave him an apologetic shrug. “Did Carolina have a vampire or shifter boyfriend?” he asked Lavinia.
“No, she didn’t know anything about the supernatural world,” she answered. “I told you she didn’t even know I was a werewolf. I was going to tell her—”
Feeling her anguish, Adrian pulled her to his side.
“Why do you ask?” she said.
“At first, we were looking for a vampire assassin because of the punctures on her throat.” Mark passed his hand through his hair. “But she had both vampire and werewolf marks on her body—”
“Are you saying that a vampire and a werewolf killed her?” Lavinia’s agitation unsettled Adrian.
It frustrated him that he had the power to make her feel better and couldn’t use it by his own rules.
Mark’s gaze briefly cut to Adrian before settling on Lavinia’s once again. “The marks on Carolina’s body were old and healed, and they belonged to a vampire and a werewolf. Are you sure she wasn’t seeing someone?”
“It’s not possible.” Lavinia’s voice was shrill. “Carolina didn’t have a boyfriend. She was too busy with school and work.” She shook her head, looking at Adrian as if waiting for a confirmation. “She would’ve told me.”
“Maybe she hid it from you,” Adrian said, softening his tone. With a gentle touch of his fingers, he caressed her wrist.
“It simply can’t be.” Her eyes filled with moisture. “She would’ve told me,” she obstinately repeated.
“You kept your true nature from her. Maybe she had secrets, too.” Adrian wished they were alone to soothe her turmoil with kisses and caresses.
“The marks indicate that she’d had a prolonged relationship with at least one vampire and one werewolf, possibly at the same time,” Mark continued.
Lavinia kept shaking her head. “Carolina didn’t even talk about boys.”
“There’s more,” Mark said.
Adrian inwardly groaned while Lavinia stiffened by his side.
“Carolina had sexual intercourse the day she was killed. She might have known her assassin,” Mark finished.
“No!” she screamed before bringing her hand to her mouth. Shaking, she sobbed, “It can’t be.”
“Is there anything else?” Adrian asked, lowering his voice.
“That’s all for now.” Mark sighed, rubbing on his chin. “The Special Emergency Unit is on its way. They’ll clean this up—” His gaze lowered to the corpse. “And I asked for the Directive’s blacksmith to come and repair your door. I’ll remain here to check on them, but you two can retire upstairs.”
“Thank you,” Adrian said, knowing that Mark had kept the jackals at bay to give them some time alone.
The Directive would send more people to investigate, and the new agents would scrutinize Lavinia’s involvement in her roommate’s murder. It was also possible that Collins, Mark’s boss, would remove him from the case because of his long-lasting friendship with Adrian.
Adrian steered Lavinia toward the stairs. Her shoulders shook from her crying, and he couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms. He would have preferred to take her to his bedroom, theirs now, and make her forget all about her friend’s death. He also knew that she was too fragile at the moment and needed cuddles, not passionate embraces.
“Let’s go to my library,” he said when they reached the second-floor landing.
The moonlight illuminated the library, bathing the room in a silvery hue that never failed to relax and soothe him. He hoped that it had the same effect on Lavinia. Turning on one of the table lights, he brought her to the bay window that jutted from the room, creating a small glass conservatory filled with vases. That cozy nook was Adrian’s favorite corner.
Sitting on the leather sofa facing the glass walls, he lowered Lavinia on his lap. His shirt she was wearing rode up her thighs when she sat, uncovering soft, tanned skin and making him gulp. Adrian was far from inexperienced. In his long life, he’d had more women than he could remember. His sexual whims had been met and then some. There wasn’t a fantasy of his that he hadn’t explored. In fact, he had become bored with sex a long time ago. Yet, the fabric sliding up her legs had roused his desi
re to the point of unbearable ache.
“Adrian,” she said, squirming against his hardness.
“Please, be still for a moment, my love,” he said in a pained growl as he adjusted himself on the cushion. When he felt in charge of himself again, he tenderly stroked her arms.
“How is all of this possible?” she asked, turning her face to his.
“Sometimes life doesn’t make any sense.”
“I thought I knew Carolina. For months, I’d been working up the courage to tell her about me. After living together for five years, I felt like a fraud for keeping her in the dark about what I was. So many times, I started talking only to chicken out at the last moment and say nothing at all. And then she dies, and I’m left with this guilt… and now this,” she said, wiping her tears with the back of her hand and smearing her cheeks with her running mascara. “Did I even know her at all?”
“Probably the same way she knew you. We all have secrets.” He caressed her back in slow circles.
Straightening, she cocked her head. “What’s yours?”
“Are you sure you want to know?” He stilled his hands.
“I am.”
“As you wish,” he said. “I am always in control. I’ve built my life around strict rules and never stray from them. My secret is that since the Vampire’s Thirst started, my life has been spiraling faster and faster out of control. I couldn’t do anything to stop what was happening to me, and it was scary. I’ve never been so terrified in my life. I was losing my identity and felt like a powerless vampling. For the last few days, I have been living a lie, pretending that everything was normal when, in truth, my life was a nightmarish chaos.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through this—” Lavinia said.
“Don’t be sorry. I am not,” he whispered. “You know what I am, though?”
She shook her head.
“I’m dying to make you mine in every possible way. My fangs ache against my gums, and the throbbing vein on your throat makes me hard. I can feel the Thirst pulsing in my head, telling me to tear that shirt you’re wearing underneath my jacket so that I can feast on the sight of your breasts. Your scent is a mix of arousal and fear and sorrow, though, and because of that, I’m refraining from plunging into your warmth and drinking from your vein.”
Lavinia’s green eyes widened, and her mouth opened, but she didn’t say anything.
“Did I shock you?” he asked, once again resuming his caresses.
She made to shake her head, then stopped. “I’m not used to men talking to me like that.”
“I’m pleased to hear so.” Unable to resist any longer, he leaned in to brush the spot under her ear. His tongue twirled against her shivering skin. Inhaling her scent, he relished her low moan before pulling away from the temptation that was her young flesh. “Not now,” he repeated the words that were starting to sound like a tired mantra. “You are not ready.”
Lavinia sagged against his chest, hugging herself as he embraced her. “I want you, but I can’t stop thinking about Carolina. And now I’m so confused,” she said. “I don’t know anything any longer.”
“You should rest a few hours,” he said. “You’ll feel better.”
Lavinia nodded, resting her head on his shoulder as she turned on his lap, making herself more comfortable.
“Sleep tight, my love,” Adrian whispered to her crown, cradling her closer.
Soon, she relaxed in his arms, and her breathing slowed until she fell asleep. Adrian waited a few minutes before carrying her upstairs to his bedroom. After tucking her into his bed, he sat on the edge of the mattress, watching her sleep and wondering once again about his luck.
24
Lavinia woke in a strange room, alone. It took her a moment to remember where she was, but when she saw the man’s shirt she was loosely wearing on her naked skin, the last few days’ events came back to her all at once.
Yesterday, everything had happened fast, and she’d barely had the time to process meeting Adrian. A vampire who looked like he had come out of some woman’s fantasy, and who was now hers in some strange twist of fate.
As if summoned by her thoughts, Adrian entered the room, holding a large tray heaped with food.
A bright smile illuminated his handsome face. “I didn’t know what you liked and ordered one of everything,” he explained, placing the tray on the nightstand. “Coffee or tea?” he asked, walking toward the door.
“Coffee.”
“How do you like your coffee?”
“With a splash of milk, one teaspoon of sugar,” she answered, eyeing the feast sitting on the nightstand.
“Perfect. I’ll be right back,” he said, disappearing behind the door.
Lavinia moved both legs to the side of the mattress and dropped her feet to the floor. Her toes curled on a plush rug, and she stretched before going to the bathroom. She felt stiff, as if she had exercised, but knew that a bout of crying could do that to a body. The sight of the sunken pool gave her a few ideas on the perfect way to warm up her muscles, but she heard Adrian walking back into the bedroom, so she hurried outside.
There was something about him that made him irresistible—a combination of his raw power and age, added to his impeccable elegance. Lavinia had never met someone like him before. His charisma was skin deep, exuding from every casual movement he made.
“There you go,” he said, turning to look at her as she exited the bathroom. “Hopefully, it’s like what you usually drink. I’m not used to making coffee.”
She grabbed the small porcelain cup from his hand and smelled the aroma wafting up in small clouds of caffeine. “Perfect,” she said after a sip.
“Is it?” he asked, eyeing the cup in her hand with suspicion.
“It is.”
It could have been garbage, and she would have praised him anyway because an ancient vampire—a day-walker even—had just fixed coffee for her, but it was surprisingly good.
Doubt crossed her mind. “Do you have a coffee maker in your house?”
“Just bought one.” Adrian laughed, shaking his head. “It’s the first appliance that enters my kitchen, besides the fridge and the microwave, of course.”
“Don’t you entertain friends in your house?” And with friends, she meant his lovers. The thought came unbidden and soured her question. It made her also sound jealous, which of course was a stupid sentiment. They had just met after all, and he was several hundred years older than she was.
“My friends are mostly vampires, and I don’t entertain in my house,” he answered, an amused smile turning the corner of his lips up. “I had a coffee maker delivered first thing in the morning.”
“You ordered a moka—”
“No, not a moka pot. It’s too complicated for me to operate. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
Lavinia tried to imagine a vampire as ancient and powerful as he was grinding the beans, measuring the exact quantity to fill the moka chamber, and finally waiting for the espresso to gurgle up. She couldn’t help but smile at the absurdity of the scene.
“What’s so funny?” Adrian asked, passing his fingers through his hair.
“Nothing.”
“I’m glad I can amuse you.” He dragged a chair by the bed and sat on it astride, his arms hugging its back. “Anyway, I called Sue, my PA—”
“You have a personal assistant,” she said before immediately adding, “Of course you have a PA, but—” She looked around. “I didn’t see anyone here when we arrived yesterday, you know, like a butler or maids.” She didn’t know if she was rude asking these personal questions, but her curiosity won. “Aren’t people like you surrounded by staff?”
“And with ‘people like me’ you mean—?”
“Rich and famous, I guess,” she said.
“Some of them do.” Adrian shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t care for company and protect my privacy above all else. Plus, I am a day-walker, which makes my life easier compared to other vampires’, who need someone to take
care of their business during the day. I have a staff, but they come to clean and leave without disrupting my routine. They are very discreet.”
She nodded. “It explains why you are known as a recluse.”
“My fame preceeds me.” Adrian laughed.
“You were saying about your PA—”
“Yes,” he said. “I called Sue first thing in the morning and told her I needed to impress my significant other with good espresso, and that I needed a solution within the hour. Thirty minutes later, the espresso maker arrived as Sue had promised it would—she is a fantastic employee. She ordered one of those coffee machines that use capsules.” With a shrug, he added, “Art Deco looking thing. If you don’t like the design, we can always order another.”
“Now, I’m curious,” she said, walking toward the tray. “Let’s go see it.”
When Adrian realized that she wanted to pick up the food, he immediately grabbed the tray from her hand. “Allow me,” he said, showing her the way to the landing. “The kitchen is downstairs.”
They reached the first floor and proceeded toward the back of the house where the kitchen occupied a small corner of a large greenhouse.
“As you can imagine, I don’t do much cooking,” Adrian said with an infectious grin. “But we can convert the rest of the conservatory into a kitchen if you desire.”
Lavinia heard how the ‘we’ rolled out of his mouth as if it was the most natural thing in the world. There was not a hint of doubt in his voice that she was there to stay permanently. The notion scared her. It also thrilled her more than she could confess to herself. What would it feel like to finally belong?
Then she saw the coffee machine Adrian was pointing at and couldn’t help a double take. “You had this machine delivered in less than an hour.”
“Twenty-nine minutes, to be exact,” he said.
Lavinia knew that rich people lived different lives, but it was from details like this one that she could truly understand that someone like Adrian lived in a parallel universe compared to hers.
Fast delivery in Rome was expensive, and that by itself would have impressed her, but the so-called coffee maker Adrian—or rather his PA—had ordered was one of those large, chromed sculptures with multiple snouts and the angel on top. It took most of the island’s marble countertop. She had seen those machines only in high-end bars and movies. To deliver that coffee machine so fast, it must have cost a fortune. And the coffee maker itself was more a piece of art than an appliance. She couldn’t even fathom the price of that thing. And all of this for her.
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