He added a second finger and continued the torturous pleasure over and over. In, out, up, and around until I thought I’d lose my mind. My breath was escaping my chest in sharp pants and my fingers clenched and unclenched the sheets beneath me. The pleasure was tightening and coiling in my lower belly, inching closer to detonation with every rub of his skilled fingers.
Nicholas dragged his mouth away from mine to whisper in my ear. “Let go, Adrienne.”
His words coupled with his smooth ministrations pushed me off the cliff and I shattered around his fingers. I gasped, filling my lungs to capacity before moaning loudly to the ceiling above me. The next several minutes were lost in a haze of post-orgasmic ripples and shudders.
I finally regained enough composure to open my eyes and peer around me, certain the room would be as destroyed as I’d just been.
I caught Nicholas’ hazel gaze and smiled a warm, sated smile at him.
Turning, I captured his lips with mine and showed him my gratitude. My hands crept along the bed before coming in to contact with his fully-clothed body. I skimmed down his torso until I met with the button of his jeans. With quick fingers, I popped the button and began to unzip his pants.
Nicholas caught my hands and brought them to his mouth with a small shake of his head. I frowned, confused.
“I thought you wanted me?” Hurt coursed through me at his rejection.
“I do, Adrienne. I promise,” he said and glanced down at his lap. Following his eyes, I saw the very real, very large proof of his arousal.
I looked up at him, even more confused.
“That was for you, beautiful.” He swept a lock of hair off my face and gently tucked it behind my ear. “But that’s all we have time for. You need to hunt, and I have another dozen or more phone calls to make.” He kissed my forehead before rolling to a standing position at the side of the bed. He offered me a hand, and I scooted my body across the sheets, suddenly terribly aware of how naked I was.
I kept my eyes averted as I pulled the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around my body. Nicholas took both hands and framed my face, forcing me to look at him.
“We’ll get there, I promise. But I don’t want to rush this,” he explained, and the sincerity in his eyes forced me to believe him.
He wanted me, but he wanted to take things slow. And I wanted that too, didn’t I? I’d been worried that we were moving too fast at the training facility, and now I was hurt he wasn’t hurtling us toward home base? My emotions were out of control.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. My libido had clearly run off with my good sense and I was lucky Nicholas still had some left over for the both of us.
He caught my gaze again. “Are we okay?” The hesitation in his voice sent a pang through my heart.
I smiled warmly at him before leaning up on my tiptoes to place a kiss on his surprised lips. “We’re great. You’re right. We’re not in any rush,” I assured him and sauntered away to retrieve my clothes.
Nicholas stayed frozen where I left him. When I turned, I found his eyes had heated as they roamed down my barely covered body. “I need to leave this room or there will be no more waiting.”
I watched him walk stiffly to the door and leave without another glance in my direction. My smile almost split my face in two. I ran in place and did a little dance before I could compose myself.
When I was dressed and calm, I opened the bedroom door to find Nicholas leaning against the doorframe.
“Oh! Nicholas! What are you doing standing there?” I had to put my hand over my heart to keep it from jumping out of my chest.
He smirked, and his eyes roamed down my body once more. “You never answered my question.”
I quirked a brow and mentally reviewed the last few minutes. Had he asked me a question? I could only remember his heated gaze, his warm mouth on my skin, his skillful fingers… I shook my head to clear those thoughts.
Seeing that I was at a loss, Nicholas chuckled and ran his hand down my cheek before cupping the back of my neck in his big, lightly calloused hand.
“I asked if you would accompany me to the Parliament Ball,” he said as he came closer, skimming his nose down my throat.
“Parliament Ball?” I squeaked.
His breathy laugh sent pleasurable shivers down my spine as his teeth grazed over my pulse point.
“That’s right. It’s tomorrow night. My attendance is required, but I won’t leave you alone. You can come with me to the ball or we can stay here.” His tongue was now tracing the path his nose had made down my throat. “It’s your choice.”
“Um,” I began intelligently. “I don’t have anything to wear to a ball.”
“I’ll take care of that,” he whispered in my ear.
“Um,” I began again. Did I even want to go to this ball? It was so hard to think with Nicholas’ mouth on my skin, scrambling my brain waves.
He bit down gently on my earlobe before sucking the tender skin into his warm mouth. I gasped and my knees shook. Placing both palms on his chest, I used every ounce of willpower I possessed to push him away. Breaking his contact with my skin vastly improved my mental functions.
He looked at me questioningly. “I can’t think with you that close.”
A smirk tilted the edges of his lips and my heart thudded against my chest. If I wasn’t a nearly indestructible vampire, I’d have had serious concerns about that organ’s longevity.
“I’ll take care of everything. All you have to do is say yes,” he said.
I thought about my options quickly. Would I rather get all dressed up and attend this ball with him where I would know no one but the man in front of me? Or would I rather sit in this hotel room for another night and risk him getting in trouble for blowing off the event? I suppose I couldn’t hide behind Nicholas forever. There would come a time when I would have to enter this world and find a place for myself in it.
Another thought brought me up short. “What about the vampire who’s looking for me? The one who changed me?” I was careful not to call that vampire my maker again.
The smile on Nicholas’ face fell, and he picked up one of my hands to clasp between both of his.
“Only Parliament employees and their dates are invited to this ball. If that vampire had any connection to Parliament, we would have found him by now. All of Parliament’s guards will be in attendance and I’m certain he won’t be there anyway, or I’d never risk taking you. Your safety is my number one priority.” The sincerity burned in his eyes, and I knew, as always, that I could trust him.
I smiled up at the handsome vampire. “Okay, I’ll go with you.”
His answering smile was dazzling, and I was even more glad I’d agreed to go.
The one thing that still worried me was Victoria. A woman scorned was nothing to make light of, and I imagined a vampire woman scorned was even more frightening. Maybe she wouldn’t attend since Nicholas hadn’t invited her. Or if she was there, maybe she wouldn’t care that Nicholas had brought me and not her. I was probably worrying over nothing. If this ball was as important as Nicholas made it out to be, we might not even cross paths with her. That thought put my mind at ease and I found I was looking forward to it.
Chapter 17
Just before my eyes could open, my mind registered a gentle touch against my face. I stayed still as something soft trailed down my cheek and across my jaw before tracing a line around my lips. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face.
“Good evening, Adrienne.” Nicholas’ deep voice whispered in my ear.
Turning, I found his handsome face so close we were practically nose to nose.
“Good evening, Nicholas.” I repeated his formal greeting with a cheeky grin.
His finger that had never left my face now trailed up the other side before disappearing into my thick mane of hair. Feeling bold, I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his. He gasped quietly before pulling me close and deepening the kiss.
For an immeasurable am
ount of time I lay there, lost to the feeling of his lips against my mouth and his fingers against my skin. When he finally pulled himself away, I couldn’t help the sound of discontent that escaped me. He grinned before placing a small kiss on the tip of my nose.
“Enough of that for now,” he said with a raised brow. “There are people in the next room who have been waiting for you to wake up.”
I frowned. “Who’s waiting for me?”
Nicholas wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into a sitting position. “Well, let’s see. Annabelle’s here to dress you, Brian will do your make-up, and Nathan will fix your hair for this evening.”
My eyes widened with shock. “You called all these people here?”
“Technically, they’re vampires, but yes, I did.”
“This is too much, Nicholas. You didn’t need to go to all this trouble. I thought you’d just take me to a department store to pick something out.”
He raked his fingers through my hair and cupped the back of my neck. “I want you to feel special tonight. This was no trouble at all.”
My eyes watered, and I sniffed a very un-ladylike sniffle. It had been so long since someone had taken care of me. I didn’t know what else to say besides, “Thank you, Nicholas.”
He nodded before placing a kiss on my forehead and helping me up. I followed him to the door, suddenly self-conscious. With Nicholas’ arm around my shoulders, I felt a sense of security that helped me to step through the doorway and into the living room of our hotel suite.
Three pairs of eyes swiveled toward me as soon as I entered the room. There was a woman standing by a rack of garment bags. She had a blonde pixie cut and bright blue eyes with small, pert features giving her a cute child-like quality. When I met her gaze, her pale pink lips tipped into a sincere smile.
The vampire standing closest to me was tall and thin with sandy blond hair and dark blue eyes. He quietly assessed me before waving a hand in greeting. The last man was sitting on the couch with his legs crossed, hands clasped on his knee. When my eyes met his dark gaze, he leapt up from his seat and approached us.
“Hello, I’m Nathan. I’ll be doing your hair today,” he said before shoving both hands into my dark hair and massaging my scalp. Torn between discomfort at his familiarity and the exquisite feeling of his fingers rubbing my head, I looked to Nicholas for help.
With a chuckle, he placed a hand on Nathan’s arm. “Ease up, friend. Not everyone is comfortable with your hands-on approach.”
Nathan immediately looked contrite. “Forgive me, Adrienne. I just wanted to see if your hair was as thick and soft as it looked.” He gave me a wink. “It is.”
I smiled tentatively at him as the other male vampire made his way over to us.
“Hello, Adrienne. I’m Brian, I’m your make-up artist for the day,” he said with a sparkle in his eye and a pop of his hip. I stifled a chuckle and pumped the hand he offered.
Lastly, the female vamp came over. “Adrienne,” she began in a sweet, soft voice. “I’m Annabelle. I’ll be helping you find something to wear to the ball tonight.” I shook her hand as well and greeted the group warmly. I’d never found myself at the center of so much attention and was feeling out of my depth.
Nicholas’ arm snaked around my waist as he placed a kiss at my temple. “I’m heading out for about an hour while you get ready. I’ve left my number next to the phone, so you can call if you need me. Try to have fun,” he added when he saw the indecision in my eyes.
I watched him walk out of the room, leaving me with three strange vampires. Turning to their eager faces, I shrugged. “So, what now?” I asked.
Annabelle stepped forward, placing her hands on my shoulders and gently turning me back toward the bedroom. “Why don’t you go take a shower while we get set up out here?”
I nodded and allowed her to lead me into the bedroom and over to the bathroom door. She deposited me in front of the shower and quietly closed the door behind her. I was grateful someone was willing to direct me through this process.
I quickly stripped off my bedclothes and stepped into a scalding hot shower. Since the change, I found that temperatures didn’t affect me as acutely as they did when I was human. If I wanted a hot shower, it had to be on the highest setting for me to feel the heat.
I took my time, washing my long hair and cleansing my skin with the pretty-smelling soaps the hotel had left in here. Another thing I’d noticed since becoming a vampire was I needed to shower a lot less frequently. Since I didn’t feel temperatures the same way, I also didn’t sweat the same way. Actually, I couldn’t remember breaking a sweat from physical exertion once since I’d become a vampire.
When I’d run out of things to wash or rinse, I reluctantly turned the water off and stepped out to dry. As I patted the beads of water off my skin, I tried to get control of my feelings.
I decided my initial hesitation was mostly due to having three strange vampires sprung on me as soon as I woke for the night. Although I no longer suffered from the grogginess I used to have upon first waking as a human, it was still a little disconcerting to find a room full of strangers outside my bedroom door.
I mentally thanked Annabelle for her quick thinking in sending me for a shower. Those few minutes of solitude had helped greatly in turning my attitude around. I was now ready to face whatever these vampires threw at me.
With a terrycloth bathrobe wrapped around my body and my hair tied up in a towel to dry, I exited the steamy bathroom. All three vampires were busy setting up their things in the sitting room when I arrived. The first to notice me was Nathan.
“Hello, gorgeous!” He greeted me loudly, attracting the attention of the rest of the vampires. “Come, come. You’ll sit here where Brian and I can get to work, and Annabelle can show you what she has picked out.” He waved me over to the leather office chair that had been rolled into the middle of the floor.
I walked over confidently and sat with ease, crossing my legs primly. I was hoping I could prove to them I wasn’t the shy, timid girl they’d met a little while ago. Brian seemed to notice my change in attitude and nodded approvingly.
Both men rolled over carts with their respective tools littering the tops and drawers while Annabelle organized garment bags. Nathan grabbed a bottle, squirted a quarter-sized amount of fruity smelling, amber-colored liquid, and ran his fingers through my hair.
“I’m going to let that sit in your hair while it air dries and Brian gets started on your makeup,” Nathan explained.
While he did that, Brian rubbed moisturizer on my face and eyeed the makeup he had spread out.
Annabelle clapped her small hands and shot me a grin. “So! Would you like to see Mr. Talbot’s pick for you first? Or some of the other dresses?”
I thought about that. “Let’s save his for last. I have a feeling I’ll like it best.”
With a conspiratorial wink, Annabelle unzipped a black garment bag that hung at the far right side of the rack. When the zipper reached the end, she wrapped her thin arm around the bottom of the voluminous dress and tugged it out, turning it on the hanger to show me.
The pale pink ball gown had a sweetheart neckline and a fitted bodice that flared at the hips into yards and yards of tulle. The dress was stunning but definitely not for me and I relayed that to Annabelle.
She crinkled her nose as her eyes examined me from head to toe before turning to the dress in question. “You’re right.” Annabelle pushed the dress back into the bag and zipped it up.
Brian was using a light-colored stick to mark up my face, and I struggled to see past his lightning fast hands as Annabelle opened the next bag.
This dress was a black number with off-the-shoulder sleeves covered in large crystals that caught and reflected the light. The sweetheart neckline dipped modestly in the front and the material gathered at the high waist before flaring down to the floor.
I furrowed my brow and shook my head as Brian stepped back to view his work. Annabelle studied me again bef
ore nodding. She stood there with her chin clasped in her delicate fingers and her foot tapping to a beat only she heard.
She sighed and turned toward me. “I think you’ll like the one Mr. Talbot picked out. Are you ready to see it?”
“Yes!”
If she agreed with his taste in dresses, I was sure it would be the right one for me. She unzipped the bag that hung on the left side of the rack, and I was relieved when a pile of tulle didn’t immediately come falling out.
Annabelle pulled the bottom of the dress from the bag and positioned it so I could see. The bright red color shocked me. It was the exact same shade as the bikini Bea lent me to swim in at the training facility. A blush warmed my cheeks and Brian stopped his ministrations to look at the dress on display for me.
Another sweetheart neckline graced the top of the simple dress, but this one had thick halter straps that fastened at my neck. The dress wasn’t fancy or made up with hundreds of crystals that would take away from its simple beauty. In this dress, I’d be on display, not the fabric.
“I’m all done here, sweetie,” Brian said as he finished painting my lips.
I stood up to examine the dress closer, although I could see it perfectly fine from where I sat across the room. I ran my fingers down the silky fabric, marveling at its soft but sturdy feeling. My eyes rose to find Annabelle watching me intently.
“This is it,” I told her.
She smiled knowingly at me. “I know it is.” With a wistful sigh, she tucked the dress back in its bag. “Go on back and let the boys finish up with you. I’ll find accessories and shoes to go along with this.”
I returned to my seat as Brian cleaned up his station and Nathan got to work. The lights in the room dimmed as he started up a hair dryer and I settled in. I’d have felt bad for him having to blow dry my long, thick hair if he hadn’t had vampire strength.
Blood Debt Page 14
