William (Echoes of Ossiria #1)

by Vivian Lane

  “We’ve made a circuit around the room; can we go now?” she asked.

  I looked at her. “Not enjoying yourself?”

  “Not when everyone keeps staring at us!” she whispered back.

  I sidled closer. “Hottest couple in the room, love, why wouldn’t they?”

  “Hello, ego? More like they’re gossiping that I’m your trophy date.”

  “Really…”

  “William, even with your immortality, you’re obviously at least ten years older than me. People say things.”

  I took her hand. “Well, let’s give ‘em something to talk about. Dance with me.”

  “Oh, no…”

  I pulled her over to the band to make a request. The bandleader nodded and counted off a Latin mambo beat.

  “A Dean Martin song?”

  “I know it’s not a rhythm you’re used to, but follow my lead, hmm?”

  “Will—” She didn’t get a chance to say more before I twirled her into my arms and started dancing.

  When marimba rhythms start to play

  Dance with me, make me sway…

  The crowd parted for us, forming a circle to watch.

  …Only you have the magic technique

  When we sway I go weak

  Others joined us on the floor, not to be outdone, but they were on the edge of awareness.

  …Make me thrill as only you know how

  Sway me smooth, sway me now

  The chorus and refrain repeated as the song came to a close. I dipped her quickly, pulling her back up against me.

  She was breathing heavily. “I think I need a drink,” she said breathlessly.

  I turned for the bar. “Can’t have you wilting, can we?” She shook her head. “Here you are, kitten.” I handed her a glass.

  “What is it?” she asked suspiciously.

  I chuckled. “Spring water. Afraid I’ll get you drunk?”

  She sipped the water. “The thought had occurred.”

  I leaned in to say, “Sweetheart, if I wanted to, I could seduce you stone cold sober, and you know it.”

  Her jaw dropped. “As if!”

  I shrugged, unperturbed by her refusal. “Protest all you like… I’m going to go grab a smoke.”

  As much as I was enjoying her company, I needed a break to gather my thoughts and breathe some fresh air. Hadn’t been around this many humans in a while and the scent made me hungry, too.

  She smiled as soon as she saw me walking back, but I’d seen her true expression. Watching a while, unnoticed, I knew she wasn’t happy. But that brave face was back up.

  “Miss me?” I quipped.

  She smiled back. “A little. I don’t know anyone here, so I got bored.”

  “We could dance some more, if you like?”

  “Okay.”

  The band’s repertoire was mainly songs you could sway to, so we casually joined the rest on the dance floor. Her chin on my shoulder, our bodies gently swaying to the music, I could almost pretend we were two normal people on a normal date.

  “You’ve gone quiet,” I said.

  “Being in the moment. Only two weeks left. This night has been a bit different than I expected.”

  “Hm. How so?”

  “I expected more testing, I guess. Minding my P’s and Q’s like Mrs. Crumb taught me.”

  “Ah. Not really my kind of scene anymore. I don’t typically run my business like a tyrant, hard as that may be to believe.”

  “Could’ve fooled me with that whole drill sergeant routine. So, what…you’re normally a girl’s friend?” she teased.

  “Depends on the girl. That bint that bit you, for instance—she had her certain charms, but I couldn’t stand her bloody nasal voice for more than two minutes. Plenty of the demons are only attractive to their own species. And then, there was you—little slip of a human with a fire in her eye. No whining or crying for Mum…spirit of a fighter, despite being more than a bit bookish.” I waggled my brows and smiled. “Then you turned out gorgeous.”

  Catherine shook her head. “Can’t take the man out of the demon,” she sighed.

  “’Sum of all our parts’. Isn’t that what you said?”

  “Close enough. What is your demon like?”

  “’S not like that. It’s not a voice in my head. Being a vampire heightens feelings, instincts…your cravings change, but it’s still your head doing the thinking…only as a newbie, not so much with the cerebral. You have to get past the hunger most of the time. A vampire is just as unique and complicated as the human they were before. It’s what makes turning so unpredictable. You get a pansy, or you get Tallis. Or anything in between. Roll of the soddin’ dice.”

  “Have you ever turned someone?”

  “Minions, you know, easy labor…mostly just found ‘em, though, picked up the new ones. They’re easily controlled, but dumb as blocks. Usually, I had to do practically everything myself if I wanted it done right. There’s a lesson in that.”

  “Self-reliance. Got it,” she said, nodding.

  “You’re completely bored, aren’t you?”

  “No! Well, not with talking to you…”

  “But the energy left this dive half an hour ago. Come on, kitten.” I grabbed her hand and led her toward the exit.

  The doors shut, cutting off the music, and I pressed her into a pole and kissed her.

  “Better?” I asked, once I released her to breathe.

  “Uh-huh.”

  I smiled knowingly and took her hand again. “Let’s get out of here.”

  The trek back to the entrance took considerably longer than it should have. We stopped every couple minutes to snog again. Got her cloak. She bundled up while I called the driver. The door was opened for her once the limo pulled up, though I stopped to talk to the driver before getting in next to her.

  I immediately slid her closer. “Mmm, where were we?” And leaned in to kiss her again.

  She dodged the kiss. Hey. “Where are we going?”

  “Somewhere more private,” I said, kissing her neck instead.

  “Not the house?”

  “Not yet…”

  “William…”

  I sighed and pulled back to look at her.

  “The contract says—”

  “I don’t care about the bleedin’ contract—”

  “Well, they’re my consequences!”

  “Catherine, I already said I don’t want to turn you over—”

  “That isn’t the same as won’t. He’ll figure it out, and then it’ll be worse on me because he can’t take it out on you. Tell me I’m wrong.”

  Couldn’t. I glanced away. “You’re not.”

  “Betray my trust, and you’re the first one I’m coming after when I’m dead,” she promised.

  “Bossy thing, aren’t you?”

  “I’m serious, William! God, you can be such a jerk.” She moved to the far side of interior.

  I grabbed her by the hips and yanked her back. “Now, hold on!” I grabbed her wrists and held them to her lap so she’d stop fighting me. “If you’d let me finish… I don’t want to see you with Tallis, and I won’t force you to go. I like you.”

  “You like me.”

  “Like being challenged by you, dancing with you, snogging…yeah, I like you.”

  “Well, that’s something.”

  She had no idea. I let go of her wrist and cupped her cheek. “It really is…”

  The kiss was its own dance. She met me halfway.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The limousine came to a stop. Catherine broke away from the kiss and looked out the windows. “Where are we?” she asked.

  The chauffeur opened the door. “Sir?”

  I sighed and slid out. Soon, no more interruptions.

  A bellhop was already on his way out to retrieve the luggage.

  When she didn’t immediately follow me out, I bent down to see what was delaying her. “It’s only going to come off again,” I said, referring to the lipstick she was reappl
ying.

  “It’ll last as long as we’re in public.” She dropped the tube and her compact in her purse and extended a free hand to me. “Geeze, your hand is already freezing!”

  “It is a touch chilly out here. Shall we?”

  It was a magnificent hotel. Her satchel and a garment bag were loaded onto a trolley. We hurried inside out of the cold. I signed the register at the front desk and got the key.

  “You have the Royal Suite, Mr. Holbrook. Enjoy your stay.”

  “Is that your real name?” she whispered.

  I wiggled my brows. “Could be. Come on. The lift is this way.” It was a family name, but not mine by birth.

  “You’ve been here before?”

  “Several times. My maker and I had supper here quite often during the early ‘20s. Still looks good.”

  “By ‘supper’, you mean…?”

  “We ate here, love. Interpret that as you will.”

  The elevator finally reached our floor.

  I smiled smugly. “The very best. We’re lucky it was empty.” The attendant unlocked the room and opened the door. He carried the bags somewhere inside.

  I strolled in with ease, tipped the young man and closed the door, then watched her explore.

  The entrance hall had elegant columns and antique furniture. There was an enormous drawing room with cream walls, sofas the color of holly berries, and a grand piano. The rug and other upholstery were strewn with hints of gold to complement the red and rich wood tones. Large windows with red velvet drapes looked out onto the city. A crystal chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling. It also had a fireplace.

  “Good Lord, there’s even a dining room. William, this is too much! I can’t even fathom how much this place costs for one night.”

  “It’s not the most expensive room in the world. Just enjoy it. There’s even butler service. Come, you haven’t seen the rest, yet.” I took her hand and led her into the bedroom.

  A king-size canopy bed had a red coverlet to continue the theme. It was another large room, with sumptuously plush carpeting and more elegant wood furniture. The bathroom had two sinks, a huge tub, and separate shower. The fixtures were all in gold. The rest was marble.

  “I’m afraid to touch anything,” she muttered.

  I came up behind her, placing my hands on her shoulders. Couldn’t wait to touch her, taste her. “Bath big enough for two. Bet they included bubbles.” She broke free and strode back to the drawing room, stopping at one of the windows. London glittered below, the lights like jewels. “Are you hungry? We can order room service, put our feet up…get cozy…”

  “You didn’t need to do all…this.”

  I sighed and walked over to her. “If it makes you feel better, I cashed in a favor. We’re not breaking the bank.” I reached around from behind and unclasped her cloak, fingertips trailing along her skin as I drew it away. “There’s a beautiful room with a beautiful view and excellent company waiting right here to be enjoyed, love. Relax.” I dropped the cloak on the floor and slowly trailed my hands up her arms. “Live in the moment.”

  She relaxed into my chest as my lips trailed kisses down the side of her neck. My arms wrapped around her waist. I could bite and drain her right now and she’d be helpless to stop me, whispering complements against her skin.

  “Trying to seduce me?” she whispered.

  “Is it working?”

  “Little bit.”

  My teeth grazed the tendon on the side of her neck. “Hmm…what else can I do to convince you?”

  She turned in my arms and kissed me. I hummed in pleasure and pressed her against the window. Maybe I’d fuck her against it later. She took in great gulps of oxygen as I kissed her neck again. My hands roamed up and down her sides and back, mapping her curves, and my thumbs skimmed the underside of her breasts.

  Her hands roamed under my jacket and loosened the tie around my neck. She grabbed my face and brought my mouth back to hers for an intense kiss, then broke away to take my hand. My brow furrowed in confusion until I figured out she was leading me to the bedroom.

  “Whatever are you going to do with me, Miss Mitchell?” I asked playfully.

  She winked. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

  She stopped by the side of the bed and slipped her hands under my jacket, sliding it off my shoulders. It was tossed toward a chair. Her hands went to my belt buckle next as she leaned forward to kiss me. I tried to pull her closer but she slapped my hands away, and I moaned at suddenly feeling her warm hand on my cock, then whimpered when she let go.

  She grinned as she pushed me backward. “Sit,” she commanded.

  I arched a brow. “Now, what? Oh god…” I never would have expected her to… “You devious…little…minx!” She chuckled around my cock.

  Embarrassingly, I was panting and moaning almost instantly. “God, love…just like…you…fuck! Where did you learn that?”

  She massaged the spot behind my balls, earning a growl and the thrust of my hips. “Magazine,” she said, then dropped her head again.

  “Kitten…gonna…” I came.

  She swallowed all I had to give. A human woman had never done this for me before. I stared at her.

  Her skin flushed. “What?”

  “I never…get up here.” I grabbed her shoulders and hauled her up for a kiss, plunging my tongue in her mouth. “You’re amazing.”

  “I dreamed about it once,” she confessed, blushing further.

  “Did you now? On who?” The way she ducked her head told me the answer. “And when was this, naughty girl?”

  “Umm…last week?”

  I chuckled and brushed my nose against hers. “Before, or after, you got a peek at my bits?”

  “I didn’t peek!”

  “You noticed the towel was gone.”

  “I didn’t have to look there to see that.”

  “Ah, so it was before…and does reality measure up?” I punctuated the last word with a thrust of my hips into her belly, showing off I was hard again.

  “I wasn’t taking notes.” She flicked my ear with her tongue. “It was more about making you scream my name.”

  In a blink, I put her on her back. “Oh, I think it’s you who’ll be screamin’ before the night’s over, love.”

  “I’m not a screamer. Didn’t make a peep when you scared me at the theater.”

  “No one to mind your decorum for, here, baby. We’re the only ones on this floor. And I’m a man of many talents.”

  “I’m sure you are, but what makes you think I’ll be taking advantage of them?”

  I grinned wolfishly. “Because, Catherine, I know exactly how hot I make you. I can practically taste you on the air right now. Gonna lick your sweetness. All. Up.”

  Her body was ready.

  But her mind wasn’t.

  “I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to, Catherine. You have my word.”

  She nodded, unconsciously relaxing. “Yeah…breathing’s becoming an issue.”

  “Oh!” I rolled up onto my feet. “Sorry. Forgot.”

  “It’s okay.” She squirmed uncomfortably. “Corsets are kinda evil.”

  “I’m surely not going to stop you if you want out of that dress.”

  My tie and cuff links were left on the dresser, shoes and socks coming off next. She watched me undress, chewing on her lip.

  Finally, she asked, “Could you help me?”

  I paused and looked at her, shirt unbuttoned. “Tell me what to do.”

  She stood and turned around. “Just, um, loosen the laces in the back, here.”

  I crossed the few feet between us and scrutinized the lacing. The bow had been double-knotted so it would stay tied. My fingers gently worked the bow loose and slackened the ribbon through the eyes. She sighed and slouched slightly now the dress was loose enough to take a full deep breath.

  “Better?” I softly asked.

  “Much. Thank you.”

  Catherine held the dress up with her hand. She t
urned her head to smile at me, then walked into the bathroom.

  I ran a hand through my hair and let out a breath once she was out of sight. Going at her pace was taking nearly all of my self-control, but I just couldn’t push her. It felt…wrong.

  First time I’d cared about wrong in decades.

  It was why I’d zipped my trousers up again once I stood, though the button was still undone. I knew she wanted me, but whatever would tip the scales in my favor hadn’t happened, yet.

  At least she wasn’t trying to be a tease.

  She came out in a white fluffy robe, the dress draped over her arm, went over to the closet and carefully hung it up, caressing the beautiful beading a final time before shutting the door. Her hair was still pinned up and she hadn’t removed her shoes, yet.

  I coughed. “Hungry?” God, I wanted to see what was under that robe.

  “Oh…yes,” she said. “I hope there’s something normal on the menu.”

  I shook my head. “Bloody Yanks.”

  “Yeah, yeah, we’re all cretins… I’d kill for a burger or pizza, just sayin’.”

  “I think we can let the diet slip, this once.”

  I played with the entertainment center remote while she perused the menu, then called room service. “You want anything?” she asked. I shook my head. “Hi, I’d like to place an order…the sirloin burger…cooked medium, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, no pickle…fries, definitely…a diet Coke, and…a piece of the triple chocolate cake. Uh-huh…twenty minutes? Thank you!” She checked the clock. “I’m gonna really enjoy this.”

  I turned off the TV. “Why don’t you take your hair down?”

  Catherine nodded. “Alright.” She felt around her head and placed pins on the nightstand as she pulled them out.

  “Here.” I came over to help, batted her hands away, and took over, loosening the curls as they tumbled down. Once I removed the last pin, I combed through her locks to make them flow freely down her back. “There. Much better.” I stroked the silky strands from crown to ends. “So pretty. Cat…”

  “Hmm?” She half turned.

  Slid my hand under her hair to cup her neck and leaned in to kiss her. She sighed into my mouth, her arms slowly sliding up to wrap around my shoulders. I was holding back from completely devouring her.