Beautiful Secrets: The Complete Trilogy

by Marie Robinson

  “The robe is wonderful,” she said, and I nodded, pushing up off the counter and easing my way past her.

  “Let me know if you need anything, little bird,” I offered once more before stepping out. I wanted to throw myself from the room, for fear of burying my hands in her hair and kissing her until she was breathless.

  My heart and my cock screamed at me to do that. To overwhelm her with kisses, to crowd her into the shower, the water sluicing over us as I tasted every inch of her skin, until she dug her nails into my shoulders and begged me to fill her pussy with my cock. I wanted to fuck her until I felt her cry out against me, and then to make her come again and again until I finally spilled myself in her.

  The sound of the shower door closing pulled me from my thoughts, and I pushed down my own selfish desires. A thought occurred to me and I began to plan our next hour, certain I could hear those breathy moans against my ear soon.

  Chapter 4

  Eleanora

  The shower felt glorious, and I let myself stand there under the falling water, my hands curled together under my chin. The warm water slid down through my hair, over my closed eyes and marred cheeks, before sliding down my body and draining away.

  It was as if the water was washing away more than just the sweat and dirt of the last twenty-four hours. I was a phoenix, and I could feel the fire coiling in my heart, dormant, but only like magma was dormant below a volcano. But the water soothed me, settling me like cooling lava. My emotions and mentality became stable once again. When I felt strong enough to handle the pushing and prodding of the world around me, I turned off the water and reached for the towel Brom had left so kindly on the towel warmer.

  What luxury the vampire lived in. I snorted as I toweled off my hair, taking in the black marble laced with fiery copper and silver ore. The mirror stretched along the sink wall and my breath caught as I saw my reflection. Amidst all the beauty of a damn bathroom, here I was, my facial scars brightly contrasting the elegance around me.

  Doubt and shame filled me, as much as I tried to argue with myself. Merlin had seen my scars, had made love to me with my face revealed. But Brom . . . the vampire surrounded himself with beauty, and his bathroom likely was worth more than a damn two-bedroom apartment in New York City. My scars had no place in his life.

  I wrapped my hair up in the towel and pulled the robe back on before looking towards the bedroom. I knew vampires’ senses were heightened, so there was no way I could avoid him knowing I had finished. But perhaps if I didn’t reach out to him, he would respect my silence and leave me be until Merlin returned.

  I swallowed hard at the thought of trying to justify my veil to Brom and Romulus. Maybe they would think it was an eccentric quirk of mine? I was certain Titania, and even Beatrice to a degree, had strange concepts of fashion. This could simply be mine.

  I stepped into the bedroom and my heart dropped. I had hoped to avoid him, but Brom stood in the center of the large room, his back facing me. I was frozen, but I couldn’t help looking him over. His white dress shirt was smooth over his broad shoulders, fitted against his lithe but strong arms. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbow, and his hands were hidden from me as he waited casually with his hands in his trouser pockets. No one would ever dare describe Brom as slender, even with how trim he was. Yes, he didn’t have nearly as large of muscles as Romulus or Merlin, but every line of his body, even hidden by the well-tailored black trousers, screamed of lethality.

  For all that Brom was the smallest of the men, he certainly felt like the most dangerous.

  And he was waiting for me. He’d turned his head to listen over his shoulder, but he hadn’t turned to look at me.

  “I trust the shower was to your expectations?”

  His voice was low and soft, and I wanted to purr.

  “Yes,” I said, licking my lips. “It was wonderful.”

  I was stuck in indecision. I knew it was rude of me to not let him turn and face me, but at the same time, I was terrified he’d look at me and demand I leave. No, Brom was too proper to throw me out onto the street. But I knew he wouldn’t want to keep me here longer than he must. Perhaps Merlin would take me in . . . I shuddered at the idea of returning to my home. I was certain I was barred from there forever.

  My breath hitched as I fought a sob, and it was as if Brom had been struck by lightning.

  “Eleanora?” he asked, aborting his turn, his hands out in concern but struck by the same indecision I felt.

  “I’m okay.” I recovered, trying to keep my voice steady. “It occurred to me that I may, in fact, be currently homeless.”

  “I did not take you as an idiot,” he said, his tone clipped. I blinked, slowly lowering my hands as I looked at his back in shock.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Did I not say I would give you everything you required and more?” Brom spoke as if I were a small child and it rankled me. It reminded me of how they would talk to me.

  “I’m not a child, so do me the courtesy of speaking to me like an adult,” I bit out before I collapsed inside myself. Unfrozen, I sat on the bed, hiding my face in my hands. He didn’t deserve my anger. “I’m sorry, Brom; that was rude. Thank you for generously opening your home to me.”

  Silence stretched between us. I wanted to look up at him, but I was terrified he’d turned around.

  “May I approach you, little bird?”

  I took in a deep breath, letting it out between my hands, then repeated it. I might as well get it over with. If I prolonged this and he rejected me later, it was just going to hurt even more. I nodded, the motion sending my towel tumbling from my hair. I focused on pulling it off, my hair hanging damp around my face, a natural veil as I saw Brom crouch before me, his hands placed gently on my knees.

  “I know you fear my looking upon your face,” he said, so tenderly I wanted to cry.

  “I am not beautiful, Brom,” I whispered, the truth of my words stringing around my heart like barbed wire.

  “You believe yourself hideous because of the scars you wear on your face.”

  It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyways. At least he had been warned, and I wondered if Merlin had told him. I wasn’t sure, but I thought it made this a little easier.

  “It’s why I’ve always worn veils,” I whispered. I realized I had been clenching my fists, my nails digging into the soft flesh of my palms. I carefully opened my hands, stretching them out, watching the color return to my knuckles as if it were the only thing that mattered in the world.

  “Your scars are not your beauty, little bird,” he said, his hands sliding slowly up my legs and reaching for my hands. He held them gently as he tried to soothe my fears. But he didn’t get it.

  “You say that now,” I said, nearly sneering, “but my face will cause you pain, and then, when you leave, unable to look at the monster I am, I will be broken and left in the shadows once more.”

  “I would believe it best if you allowed me to make my own judgments of beauty.” Brom’s tone was infuriatingly kind and insistent. My anger and fear boiled up inside me at his refusal to acknowledge the truth of reality. “What is hideous to some is beautiful—”

  I snapped, hot angry tears erupted from my eyes, and I lifted my head, glaring at him spitefully.

  “See?” I pulled my hands from his and pulled my hair out of my face, to show him exactly what he didn’t understand. I trembled, fear and anger lacing through me in an intricate dance, my hope squashed away.

  “This is what I am, Brom. This is why I wear a veil. My powers called the fire that killed my father, and then the fires refused to kill me because I’m the fucking monster who controlled them. I let them kill my father when I was just a child, Brom. And I carry the weight of that sin on my face. Madam Jupiter was right to hide me from the world.” My steam ran out as I shouted at him, my voice growing shriller as he didn’t respond. His dark eyes stayed on mine, his face impassive even in the brunt of exposure. I looked at him, determined to find the rejection I wa
s certain was hidden there. But I couldn’t keep his gaze for long, fear and grief clawing its way viciously up my throat. I looked away, the tears still slipping from my eyes.

  “I should have let them take me to Storm Cape.”

  I yelped as a snarl so loud came from the vampire. It was like the sound of an angry jaguar, and his steel grip grabbed me by the wrist and hauled me off the bed. I was useless to do anything but stumble after him as he dragged me before the ornamental full-length mirror nestled in the corner. Brom dragged me in front of him, my robe nearly coming undone, until he had me pressed against his chest, facing the mirror.

  I met his eyes in the mirror and my breath caught at the fury I saw there. His dark eyes were nearly black, his jaw clenched and his lips pressed thin.

  “Let me inform you of exactly what I see, Eleanora Bediver.” Brom’s voice was harsh and I had no other option but to listen carefully, caged in his arms as if I were truly a little bird.

  “I see a woman on the cusp of divinity,” he continued, his dark eyes boring into mine through the mirror. “I see a goddess of rage and power and of love and creation. Your stepmother has convinced you that you are a monster that must be hidden away from the world. And that ends now. Madam Jupiter is the true monster, Eleanora. Your scars, my darling, glorious phoenix, are so much more than beautiful. And by the time I’m done with you, you will begin to believe that.”

  “Wha—” I trailed off, stupefied as the anger in his eyes turned to something much more intimate. His fingertips trailed down over the robe to where the tie barely kept it shut. With a tug, my robe was opened and he was peeling it off my body, still damp from the shower.

  He kissed my bare skin, still watching me in the mirror. I shivered as he spoke against my neck. “Say I think you are beautiful, Eleanora.”

  I swallowed, and he pulled his lips farther from my skin.

  “Say it.” His voice was steel and, dammit, my body responded, growing aroused.

  “You think I’m beautiful,” I whispered.

  He hummed as if in thought. He pressed another kiss to me, this time just below my ear, his breath ghosting over the delicate curve of my lobe. “Again,” he whispered. “I want you to say it again and again, little bird.” One of Brom’s hands glided over my hip, towards the apex of my thighs, and tapped against my mons. “And when I feel that you believe it . . .” he trailed off, the promise in his words and fingertips causing goose bumps to spread over my arms.

  His eyes challenged me, and my reward pressed against my ass.

  Chapter 5

  Eleanora

  The silk had whispered against my skin as Brom pushed the robe off of me. The soft fabric of his shirt was cool against my heated back, the buttons teasing my spine. I could feel the buckle of his belt against my lower back, his hard cock nestled against my ass, his arousal unmistakable. I hated myself in that moment because I still doubted, and shame burned through me at my inability to repeat the words.

  He walked his fingers up my stomach before brushing my hardened nipples with the back of his hand, eliciting a gasp from my mouth. His dark eyes met mine again in the mirror.

  “Eleanora.” The command in his tone was riveting. I knew what he expected. I had been brave enough to show Merlin my truth; I could be brave enough to do this.

  “You think I’m beautiful,” I whispered.

  His response was immediate. He cupped my breasts, rolling my nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, his lips kissing my shoulder. As quickly as the pleasure had begun, it stopped as he released me, his hands moving from my breasts to ghost over my skin once more. I moaned, low in my belly, at the loss of his touch.

  “Again,” he said against my skin, his tongue flicking out to leave a burning trail over me. My fingers curled, my nails biting into my palms as I dragged in a breath to speak.

  “You think I’m beautiful,” I said, a little stronger this time. Again, the moment I said beautiful, his hands went from teasing to demanding, seeking out places on my body I would never have expected to send my desire higher. My pussy grew wetter just from his touch, and I pressed back against him, seeking him out on instinct. I wanted him in me, around me. I wanted him to consume me with nearly the same passion as I had wanted to consume the world with fire.

  “You think I’m beautiful,” I gasped out as I felt his hands begin to leave my body, desperate to keep his attention on me. He hummed in pleasure, and dammit, knowing I had pleased him sent a wave of arousal through me.

  Each time I felt like he was going to take away his hands, I would repeat myself and earn my reward of his continued touch. I could feel my arousal wetting my thighs and I knew that if I could smell it, the vampire definitely could. I was burning with need; Brom was sculpting my pleasure with expert craftsmanship, driving me higher, but never pushing me over the edge. His fingertips teased my pussy but never delved between my lips to seek out my entrance, and he completely ignored my clit, keeping my orgasm at bay.

  “Eleanora...” Brom’s voice was thick with desire and I let out a breath of relief that he was as affected by his therapy as I was. I dragged my gaze away from where one hand held my hip and the other was slipped between my legs, cupping me. I wanted to grind down against his palm, but he’d already proven he’d take his hand away. I met his eyes in the mirror and felt my heart catch in my throat. Brom’s pupils were blown wide with desire, his fair skin flushed, his lips swollen from his exploration of my skin. I could see the tips of his fangs as he carefully controlled his breaths. He looked wild, as if by pure will alone he had not yet devoured me completely.

  “Yes?” I asked, my voice shaking even with that single syllable.

  “Do you think you’re beautiful?”

  His voice was a weapon of mass debauchery and I was defenseless against his siege. I looked at myself in the mirror, my body flushed from his touch, my nipples hard, my thighs slick with desire, my hair unbrushed and hanging around my shoulders, my blue eyes bright against the red scars on my face. Brom’s hands were on me, his body outlining mine as he held me in his arms, my desire on the precipice of orgasm, his fingers tapping out a promise against my pussy. Did I think I was beautiful? I looked at myself closer, and saw my strength there. I never let my stepmother break me. I found beauty in that strength, and it was terrifying yet exhilarating.

  “I do,” I answered, meeting his eyes once more. “I think I really do.”

  Brom pressed two fingers inside me, his thumb circling my needy clit, and I cried out, grabbing his forearms for support as my body caved to his hands. Our gazes held to one another in the mirror as my orgasm washed over me. His dark eyes held mine, his fingers plunging in and out of my slick pussy, still stroking my clit until, impossibly, I felt another orgasm rushing towards me. I dropped my head back against his shoulder, crying out and clinging to him as my knees buckled, his strength holding me against him as I came hard, broken sobs spilling from my lips.

  The man bent and slid his arm under my knees, picking me up much like Merlin had, and carried me back to his bed. My body still quivered from the aftershocks of the orgasms, my pussy clenching down, and I buried my face in Brom’s chest. His shirt, so soft at first, now felt rough against my sensitive skin, but I wouldn’t have pulled away for anything in the world. When he laid me on the bed, I clung to that shirt, unable to let him separate from me. His amused laugh vibrated from his chest to mine and I arched up against him as he covered me with his body, my legs falling open to cradle him. His lips were on mine and I kissed him with a desperation that would have embarrassed me if he wasn’t just as needy. We both moaned as he ground his cock against my pussy, his trousers straining and becoming covered by my desire.

  “Please, Brom,” I begged, unashamed. “I want you. Now.”

  “As you wish,” he growled and reached to the nightstand, while I turned my attention and my lips against his neck, my hands snaking between us to undo his belt and fly. I bit down against his neck at the same time I wrapped my hand around
his cock. He thrust against me, a harsh groan muffled by the tear of a wrapper. He knocked my hands away and I scratched my nails over his skin, untucking his shirt and running my hands over his back as he rolled the condom on.

  He dragged his cock through my lips and I arched up against him, my legs coming to wrap around his thighs, urging him forward. Then he was inside, filling me in one hard thrust, his mouth searching out mine. His thrusts were unbridled and everything I needed. His pants chafed my thighs, his buttons scraped my breasts, and his lips and teeth tugged and teased my own as we kissed.

  Without breaking the kiss, he slipped his arms down, looping them under my knees and pushing my legs upwards, opening me wider for him. With every thrust, his belt tortured my clit and I could feel my body tightening. My hands scrambled against his shirt as my eyes squeezed closed. I was so close but I needed more. I needed his bite.

  “Brom,” I pleaded, turning my head and offering my neck to him in submission. Adoration flooded through me as he brought his mouth down against me, knowing what I offered and what I needed.

  The moment I felt his fangs break my skin, I was flung into my orgasm, bliss flowing through me. Brom’s hips stuttered and he ground his cock deep inside me, groaning against where he fed, my orgasm pushing him over into his until he finally collapsed against me. We clung to each other, our breaths coming out in hard pants. His bite turned to kisses, soothing the wounds as they healed. I let myself drift, secure in the safety of his arms.

  A call from the living room brought us back to reality. Brom had already taken care of the condom and I had been curled up into his side, not asleep but not fully awake either. It was strange, being so idle during the day.