“Are you sure she’s not Dusk Court? Because she’s got you under her spell. I know what will help.”
Sinead undoes the top button of her blouse and tugs down the fabric, offering her neck. It’s the same move she pulled on me at her job interview, where she revealed she’d known about vampires for many years and was excited to work among us. I can see the faint scars from previous bites. I try to be careful and only open the same wounds when I drink from humans. Sinead’s skin won’t heal like ours, and she’s too young and pretty to have a neck covered in puncture wounds. But some of our other members aren’t as careful.
My stomach growls. Iamthirsty. But for some reason, the idea of biting down on Sinead’s neck while she moans in my arms is anything but tempting.
I try to duck under her, but she blocks me. “Come on, Gideon. You know you’ll feel better after a drink.”
“How many others have drunk from you today?”
“Only Alyra,” she pauses. “Oh, and Duncan had a little nibble. And I guess Eleanor, as well. But I’mfine. I had a big slice of cake and an electrolyte drink.”
That’s three vampires. And while Alyra and Eleanor might’ve been delicate sippers, Duncan would have drunk deep. I warned her about this. “That’s too much. You can get addicted.”
“I know what I’m doing. I look after myself, and I gave my consent. Enthusiastically.” Her eyes glaze over in anticipation as she leans closer. “Let me help you. You need your strength.”
“I’m hardly an invalid. My ego hurts more than my testicles.” Not strictly true. That pole wasbrutal. “Especially since you’ve done such a good job with the ice.”
Sinead sticks out her lower lip. “Are yourefusing?”
She says it as if I’ve somehow offended her.
“You’re still my most trusted employee.” I pat her arm as I push her gently off me. “I’m not myself today. I’ll have something from the cellar tonight.”
Sinead makes a face as she buttons up her shirt. I understand. I’ve been enjoying her neck for weeks now, and her little groans of ecstasy tell me that she’s happy with this particular job perk.
But the idea of drinking from her has lost its appeal.
Which has me puzzled. Normally, I love the Upyr–Thrall connection, the way they melt into you as you share such an intimate moment, the taste of warm blood pulsing straight from the source, and their little noises that tell you they’re enjoying themselves just as much as you are…
But I don’t want to be close to a human like that, to share that kind of intimacy, unless…
Unless I’m sharing it withher.
From the moment Arabella’s eyes locked on mine during her dance, I was gone. I’ve been a fool to think I could be this close to her without being pulled under her spell. I’ve told myself for one hundred and fifty years that I hate her for trying to have me killed. That I’m over her.
But it is a lie.
I’m madly, impossibly in love with Arabella Lestrange.
And she hates me. And my poor squashed testicles.
But a man can dream.
Just the thought of feeding with Arabella makes my crushed cock grow hard and ready. I push Sinead away and leap off the couch before she sees my arousal and thinks it’s for her.
“Thank you for your help, Sinead. Have a good night.”
Sinead gathers her things and leaves in a huff. I hope she does the sensible thing and goes home to bed, instead of what I suspect she’ll do, which is head downstairs to Brimstone and find another of our members who needs a feed.
As she waits for the elevator, Sinead turns and flashes me a mirthless smile. “If you want my opinion,Sir, you should spend a little less time chasing after that cold bitchcourtesanArabella, and a little more time worrying about strengthening our battlements against the coming onslaught.”
“Sinead, darling, a little word of advice.” I let something of the old Gideon – the Gideon who ran a successful criminal empire for severaldecades – into my voice as I smile at her, making sure she can see my fangs. “If you want to keep your job here, and don’t want to have to swallow any of Lilac’s little potions, then you will do well not to say things like that about our members. Arabella’s old life is no one’s business but her own.”
Her eyes immediately fall to the floor.Good.I won’t tolerate anyone calling Arabella names or shaming her for her old profession.
In the background, my phone buzzes again.
My gaze falls on the large painting of waterlilies on my wall. “Incidentally, how do you know Arabella used to be a courtesan? You know all information about clients’ past livesmustbe completely private. They have to trust us. If you’ve been snooping in my safe—”
