Until the Sun Falls From the Sky

Chapter Six The Kiss

My eyes opened to a wall of sleek skin over the hard muscle of a massive chest.

I stared at it, confused.

Justin had chest hair. Did he shave his chest?

And was he working out, like, a lot?

Then I remembered that this wasn’t Justin. Justin was long gone. Four months gone.

This was Lucien.

Lucien who had left me last night to get food and have a word with Edwina. Lucien who had come back half an hour later carrying an expensive looking, black leather bag that appeared full. Lucien who had disappeared into the bathroom and come out ten minutes later wearing nothing but a pair of black, drawstring pajama bottoms, giving me the first-ever view of his bulging biceps, sinewy forearms, broad shoulders, defined collarbone and honed chest which narrowed into a six pack.

No kidding, he was perfect from the top of his head to his waist. Every inch.

I quit breathing and tried not to drool.

He totally sensed my reaction. I knew this because his eyes went hooded and he grinned.

My first reaction was to pant when his eyes went all vampire sexy like that.

My second reaction was vastly different. I resisted (barely) the urge to throw my book at him.

He got in bed beside me. I ignored him, turning my back to him and concentrating on my book, one page of which I read fifteen times before it sunk in.

I didn’t know what Lucien did. I didn’t look. I think he read because I heard pages turning. He didn’t touch me though and finally I turned out my light and tried to sleep.

He didn’t. He kept doing whatever it was he was doing for a good long while keeping his light on.

Eventually this forced me to ask irritably, “Are you ever going to turn out your light?”

“In a minute, my pet.”

God, I hated it when he called me his “pet”. It was way too close to the bone.

“I can’t get to sleep with the light on,” I informed him waspishly, still with my back to him, speaking to the opposite wall.

“You’ll learn,” he replied casually.

I clamped my mouth shut. Then I lay there and seethed. Lucien took his time which I thought was incredibly inconsiderate. Finally, he turned out his light.

I began to force myself to relax.

This effort was immediately rendered futile when he pulled me into him, the length of my back pressed to the length of his front and his arm tight around me.

“I’m not a cuddler,” I shared.

“You’ll learn that too,” he returned.

What a jerk!

“Lucien –” I started.

He cut me off. “Quiet, Leah, I’m tired.”

He said this like he expected me to obey without question. Which I supposed he did. And worse, I had pretty much no choice but to do so.

“My life sucks,” I announced into the dark.

He chuckled into the hair at the back of my head.

I didn’t know when he fell asleep. I didn’t even know when I did. I just knew I did because now I was facing him, staring at his glorious chest.

I had to get out of there.

My body tensed for flight. The instant it did, his hand came up, grasped a handful of hair and tugged it down, forcing my head back. I looked up into his still-drowsy face and caught my breath.

I hated him but there was no denying he was gorgeous, especially in the morning with that still-drowsy face.

His head was tilting toward me and before I could process the meaning behind his movement, his mouth was on mine.

This surprised me. Not that he would kiss me because the detail to my job description was pretty freaking clear.

No, what surprised me was that the kiss was soft, gentle, exploratory, not hard, demanding and invasive.

I was so surprised I didn’t even think to pull free.

His lips moved on mine in sensual discovery, his head slanting ever so slightly to press deeper. It was nice, stirring me but not frightening me.

I felt him then, the heat from his body, the soft skin over strong muscle of his chest under my hands. That was nice too.

His hand at my hip slid to the small of my back, just above my bottom and it pressed in.

More heat, more hardness, more pressure on my mouth, all of it controlled but delicious. Without a thought I helped, wriggling to get closer, liking what I was feeling.

His mouth opened over mine and, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, mine opened under his.

His tongue slid inside.

In a flash all gentle exploration was gone. The minute his tongue touched mine, my body exploded. My stomach dropped, my toes curled, my nipples hardened and I felt a wave of fire rush between my legs.

It was fantastic.

Helpless to stop myself and not even trying, I pressed into him full body, trying to get as close as I could. Even though I was lying down, both of my hands slid up his chest and held onto his shoulders tightly like if I didn’t, I would fall.

At my touch, he growled low in the back of his throat, the power of it vibrating through my mouth, against my tongue and I lost it. Not that I had much of “it” to lose.

One of my hands pushed under his arm, wrapping around his back. The other one curled around his neck and up, gliding into his thick, soft hair.

He rolled into me, slanting his head further, deepening the kiss, his hand at my back sliding over my bottom, cupping me, pressing in. Our tongues tangled and he tasted beautiful. I’d never tasted anyone (especially in the morning) that amazing.

I liked it. I craved it. I wanted more and I took it. I took it like I needed it, like my life had a limit and if I didn’t get as much of it as I could, I’d quit breathing the next instant.

He felt my urgency and rolled me fully to my back, his weight pinning me, his hips grinding into mine so I could feel his arousal. My body answered with another luscious belly drop and rush of warmth at my core. My hand clenched in his hair and I didn’t care if it hurt. I was going to hold him to me for as long as it took me to get my fill of that mind-blowing kiss.

Suddenly his mouth tore from mine. His head went up and cocked slightly to the side.

I did not like this.

I held his hair clenched in my fist, my body squirming under his to resurrect our contact, my breath coming in fast pants.

“We’ve company,” he murmured, his eyes dark and unfocused, a strange look of annoyance on his features.

“What?” I breathed.

He looked down at me and when he did his face gentled.

“Company,” he repeated and I didn’t process this. I couldn’t. My concentration was entirely centered on his mouth, his eyes, his face, his body, his hardness, his heat and the intense, altogether too pleasant feeling between my legs.

His face dipped closer and my mind and body rejoiced.

But he didn’t kiss me (alas).

Instead, his hand came to cup my jaw and he muttered, “I can’t tell you how much it pleases me that you need no instruction on how to kiss me like I like it.”

This pleased me too. Intensely. Considering I hated him with every fiber of my being this also confused me. Just as intensely. And, considering I hated him with a depth that was scary, this also pissed me off, at myself. Even more intensely.

Before I could come to terms with any of this, his mouth brushed mine then he whispered, “I’ll be back.”

In a flash, he was out of bed. He hesitated at its side, looking down at me.

I blinked, still not used to how quickly he could move not to mention the sight of his chest.

I watched his face grow hard and he ordered, “Don’t move.”

Then he was out the door.

I lay in bed wondering what in the hell just happened.

My body didn’t wonder. It knew what happened. It liked what happened. It wanted more of what happened.

“Oh my God,” I breathed aloud.

I was deranged.

I liked being kissed by a vampire. Worse! I liked being kissed by Lucien, the Big, Bad, Jerky, Controlling Vampire.

I’d lost my mind.

Then it hit me that I had company.

How could I have company? No one knew where I lived. Even I wasn’t certain where I lived considering a driver picked me up at the airport and brought me here. I was too busy lamenting my sucky life to pay attention to where we were going.

Ignoring his order not to move, I threw back the covers and stood. This caused me to feel a wave of dizziness. Clearly, I hadn’t fully recovered from his onslaught at The Bloodletting.

I let my head adjust and then I hurried to the bathroom. Grabbing my short, creamy-colored flannel robe off the hook on the back of the door, I shrugged it on and rushed out of the room. Tying the belt as I went, I ran as fast as my legs would carry me without passing out and doing myself bodily harm.

I flew around the landing. As I was descending the last flight of stairs, right in front of me at the door, I saw Lucien’s powerfully muscled back in his pajama bottoms. I also saw he was holding himself rigid, why, I didn’t know. Probably anger or frustration.

I also saw he was facing my aunties Kate, Millicent and Nadia, all of whom were standing just inside the door.

Hallelujah!

Before I was all the way to the bottom and opened my mouth to speak, Lucien’s torso twisted so he was facing me. I caught the look on his face and realized it wasn’t anger or frustration.

It was fury.

I didn’t get to greet my family. Lucien spoke first.

“What did I tell you?” he demanded, his voice so harsh it was a whiplash.

“Sorry?” I asked, stopping two steps from the bottom in an effort at self-preservation. I hoped distance would help me avoid the almost physical lash of his tongue.

“What did I tell you?” he repeated, turning slowly to me.

My eyes flickered to my aunties who were looking pale and concerned, their own gazes moving between Lucien and me.

“Get back upstairs,” Lucien went on when I didn’t reply.

I looked back to him and said, what I thought was logically, “But, my aunts are –”

I didn’t finish.

I found myself over his shoulder and in the bedroom where he tossed me on the bed. This happened so fast the only thing I could feel was the wind created by his movement.

I bounced on the bed once, twice, staring up at him.

Then I said in a furious whisper, “You did not just –”

Lucien interrupted me. “Don’t move.”

Rage engulfed me, I got to my feet, standing on the bed and shouted, “Don’t you dare tell me –”

He cut me off again, this time using mind control.

Lie down, Leah.

I fought it. Well, my mind did. This lasted about three seconds.

Humiliatingly quickly, I lay down on the bed.

Get comfortable, he ordered and I did as I was told as best as I could when I was struggling against my mind which was in his stranglehold.

Don’t make a noise and don’t fucking move, he finished and, without further ado, he left.

I lay on the bed motionless but comfortable as the minutes passed. There were a goodly number of them before he returned. I had no idea where my aunties were or why they were even here. I had no idea what was going on.

The only thing I knew was that I hated him now more than ever.

He sat on the side of the bed. My eyes watched him do this and I screamed my hatred at him in my head as he tugged me across the bed and into his lap.

I didn’t struggle. I didn’t because I couldn’t move.

His eyes locked on mine. “You must learn to mind me.”

Go to hell! My mind shouted.

He shook his head and cradled me closer, speaking softly, “You need to learn this lesson, pet.”

Fuck off and don’t call me pet! My mind shrieked.

He held my body in his arms and my glare with his calm gaze as I tried desperately to shoot laser beams out of my eyes and annihilate him.

This, unfortunately, did not work.

“I’ll not countenance disobedience.” He kept speaking softly.

No duh? My mind asked sarcastically.

He sighed then stated, “Leah, if you defy me again, especially if you do it in front of others, you’ll be punished.”

Do your worst! My mind challenged. It can’t be worse than what you’ve already done.

He stopped using his voice and instead spoke directly to my mind. You’ve no idea.

Dazzle me, my mind snapped.

Our eyes locked for long moments before he took up my challenge. As you wish. Tonight, I feed. Then your punishment begins.

I can’t wait, I lied.

I could definitely wait. This whole thing was freaking me out.

He looked angry but resigned as he muttered, “Stubborn.”

My mind stayed silent.

“Your punishment will be just as difficult for me as it is for you, Leah.”

Good! My mind ground out.

His eyes moved over my face, the anger drifted out of his and I could swear he looked almost pleased.

“One thing about you, pet, you aren’t a disappointment.”

I had no idea what he meant by that and thus didn’t have a retort.

I felt my mind freed, my body at my command again and I didn’t hesitate. I scrambled off his lap and backed swiftly away as he rose from the side of the bed.

“Can my lesson tonight be how you kill vampires?” I asked in an ugly voice.

Shockingly, Lucien replied instantly, “Burn to nothing but ash then scatter the remains.”

“Well then, Lucien, you better get Edwina to hide the fucking matches,” I retorted and without another word I turned on my heel and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door and locking it.

I put my back to it, drifting down to my ass.

I rested my forehead to my knees and realized I was in full body tremble.

God, I hated him.

This was the rest of my blinkety-blank day:

First, I had to come out of the bathroom. I couldn’t live there, as much as I wanted to at that moment. There was water but there was no food and I was hungry.

When I did the bed had been made and Edwina was setting the table between the armchairs with plates and cutlery.

She turned to me, all perky housekeeper, and smiled, asking, “And how are we this morning?”

“Murderous,” I replied.

Her body twitched and her head tilted to the side in that weird birdlike manner of hers.

She took a moment to study me. “I see you’re not in a very good mood again,” she observed.

“No. I. Am. Not,” I retorted. “Where’s Lucien?”

“Here,” he declared, sauntering in coolly like he hadn’t just humbled me, kept me from my family, shackled me with his mind.

“You haven’t left yet?” I snapped out my question.

“I’m showering, we’re sharing breakfast then I’m leaving.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him to get a move on when I realized Edwina was still in the room. Not wanting a repeat of twenty minutes ago, I pressed my lips together and wrapped my arms around my middle.

Lucien watched me do this then, as he walked to the bathroom, he mumbled, “You’re learning.”

I turned to Edwina and asked, “Do we have any lighter fluid?”

Edwina’s brows shot up to her hairline as I heard Lucien’s bark of laughter from the bathroom cut off in mid-rumble as he shut the door. This made my hands clench into fists.

“I don’t think so, dear,” Edwina answered, confused at the question and the byplay.

“Maybe you should put it on your grocery list,” I suggested.

“Are you planning a barbeque?” she asked.

“Yes,” I answered. “A big one.”

That’s when I heard Lucien’s second bark of laughter.

Damn the vampire.

Lucien and I shared breakfast.

We sat in the armchairs in my bedroom and he calmly ate while reading the paper as I made another attempt to get laser beams to shoot out of my eyes.

It goes without saying I failed in this endeavor.

Unable to take the silence, I asked, “Why are we eating in the bedroom?”

“Because I want to,” he replied.

“But why?” I pushed.

His eyes locked on mine in a way that said I was testing him and I definitely shouldn’t.

“Sorry for questioning you, my Lord and Master,” I muttered, shoving more of Edwina’s delicious French toast into my mouth, deciding if I gained one hundred pounds (which I could, no sweat), he wouldn’t want me anymore.

“I think I explained how I feel about your sarcastic titles, Leah,” Lucien reminded me.

I looked at him and chewed.

After I swallowed, I informed him, “You said I couldn’t call you ‘oh Great Master’.”

He watched me for a long moment before he spoke.

“You are correct,” he allowed. “So now I’ll tell you I won’t tolerate any of your sarcastic titles.”

I twirled my fork in the air, looking down at my plate, saying, “Whatever.”

More silence then Lucien folded the paper and threw it on the table. I looked up, hopeful he was finished so I could put in action the plan I’d hatched in the bathroom.

He was watching me. “A package will arrive today,” he started and I nodded because his plate was clean and I took this as a good sign. “You’ll be wearing what’s in the package when I arrive home tonight.”

My mind was skittering across a thousand images of me in different types of bondage gear. Therefore I missed his swift movement from seated to standing and pulling my chair around so he could lean into me, a hand on each arm.

“Did you hear me?”

I glared at him and replied acidly, “Yes, darling.”

Something flashed in his eyes, something strange, something that looked like exhilaration.

His eyes dropped to my mouth and he murmured, “I like that.”

“What?”

“You calling me ‘darling’.”

What an idiot I was!

I decided instantly never to call him that again.

He read my mind, his hand came to my neck and he ordered, “I want you to call me that from now on.”

“You’re ordering me to call you ‘darling’?” I asked with disbelief.

“Yes.”

“That’s crazy!” I protested.

“You’ll do it,” he demanded.

I looked to the ceiling and muttered, “I’m such an idiot.”

Since I was looking at the ceiling, his mouth brushing mine came as a surprise. When my eyes rolled to his, I could see close up his were smiling.

“You’re adorable,” he whispered.

And with that, he left.

And with that, I was left with wondering how I could detest a being so much and still feel a little thrill at his calling me adorable and his giving me a brush on the lips.

My plan to escape was thwarted.

See, I’d decided to let Lucien hunt me down and kill me.

I didn’t want to die. I also didn’t think he’d do it.

Kill me that was.

It seemed, weirdly enough, he actually liked me in his freakish vampire way.

When he found me (and he would), I was counting on the fact he’d give into me pleading for my life, figure out I was more of a pain in the ass than I was worth, he’d release me and I’d be on my way.

It was a ludicrous plan hatched in a hysterically angry frame of mind.

However, my day turned out rather busy and I never had the chance to put it into action.

First up, I tried to get Edwina to tell me if she knew what happened with my aunties. She said she didn’t know. I didn’t know her enough to know if she was lying or not but I let it go.

Next, I started to plan my getaway.

Obviously, I’d need cash, credit cards and identification. So, logically, I started with my purse.

There I found the dread, detested Lucien had not only confiscated my phone; he’d also taken my wallet and my passport.

The bastard.

That was okay. I had a few pieces of jewelry that were worth some money. I’d pawn them to get some cash.

I went to the drawer in my dressing table that had an inbuilt, velvet lined jewelry section.

My jewelry was gone.

Damn!

What? Did he read my mind at breakfast?

Undeterred, I decided just to go. Upon examining the house two days ago, I’d also examined the garage and saw the Cayenne which Edwina told me Lucien had bought for me. I could sell the Cayenne for a shed load of money.

Upon thoroughly searching and eventually asking Edwina, I found there were no keys. Lucien had taken them.

“He’s concerned about you, dear,” Edwina explained what she thought was the truth. “You weren’t steady on your feet yesterday. You need a bit of time to get settled in and it won’t help to go gallivanting around the countryside.”

After offering that pearl of wisdom, she flitted away.

I was glaring at her back while considering loading the silver in a pillowcase and hitchhiking to the nearest town when the next thing happened.

The doorbell rang and Edwina and I both reached it at the same time. Me hoping it was my aunties or better yet, my Mom. Edwina knowing who it was.

It was two men who came bearing lots and lots of boxes.

Edwina was obviously expecting this and although she acted a little bit weirded out about it but didn’t share why, she started to order them around as to where the boxes went.

When the men took some into the bedroom, I followed them and Edwina was waiting for them in the dressing room. Without hesitation she tore one open and started to pull out the things in the box.

The things in the box, by the way, were men’s clothes. Expensive, well-tailored, designer-label men’s clothes that looked like they would fit Lucien.

There were a lot of clothes.

I wandered out of the dressing room and down the stairs and saw other boxes were being placed in other rooms. Mostly the study.

I stood amongst this hubbub, perplexed.

Was he moving in?

I mean, I was pretty certain Rafe didn’t live with Lana. I was equally pretty certain that Duncan didn’t live with my cousin Natalie.

By the way, I’d learned Natalie’s (my favorite cousin) vampire’s name was Duncan after my Selection, when I learned all my cousin’s vampire’s names. I had six cousins, four of them Selected, two of them not yet.

All of them, I was pretty certain, didn’t live with their vampires.

Furthermore, I was sure my mother didn’t live with Cosmo.

As I was standing in the hall watching the men go back out to their truck to get even more boxes, Stephanie waltzed in the opened door.

She looked fantastic in a royal blue satin blouse and matching skirt that fit her like a second skin and hit her at her knees. Her high-heeled, royal blue, strappy sandals were, no other words for it, the bomb.

As a woman, regardless of my current tumultuous state-of-being, I couldn’t stop myself from crying, “I love your outfit!”

She put her hands out and smiled. “Fab, isn’t it? We’ll get Lucien’s card and I’ll take you to the shop where I got it, kit you out.”

My pleasure at her outfit disappeared and I wrinkled my nose.

“I don’t think so,” I said.

She got close, her brows drawn, a small smile playing at her mouth. “Why’s that?”

“I don’t want anything from Lucien,” I announced grandly.

For some unhinged reason this made her laugh out loud like I was hilarious.

Then, eyes on me, she whispered, “God, I envy him.”

Boy, vampires were weird.

Suddenly something occurred to me and I looked out at the blazing sun Stephanie had just walked through to get to the house.

“You can’t be in the sun!” I shouted and it sounded like an accusation.

She asked through a chuckle, “What?”

“You,” I stated, pointing at her, “just walked through the sun.” I pointed out the door before dropping my hand. “I thought sunshine was deadly to vampires.”

Confusion washed through her face before she muttered to herself, “Vampire Studies aren’t what they used to be.”

“I was expelled,” I divulged.

Her beautiful blue eyes widened then she threw back her head and laughed, uproariously I might add, all the while coming toward me and sliding her arm around my waist. She moved me forward into the family room where she seated us facing on the couch.

“Vampires are human,” she told me.

I waved my hand between us and said, “I know that. Lucien explained that last night.”

“Sun isn’t deadly to us.”

I didn’t know that but I didn’t share mainly because she already knew I didn’t know that from my reaction.

She went on, “We were nocturnal, back in the day. That’s how that rumor got started.”

“Oh,” I said just for something to say.

This made sense. Actually it all made sense which was a little disappointing. I’d prefer it was dark magic or something sinister and evil. It would give me something else to put in my Why I Hate Lucien Vault.

“So, you obviously aren’t nocturnal now,” I remarked.

“Some still keep to the old ways.” She leaned in and grinned. “Personally, I never wake up before at least noon.” We heard the men come back in. She looked over her shoulder at the door then at me and asked, “What’s with the boxes?”

“It appears Lucien is moving in,” I replied, unable to hide my distaste for this idea.

She looked over her shoulder at the door again and again mumbled under her breath, “He sure doesn’t waste any time.”

“Waste any time what?” I asked.

She looked back to me and answered, “I’ll let Lucien explain it.”

I shook my head. “Stephanie, no disrespect, but I’d rather you did the explaining.”

Her eyes softened and she said quietly, “I take it things aren’t going well between you two.”

“Nope,” I replied instantly.

“Did he not feed?” she asked, sounding slightly incredulous.

“Yep. He fed,” I shared. “Things got out of hand and he forgot to anesthetize me,” I waved my hand in the air, “or whatever.”

I watched her face shut down and realized it was to mask her reaction.

Then her hand came out and grabbed mine before she whispered in a voice that dripped compassion, “Oh honey.”

At her words and the tone in which they were uttered I wanted to cry. I really did. She obviously understood even if it was from her viewpoint, not the victim’s. It was good sitting across from someone, even someone I barely knew, who understood.

But I didn’t cry. I felt the tears welling but I held them back. It took a lot out of me but I fucking well did it.

She watched my struggle and when I’d come out victorious she gave my hand a firm squeeze.

“You need to get drunk,” she declared, taking her hand away.

I thought that was an excellent idea. Then I remembered why it might not be an excellent idea.

“Lucien said he’s feeding again tonight.”

She stood and pulled me up with her. “Good. It’ll serve him right to get some secondhand alcohol in his system,” she commented with feeling and leaned into me while she walked me from the room. “Feeding from someone inebriated,” she gave a mock shudder, “tastes crap.”

At learning that knowledge, I liked her plan all the better.

Stephanie and I were hanging off the stools that sat around the huge island bar that separated the enormous kitchen from the breakfast nook and comfy-kitchen-living-area. Yes, I had a comfy-kitchen-living-area with a big, fluffy couch, an attractive, low coffee table and a gigantic, round bean bag that two small adults could pile themselves into. Who needs all that? I already had a living room and family room for goodness sakes!

Both Stephanie and I had consumed more than our fair share of vodka martinis under the watchful and reproachful (I might add) eyes of Edwina when the next thing happened.

More boxes arrived.

These weren’t cardboard boxes filled with Lucien’s clothes. These were glossy black boxes of all shapes and sizes, each of them tied with a blood-red satin bow.

The minute Stephanie eyed the delivery man carrying a tower of boxes, she cried, “Yippee! Lucien’s been shopping.”

This news did not make me happy.

“Oh, my dear. You may be moody but you must have pleased him somehow,” Edwina pronounced having lost her stern glare and donning a gleaming smile. She was following delivery man number two.

I ignored Edwina and watched Stephanie who was already digging into the stash with an abandon that was slightly scary.

He’d said a package would arrive. A package.

Did he expect me to wear all this stuff at once?

Stephanie pulled out a flash of material, swinging it around and then smoothing it against her front.

“This is stunning. Come here, Leah, try this on,” she demanded.

I looked at what she held.

She was right. It was stunning. It was the most exquisite thing I’d ever seen.

An evening dress, black matte silk, flowy skirt with a slit up the front lined in aubergine satin, halter-topped and backless.

Both delivery men came in again, each bearing another tower of boxes.

“More?” I whispered.

Stephanie didn’t hear me or ignored me, likely the second, she was on a mission.

“Come here, Leah. This first,” she was shaking the black gown at me, “then this.” She picked up what looked like a cream-colored skirt lined in pale blue and it had a kick pleat.

I slid off my stool and drunkenly wobbled into the comfy-kitchen-living area.

I touched the fabric of the black gown. It was glorious.

Stephanie let it go to turn her attention to another box and I caught it before it fell to the ground.

I held the dress up in front of me.

I really wanted to enjoy this. I really, really did. But instead it made me feel more trapped, more suffocated, more owned.

Lucien was dressing up his pet. And I was his pet.

It made me feel somehow dirty.

“Why on earth would he buy me this stuff? I’ll never wear it,” I mumbled or, I should say, slurred. We’d had a lot of martinis.

Stephanie paused in her gleeful activity and looked at me. “What do you mean, you’ll never wear it?”

“I live in a house in the middle of nowhere. My job is to hang around until a vampire wants to feed from me.”

Stephanie straightened and caught my eyes. “Yes, that’s part of your job. Another part of your job is to play escort should he want to show you off. At the opera. Or a dinner party. Or A Feast.”

God, I hoped Lucien didn’t like opera. That would suck because I loathed it.

I decided to latch onto something else she said, something Lucien had mentioned before. “A feast?”

She nodded. “A Feast. Some vamps take their concubines to Feasts. I don’t but I know on occasion that Lucien does.”

“What’s a feast?” I asked and Edwina made a little pip noise and both Stephanie and I swung our eyes to her.

“You don’t approve?” Stephanie asked, not dangerously, curiously.

“Not to his taking the girls there, no,” Edwina answered softly then started to gather up discarded tissue, ribbons and boxes. “They can get dangerous.”

“What’s a feast?” I asked again but Stephanie was still studying Edwina.

“Lucien would never let anything happen to one of his concubines.”

“I know,” Edwina said and straightened. “It’s just…” she hesitated, looked between us and finished, proclaiming, “my girls are good girls.”

This made me even more intrigued so I asked, louder this time, “What’s a feast?”

“She may need another martini for this,” Edwina mumbled, dropped the detritus and headed to the martini shaker.

I was no longer intrigued, I was now concerned. So much so I plonked down on the fluffy couch amidst a mountain of tissue paper as the two delivery men added two more towers of boxes to the plethora.

Stephanie plonked down beside me and Edwina fetched us fresh martinis.

Then Stephanie explained. “Vamps can feed from two places, their concubines and any mortal who attends A Feast. That’s it. That’s the law.”

“So why are they dangerous? Do they round up the victims…?” I stopped speaking when Stephanie’s face grew scary hard.

“They aren’t victims, Leah. They choose to be there.” Her voice was as hard as her face.

I ignored her voice mainly because I couldn’t imagine what she said was true.

She studied my expression and her face softened.

“It’s not like it was with you and Lucien,” she said under her breath so Edwina, who was tidying my new, extravagant wardrobe, couldn’t hear. “Most mortals love it. Some even become addicted to it. There are even ex-concubines there.”

I felt my eyes grow round and she nodded and continued, “It’s frowned upon, of course. A concubine will lose her or his reputation by attending Feasts after they’ve been released. Their families are normally shunned. Their line will henceforth go unchosen at Selections. They usually don’t attend once a concubine falls mostly because they aren’t invited.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Feasts are where common mortals go.” She put her hand on mine. “You, honey, are anything but common.”

This sounded sickeningly superior.

She must have read my face because she went on, “They love it, the mortals who attend. They don’t care. They build their whole lives around it, traveling from Feast to Feast. They’re like groupies.”

And this sounded simply sickening.

“I still don’t get why it’s dangerous,” I pressed and Stephanie leaned back.

“Because anything goes,” she replied. “Lots of liquor, loud music, dancing and bodies. Any mortal is fair game. Some have two, three, even more vampires feeding on them at once. There are some Feasts, not the ones Lucien attends, mind, where there are drugs. Sex. Orgies.”

“Wow,” I whispered and she smiled.

“The good ones are fun. You can take your fill of as many mortals as you want. It’s great.”

It didn’t sound great but that was just me.

“Why would you take a concubine there?” I asked.

She shrugged. “To share another part of your life with her. If you’ve got a good one, to show her off to other vampires.”

Something struck me. “If anything goes, and a concubine is mortal, is she fair game?”

Stephanie hesitated a moment before answering, “At the wilder ones, with vamps who don’t take good care of their girls, yes.” I sucked in breath and she hurried on, “But Lucien doesn’t go to those.”

“So, that’s why it’s dangerous,” I whispered and Edwina made another pip noise. Again Stephanie and I looked at her.

“Not entirely,” Stephanie replied, glancing back my way.

“What is it, entirely?” I pushed.

Stephanie sighed before saying, “Even at the good ones, things can get out of hand. Vampires are what we are. It isn’t unheard of for there to be bloodlust. In the throes of bloodlust a vampire will go for anything mortal. It’s not unusual for concubines to be used by other vamps, even offered by their own vampire to his friends.”

“Oh my God,” I breathed.

“Lucien wouldn’t do that,” she rushed to assure me.

“Oh my God,” I breathed again.

She leaned toward me. “Leah, seriously, Lucien would never share. Ever. You have to believe me. I’m being very serious.”

I just stared at her.

She kept talking. “He’d sense if things were deteriorating and he’d get you out of there. It wouldn’t matter. No vampire is stupid enough to touch what’s Lucien’s. He’d burn. Lucien would make sure of it. He’d do it himself. He’s even done it before.”

“Done what before?”

“Burned another vampire. If memory serves, he’s done it twice. Once was after something happened at A Feast. The other vamp didn’t even feed from his concubine, he just touched her. Lucien went mad, hunted him down, made him burn. The second was –”

She didn’t finish, I interrupted her by whispering, “Made him burn?”

Stephanie nodded. “Lucien killed him without a thought and he’d been within his rights. You don’t touch another vamp’s concubine. Most vampires cover it up, make a monetary agreement. They don’t take it that far. Any money that exchanges hands they give to their concubine to buy her silence. But Lucien would take it that far, no doubt about it. If it happens, it reflects on her vampire. He’ll seek vengeance and it’ll be granted. And she can demand immediate release and that too will be granted.”

“You can demand release?” I was too drunk to mask the hope in my voice.

“Yes,” Stephanie answered. “It’s tantamount to neglect which is grounds for unconditional release.”

My inebriated mind recalled reading that in my contract.

Why hadn’t I thought of that before?

There were grounds for unconditional release. Neglect, which Lucien had definitely not done, and extreme cruelty, which he could have done.

My brain was drunkenly churning so I didn’t catch Stephanie getting close.

“That doesn’t count,” she said softly, reading my drunken thoughts. “It happens to us all, not often but it does. I’m surprised it happened to Lucien but not surprised at the same time, considering it’s you. We lose focus or control. We’re vampires, you’re concubines. It’s the nature of the relationship.”

There it was. My hopes were dashed.

Again.

“I don’t like anything about the relationship. Not. One. Thing,” I announced and then took a huge sip of my martini.

When I was done swallowing, I caught her sly grin. “I’ll call you tomorrow morning after he feeds tonight and we’ll see what you say about the relationship then.”

I rolled my eyes. Stephanie laughed.

“Don’t you have more boxes to open?” I asked tartly.

She looked down at the boxes on the coffee table, her eyes narrowed and she reached out to grab one.

“This one has a note on it.” She yanked off the bow using the thick, cream card that was attached. “It says, ‘This is for tonight’.” She turned it to face me. “That’s Lucien’s handwriting.”

I looked at the bold, slashing, powerful, black scrawl that, in itself, was a command even if I couldn’t make out the words that seemed to be moving under my eyes. Of course it was his handwriting.

She thrust the box in my hands. “Open it. I have to see this.”

“No,” I thrust it back, “you open it.”

She pushed it back to me. “No, I want to see your face when you see what’s inside.”

I glared at her. She had eternity to live; she could play this game forever. I had only another forty, fifty years, if I was lucky.

I pulled open the box. It was, to my relief, not bondage gear.

It was, to my surprise and secret delight, something even more exquisite than the black gown.

A rich taupe camisole with dusty, lilac flowers imprinting the silk jacquard, trimmed in delicate taupe lace. The cups were half-jacquard, half-lace. The body was jacquard as were the thin straps. There were matching Brazilian cut panties, the front was jacquard with lace trim, the back almost entirely lace except a tantalizing triangle of jacquard at the top. There were sweet little rosettes at the waistband of the panties under the navel and at the juncture of the bodice where it met each of the straps of the camisole.

Stephanie eyeballed the camisole and panties as she took a sip from her martini. “Lucien always had good taste.” Her gaze moved to my face, a smile lit in her eyes and she repeated, “Always.”

I decided, yet again, I really liked Stephanie.

“Thanks,” I whispered.

She gave me a wink and nodded to the lingerie. “New order. Try that on first. Then the black gown.”

“We’ll have a fashion parade!” Edwina shouted enthusiastically from the kitchen where she was cooking dinner. I jumped because I forgot she was there.

A fashion parade didn’t seem like a bad idea. Or at least it didn’t after four martinis.

I jumped up, wobbled then righted myself and announced, “I’ll change, you open more boxes.”

Stephanie didn’t need to be told twice.

I started to run to the powder room but skidded to a halt and asked Edwina like I was a tweenie and Stephanie had come over after school, “Can Stephanie stay for dinner?”

“Of course, dear.” Edwina smiled and I smiled back.

Then I whirled to Stephanie. “Will you stay for dinner?”

She was still digging through boxes and didn’t look up when she answered, “I’d like that.”

Happy for the first time in weeks, I took my pretty lingerie, deciding not to think of it as a gift from Lucien as that would spoil the fun, and ran to the powder room to start the fashion parade.