A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor (Tempting Monsters Book 1)

by Kathryn Moon

  "Here," Jonathon murmured, handing a small, ornate pitcher of oil.

  I smirked back at him, spilling some into my palm and stroking it onto Auguste's cock. "What's this here for?" I teased.

  It was hard to tell in the already red light of the room, but I was fairly sure Jonathon blushed as he shrugged. "Can never be too prepared."

  I scooted forward to hover over Auguste's now long and stiff cock, holding it in my hand and sighing as I rubbed the head of it against my clit and down to my opening, back and forth until the glide was slippery.

  "You have a very intoxicating expression when you're seeing to your own pleasure," Jonathon said softly.

  My eyes fell shut, lips curling as I sighed and sank onto Auguste's cock. I toyed with myself as I worked him into me, swirling my finger over my clit, plucking my nipples, and gripping my breasts, my eyes opening to admire the sight of a sleeping Auguste. He really was helpless like this, and it made my heart pang at the thought that anyone might be able to harm him in this state if they could reach him. And directly adjacent to that worry was the knowledge that he was, for the moment, entirely at my mercy and completely safe with me.

  "Does he feel good?" Jonathon asked, words low and quiet, barely audible beneath the slick sounds of my riding.

  "So good, always," I sighed out, picking up my pace, forgetting that at any moment, Auguste would wake and my control would evaporate. Maybe I could get myself off before he even woke? If I was quick…

  My eyes were fixed to Auguste's relaxed face, a soft moan rising, when suddenly, he transformed.

  I was in the air, my wrists snatched in an iron-tight grip, an animal's snarl and black eyes rushing for me. Auguste pinned my arms behind my back in one quick motion, taking them both in one hand and using the other to grip the back of my neck. His fangs slid into my throat in one quick, brutal bite. I froze, my heart stopping in my chest, my eyes wide on the dark look in Jonathon's gaze, the ache of the bite burning up quickly.

  Auguste moaned, his jaw relaxing, and shuddered against me, but his grip didn't ease, his hips lifting and snapping in a sudden rush so he clapped into me. My blood welled at the wound on my neck, fire on my flesh, sliding into Auguste's waiting mouth, and I released a small cry. Auguste trapped me in his arms, fucking and feeding from me in a starving rush. His tongue lapped around the bite of his teeth, gathering the blood, and his growl vibrated into my throat, echoing the thrum of pressure and pace beating into my cunt with his thrusts.

  Slowly, and without stopping his fucking, Auguste lowered me onto the mattress, hips pistoning into me, pushing me deeper into the sheets, insatiably powerful on top of me. He released my arms and his teeth finally unlatched, and he let the wound seep into his now kissing and caressing lips.

  "Oh god, Auguste, yes," I whimpered as his angle shifted, stroking inside of me, driving any thought but him from my mind.

  Jonathon loomed behind us, the robe now shed, and my eyes widened as his shining fingers reached down to Auguste's ass.

  Auguste went rigid on top of me, his head finally lifting, eyes wild and mouth streaked and glossy with my blood. "Fuck!" His bucking grew rough and irregular, trying to burrow deeper into me to avoid Jonathon's probing touch. "Oh fuck, the pair of you. Mon coeur, are you—?"

  Auguste's muscles were unwinding, his body squirming and needy between us, and I braced my heels on the bed, stroking his back as I rocked up onto his length. Auguste's eyes rolled back and he trembled with pleasure as I ground my clit against him, my own body jerking. Jonathon was the one really in control, that cool mask of the doctor back on his face as he manipulated Auguste into a whimpering frenzy.

  "Fuck him," I hissed to Jonathon. "I want the both of you pinning me down."

  Auguste moaned, diving down to suck lightly on the bite he'd left, and I gasped as his drawing mouth seemed to pull directly down to my cunt. The orgasm was sudden and blinding, arching me into Auguste's cool skin, his arms circling my back to hold me close as I thrashed with the licking pleasure rushing through me.

  Jonathon settled closer, pushing Auguste's and my legs wider until I whined with the stretch, the ache cutting through my delirium. Auguste bellowed as Jonathon gripped his shoulders and grunted with his first thrust. My vampire collapsed on top of me, leaving me nearly breathless, our bodies rocking with the force of Jonathon in his ass.

  "You wicked little demons," Auguste rasped in my ear, his kisses traveling up to my temple, a garbled plea in French rising from his arching throat.

  Jonathon had been tender with me this morning, but he was fearsome now, eyes glinting green, a vein ticking in his throat as his hips slapped against Auguste.

  "You'll come again, little one," Jonathon growled out, and I gasped when I realized his voice was full of grit, some blend of the doctor and the monster finding its freedom in the moment.

  I did my best to follow the order, rubbing myself against Auguste, finding his mouth for kisses as Jonathon pounded down into our tangled union.

  "Mon dieu! Fuck! Jon, I—" Auguste's expression was trapped in that pleasured pain place I'd found at the hands of our doctor and his electricity. I knew the peace of the feeling, even as it was torment, and I squeezed my cunt around Auguste's length. I swallowed his whine and forced myself into another more brittle orgasm that snapped through me with sudden whirling heat and then left me boneless on the bed as Auguste cried out his own release.

  Jonathon followed with a gasp, eyes wide and glowing, back arching, his fingers digging deep into Auguste's shoulders. He shook, an almost frightened twist on his face, and then started to follow forward.

  Auguste was quick, rising off of me, twisting and throwing Jonathon off of him and onto the bed. I sat up with a gasp, afraid for a moment that we'd misjudged our plan and Auguste was furious, but it wasn't anger twisting Auguste's features. He dove down, grasping Jonathon's face in both hands and slanting his mouth over his, growling into the kiss as Jonathon shuddered.

  My hand lifted over my smile as I watched them, openly curious, equal parts excited to admire them and also to wiggle my way between them to steal the attention. Jonathon's arms twined around Auguste's shoulders, and he whimpered as Auguste tugged on his bottom lip, scratching it with his fangs and then sipping there briefly.

  They released one another after another brief kiss, and Jonathon sagged with a happy sigh. Their faces both turned to me next, smiles lazy and eyes hooded. I shivered and Auguste growled, grinning and tugging me closer, jumping over me to curl up tight to my back so I was sandwiched tightly between them.

  "You monsters," Auguste muttered affectionately, kissing my shoulder and then licking his bite mark. It still ached a little, but even in that first fury of waking, he'd been careful with me, firm enough to make sure I didn't hurt myself in the excitement.

  "You didn't mind?" I asked, twisting to catch his eye.

  Jonathon laughed at my question, and Auguste nipped the tip of my nose, then nuzzled against me there. "I will never mind having you for breakfast, mon coeur. Was I too rough?"

  I shook my head quickly, and Auguste arched an eyebrow. "Maybe I just need to be a little gentler for the rest of tonight."

  Auguste laughed and Jonathon huffed and I glanced between them both, Jonathon's hand sliding down my stomach to cup my sex like Mr. Tanner had done the night before. "What's funny?" I asked.

  "Your endless appetite," Auguste answered easily with a shrug. "But yes, I promise to very gently feast from your pretty little cunt for the remainder of the night. Tongue and lips only."

  "No, wait, I didn't mean—"

  "We could tease her with feathers," Jonathon suggested.

  "Mm and caress her with rose petals," Auguste agreed.

  "Simply blow kisses on her clit," Jonathon continued as I scowled at them.

  "In that case, why don't you both just entertain each other instead."

  Auguste growled, but he stretched out on his back, peering over my head at Jonathon. "She's a clever one, our little g
irl. Esther, why don't you teach our doctor how to suck my cock."

  Jonathon's expression hardened as he sat up, but instead of moving off the bed, he simply climbed over me to kneel over Auguste. "Esther's technique is faultless, it's true, but you're assuming I don't already know. Medical school was very thorough, you know."

  I let out a breathless giggle, cuddling into Auguste's side and resting my head on his shoulder, pouting up at my doctor. "I think this calls for a demonstration, sir."

  Auguste pressed a firm smacking kiss to my forehead, and Jonathon's head bent not to Auguste's cock but my hip, gazing up at me through pale lashes. "Gladly, little one."

  Chapter Twenty

  A Study of Hierarchy

  I was becoming nocturnal after the nights with Auguste and Jonathon in London. The great dark mass of Rooksgrave—a black shadow against the murky night sky—greeted me on my return, clouds glowing with the force of the moon they hid behind their curtains.

  "Did you miss it?" Auguste asked, fingers linked with mine in the carriage.

  We'd left Jonathon in London so he could organize his practice enough to allow for more time away, and this trip, Auguste had indulged my interest in the private compartment of the train, to both our enjoyment.

  "I…missed the others," I admitted slowly.

  "Not Rooksgrave though?"

  I turned to Auguste as the carriage slowed along the drive. "Rooksgrave is just where I wait for all of you to come see me. It can be lonely when I don't have a visitor."

  Auguste's eyes widened slightly, his hand reaching out to take my jaw gently, pulling me closer and grazing his mouth over mine. "Well, you won't be without company now, mon coeur."

  I smiled at that, my eyes falling shut as his mouth slanted over mine, tongue slipping in on my sigh to tease and caress mine. My arms reached up to wrap around his shoulders, forgetting where we were, forgetting anything but the slow coax of Auguste's kisses. Returning from our trip was a little like coming down from a great height—there was comfort in being back on the reliable ground, but I felt a loss of exhilaration too.

  Auguste scooped me up as the carriage door was opened, and I gasped, drawing back from the kiss as he hauled me out, grinning. "We'll see how long it takes before you'd rather be left in peace again," he teased.

  I opened my mouth to argue the point—I'd never liked being alone, and if I'd enjoyed one thing most of all in London, it was having both Jonathon and Auguste as company in the evenings—when a pale face in the doorway caught my eye.

  "Booker!"

  Auguste set me on my toes and I ran for the door. My stone butler looked solemn and steady as ever, but his eyes were on me. Some of the other girls in the house couldn't tell the golems apart, but I knew every dark line of stone on his face as well as I knew my own features.

  "Welcome back, puisín."

  I yelped as a pair of thick arms sprang like a trap around my waist, squeezing my ribs and lifting me off my feet again, gravel skidding below me. Ezra snapped his teeth against my throat and sucked on my skin there as I broke out into giggles. He carried me over to where Booker waited and then pressed me against the golem, trapping me between their two large forms, clean stone and soap from Booker in contrast with the smoke and sweet honey scent of Ezra.

  "Ohh, I missed you both," I said, softening as Ezra moved his hands to my hips, Booker's touch claiming my face and lifting it to his. Milky blue eyes studied me carefully like he was cataloging any changes that might've appeared since he'd last seen me. Ezra, meanwhile, continued to help himself to my taste, worrying my throat with teeth and tongue until I was squirming between them.

  "Hello, friend," Booker said.

  "Hello," I echoed, breath hitching as Ezra rubbed his crotch into my ass.

  "Mortimer wants to see you," Ezra mumbled into my throat, nipping roughly once more before pulling away and taking a deep breath.

  "Good of you to put Esther's mind well away from any sensible matter before saying so," Auguste said drily, passing us in the doorway, but he winked at me as I looked up, cheeks flushed.

  "No, Book, you take them in, I'll get the bags, mate," Ezra said. I swayed in place as he stepped away and then squeaked as he swatted my ass.

  Book. Mate. I grinned up at Booker. "You've been making friends while I was away."

  He let out a soft grunt and then took my hand. I'd had a wonderful trip to London, an amazing time with my gentlemen, but lord, it felt nice just to have Booker take my hand, his touch cool and firm and familiar. Steady as a rock, no pun intended. Well, maybe a little bit of one.

  Rooksgrave was bright and rich, even in the confused hours between the dead of night and the beginning of a new day. The chandeliers were lit and lamps were burning, mirrors reflecting the light in the dark entry, making it dramatic and decadent instead of the intimidatingly mysterious space I'd stepped into on the first day. There was a door open to a social room, cigar smoke filtering out, feminine laughter, and someone playing a popular tune on the piano. On the balcony above, as we headed for Magdalena's office, a couple raced down the hall, a male growl rising in the wake of a bright, teasing scream.

  "Can we spend an evening with the others while you're here?" I asked Auguste as Booker and I followed him.

  He spun on the ball of his foot, eyebrows bouncing as he glanced at me. "You haven't? No, I suppose not. The sphinx is more of a morning bird, isn't he? Of course. We can spend our evenings any way you like," Auguste said, flashing a toothy grin.

  Magdalena wasn't alone when we reached her office. There was another woman sitting at Magdalena's table with a teacup in her hand, petite and pretty with brilliant freckles and pale eyelashes, dressed in a truly atrocious amount of flounce and lace and silk flowers. She looked up as we entered, flashing a smile full of sharp, pointed teeth. Auguste stiffened, stepping in front of me at the sight of her, and then his shoulders bunched up toward his ears as he turned and found the man by the window—tall and broad, an eerie glisten of blue and green over his skin, and an odd whisper of feathers as he twisted to stare at us.

  "Should we come back, Mags?" Auguste snapped.

  Magdalena sighed, looking up from her own teacup and meeting my gaze with a weary smile. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her hair wasn't in its usual glossy coif.

  "Welcome back, darling," Magdalena said to me. "And no, Auguste. This is Siobhan, of Gan Deireadh House, and Julian of Fleur Noir."

  Auguste relaxed but only marginally, and the strange man bowed at the waist.

  "Sister houses to Rooksgrave," Magdalena said to me. "They're here because they both lost a girl recently to unexpected visitors."

  The man at the window stepped toward us, releasing a rapid tumble of a foreign language that must've been French, because Auguste quickly responded with, "En Anglais."

  Julian's lips pursed to a shade of purple at the request, but he let out a huff and began again in heavily accented English. "The wraith, said it nothing of who it was sent by?"

  "Only that it was calling somebody 'master' who would…make good use of me," I said, finding Auguste's hand and taking it in my free one as Booker held the other. Auguste's fingers squeezed mine and he shifted closer, still guarding me slightly from the new creatures in the room.

  "Birsha certainly has the resources to send others to do his dirty work," Auguste said to Magdalena. "Probably those who couldn't pay their bill at his filthy houses."

  Siobhan's eyes narrowed and seemed to be eyeing me up and down. "My house has never had an enemy in Birsha. He doesn't have anything as far north."

  "He could if he ran you out of business," Julian answered with a sniff. "Or frightened your girls out of service. I've waited for something like this since he moved to Paris. I know Berlin’s house is having issues already.”

  "Esther, did you get any sense at the theater? Did he speak to you in any way—"

  "It's not as though I would've let him near her, Mags!" Auguste snapped, but he huffed and settled as I tugged on h
is hand to restrain him.

  "Only that…there was no reason to feel like I'd seen him before, because I haven't. It was more like I could tell that he recognized me," I answered.

  "How did you get away?" Siobhan asked, and Auguste bared his teeth at her. I didn't understand why Auguste was so aggressive with the strangers, but I would wait until we were alone to ask.

  "I had a discreet safeguard in place," Magdalena said before I could answer, and my lips shut on my answer about Ezra. No wonder he hadn't come into the office with us. Magdalena was keeping him a secret, and I wondered if it was because she didn't want them to know he'd been able to sneak in, or if she was having him spy on them too.

  Siobhan sniffed and rolled her eyes, and Julian continued to study me with narrowed eyes.

  "Very well, Esther. We'll catch up tomorrow after you've had some rest. Auguste, you'll be—"

  "Staying for the foreseeable future," Auguste said, lifting his chin in a slight challenge.

  Magdalena only nodded, and I got the sense she was relieved to hear it. "I'll make sure your accommodations are ready. Booker, can you let one of the others know? Thank you. I'll see you all tomorrow."

  We left more subdued than we arrived, Booker parting ways with us after a brush of his hand over the top of my head. Auguste's jaw was tight as we walked down the hall to a set of stairs that would lead up.

  "How much time do we have?" I whispered to him, his eyes flicking to me and softening.

  "An hour, a little more maybe. You have questions?"

  "Many," I said, my lips wobbling in a weak smile as Auguste huffed a laugh and nodded.

  "Then I'll answer them. During a bath, you think?"

  I sighed and nodded. A bath with Auguste would be nice, and it would be close and intimate, which I wanted after the tension of the brief meeting.

  There was no sign of Ezra when we reached my suite, although my sheets were mussed and lived in, giving my heart a happy twist. They would smell like my thief when I finally got into bed, which would be a comfort. I'd gotten to sleep next to someone for the past two nights, and it was comforting to have another body to roll into, the warmth of someone against my back and their breath to draw me to sleep.