Eden

by Eden (lit)

  He shrugged before taking a sip from his glass. “It isn’t exactly public if no one can see you.”

  “Oh by the way,” she added, “a vamp in the hallway complimented my dress.”

  “And you said?”

  Catrina smiled up at him as she answered, “Thank you, my master picked it out.”

  Viktor growled and licked his lips. “I love it when you call me master.”

  Chapter Twenty Two

  They relaxed for a while and Catrina finished her stiff drink. She couldn’t tell how many kinds of alcohol the waiter had had mixed, but he delivered on the stiff part. When he came back around to collect her glass, Viktor ordered her some wine.

  “I really shouldn’t drink anymore,” she told him, but not in front of the waiter. She didn’t want to undermine his authority.

  His smile was mischievous. “I imagine you’ll be a lot of fun once I get you liquored up.”

  She laughed. “Alright, but only a little tipsy, which means one more drink. I don’t want a hangover.”

  When the waiter brought her wine he was followed by a vampire who was obviously heading in their direction. He was around six feet tall with short spiky brown hair and piercing blue eyes. For a second they reminded her of Alexander and then she looked away quickly before she forgot herself and completely met the vampire’s gaze.

  “You can look me in the eye,” the vampire said and his voice was nice. He had the kind of voice you’d expect to hear on a late night radio show, the kind where they play old love songs.

  “Derek,” Viktor said with a nod.

  “Master.”

  Catrina wondered why they didn’t do the whole neck kissing thing.

  “Because I do not rise for a lesser vampire once I have been seated,” he said in her mind. “No offense to anyone, that’s just the way it is. If I were to ignore this tradition, even though I think it’s rude, it would make me appear weak. Appearance is everything with vampires.”

  “Derek, this is Catrina Ravensdale, my lover and my servant.”

  Catrina extended her hand again palm up and for a moment she was afraid of Derek. Obviously to expose your neck or wrist to a vampire was a sign of trust, but something in her didn’t trust him. He seemed alright, yet somehow unstable. He kissed her wrist and she tried not to jump.

  Viktor sensed her unease and let Catrina know, “He’s harmless. Derek suffers from anxiety probleMs. He’s not unstable in a dangerous way, at least not to anyone but himself.”

  “Have a seat,” Viktor said.

  Derek sat down on Viktor’s other side and began discussing a business proposition. Catrina could tell this wasn’t the first time they had gone over the subject. Derek wanted to open his own club, something newer and more hip, but he needed Viktor’s power and money to back him up. He even brought along a contract in the hopes of getting Viktor to sign it.

  Viktor looked it over carefully and said, “I’m sorry, Derek, but there’s no bat-shit crazy clause in here.”

  “A what?” Derek asked.

  Catrina nearly choked.

  Viktor cleared his throat before clarifying, “There’s no clause that states if you go bat-shit crazy everything reverts to me. Because after all, it is my money.” Derek looked defeated until Viktor patted his shoulder and said, “Have it revised and I’ll look at it again next week, after the council leaves.”

  Derek thanked him for his time and shook his hand enthusiastically before leaving. It was a very human gesture.

  “He hasn’t been one of us long,” Viktor answered her unspoken question. “Only for about ten years or so. He still acts like a human more than a vampire.”

  About that time Catrina’s stomach growled.

  “Oh, I didn’t realize how late it was getting. You must be starving,” he said. “Are you ready to go then?”

  “Sure,” she said, finishing her wine.

  Catrina was only a little unsteady on her feet as Viktor helped her to stand and placed the wrap back around her shoulders. She watched as he flung the cloak back around his shoulders with a grace she would have needed to practice.

  “Damn, that was sexy,” she said, taking his arm.

  “Wait till you see me take it all off,” he said with a wink.

  “Viktor.” The way she said his name was a question and he paused at the top of the stairs to look down at her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I was just wondering if I could stay with you tonight.”

  “You know you can,” he answered and the warmth in his eyes made her have to look away. “But you’re lying about the nothing part.”

  She just offered him a smile in response and tried to cover up her feelings. She was lying about the nothing, but she didn’t want to get into it here. When she didn’t respond further, Viktor started descending the stairs again with Catrina on his arm. He could admit to himself that he had never felt more powerful or more alive than he did in that moment. But he wasn’t ready to admit it yet to Catrina. She made him feel like a master vampire was supposed to feel. She added to his existence. She gave him a strength he had not possessed before. Viktor had known for some time that having a human servant could make him stronger. That is why so many older vampires cautioned to choose your servant wisely. But he’d had no idea how right it could feel. He loved her and Catrina knew this. Maybe that was why this arrangement felt so right.

  As they drew nearer to the door Viktor recalled the last time he’d spent the night at her apartment. She had said she loved him. Though he hadn’t mentioned this again to Catrina, he had replayed her words over and over again in his mind. He hoped that one day she would willingly confess such information and not just in the heat of passion. But for now he was content to have heard it, if only once. Viktor was certain that his patience would eventually pay off. After all, he had waited five years. What were a few more months?

  The doors opened and they stepped back outside into more flashing cameras. Viktor had already summoned the driver and watched as he parked the car at the end of the walkway.

  “I feel like a celebrity,” Catrina said.

  “Now, you will be,” Viktor replied. “I hope you don’t mind.” He opened her door and waited until they were both inside the car before he told her, “You did well tonight.”

  “Thanks. It wasn’t as bad as I expected.” She thought it over and added, “It wasn’t anything like I expected.”

  Viktor leaned back and rested his arms across the back of the seat as the car began to move. As he stretched his shirt opened even more and Catrina found herself wanting to get on her knees again between his legs. Viktor had a magnificent set of thighs and his boots clung to them like a second skin. As a matter of fact, there wasn’t any part of him that didn’t make her want to get on her knees when she thought of it.

  “So, what are you in the mood for? I remember hearing you say you liked Italian.”

  “I do,” she said, taking off her shoes. “But I’m really not in the mood for any more public appearances tonight. Can we just go through a drive-thru?”

  He laughed. “Sure. Tell him where you want to go.”

  He pressed the button and the window which separated them from the driver opened. She scooted forward and propped against the front seat.

  “What’s your name?” she asked.

  The young man seemed surprised. It must have been a long time since anyone had cared who he was, let alone asked his name. Realizing this made Catrina feel bad, but she camouflaged her feelings with a smile and said, “I’m Catrina.”

  “My name’s Johnson,” he said. “But all my friends call me Dick.”

  “Well, that’s um, charming.” She snickered.

  “I know right?” He laughed ruefully. “My dad’s a comedian.”

  “He’s not kidding, I’ve watched his show before,” Viktor added.

  “Really? Is he any good?”

  “No,” they answered together.

  Catrina laughed at their answer befor
e asking Dick to pull in at the nearest burger joint. She leaned back, resting against Viktor’s side as she said, “I’ve got a craving for a cheeseburger and fries.”

  “Can you believe I’ve never tasted a cheeseburger before?” Viktor asked.

  “Well,” she said, snuggling back against him, “this will be a first for you then. Is it weird to taste through me?”

  “Not really. It’s a little strange to not actually eat what I’m tasting.” He thought that over and added, “I don’t think I’ll like pickles on it though. That I have tasted and I didn’t like them.”

  “Okay, Viktor,” she said sternly. “Some things I’m willing to negotiate, but I’ve already stopped eating eggs, which I love. I am not giving up the pickles.”

  “What about onions?” he asked, raising one eyebrow.

  “They make me throw up.”

  “Good, me too.”

  “Fine,” she said, crossing her arMs. “I’m ordering extra pickles.”

  And that’s exactly what she did. Dick tried to keep from laughing while he placed the order, having overheard their pickle discussion. When Catrina first bit into the cheeseburger, Viktor made a face.

  “What?” she asked. “It can’t be that bad. I love pickles.”

  “Actually, it isn’t,” he said, looking surprised.

  “Then why the face?”

  “I was just expecting the worst.”

  Catrina laughed. “Don’t worry. I don’t eat anything else weird like sauerkraut or haggis.”

  Viktor stuck out his tongue and made a gagging noise.

  “Stop,” she said, still laughing. “You’re gonna make me choke.”

  Catrina finished eating while they drove back to The Palace and Viktor continued to make faces just to see her laugh. It had been too long since he’d enjoyed the sound of someone’s laughter.

  Dick dropped them off in front of the building and smiled when Catrina walked back to tell him goodnight. The night guard tipped his hat in her direction before opening the door and Viktor gave her an odd look.

  Once they were inside she explained, “I was nice to him.”

  “You have a tendency of being that way,” he teased. “With such a fearsome reputation I guess I expected something more--”

  “Bitchy?” she supplied.

  “Well, yes.” On their way down to his quarters Viktor asked, “Do you still have the ring I gave you?”

  “It’s in my purse. I left it in your closet with my other clothes.”

  “You keep it with you then?” he asked, smiling.

  “Always. I never know when I might need to find you.”

  “Good,” he said. “I wanted to be sure you kept it close for the council’s visit. You never know when you might need to get away from them.”

  “Are they really that bad?” she asked, pausing to rub her feet.

  “They’re not exactly pleasant.”

  Viktor knelt down and removed Catrina’s shoes. She’d put them back on about halfway to The Palace, insisting that her feet didn’t hurt that bad. Obviously she’d been lying to keep from hurting his feelings, since he’d picked out the heels. Viktor handed the shoes to Catrina and swept her into his arMs.

  He was a little surprised when she wrapped her arms around his neck. It wasn’t the gesture which caught him off guard, but the emotion behind it.

  “Is anything the matter?” he asked as they continued to descend the stairs.

  “I enjoy being with you,” she said softly. “I never expected that.”

  Once they reached the door to his rooms, Viktor sat her down and pulled the key from inside his cloak.

  “You know,” she commented, “this is the best relationship I’ve ever had and it isn’t even real.”

  “Isn’t it?” he whispered.

  Viktor opened the door and stood aside for Catrina to walk past him. He watched her walk into the room with her head down. He knew the floor wasn’t that pretty and her fingernails, which she kept staring at couldn’t possibly be that interesting. Once they reached the bedroom he couldn’t take it anymore.

  “What’s bothering you?” he asked, closing the door behind them. “And don’t tell me nothing, because I know that’s a lie.” He took off his cloak and flung it on the bed.

  Catrina walked over to the fireplace and sat down in the oversized chair beside it, dropping her shoes onto the floor.

  “Make me a fire and I’ll tell you,” she said. “It’s not that it’s that complicated, it’s just hard for me to say.”

  There were already several logs piled into the oversized hearth, so Viktor knelt down, struck a match and cast a fireball into their midst. He put down the match and turned toward Catrina while he reclined back against a large red pillow.

  “Let’s have it then,” he said with a sigh.

  “I’m scared, Viktor.”

  And the way she spoke those words made his heart ache. Had he done something to provoke this reaction?

  “Of what?” he asked softly.

  “I’ve never been in a situation like this before.”

  Now he knew what she was talking about. Apparently she was ready to discuss their relationship and probably Alexander Anderson as well.

  “I’ve never felt like this toward one person, let alone two.”

  Viktor considered his words carefully before saying, “If it turns out that Alexander is not a murderer, ask him how he feels about the situation.”

  Catrina looked up from her hands then and she looked even more afraid. She slid out of the chair and crawled toward him as she said, “But, Viktor I don’t want to leave you.”

  The heartfelt emotion in her words made him smile. He reached out to touch her hair as he answered, “I didn’t mean that you should. I meant that you should ask him to join us.”

  “J-join us?” she stammered. “You mean what I think you mean?”

  Her shocked expression made him smile even wider, but he tried not to laugh. He didn’t want Catrina to think he was mocking her or calling her naive.

  “Why not? It seems like a viable solution.”

  “But he’s your enemy.”

  “If he’s not killing my people, then he’s not my enemy,” Viktor pointed out reasonably.

  Catrina looked confused. “But I thought that …”

  He sighed and pushed himself back into a sitting position.

  “You seem to find some redeemable qualities in him and I’ll admit that’s beginning to make me question my judgment.”

  She sat back and crossed her legs, staring into the fire while she contemplated his words.

  “But, wouldn’t that bother you, having another man around?”

  Viktor’s smile made her shiver. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m sexually omnivorous. There’s very little that bothers me. I just want you to be happy. You make me happy and if having Alexander around adds to your happiness, then I’m fine with it. I’m not sure how he’ll feel about it though. How do you feel about it?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Catrina curled up so that her chin rested on her knees. She stared into the fire and thought about what Viktor had just suggested. She really wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Having both of them around, provided they didn’t try to kill each other, might be … nice. Jacob’s comment came to mind about her wanting to have her cake and eat it too. But apparently Viktor also liked cake, so that might not be a problem. She didn’t know Alexander well enough to guess how he might feel about the idea. There was always the possibility he might be offended. But she’d never heard of a werewolf who was a prude. And most every vampire she’d ever heard of was as Viktor put it, sexually omnivorous.

  “We’ll see,” she said finally. “I have to admit it’s a nice thought.”

  “A nice thought?” he teased. “You mean the idea of having two men at your disposal is only a nice thought?”

  “Alright,” she admitted, “it’s a very nice thought.”

 
Viktor’s laughter gave her chills. “Well, now we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s not sit around moping all night. What do you want to do?” he asked.

  “You got any chocolate around here?” she asked.

  Thirty minutes later, they were sprawled across the bed still fully clothed. And while Catrina ate chocolates, they both sighed contentedly.

  “I can’t eat anymore,” she said, rolling to her back to stare at the canopy.

  “Just one more,” he insisted, mimicking her posture. “It’s been ages since I’ve tasted chocolate.”

  “You’ll turn me into a cow,” she said with a laugh. Catrina took the chocolate he offered her and then firmly closed the lid on the rest.

  Viktor had also had some wine brought down and rolled from the bed to fetch her a glass.

  “You didn’t get nearly drunk enough for my taste,” he joked. “And now you’re already sober.” She started to protest and he held out the glass insisting, “It’s the good stuff.”

  Catrina ignored his offer and scooted off the bed to read the label on the bottle.

  “How long have you been saving this?” she asked.

  “A hundred and five years,” he said, offering her the glass again.

  Catrina smiled as she said, “Then let’s enjoy it by the fire.”

  Viktor tossed some more oversized pillows onto the floor along with a blanket for Catrina while she got the wine. He turned on some soft music before sitting down in the chair long enough to unzip his boots. He propped them against the chair beside her wrap. Then they got all snuggled up in front of the fire and Catrina rested back against him as she asked, “Are you ready?”

  “Yes,” he answered. “But do it slowly. Let it roll on your tongue.”

  “You make it sound like sex.”

  “Wait till you taste it,” he replied silkily.

  Catrina put her nose over the glass and breathed in the dark red wine before taking a sip. She did as Viktor had requested, letting it roll on her tongue before swallowing.

  “Oh, my God,” she said. “That’s excellent.” She took another sip. “And strong.”

  “It’s even better than I remembered,” he said with a sigh.