An Education in Scandal: A Somerset Novel (Somerset Series Book 5)

by Isadora Brown

  Maggie felt her cheeks turn pink at the reprimand. She hadn’t been expecting that.

  “I’m sorry,” she told him in a soft voice. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She stepped around him, clutching her small black purse to her chest. When she reached the door, she threw a look over her shoulder at Christian and gave him a soft smile. “Have a good night, Christian.”

  She didn’t know if he said anything in return because she opened the door to find Alekssander Eriksson standing in front of her, dressed in a white collared shirt and grey slacks. His short blond hair was slicked back and his piercing blue eyes sparkled when he saw Maggie. No wonder Danielle was so in love with him. Granted, he didn’t make her heart flutter the way Christian did but he was still deliriously attractive, and maybe that was what Christian needed to see to actually do something.

  “You look lovely,” Alek said and slowly gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Are you ready to go?”

  Maggie nodded. She wanted to look back at Christian, wanted to gauge his reaction, but she forced herself to leave as though she didn’t care. She shut the door behind her and Alek disentangled himself from her in order to give her a respectful amount of space. Danielle was in the passenger seat of Alek’s Audi and she pressed her brows up, waiting for Maggie to explain what happened.

  “He wants her,” Alek said, once he slid into the driver’s seat.

  “How do you know?” Maggie asked, buckling her seatbelt in the back, directly behind Danielle.

  Alek shrugged. “Vampires just know,” he said.

  Maggie swallowed, unsure of what to make of Alek's statement. She placed her head on the cool glass and got lost in her thoughts. There was something strongly irresistible about Christian and she didn't want to overthink it. She didn't like that it had already consumed the majority of her thoughts when she had a quiz next week, when she should be focusing on what she wanted to do with her life once she did graduate.

  The problem was, she still had no idea and the pressure was getting to her. Her other friends seemed to have their heads on straight. They knew what they were going to do. Maggie, however, barely figured out her major and even that was still vague. Sociology encompassed the study of society. She could be a teacher, a professor, or she could research. The problem was, just because studying the cultures that made up their society didn't mean she wanted to teach or conduct research. If anything, she liked traveling and she wanted to learn the history of where humans and vampires and werewolves and fairies came from. What shaped them into who they were now?

  Maybe she could travel. Especially if she was getting paid five grand with a roof over her head, she could travel, couldn't she? Maybe Christian would come with her so he could feed -

  Or maybe she couldn't travel, since he would be required to feed every few days. And if he was worried about good standing at his company, he probably wouldn't take the time off to travel.

  When they got to the club, Taylor, Ashley, and Kasandra were already there. They looked amazing and beautiful and Maggie felt her problems with Christian slowly start to disappear from her consciousness. As they stepped to security behind Maggie, who already had her Black Card out and ready to go, Kasandra started talking about work as a record technician for the NDS. She graduated last year from Somerset U, with a bachelor's degree in Criminology, Law & Society. The summer before her senior year, she interned at the NDS and completed the internship with the promise of a full-time job once she graduated. She couldn't talk much about it - as a record technician, she had access to all sorts of confidential information - but the people who called in looking for a report were hilarious to hear about.

  Maggie produced her Black Card and her group was waved in without a word. A couple of the vampire bouncers smirked at her, their eyes raking over her neck, searching for the marks they thought they would find there. Maggie hadn't paid attention to it before but now that she was more aware of what was going on, she couldn't help the shiver that slid down her back if she tried.

  Risk wasn't a club they had been to. It was dark and small, bodies already surrounding the bar and merging on the dance floor. It was older than the other vampire clubs they had been to, more authentic in the clientele.

  Regardless, they were there and they were going to have fun.

  Maggie wasn't an idiot. She knew that they were here because Danielle got it in her head to distract her. Maggie had talked a big talk the past month, insisting they go to Vampyre and acting wilder than she really was. Now, nightclubs were the last place she wanted to be. She didn't feel comfortable with men and vampires alike touching her, dancing with her. She wanted to be wrapped up in a warm blanket in front of a fire, leaning against the solid body that was Christian. She wanted him touching her and dancing with her. In fact, she wanted him to be the one to take her virginity, to sink her fangs into her flesh and make her come and scream his name.

  She felt her body respond just thinking about it. She felt a couple of eyes on her as they checked their bags and headed to the dance floor. Drinks would come later - which Maggie looked forward to because she knew she needed a drink or three - but right now was reserved for dancing. She knew she needed to be careful what she thought as well. Vampires could smell desire and they might assume said desire was because of their presence rather than her fantasies.

  But maybe... maybe that was okay. Maybe she needed to dance with somebody else, to desire somebody else, in order to get Christian out of his head. At least, temporarily.

  At first, her friends made a small circle and just started to move their bodies to the music. Maggie never felt confident dancing which was why she partnered up as quickly as she could. As long as she shook her hips against her partner, it didn't particularly matter what she looked like. Danielle and Alek were already in their own world, her back pressed against his chest, his mouth on her neck, his hands holding her hips possessively. Kasandra was shy unless she was on the dance floor, and she didn't need drinks in order to dance hard. Taylor and Ashley were also enjoying themselves. Everyone was happy. Maggie vowed to be happy as well. Whether this whole Christian thing worked itself out or not, it didn't matter. She was with her friends, she looked good, and the deejay was playing good music.

  It wasn't long before she found herself a partner. Maggie was shy and unsure but she didn't underestimate her desirability. The vampire came up behind her and started rocking against her without any formalities. Maggie felt herself grin. The rudeness was welcome. She didn't need to know his name in order to agree to a dance.

  It couldn't have been a minute later when the vampire suddenly released her and someone else threw their arm over their shoulder.

  It was him. She could smell how clean he was, musky and clean.

  It was Christian.

  And for some reason, he was leading her away, off the dance floor, to a secluded hallway.

  Chapter 16

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Christian asked, throwing open the men’s bathroom door and dragging Maggie inside with his vice-like grip. It wasn’t so tight as to hurt her but she couldn’t pull free from his grasp, even if she tried.

  “I’m out with my friends,” Maggie told him. Her eyes darted around but the bathroom was surprisingly empty. She wasn’t sure how vampires and the bathroom worked. Quite frankly, that wasn’t something she cared to know, but if they didn’t need to use the restroom like humans did, it would make sense that the men’s bathroom was empty considering human men didn’t choose to come to places like these the way women did. Regardless, Christian locked the bathroom door.

  “Yeah, I can see that,” he said. “Why are you out with your friends?”

  Maggie wrinkled her brow and shot him a look. “Because I can be?” she told him, forming her statement as a question to prove a point. “Because regardless of what you tell your uncle, I don’t belong to you.”

  There was a flash of recognition in Christian’s jade green eyes before he grabbed the lower half of his face.

  “I
said that to protect you,” he explained.

  “You said that so you wouldn’t have to share,” Maggie corrected. She would never talk to Christian like this under normal circumstances but she was slightly tipsy and frustrated with what was happening. The minute the words came out of her mouth, she knew they were true.

  “Vampire rules-“

  “I’m not a vampire,” Maggie interrupted. She wasn’t shouting but there was a slight echo that ran throughout the bathroom. “I’m not saying your laws don’t matter but at least respect me enough to let me know what’s going on. And be honest with me. I may be innocent – this whole façade of me dressing in slutty clothes and running my mouth is bullshit. I get it. But don’t bullshit me, either. Please.”

  Christian opened his mouth, ready to defend himself, but stopped himself. His eyes softened and he gave her a nod. “Perhaps there were selfish intentions behind that claim,” he admitted.

  “Because you don’t want anyone else to feed on me,” Maggie said with an understanding nod. “I get it.”

  “No.” He shook his head with a sharpness that caused Maggie to tilt her head in confusion. “No, you don’t get it. It was to protect you, yes. The way my uncle looked at you… I know that look. He wants you. He wants to corrupt you and take away your innocence.” Maggie felt her cheeks turn red at the blatant discussion of her virginity. “But even someone as powerful as he is has to adhere to our laws.”

  “But he didn’t,” Maggie pointed out. Immediately, she snapped her mouth closed and looked away. She shouldn’t have brought that up. She had no right to say that; it wasn’t her place or her business. She didn’t even know if she should know about it; after Barry blabbed it, Christian never brought it up. Why would he? She wasn’t anything important to him.

  “He didn’t,” Christian agreed slowly. He pressed his lips together and cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean, this is all bullshit?” He gestured at her outfit.

  “I,” Maggie began but cut herself off. “I wanted to get your attention. Alek isn’t anyone to me, except that he’s dating one of my friends. Like, they’re in a monogamous relationship and I swear Danielle’s going to go through the change for him but I don’t think she knows it yet and-“

  “You’re babbling,” Christian said, interrupting her. “You do that when you’re nervous, don’t you?”

  Maggie pressed her lips together, trying to keep any unnecessary spillage from pouring out of her, nodding her head.

  “I know it was stupid and petty but I used Alek to try and get a reaction out of you,” Maggie explained.

  “Why would you do that?” Christian asked.

  “Because I feel something for you,” she admitted. Her voice sounded loud and desperate in the men’s restroom and she felt herself blush. “I don’t know what it is but I do. And I think… I think you might feel something for me.”

  “I don’t,” Christian told her.

  “You don’t?”

  “I don’t.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she said, which sounded incredibly immature, but at this point, she didn’t particularly care. Her mouth was moving before she could comprehend what was going on and it took off without any permission. “You said it yourself: you claimed me for selfish reasons. You don’t want anyone else to be with me. You want me. And I want you. Why would you deny that?”

  Before she could stop herself, Maggie closed the distance between them and grabbed Christian’s face with her hands, bringing his face down so she could kiss him. The kiss was filled with lightning, striking the same place over and over again. Christian was stiff under her touch and for a moment, Maggie was worried he was going to pull away from her. And then he relaxed and took control over the kiss.

  He slipped his tongue into her mouth without even trying. She opened her mouth, eager to let him in, eager to let him explore. His hands lost themselves in her hair while hers flung themselves around his neck and pulled him closer to her. The material of the dress was thin, so when he pressed up against her, she felt him like she might feel him if there were no cotton barriers between them. Her nipples hardened and if he pulled away and stared at her chest, he would notice.

  She could feel his desire for her, she could feel that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. Maybe even more.

  "You're mine," he told her when he came up for air. He nipped her neck as if to emphasize his point but did not draw blood. She gasped in response. "No one else's."

  "No one else's," she agreed, dropping his hands to his shoulders and rubbing them against his chest. Despite the smooth material of his shirt, she could feel the rock-hard muscles underneath her hands and she felt herself get even wetter picturing what it would be like to feel the skin underneath, to feel him with no barriers.

  He backed her up until she hit the tiled wall behind her. He planted both hands on either side of her head, preventing her from leaving, from escaping. For a moment, he stared at her, taking in her wide eyes, her wild hair, her heavy breathing. Her cheeks were flushed as was her chest. He dropped one hand only so he could brush his knuckles down her cheek and gently place his thumb on her bottom lip. His eyes were dark and intense. Lust still fogged them up but there was something else there, something deeper.

  “I can’t be with you,” he said. He looked angry but she didn’t understand why. There was no need for anger and frustration and desperation. All he needed to do was put his pride aside and just admit he wanted her. Then, they could go from there.

  “Of course you can,” Maggie said.

  She clenched her teeth together and looked away. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, with shame. Typically, once she was rejected, she would walk away and that was it. It would suck but she would get over it. Now, however, she was fighting for him. She never fought. She never saw a reason to.

  "Maggie," Christian murmured.

  "Why are you even here?" she asked, furrowing her brow. "Why did you come here? Were you planning to show up or was it only after I mentioned I would be here?"

  Christian clenched his jaw. "You don't understand," he began but she cut him off.

  "You know what?" she asked. "You're right. I don't understand. There's something here between us, Christian. Why else would you have reacted that way when Alek showed up at your door? And don't pretend you didn't because I know you did. I saw you. You can't say I'm yours and then push me away. It doesn't work like that. You can't have your cake and eat it too."

  "I can do whatever I want," he told her.

  She pushed her brows up. "Fine," she said, nodding once. "Fine. If you can do whatever you want, I can do whatever I want."

  "And what is that supposed to mean?" Christian asked through a snarl.

  "None of your business," she snapped. Her eyes were dark pearls, shining at him with intensity he didn't expect. "You can't even admit that there's something going on. Maybe I'm being stupid but there's more to this than feeding on me. There's something..." She clenched her jaw and groaned. "I don't know how to explain it. I don't know how to put it into words. But I'm not crazy for feeling it."

  "You don't know what you're saying," Christian said. His teeth were clenched together, his hands balled into fists.

  Maggie knew that was him trying to control himself. Maybe if she pushed him, he would react. He would expose his real feelings and perhaps it wasn't the healthiest way to get that information, but at least she would have it. And at least he would confront those feelings he was in such denial about.

  "I know exactly what I'm saying," she told him. "I want you, Christian. I know it's against my contract and you could get me fired but I want you. And if you don't want me, that's fine. But I can't do this anymore. I can't stay with you and have this thing between us. And maybe it's because you fed on me and if that's the case, and this isn't real, maybe it's a good thing if we stop now and I leave and-"

  Christian stopped her by kissing her. His teeth nibbled her bottom lip and she let out a groan. This was too much, too fast, a
nd she clawed at his shirt to try and get a grip on him, to try to get a grip on herself. She could feel his desire for her pressed against her thigh and she pressed into it. She wasn't sure where this boldness was coming from. She didn't know why she was so desperate to feel him, to really feel him, but if she was going to lose her virginity, she wanted it to be with him because she knew he would please her in a way nobody else could. His hands dropped from her face to her hips, holding her in his grip possessively.

  "God, I can fucking smell you," he muttered against her neck. "How bad you want this."

  "I do," she told him. "God, I do." She looked at his dark eyes, watched as they dropped to her neck. She swallowed and then, ever so slightly, tilted her head to the side and pulled her hair over her shoulder, giving him better access to her neck. "I know you want me, too, Christian. I know you want my legs wrapped around you. I know you want to feel how wet I am for you. I know you want to come inside of me, sinking your teeth into my flesh while you do so."

  Where the fuck was this coming from? This was not Maggie. Maggie never spoke like this.

  He growled and he placed his lips on her exposed throat. She let out a moan and clung to him once again. She needed him to bite her. She needed to feel him invade her body and take what was his and she wanted him. She would lose her virginity in the bathroom and not even blink an eye -

  "It's not real," Christian got out, his voice tight. He looked regretful that he even said the words but he couldn't help it. He ripped himself away from her and left her there in the bathroom by herself, muttering, "This isn't real."

  Chapter 17

  To say Maggie was frustrated was an understatement. Yes, she knew that Christian knew she was a virgin. And she knew he was protecting himself because virgins got caught up in the moment and confused love for sex no matter how intelligent they were. The fact that she was his donor also didn’t help matters because hormones shifted when he fed on her and pulses raced, blood pooled to the surface, and sex permeated the space between them even though nothing intimate was taking place besides that feeding.