“What?” I turn from the window.
“You look lovely tonight.” His voice is sincere, and the look of appreciation in his eyes is genuine.
I turn away from that melodic voice I want to sink in and lose myself in, but I do not respond. I’ve never been into fashion as my non-existent salary hasn’t allowed for it. Now, I’m literally covered in it and exposed to it. And, yes, I do look lovely—Brad made sure of it. My hair is curled and pinned, and if I get near a match, my hair will catch fire. My ears twinkle with some diamond studs he found, and I wear the matching necklace and bracelet. I insisted on low heels and we comprised on two-inch heels with an ankle strap. The cocktail dress shows how short it is when I sit. When I stand, it reaches my knees. But the cute skirt flips delightfully and sways when I walk. The lace is quite flattering around the bodice, and there is fringe lace at the half-sleeves. I never would have chosen this for me, but Brad has a way of figuring out which clothes accent my body.
I stare out the window, noting that it is dark outside once again. It was dusk when we left, the sun just touching the horizon. I’ve always liked that time between sunset and dark when the streetlights flicker to life. It’s like everything was asleep during the day, and now things are going to come alive. I frown. Except, I don’t want to come alive. I steel my resolve to ruin his night.
I am helped out of the Limo by Blake’s firm hand, and he clasps it firmly over mine. Then his hand goes to my lower back, and he guides me inside. The doormen open the doors—who has doormen at their restaurants? This restaurant sports the name Che’Shun, and I know that even if I had saved my money for a month, I would only just barely be able to buy the cheapest thing on the menu—or water. My steps falter as we walk into the reception area before the main dining area. I’ve never been in something so lavish and opulent. All thoughts of ruining this night vanish from my mind.
I feel the gentle pressure on my lower back and keep moving to a secluded room partitioned off, giving us a semblance of privacy. Four people sit at the table already. Two men and two women. Both men are just as handsome as Blake, and both women are stunningly beautiful. I am already comparing myself to them. My feet slow, and the pressure on my back increases, moving me forward. All four stand to greet us and something in their eyes glow. Fear snakes through me, and I suppress a tremble. I feel Blake’s fingers curl into my back—in comfort?
I swallow, and when Blake’s hand slides to my side, I take his arm, and I don’t exactly know why. I clutch it as if he can protect me from whatever it is in this room, making me nervous. He does not shake their hands, only greets them with a nod as he introduces me to everyone. I can’t release Blake’s arm as I give a quick nod in response and press a smile. I can barely breathe. Blake leads me to my place beside him at the table.
I am seated by Blake and then beside Marcellus. He is tall, imposing, looks like he works out regularly, and wears a tailored suit, similar to what Blake wears. Marcellus has brown hair, light brown eyes, and appears as if he could sell out magazines with his face alone. I catch sight of a beautiful ring on his middle finger. It’s a blue stone set in an antique setting, surrounded by gold. But despite his good looks and natural charm, I unconsciously lean more towards Blake as we sit, as if the extra inches will provide me protection.
Inara, Marcellus’ companion, or his wife—I’m not sure which—is wearing a black cocktail dress, has red hair and matching lips. She is stunning and sits straight in her chair as her eyes look me over. Their eyes pierce me like they are peering into my soul and discerning my secrets. And they seem overly pleased to meet me. I take another steadying breath, and the next man, Deverell, glances my way.
Deverell is blonde with hazel eyes, but he is imposing and a bit scary. He is also in a finely tailored suit and has much of the same build as Marcellus. He also has a similar ring, but the stone is red. The rings seem to match as if the same designer created at the same time them, and it also rests on his middle finger. I glance at him, and he looks me over like I’m something to eat and his eyes rest on me frequently, increasing my nervousness.
His companion, Natalia, and again, I don’t know if she’s his wife, is also dressed in a black cocktail dress, has jet-black hair, and is just as lovely. She quirks a smile at me, and I avert my gaze. All of them tell Blake they are pleased to meet me, and it’s not so much their words as it is how they said it that sets my heart to pounding. Under the table, I feel Blake’s hand on mine, and he squeezes gently. I drag my eyes to him, and he meets mine. I don’t know how, but his eyes speak to me, and my heart calms. He releases my hand and whispers to me to order whatever I like. I pick up my menu, more to hide than anything. I’m nervous, on pins and needles, and I don’t understand why.
I catch glances from Inara and Natalia occasionally. It’s sly like they want me to notice, but then their gazes slide away as if had I imagined it. Everyone picks up a menu, but it seems as if for show. The waiter comes in, greets Blake, who tells him to bring five of the Chef’s Special. I whisper to Blake to order for me, and he does. I put my hands in my lap. The waiter leaves, and the silence ensues with only the faint sounds of other patrons beyond the partition floating in.
“It is a fair deal,” Marcellus tells Blake, appearing to jump right into the middle of a conversation that I think may have started before we even arrived.
Blake regards the other man. “I understand, and I’ve done my part.”
I look at them all curiously as Blake indicates me, and I frown a bit, biting my lip and reaching for my wine. I’m already lost and confused and wondering why exactly Blake brought me here.
“Of course, the Council will be happy now,” Deverell says dryly and casts a quick look at me.
Deverell, out of them all, unsettles me the most. I set my wineglass back down, feeling the heat rise into my cheeks and wondering what the Council is. Perhaps it’s a board of directors. Blake has many businesses under his name, so a Council would make sense. Of course, he wouldn’t run every department. He’d have people, like managers, overseeing those departments and a chain of command of sorts. I think—I’m not really in the business world. I pause. Except now I am.
“And your business?” Marcellus asks.
A muscle works in Blake’s jaw. As I watch Blake interact with these four, I wonder if he wanted me here to even the odds, so to speak. A correctly set table of males and females.
“It’s safe now. I won’t lose anything. Not to the Council and not to you.” Blake’s words seem cryptic, and I wonder at them. He also seems angry.
I watch Inara and Natalia slide looks at me once more, only to slide them away once I meet their eyes. It’s disconcerting and throws me and puts me on edge once again. My heart isn’t racing, but my nerves are tight. I take another sip of my wine. I’m halfway through mine, and no one has touched theirs. The waiter has come back and sets dark glasses filled with a dark liquid beside us all. Try as I might; I cannot figure out what it is in there.
Marcellus glares at Blake. “You owe us for what you took.” It’s slightly accusing.
Blake clenches his jaw again, and his eyes seem to glitter. I watch her smirk at him, a different kind of light in her eyes. He turns from her and faces Marcellus once again. “I took nothing. I owe no one anything. What was required of me has been completed.”
I look around at everyone, finally meeting Blake’s eyes when his hand reaches mine once again and squeezes in comfort. Despite being angry with him earlier, I squeeze back, and it seems to please him. I press my lips together and lean back in my chair as all eyes seem to be on me. Fear sets my pulse racing, and soon a new light enters their eyes, and I can barely breathe. I grip Blake’s hand tightly once again, and he squeezes back—reassuringly?
“Of course, we will report back to the Council,” Marcellus seems to warn. His eyes rest on me once again, and Blake’s hand squeezes mine once more.
“Of course,” Blake answers dryly. “I already sent a missive.”
Miss
ive? I turn my curious face to him. Who uses words like that? So much more is going on here than I first realized. And I think the Council is something more than I first believed. Who is this Council to them?
“We will confirm what we have seen here,” Deverell says, pinning me with his eyes.
I feel funny and for a moment he glows green. I try to look away, but he holds my gaze. My hand hurts. It pinches, and I grimace, tearing my eyes away and looking at Blake. The grip on my hand loosens, and Blake has a pained expression on his face as he studies me. He releases my hand, and I curl it into my lap.
“I appreciate it.” Blake’s voice is sarcastic.
“So you evaded the Council’s wrath and can keep your business,” Marcellus gloats. “Now what? Are you ready to give over the venture promised us?”
I see that muscle tic in Blake’s jaw again and flick my gaze to Marcellus, who is smirking and sneering in one. But the waiter arrives, sparing Blake from answering. The server sets another round of dark glasses down in front of us and places the food down before me. The waiter leaves us. I quickly glance at all the dark glasses and then pick up mine. There is only water inside. Because I don’t want the others to think I suspect anything, I take a sip and set it back down.
“The Council promised you that. Not me.” Blake picks up his dark glass and takes a sip and then nods approvingly.
Deverell glares at Blake. “You still must do as they request.”
“Fine,” Blake says easily. “I’ll get the paperwork drawn up. But when I do this, all of you take responsibility for it. You alone decide its fate. I will wash my hands of it, and you will never come to me again.”
“That sound rather cryptic,” Natalia says, swirling her glass and flicks her beautiful eyes to me, only to flick it away again to Blake.
“I don’t want the responsibility of picking up a failed business venture,” Blake tells them. “I have enough to do without having to babysit.”
I watch them all bristle at the term and survey the table, wondering again at this conversation. I’ve missed a giant piece of it, I’m sure.
Deverell smiles. “You think we will fail?”
“You have at every other thing.” The words are flung out there effortlessly, dryly, and Blake even tops it off by taking a drink, unconcerned about his comments.
As it hangs there in the silence, I notice Blake’s eyes challenge them, and now, he is gloating at them. This has been like a weird game of chess. As I glance around the table, I swear I see lights in the other’s eyes. They are angry, glaring at Blake, and the tension seems to vibrate through the air. Again, it makes me nervous, and my stomach jumps. I am hungry, but the tension is killing my appetite, and it makes the food look as if it will cause me problems later.
“The Council will want to oversee this project. And, I happen to know they will be interested in how you are conducting your affairs.” Marcellus lets those words hang there and glances at me once again.
Blake nods to him. “Good. I will keep them apprised. They demanded something of me, and I saw it through. I’ve fulfilled what they wished.”
I turn my face to Blake. He seems so self-confident, and the others look angry. I look around the table again and then at my plate. I’m so confused about what is going on, and I cannot shake the underlying fear coursing through my body. It’s as if something is wrong, yet nothing seems amiss at the table. Other than a banter back and forth, there have been no raised voices, no curses. I can sense the anger and hostility, but everyone is perfectly cordial, and it confuses me.
“Perhaps they will require something else,” Deverell chimes in.
“Meaning?” Blake straightens up a bit, as if on alert. I want to touch his arm in comfort, but I clasp my hands in my lap.
“You are married now, but how long is it going to last?”
This catches my attention. Did they know what I had done at the wedding? Did they know what I tried to get Blake to do? I stiffen and hold my breath. That movement catches everyone’s eye, and I feel like—bait. I swallow, trying to become invisible and knowing that I cannot. Is Blake planning on disposing of me? Strangely, that thought bothers me, and I cannot think why. But it is what I wanted, isn’t it? Don’t I wish for it? Except, my day with Brad had been fun. Blake didn’t lock me away in his castle, and he seemed pleased I had gotten out of there and spent time with Brad.
“As long as it needs to,” Blake’s voice cuts through to me.
My eyes fly to his profile, and he does not look at me. What does that mean? I tremble and see four sets of eyes rest on me, an eerie light glowing within the depths. I catch Inara and Natalia glance at each other.
“Marina?” Inara says my name like a question, and my eyes jerk to her. “You must be bored. Come along. Let’s go to the powder room.”
Powder room? Her eyes are intense, and suddenly I do want to go there with her. I have no reservations, and I put my napkin beside my plate, prepared to do just that.
Natalia rises. “Yes, let the men hash this out. Business talk is so boring, isn’t it?”
I blink and gaze around the table. “Y-yes?” I stutter because I’m taken off guard.
“Excuse me, gentlemen. I must go powder my nose,” she says charmingly and stands, beckoning me to join her with her fingers.
At a loss, I just do what she does. The men at the table half-raise out of their seats. I cast a glance at Blake, who is frowning, but makes no move to stop my retreat. I assume it is okay, and I follow Inara into the spacious bathroom, er, Powder Room, complete with a sitting room. I stand, watching as Natalia walks to a full-length mirror and wipes something non-existent from under her eye. Inara sits on the round settee and beckons me to sit beside her. She pats the seat companionably, and I sit slightly facing her. Something is off, and I cannot quite place it. The confusion settles into me.
“You look lovely, dear. Are you having fun tonight?”
My lips part, and then I just nod. The question is odd, and so is she. She smiles at me. Her teeth look a bit sharp. My gaze slides to hers, and suddenly I cannot look away. From the recesses in my brain, I hear Natalia speaking as if from a great distance away.
“... I’m just having a little fun,” Inara says, her words poking into my haze.
“Leave her alone. Blake will kill you.” Natalia fluffs her hair. “He better make good on that business. Damn, Blake!”
My gaze slides to Natalia. She’s in front of the mirror, but there is no reflection. Yet, she stands there as if she can see herself. I watch her straighten her dress, fluff a bit, and turn to face us. I cannot see her backside in the mirror, and I frown, my thoughts not making any sense. It’s as if my thoughts are slogging through molasses.
“Ha! Like he could kill me. Besides, Marcellus would kill him in return. I noticed Deverell was watching her closely. Maybe you have some competition, Natalia.” A smile accompanies her sly voice.
I frown as I listen to Inara. Competition? I’m no one’s competition and no threat to either of them. They were the ones stared at as I walked beside Inara, who had curled her arm around mine as she led me to the restroom. Like we were best of friends—as if I was going to change my mind and bolt.
“As if. Look at her, all skin and bones. I bet her veins are thin too.” I feel Inara pick up my wrist and her sharp fingernail traces the blue vein to the crook of my elbow.
I blink. I swear I saw Natalia lick her lips, and there is amusement in Inara’s tone. I press a hand to my forehead. I hear their conversation and Inara’s words inside my head, almost like an echo, whispering. I feel strange, dizzy, off-kilter.
“What does Marcellus do?” I ask, trying to shake out of this fog. These two look like trophy wives. Not like me. They are insanely gorgeous.
“Do?” Inara tinkles a laugh, and Natalia stands before us.
Natalia leans over a bit. “Marcellus and Deverell are in the same business as Blake, at least, now they are. Only Blake secured his business for all eternity and keeping Marcell
us and Deverell from a proper payout. Don’t get me wrong, what we are receiving will be nice, but I was hoping for a bit more.”
“Oh, please, Natalia. You know you have it bad for Blake. Truth is, if he’d even glance my way, I’d be all over him.” Inara releases my hand, and it lands in my lap, palm up.
“Well, we both could only hope he’d take one of us, like he did with...”
“Careful, Natalia. Don’t spill all to his new wife.” Inara says, sending me a steely look, and I’m not sure if I should be frightened. “We figured you were bored in there and thought to take you away for a bit,” Inara continues, and grins at me like she has something up her sleeve.
“I—thank you.” I shake my head a bit. “That’s—that’s kind of you.” My brain is fuzzy—I only had half a glass of wine. I’m sure of it.
“My-my Inara. You are better than I thought. I want to try.” Natalia’s voice is syrup.
Natalia gets into my face and stares at me. I meet her eyes and fall away from myself. It’s the only way I can explain what is happening. It’s scary, yet I am not afraid either.
“She is easy.” Natalia’s voice breaks through my haze.
I hear the smile in her voice. “What are you doing?” I whisper. The room seems to spin. Is this circular settee a top? I grip the satin cushions and try to breathe. I feel like the room is closing in and expanding at the same time.
“I want a taste,” Inara says longingly.
I jerk like a drunk who realizes something is closer than first realized. I feel her nose at my neck. Natalia has come to my other side and is doing the same thing. I hear them telling me to relax, and that is just what I do—trustingly. My head hits the middle of the settee, forcing my glazed eyes to look at the ceiling, and I feel drunker. My arms are limp beside me, my palms up, my legs splayed out as if I passed out—but I am awake. I just can’t move. I can barely think.
Was I going to do something to Blake tonight? Was I going to ruin something? I was so angry at him and vowed to... now I’m in a bathroom with two strange women sniffing me. I feel their lips grazing my neck, pulling at my delicate skin like they are giving me a hickey or tasting my skin as if I’m a meal. But their erotic actions stir me. Heat flushes through my body, pooling in my belly—creating a throb. I gasp and hear tinkling laughs in response—excited giggles.
A Vampire's Love Page 8
