“Nervous, Toven?” she asked.
“Who me? Well . . . maybe a little. I haven’t really done the social thing in a really long time. I may be really rusty,” I admitted sheepishly.
Peeking up at me through long lashes, the fragile human I was worried about managed to reassure me with her vow, “Don’t worry. I won’t let you make a fool of yourself. I’ll stay by your side.”
“Thanks. And just so you know, there’ll be quite a few of my kind here tonight. Remember what I told you about looking into vampire eyes.” I forced a stern look on my face. She had no idea how dangerous vampires could be to someone completely under their spell.
“I remember,” she whispered, her face filled with sincerity. “I won’t look into any vampire’s eyes besides yours.”
Expelling a heavy sigh, I cupped her cheek. “You probably shouldn’t even look into mine, either.”
“I know you say that, but I trust you,” she said simply, then dazzled me with the full wattage of her smile.
“Toven,” a hearty voice called out from the open front door before I could properly argue with her.
“Herbert, how are you?” I forced exuberance into my greeting.
“Doing well. I must say I’m honored you decided to come. I haven’t seen you at a social function in ages.” He clapped me soundly on the shoulder.
“I haven’t been to one in ages. But Celesta, here, convinced me I should have more in my life than just work.” I smiled down at the stunning woman by my side.
“So, this lovely, young woman is responsible for dragging you out tonight?” Herbert turned his attention to Celesta.
“Yes. Herbert, this is Celesta Winston. Celesta, this is Herbert McDaniels.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. McDaniels,” she said as she held out her hand for him to shake.
“Pleased to meet you, Celesta,” Herbert said as he took her outstretched hand and kissed the back. “I’m so glad you convinced Toven to join the land of the living.” He chuckled at his pun.
A feminine voice behind Herbert spoke up, “Sometimes you just need the right partner to do things with to make them worth doing.”
“Ahh, the birthday girl. Happy Birthday, Millie,” I said as I kissed her cheek.
“Why thank you, Toven. It’s so good to see you.”
“Millie, this is Celesta. Celesta, this is Herbert’s better half, Millie.”
She pulled Celesta in for a brief hug. “Celesta, dear. It’s lovely to meet the woman with the power to draw this man out from behind his desk.”
“Happy birthday. You have a beautiful home.” Celesta’s eyes took in every detail from the artwork in the entryway, to the chandelier, to the sweeping staircase and ornate wood trim running along the ceiling’s edge.
“Thank you. You’ll have to excuse us for a bit while we greet other guests. We’ll catch up with you later. Please go make yourselves at home. Charles will take your coats and bag.” Millie gave Celesta’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze before the couple moved out onto the porch.
A quick glance in the room beyond the foyer revealed that half the men had removed their suit jackets and half of them sweated with them on. I shrugged out of my jacket, deciding to err on the side of comfort rather than formality. I removed Celesta’s wrap, revealing a smooth expanse of bare skin across her shoulders and back. Stifling a growl at the thought of all the other men in attendance viewing her delectable skin, I handed her wrap and my jacket to Charles, the butler. Celesta then handed over her small purse.
Grabbing Celesta’s hand, I tugged her farther into the grand mansion. Hearing her heart flutter nervously, I leaned to whisper in her ear, “It’s OK. I’ve got you. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
Having my mouth and nose so close to her skin was intoxicating. I drew in a deep breath, filling my nose with the scent of her, before forcing myself to pull back.
She whispered back, “Are you sure?” She nervously cast her eyes around the room filled with people.
I had to admit there were an inordinate number of gazes trained on us.
“They’re mostly staring at me,” I whispered back to her.
“Why would they be staring at you? You belong in this social circle. These people know you. I’m the one who’s out of her league and a nobody.”
“You may be new to the scene but let me assure you that you’re in a league all your own. None of these people here could even come close to touching you in beauty, brains or class. But all that is beside the point, I can hear their whispers. I’ve been out of the scene too long. Being here is generating a curiosity about me. They’re wondering why I’m gracing them with my presence. Some of them want to know what I’m up to and why I’m re-entering the social scene now.” I continued to tune in to the hushed whispers around the room. I growled over some of the lewd comments the men were making.
“What’s wrong, Toven?” Celesta whispered frantically.
“Some of the men are whispering about you and wondering who you are,” the words hissed out through my clenched teeth.
She blushed. “And the women?”
“We won’t discuss the cattiness of some of the women in this place. Your ears don’t need to be sullied by their classless drivel.”
“OK,” she whispered.
“Come on, I’ll introduce you around a little. If anybody makes you uncomfortable, let me know.”
“Let’s do this.” Straightening her spine, she plastered a smile on her face. She was the epitome of a brave façade, but her heart fluttered in opposition to her intrepid look. With a deep breath, she took a step into the crowded room without any prompting from me. My admiration for her kicked up another notch.
I introduced her to various people. Most were too stunned to see me at a party to really try to carry on a conversation. I moved us along before they had time to get their wits about them and start asking us questions. In time, Celesta started to relax.
Eventually, Millie found her way to the corner we were occupying. She kissed mine and Celesta’s cheeks.
“Sorry it took me so long to make my way back to you two. Now, you must tell me how you met.”
“Well, I’m in college, majoring in marketing. I started looking for opportunities to get some practical experience,” Celesta started.
“And I’m trying to revamp my image to appeal to the new generation of music lovers, so I can sell more of my original songs. I was looking for someone young who could help me,” I smoothly picked up the story.
Glancing up at me, Celesta chimed in, “We ran into each other on the street.”
My lips quirked up in a smile as I recalled her running into me. “We got to talking and decided—”
“That it must be fate that we ran into each other.” She gently squeezed where her arm was threaded around my bicep. “After a few conversations, we found we were drawn to each other.”
“And here we are.” I held my free arm out encompassing the two of us with my gesture.
“Seeing where fate takes us,” Celesta finished.
Millie’s head had turned back and forth as Celesta and I finished each other’s sentences perfectly in sync to spin our tale.
“That’s the most romantic story I’ve heard in a long time. You two make such a lovely couple. Celesta, you must tell me where you got your dress. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Millie reached out to brush her hand along the fabric.
She leaned toward Millie like she was about to part with a huge secret. “Well, Toven worked with a designer to have it made just for me as a surprise.”
“Now, I think that is the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard. You’re quite lucky to have found him.”
“I’m the lucky one that she ran into me. Totally changed my perspective,” I admitted unabashedly, the truth falling from my lips with no effort.
Celesta blushed. She probably figured I was just playing my part in that moment, but I couldn’t have been more honest than what I said. Meeting her had already ch
anged me. It had changed everything.
“Toven, before the music starts up, do you mind if I steal Celesta here and introduce her around?” Millie asked.
I cast a worried glance to Celesta. She looked nervous but gave me a slight nod that she’d be OK. I knew she wanted to fit in, and befriending Millie would help with that. I kissed her cheek. “Find me if you need anything.”
She nodded.
“I’ll have her back by your side before the dancing starts.”
Millie linked her arm with Celesta’s and took her over to a group of well-off wives from her charity circle. For a long while, my eyes followed them as they made a circuit, and my ears trained on their conversations. Each person Millie introduced her to was curious about me and why she was here with me. Celesta handled it all in stride. I relaxed after a while. Terrence’s sudden appearance in my line of sight distracted me from following her progress around the room any further.
“Toven, good to see you out among the living,” he boomed in greeting.
“It’s good to be out enjoying a night on the town.”
“I must say I’m surprised to see you out again. You normally hide behind your piano or your desk and leave the mingling to those of us more adept at it,” he remarked snidely.
I forced myself to be civil. “Well, I’m turning over a new leaf.”
“Where’s your new pet? I thought I caught a glimpse of that delicious morsel earlier.” He licked his lips and peered around the room. Lifting his glass to his mouth, he took a healthy gulp of blood.
“Stay away from her. Don’t touch her. Don’t look at her. Don’t even think about her. She’s mine,” I growled in an even tone.
“No need to get testy. I don’t take things that don’t belong to me,” he said with a smirk.
“Hören Arschloch, halten weg von ihr. I mean it, Terrence.” Verdammt! Damn him. It had been years since I’d been riled up enough to slip into German. I had to go cool off.
“Can’t say I ever bothered to learn German. I prefer the romance languages. But I assume you weren’t expressing your fondness of me in German.”
My fingers curled into fists behind my back. “Hell no. Remember what I said. I’ll say it slowly and in a language you understand. The meaning’s the same in any language. Stay away from her. I would say see you soon, but I honestly hope I never do again.”
“Touché.” He tipped his glass of blood at me in mock salute.
I turned on my heel and stalked off, my eyes scanning the crowd for Millie and Celesta. Millie was with a group of malicious women. I was relieved Celesta wasn’t with her but was concerned she wasn’t in sight.
“Millie, where’s Celesta?” I asked when I reached the clucking hens holding court around Millie.
“She went to the dining room to get something to drink. Toven, these ladies were just asking me who you were.”
One of the women draped herself on my arm and fluttered her eyelashes at me. She had long, platinum blond hair, and her dress left very little to the imagination. Her breasts were about to spill out of the top, and if she were to bend over, everything below her waist would’ve been free entertainment. The wisp of a dress would disintegrate if she were to exhale too harshly. Normally, she would’ve caught my eye for a quick meal and a bit of fun. Matter of fact, all of these women would’ve made a tasty buffet and an all-night binge entertainment source to the old me. The new me didn’t even glance at her more than a second before turning my gaze to continue scanning the sea of faces beyond me.
She rubbed my arm suggestively. “I haven’t seen you at any of these parties before.”
I peeled her hand gently from my arm. “Yeah, parties aren’t really my scene, but my girlfriend wanted to come. And I just can’t seem to say no to her.”
The woman stepped back and curled her lip up in disgust. “Millie told us you were here with someone. I didn’t realize she was your girlfriend, though.”
Another one of the women spoke up, “You mean the woman who looked like she was out of her element, like a little girl playing dress up?”
“If you’re referring to the most beautiful woman in this place, then yes, that would be my girl. And you ladies really must excuse me, I must go find her. I’m having a hard time breathing in her absence.” I gave them a tight smile as I rubbed the area over my heart, trying to soothe the discomfort.
I could just see them all swooning over my words. They may have thought I meant them flippantly, but I didn’t. I needed to find her and breathe her in to calm my ire. Terrence had me all flustered. I couldn’t believe I’d called her my girlfriend. That was ultimately the role she’d play publicly, but I wasn’t supposed to out her as that so soon into our relationship. We were supposed to be building to a believable relationship. Not running off half-cocked on lust and emotion.
I took a calming breath and listened carefully, sifting through the conversations going on around me—ignoring all the curious and lustful comments about me and Celesta, until finally my ears filled with the sound of her voice. Her tone wasn’t distressed, so I slowed my pace, listening.
“Yes, I’d love to try one of those,” she exclaimed.
“They’re very good. There are more in the kitchen,” a helpful voice told her.
“Thanks.”
“Celesta, what a surprise. I didn’t know you’d be here,” a somewhat familiar male voice said to her.
“I came with Toven.”
“Are you enjoying the party so far?” the man asked her.
“Yes, I expect Toven will be looking for me soon. Millie was introducing me around before I excused myself to get something to drink and a snack found me,” she explained.
“You mean you needed a break from all the superficially, pretentious women out there?” the man’s tone had dropped, though I still heard him.
She chuckled. “Aren’t those your fans you’re insulting? I saw quite a few watching you.”
“Fans and friends are two separate things. I appreciate the fans, but I really value the friends,” he said.
“I’m sure they are different. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be famous.”
“It has its moments. I love it though,” he said wistfully.
“You have a talent for it. It’s good you enjoy it.”
“I was a little disappointed you didn’t accept my proposal,” his tone was filled with mock agony.
"I had to make the best decision for my future, but I did mean what I said when I promised to check out your new movie.”
She was talking to Ace. He wasn’t a bad guy—always polite and fun-loving—but I didn’t want him getting too chummy with her. He was a popular, good-looking actor. I hated to admit it even to myself, but he’d be stiff competition. And even though I knew I couldn’t pursue anything real with her because she deserved so much better than me, she deserved better than Ace too.
“I’d love for you to come to the premier and afterparty in a few weeks,” he told her.
“I’ll have to check my calendar. I’m pretty busy,” she hedged.
“Toven is invited too.”
I’d eavesdropped long enough. I stepped through the doorway.
“There you are,” Celesta exclaimed and moved to my side.
“I overheard Ace inviting us to something?” I mentioned innocently.
“Yes, Toven. I was just telling Celesta that I’d love to have the two of you attend my movie premier and afterparty as my personal guests,” he said as he held out his hand for me to shake.
“We’d love to. Have your assistant email me the details so I can make sure we put it on our calendar.” I smiled brightly at him.
Ace looked shocked at my acceptance of his invitation. When he got his wits back, he said, “I’d like you to save me a dance later, Celesta. That is, if Toven doesn’t mind?”
“As long as you’re a gentleman and you treat her like the precious jewel she is, I don’t have a problem with it. So long as she wants to dance with you.” We both turned
our gazes to the vision huddled against my side.
“I think I might have space on my dance card for one dance with you, Ace. The rest of it is filled with Toven . . . I think.” She shyly peeked up at me through her long lashes. It was so damn sexy, the innocence and uncertainty mixed with the hint of flirtation on her face.
“That it is, my shining star.” I pressed a quick kiss to her upturned lips. “My dance card is all yours tonight.” And for the rest of my existence.
“Excuse me you two. I must go mingle for a bit. I’ll find you later for that dance.” Ace planted a peck on her cheek before he strode away.
“Are you OK?” I whispered in her ear.
“Yes. But I’m even better now that you found me.”
The smile that spread across her face as she looked at me made my heart hitch.
“How about we start marking off that dance card now?” I offered.
Setting her plate and glass down on a nearby counter, she placed her hand in mine and followed me out to the patio. The dance floor set up out there was just beginning to fill.
I swept her into my embrace and began moving us effortlessly across the floor to some remixed version of a classically composed piece meshed with thumping bass. It wasn’t your typical slow dance song, but I was quick on my feet and could adapt the steps to whatever beat pulsed through the air.
♪ Strip that Down by Liam Payne
“Toven, I don’t know if I can dance to this. Normally, all I do is shimmy and shake,” her voice wobbled with nerves.
“Relax. Just follow my lead.”
“OK.”
People moved out of our way as we danced. It was exhilarating. Having a legitimate excuse to hold her pressed against me was wonderful. I could let go of her expectations and my own, as well as all my reservations. Dancing was about finding the heartbeat of a song and moving in sync with it. I decided then and there, the only way I might survive the next ten weeks with Celesta without taking her was if I could find an excuse to take her dancing often. At least then I could press my body to hers with reasonable justification.
When the song ended, she lay her head against my chest and laughed as she fought to catch her breath.
Blood Song: Prelude (Blood Song Series Book 1) Page 22
