If Tristan didn’t care about the rest, then neither would she.
Chapter Twenty
Tristan waited impatiently at the foot of the stairs for Victoria to make an appearance. It surprised him to realize he actually wanted her to have a good time and see a little tiny piece of what the world had to offer, for he suspected she hadn’t been allowed to see much of anything. Though it puzzled him to think how a father could practically keep his child prisoner in their home, he vowed that while she remained with him, she wouldn’t be stuck inside his home.
At least, not all the time.
He had an idea where he wanted to take her and even though he was a little rusty when it came to wooing a potential mate, he wasn’t completely helpless. Victoria was easy to impress because she admired the world. She was young, and like most fledglings she had a desire to explore. He, on the other hand, had already seen so much that nothing short of a miracle could enthrall him.
As soon as that thought crossed his mind he challenged it. Hadn’t he been awestruck when he first met Victoria? So much so that every time he had the urge to see her he couldn’t stop himself from seeking her out. He didn’t know her at all and he’d only seen her a few times, but those brief encounters were enough for him to know that he wanted her more than he had ever desired anything else in his life.
He didn’t know what exactly he was getting out of the whole thing, but every time the thought of never seeing her again crossed his mind he got an ugly feeling in the pit of his stomach. He couldn’t identify the strange sentiments, especially since he hadn’t felt them before, but he knew that the ugliness had everything to do with the emptiness he had inside. That sheer loneliness he’d forced himself to exist with in order to yes, keep sane. Although it made little sense, he’d witnessed what other vampires did, and although he certainly wasn’t a saint, meaning he’d killed humans before, once he’d come down from his power induced high, he’d refused to ever kill again unless he was forced to.
The sounds of small feet descending the staircase snapped him out of his reverie and he spun around to see Victoria, dressed in the beautiful blue cocktail dress he’d bought for her. The matching silver shoes and purse complemented her outfit and the diamond necklace and earrings enhanced the brightness of her eyes to such a degree they resembled two big, round jewels. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of such a lovely vision.
“Why, Mr. Garland, I believe you’re gawking,” she teased.
Tristan closed his mouth before she had time to mock him on how it formed a perfect O.
“I’m quite fond of what I see,” he replied.
“So am I,” she retorted.
Tristan rewarded her with a smile and extended his hand. “Aren’t you curious to know where I’m taking you?”
“Yes,” she replied. “I’m dying to know.”
He drew her to him, wrapped both arms around her waist, and softly nibbled her left earlobe. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy a night out in Paris. It’s one of my favorite cities.”
“Hmm, I like it already,” she whispered back.
He couldn’t help the stirring in his pants, which reminded him that not all vital organs in his body had stopped functioning when he died and became a vampire.
“Good, let’s leave before I ruin tonight’s plans by taking you upstairs instead of outside.”
Victoria drew away enough to look into his pale blue eyes. “Would that be so bad?”
The stirring in his pants intensified at her words.
“Don’t tempt me, wolf-girl. I would love nothing more than to take you into my bedroom, but I have something special planned and I want you to enjoy it,” he replied before fading them out of the house.
Chapter Twenty-One
Victoria found herself inside a place that seemed to have transported her back into the nineteenth century. She could tell right away she was on some type of indoor balcony; several red upholstered chairs sat just a few paces behind her to confirm this, but she had no clue as to where Tristan had taken her. She eyed the elaborate multicolored columns and friezes with obvious fascination as her brain tried to figure out where she was. When her eyes drifted upwards and she spotted the elaborate ceiling and the chandelier above, she gasped in appreciation.
“Where are we?” Victoria ambled over to the end the balcony and glanced over the rail, gasping out loud when she realized she was at least five stories up.
“We are in the Palais Garnier,” Tristan replied.
“This is…wonderful,” she said, laughing. “It’s such a beautiful place.” She turned to face her companion. “Shouldn’t we pay to watch the show?”
“I have already made all the necessary arrangements.”
“It seems to me you were busy today.”
“Absolutely.” He offered her his hand. “I needed to keep my mind occupied.”
“Oh?” Her eyes zoned in on his lips, wishing he would just lean forward and kiss her. “Why?” she congenially asked.
“The fact that you were alone in my bedroom was very distracting,” he admitted. “Come sit down. The show is about to begin.”
Though she noted how quickly he chose to change the subject, she was glad that he had. Thinking about him wanting her in any way was too much of a distraction for her and she really wanted to enjoy herself tonight.
“What are we watching?” Victoria took the hand he offered and followed as he led her to their seats.
“A chamber music concert,” he replied.
She had barely sat down when the lights dimmed and the first set of performers marched onto the stage. The variety of the performances had Victoria completely transfixed and enchanted after the first five minutes. She moved forward and back, she stood and she sat, clapped and clasped her hands together over her lap. It was quite an invigorating sight to see so many magnificent musicians on stage at once, and the excitement she felt was evident on her face.
Although she listened to all kinds of music, classical music was among her favorites. It had a certain elegance to it that she admired. Unknowingly, Tristan had just gifted her with a special moment she vowed to remember for as long as she lived.
During intermission, Tristan leaned toward her and touched her naked shoulder, quietly praising the delicate skin on her back, and she was suddenly thankful he had opted to buy a low cut, strapless dress instead of a complete gown. He used that as an excuse to touch her and she loved the fact that he did.
Turning to look at him, she smiled; glad when his lips parted into a wide smile as well.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked, his voice low and seductive.
Her heart leaped, her mouth went completely dry, and her legs shook at the sound of his masculine purr. “Yes, I am.”
“I’m glad.” His eyes roamed over her, lingering a little too long on her cleavage.
Victoria couldn’t explain it, but she suddenly had a very strong impulse to kiss the man. She figured that since he hadn’t done it, maybe she should take matters into her own hands and find out what it felt like to kiss a vampire lord. Before he could form a reply, Victoria reached out to grab his face with both her hands and kissed him. It was instant fireworks between them, sparks flew everywhere as their lips devoured each other’s.
The second their lips came into full contact, Victoria could no longer hear over the pounding of her heart. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, she realized. With all threats hundreds of miles away, she could focus on him and only him.
A moment later, Victoria broke away, panting heavily as she stared at his handsome face. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” Though she apologized, she wasn’t the least bit embarrassed by her actions. The kiss had far exceeded her expectations.
Without bothering with a response, Tristan leaned in and devoured her juicy plump lips with a fiery kiss that sent blood rushing through her body so quickly she thought her heart would explode from excess blood flow. Startled and wonderfully aroused, Victoria finall
y gave in and refused to fight the attraction she felt for him any longer. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged at the long locks of white hair as he ravished her mouth. Every now and again she would twirl her tongue around his fangs and reveled in the fact that it seemed to drive him crazy with lust. He wanted a taste of her blood and each time he came close to digging his incisors into her tongue, she drew back, forcing a growl out of him.
Groaning, Tristan pulled her onto his lap.
Victoria welcomed every emotion rushing through her as Tristan deepened the kiss and pressed his body intimately against hers. The feel of his fully erect member pressing against her buttocks forced a loud moan out of her. As Tristan continued to explore the insides of her mouth with his tongue, his hands slid up and down her arms, abdomen, and outer thighs. The sensation was riveting, and within moments, Victoria found herself embarrassingly wet and craving for something more than just a kiss and a few hot caresses.
Completely forgetting about the hundreds of people sitting just a few floors down, Victoria relished in the time consuming kiss. At that moment, they were the only two creatures inside the Palais and neither of them cared if they were caught, or were seen passionately devouring each other’s lips.
By the time the lights started to dim again, they were so caught up in their kiss they had forgotten where they were. With Victoria still sitting on Tristan’s lap, her tongue in his mouth, his hands on her buttocks, they found themselves completely engrossed in their hot displays of affection, and missing the first two minutes of the second half of the concert.
After a moment, Tristan pulled back and grabbed a hold of her chin with his index finger and thumb. “Do you want to go back to the house?” It was more of a warning than a question.
“No…I…just…” Feeling somewhat sheepish over her bold behavior, Victoria averted her gaze. “I want to enjoy the rest of the concert.”
Tristan chuckled softly, easing the sudden sexual tension between them. He was just as eager as she was but he wanted her to enjoy the rest of the evening before they even spoke of intimacy, which she valued.
“I know how you feel,” he murmured.
Quickly scrambling off his lap, Victoria reclaimed her seat and sat up straight as she made it a priority to enjoy the beautiful sounding concert. Of course, having Tristan’s fingers running down her naked shoulders every once in a while didn’t help matters much. She really did appreciate the concerto and she could easily say it was one of the best experiences she’d ever had, but every time Tristan’s fingers playfully touched the surface of her skin she had to physically refrain herself from jumping on him right then and there.
Her entire body hummed with a newly discovered awareness. Hell, she wasn’t an expert when it came to the sex department, but she wasn’t completely ignorant. She’d heard the mated females talk about it plenty of times before, but with her strict upbringing, she hadn’t even been allowed the luxury of a suitor, and the one and only time she had kissed a beta, around age eleven, her father had freaked out so much he came within an inch of beating the poor kid to a pulp. Victoria had been embarrassed by her father’s behavior, but she had been more ashamed of the fact that the boy had gotten in trouble for something she had initiated.
With Tristan however, everything was different. She was no longer a curious child and he most certainly wasn’t a boy of thirteen. He was a full grown man, with physical hungers she could totally relate to now. Every time she leaned forward, his fingers would skim the length of her spine. Whenever she leaned back against the red velvety chair, his hand would travel up to the back of her neck, where his fingers would explore her skin, as if wishing he could memorize every inch of her body. What really took away her breath away were the few kisses he planted on her shoulder, which drove her wild with desire. Being so close to him was almost a maddening experience and she could hardly help the embarrassing wetness between her legs. Her body temperature had skyrocketed due to his seemingly innocent teasing and the warmth of the place did little to help her cause.
By the time the concert finally ended, she was so aroused she wanted to slam him to the floor and have her way with him.
“Where to now, Messier Vampire?” she asked as she rose, keeping her gaze locked on his.
“How about dinner?” he asked, offering her his right hand. “Are you hungry?”
“Not really. The meal Rodolfo prepared was quite filling.”
“In that case, what other part of the city would you like to see? There is much I can show you.”
The mischievous glint in his eyes did not go unnoticed by her.
“Oh, really? I’m curious to find out what exactly that statement implies.” She winked at him.
He smiled. “Don’t get me started,” he warned. “Sitting through that concert without ravishing you was probably the worst form of torture I have ever been through.”
Victoria managed to laugh in spite of growing considerably flustered by his words. “How about the Eiffel Tower?” she suggested, changing the subject to something less sexual.
“Whatever you want, you shall have.” His voice sent shivers down her spine.
“Don’t talk like that, Tristan.” If he kept using his voice to provoke her they wouldn’t make it anywhere. She was already having a hard time not violating the man and even though she hadn’t the slightest experience with sex, she was willing to try. She was pretty much open to anything at that point.
However, the problem with being around him was that the man knew he was causing havoc within her hormone-crazed body, and he only added to it by moving, talking, and behaving as if he was pure sex walking on two strong legs.
“Why?” Tristan’s mouth pulled up at the sides. “Does it bother you?”
She shivered. “No.” It drove her nuts.
“Have you ever been told you’re a bad liar?” he asked, grinning.
“Yes, a certain vampire I know.” She slipped her hand in his.
“Come on.” He squeezed her hand before fading them to the Eiffel Tower.
Chapter Twenty-Two
At first, the sturdy platform did little to reassure a very panicky Victoria that they wouldn’t plummet down to earth, but as she let go of Tristan’s neck and took several tempting steps forward, she sighed in relief when the metal floor held their bodies without protest.
“Dear lord, this is high!” she squealed, developing a sudden respect for heights.
“I don’t think there’s a chance of you getting hurt, Victoria.” He tried to reassure her when her bravado faltered.
“I’m not willing to test that theory.” She grabbed his hands and held on tight. “I am seriously starting to hate heights.”
Tristan chuckled. “Well, would you look at that…” The smile on his face was priceless. “You’re turning pale again.”
“At least I have color to begin with,” she snapped.
“Hey, be nice. I’m trying to be a good host here, so don’t give me an excuse to hurl you down there.” He jerked his head sideways to indicate the ground below.
“I would like to see you try.” She smiled before tugging at his jacket and pulling him closer to her. “Would you seriously waste time on tossing me below?”
“Hmm, I’d rather do other things to you, but if you keep that attitude up, I will.”
She tossed a wicked grin his way before shoving him away and walking over to the rail. She held onto it so hard, she thought she heard the metal creak. Even with the protective fence in place, she doubted the sturdiness of the structure. Peering down, she opting for enjoying the spectacular scenery below, even when her nerves threatened to betray her. She had come to accept that she wasn’t very fond of heights anymore. Somehow, being with Tristan had traumatized her.
***
Tristan approached and paused to observe how she closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and sighed heavily. The light evening breeze toyed with the few locks of loose hair around her collar, exposing the beauty of her long neck
. The desire to drink from her hit him like a punch in the gut.
“Why do you live in a cave in the middle of nowhere when you have a house in Paris that’s the size of a mansion?” she asked, eyes still closed, head still leaning back.
He swallowed hard when he approached and caught sight of her pulsing jugular vein.
“Let me explain something to you, Victoria.” He stood next to her, eyes occupied with observing the business below so that his mind didn’t keep drifting toward his desire to both make love and drink from her blood. “I have existed on this world for one thousand and eighty three years, so you can imagine that there is very little I have not seen,” he started.
“There came a time when I became bored of fighting, traveling, gorging myself on blood, and even existing.” When he turned his gaze to her, he found her silently appraising him. “When immortality became too much for me I decided to go into seclusion. The cave has been my only refuge from the outside world. No one bothers me there. No one even knows I exist just beyond that huge boulder covering the entrance. Those who do know where I make my home never bother to interrupt my solitude unless I’m needed for something important.”
“Tell me something, Tristan, were you following me yesterday?” she pried.
“No. I was restless so I went out for a run. During my run, I caught your scent in the air, followed it, and it led me straight to you.”
“So, you don’t always stay locked in your cave?” She moved in closer to him, waiting in silence for him to continue.
“No, not always. I do leave the cave once or twice a year to visit my house here in Paris. And I do leave when I’m summoned.” When she arched her eyebrows questioningly, he added, “As elders, it is considered our job to keep the young vampires in check. When something gets out of control, we have to take care of it,” he explained “The night I stopped by the cabin, I had a meeting with an old friend of mine.”
Fierce Awakenings Page 16
