"No, I think that's enough dancing for one night," she responded.
And yet, she didn't make a move.
He allowed his gaze to rest on her curvaceous lips. She didn't wear much makeup, just a bit of lipstick and perhaps eyeshadow. Either way, she had a natural beauty to her that was more impressive than anything man-made could ever be.
As was her scent, actually.
Her hair was fragrant; it reminded him of that display of summer flowers in the painting they'd admired together only moments earlier. In her eyes he recognized the color of morning dew on a lawn in bright sunlight, something he hadn't seen for a very long time indeed.
At first it had been easy for him to be nocturnal, but as the centuries passed, he had come to miss little things like that. In Catherine, he saw all that and more. He saw life. He saw hope.
She tiptoed slightly, perhaps without even realizing that she had, bringing her face closer to his. Her eyelids fluttered and then shut.
This was his chance.
Alexander stopped thinking about what was happening and proceeded on instinct alone. He kissed her sweet lips, which parted almost instantly, allowing him a taste of her tongue.
Intoxicating.
Excitement overwhelmed him, or was it hunger? He wanted her so badly, it became hard to focus on anything else. His senses worked at a feverish pitch; the floral scent of her skin and hair continued to egg him on. The softness of her skin under his touch invited him in for more tactile explorations. But above all, the sound of her heartbeat as it sped up, the rush of blood running through her veins—it drove him to the edge of insanity.
How could he resist her?
He pulled back and looked down at the elegant curve of her neck. That was where her jugular was, throbbing as her body pumped around what promised to be the best meal of his life.
She opened her eyes, diverting his attention back to her face.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," she stammered.
Alexander smiled. "Yes, you did. As did I."
She pressed her lips together but didn't avert her gaze.
He would resist the draw of her blood a little while longer. Something told him that once he started, he wouldn't be able to control himself, and the last thing he wanted was to harm her.
"Tell me more about yourself," he whispered, as he led her by the hand to the bed and gestured that she sit with him.
Catherine paused for a moment, then looked down at his hand, which still enclosed hers.
"Not much to tell..."
"What do you do?" Alexander suggested. That was all small talk, though. What he really wanted to know went much deeper than that. Her hopes and dreams, her outlook on the world. Those were the questions playing on his mind whenever he met someone new. Most of the time his talks with humans were research to him. This was something deeper.
"Well, you know where I'm from already. I just came up here to study. Now that that's over, I've been looking for work." She looked up at him, those pale green eyes practically begging for further affections.
Alexander reached out and ran his fingertip across her cheek. Such soft, perfect skin. Was she this pleasing to the touch all over?
"Let me guess, something to do with art?" Alexander said.
Catherine's gaze darted across the room at the painting. "Yes, that's right. I like to be around beautiful things. Art History was an obvious—"
Alexander couldn't resist any longer. He let go of her hand and cupped her face, pressing his lips against hers in an attempt to still his intense desire for her. It was no use, though. All their kisses did was fan the fire within him.
Apparently, she felt the same. Though she started off a bit shy and taken aback, soon her kisses competed with his in intensity and passion. They wrapped their arms around each other and fell back onto the bed to take things to the next level.
Cat still couldn't believe where she was, and who she was with. This simply wasn't the sort of thing that happened to girls like her.
Shelly, sure. She could imagine Shelly in a room like this. With a guy like Alexander.
His hands were all over her now. And it felt so good.
While she'd started off nervous, the passion he showed had quickly encouraged her to let go too. It was all so unlike her, so deliciously naughty. She needed a night like this, perhaps more than she'd ever allow herself to admit.
It had been a while since she'd been on a date. Alexander reminded her how nice it was to feel wanted.
He caressed her curves, while she explored his toned, muscular body through his clothes. Everything felt like it had fallen into place. There was just one catch: she wasn't quite certain what her mysterious lover looked like.
And she couldn't contain her curiosity any longer.
Cat reached out for his mask and carefully lifted it off. For a moment, she was mesmerized by his symmetrical features, his high cheek bones and almost ivory skin. He was beautiful. Just like...
Oh my God.
Cat pulled back in a panic. He looked identical to the man in the painting she'd found herself staring at earlier. The hunting scene hanging by the staircase.
The work of art that was so eerily realistic, she'd found it impossible to ignore.
And as she'd passed it by on the way up here, she'd seen it up close. From the patina and subtle cracks in the paint to the style of frame, she'd been certain it had to be hundreds of years old.
How could a painting that old depict a man who was right here and now? It was impossible.
She forgot to breathe and tried to scramble away from him.
He was trouble.
He was dangerous.
She could feel it so keenly now. The nerves she'd felt before were trying to tell her that something was wrong. And she'd brushed those feelings away because she loved the attention.
All of this, it had been too good to be true. This man wasn't of this world. This wasn't possible.
Cat's heart raced now. Her chest felt tight, like she was about to asphyxiate.
All the while, Alexander seemed oblivious to the change in her. While she tried to get away from him, he followed and tried to kiss her again.
She pressed her lips together tightly and evaded his grasp, stumbling off the bed, landing right in between her shoes. Her bag was waiting on the dresser. She grabbed all her things and didn't look back once as she fled the room.
"What happened?" she heard Alexander's voice behind her. "Catherine?"
She didn't owe him an explanation. Her heart beat so fast she could feel it in her throat and temple. All she needed to do right now was get away.
And so she sprinted down the stairs, her shoes still in her hand. A few heads turned in her direction as she made it back to the entrance hall, but she didn't care. Where was Shelly?
Cat scanned her surroundings and spied her talking to some guy in a pirate costume just inside the reception room. Thank God.
"Shelly," Cat said. "Shelly!"
Shelly frowned as she turned to face her and noticed the state she was in: messed up hair, bare feet. "What's going on?"
"We've got to go," Cat said.
Shelly glanced at the man she had been in conversation with before, then back at Cat. "Why? What happened?"
"I don't have time to explain right now. Please. Just trust me. Let's go."
Shelly turned to her companion. "Excuse us for a moment, all right?" Then she took Cat's arm and led her into a slightly quieter corner of the room.
"Did some guy attack you? Where is he? I'll sort him out!" Shelly demanded.
Cat just shook her head. "No, I agreed to go up there. That's not... Look, it's a long story. Can we please just go now?"
"So you weren't attacked?"
"No." Not yet, anyway.
"You're not hurt, are you? Are you okay?" Shelly asked.
Cat took a deep breath and looked down at her bare feet. This must look pretty weird.
In fact, people were already starting to stare at her. And now
that she wasn't with Alexander anymore, the big realization she had about him seemed ludicrous. A man who was several hundred years old. That was stupid. Nobody would believe her, not even Shelly.
"I'm fine. I just want to go," Cat mumbled.
"I don't get you. You're fine—everything's fine, but you want to leave. The costume competition hasn't even started yet and I think I have a decent chance here." Shelly squinted and cocked her head to the side. "You never really wanted to come to this party anyway. Is that it?"
Meanwhile, the man she'd been talking to earlier approached them and rested his hand on Shelly's shoulder. "I'm going to get something to drink. Can I get you ladies anything?" he asked.
Cat stared at him blankly. What was he thinking, interrupting them like that?
From Shelly's expression it was obvious that she didn't share Cat's outrage. Instead, she smiled and nodded. "Champagne would be lovely. Anything for you?" Shelly asked.
Cat shook her head. Whatever.
She had nothing. No explanation. No way to convince Shelly to go. If that was how it was going to go, fine!
"I'm going home. I'll see you whenever," Cat grumbled.
"Oh come on, don't be like that! Stay a little longer! It's only just getting started in here." Shelly pouted. "And the competition starts in a few minutes..."
"Whatever. I'm out." Cat put on her shoes and adjusted her hair before marching out of the room, as well as the house. Although she'd tried to make herself somewhat presentable, she could feel the stares of the other guests burning into her back.
If there ever was a walk of shame, this must have been what it felt like.
As the doors opened, a gust of cold air stung her skin, giving her goosebumps all over. Luckily, on the drive outside, several cabs waited. She got into the first one and breathed a sigh of relief as she shut the double door behind her.
"Shepherd's Bush, please."
Chapter Five
Why had she left like that? What had he done to spook her?
Alexander paced around the room, back and forth, for at least twenty minutes, as if somehow that would help provide an answer. Of course it didn't. It just made him more agitated.
Everything had gone so well. Until all of a sudden she turned completely pale, her eyes went wide with fear, and she'd fled. Had he accidentally shown his fangs?
He wasn't a regular womanizer like Michael was, but he wasn't that stupid either. No, it had to be something else...
Out in the hallway the large grandfather clock struck midnight, and Alexander couldn't contain his frustration any longer. This was his party and if the fun was over for him, it could bloody well be over for everyone. He burst through the door and down the stairs, when the first painting they'd discussed caught his eye.
Bloody hell!
Alexander stopped in his tracks halfway down and stared darkly at the portrait. He couldn't believe he hadn't put things together sooner. She'd left the moment she'd seen him without his mask on. She had recognized him. From this innocuous little hunting scene he'd kept around as a reminder of another life.
In all his years living here, he'd had plenty of humans over, mostly during events much like this one. Not one of them had ever put it together like she had.
Most humans were easy to fool and not all that perceptive. But Catherine wasn't like most humans.
"Okay, party's over!" Alexander raised his voice.
Some people at the bottom of the stairs turned to give him a disapproving look, then turned to each other again and continued their respective conversations.
"I mean it! Everybody out, now!" Alexander roared so loudly the chandelier above his head trembled, as did the windows beside the front door.
The music in the reception room stopped, as did all the chatter among the guests.
Within a split second, a disheveled looking Michael appeared at the top of the stairs. His hair was in a mess and he was shirtless; clearly Alexander's outburst had interrupted him with his two lady friends. If he was annoyed about the disturbance, he didn't show it.
"Go on, gather your belongings and make your way to the exit!" Michael shouted. Whatever his vices, the young vampire was loyal to a fault.
Alexander nodded his approval and turned to face the crowd again. The first people were on their way out, while whispering to one another.
This abrupt end to this year's famed Halloween event was going to be the fodder to many a gossip, no doubt. Alexander didn't care, though. He didn't care about any of these people who just came to drink the free champagne and eat the finger food.
The one person he cared about had already left, and he wasn't even sure why he cared. What was so special about Catherine?
As the humans left, all the vampires attending the party grouped around the bottom of the stairs waiting for some kind of explanation of what had happened. As they stared up at him, Alexander was reminded of their strange behavior when Catherine had just arrived. They'd all been able to smell her. Why?
What was it about this woman?
He ought to ask them, if only he thought he'd get an honest answer. Not from any of them, except perhaps Michael. But he had already found himself some company and retreated upstairs by the time Catherine had even arrived, so he probably hadn't noticed her presence at all.
The reception room and entrance hall quickly emptied out, leaving just the staff, who were frantically clearing up, and the vampires. Still, Alexander felt more agitated, not less.
"What are you all looking at? I asked everyone to leave. That includes you too!" he snapped.
Gillian, one of the more senior vampires in attendance, glared at him.
"Your behavior is completely unacceptable," she spat.
"This is my house and I get to behave how I like in it," he said.
They stared each other down, until Michael joined Alexander's side on the landing, causing Gillian to back off.
They couldn't afford a physical altercation, not with all the human staff still around. Tonight's events would make waves as it was. The last thing they needed was to be called in by the Council for outing themselves.
Gillian knew that better than anyone.
And so, even the immortals started to leave until only Michael remained.
"I might need a moment, if you know what I mean," he said, while looking in the general direction of the bedrooms upstairs.
Alexander nodded. That was the least he could do.
"Are you going to tell me what happened tonight?" Michael asked.
Alexander folded his arms. He wanted to. He ought to.
"All right. Join me in the library when you're ready."
Within the blink of an eye, Michael was gone, leaving Alexander alone with his thoughts again. He left behind the catering staff to do their jobs and retreated, a bottle of his finest aged brandy in hand. The library was always off limits to guests during events such as this one, allowing him one true refuge from all the activity that was still going on.
Alexander sat down in one of the leather arm chairs and poured himself a drink.
Of course, his metabolism didn't allow him to feel the effects of alcohol, but he still enjoyed the ritual of it all. This was one of those little things that allowed him to feel at home, no matter how much the world around him had changed.
So he stayed in that chair, sipping the amber liquid from an antique crystal snifter he'd had in his possession for the better part of the century, until Michael turned up.
"Sorry about that. That took longer than I expected it to," Michael said as he took a seat in the arm chair next to Alexander.
"A drink?" Alexander asked.
Michael accepted his offer and took a sip.
"So what happened tonight?" he asked, after setting down his glass on the table between the two chairs.
"It's rather difficult to explain." Alexander folded his hands and stared straight ahead. He wasn't quite sure what had happened himself.
"This woman arrived; she was unlike any I've encou
ntered before. Her presence seemed to affect every vampire in the room," Alexander started, and closed his eyes to relive the moments leading up to Catherine's sudden change of heart. "I approached her, made a little conversation, you know how it goes."
"Right."
"Then I took her upstairs, where we danced. Things were going so well. She'd made me feel things I haven't felt in a long time."
"And this was a human woman, who had affected you so?" Michael's voice was laden with disbelief. Sure, he enjoyed the female form more than most, but he never got too involved with any of his marks.
Alexander sighed and opened his eyes again. It was all a game to Michael. He wouldn't understand.
"She wasn't vampire if that's what you're asking," Alexander said.
"Still, it all sounds bizarre."
"It was."
"And the others noticed her too? I'm almost sad I wasn't there to see her. Almost!" Michael winked at Alexander, who just shook his head.
They sat quietly for a while, giving Alexander more of a chance to relive his last moments with Catherine.
A loud bang on the door interrupted the silence. "Open up. Council business!" a firm female voice called out.
"Come in, Lucille!" Alexander sighed again. His outburst at the party had been unorthodox, but surely not serious enough to warrant an instant visit from the Council's enforcer?
The door swung open, revealing a petite, slender vampire, who marched in with her hand on her hip.
"What can I do for you, sister?" Alexander asked, while emptying his glass with one last sip.
"Alexander. Good to see you," Lucille said, then acknowledged Michael only with a curt nod.
"Well, unless you need me, I'll be upstairs," Michael said as he got up from his chair. The much younger vampire had never been comfortable in Lucille's presence. His quick escape would have been comical, had Alexander not had other things on his mind.
"Julius sends me," Lucille said as she took the seat Michael had just vacated.
Alexander poured himself another drink, then held up the bottle at Lucille, who shook her head. "I'll never know why you like this stuff."
Alexander shrugged and set the bottle down again.
"What does our dear maker want?" he asked.
Alexander's Blood Bride: A Steamy BBW Vampire Romance (Vampires of London Book 1) Page 3
