I spent the night thinking of ways I could annoy the vampire. Things that would annoy me. Ones others had told me about. Then the good old-fashioned ones that would make anyone mad. I thought I could also try asking the others if they knew anything that would get on his nerves enough to make him want to kick me out.
With a solid plan in mind, I settled down for the night and, for the first time in a week, I was excited for the days ahead.
Chapter 17
Sleep fought with me as my face pressed against something cool and hard. My hand tightened on the blanket, and my hips shifted sending a zing between my thighs as it ground against my pillow. A small sound escaped me, half asleep as I chased that feeling.
I shifted again, whimpering as the pressure increased.
A faceless man urged me in my mind, giving me praise and encouragement to keep going. My hips swiveled, my breast pressed up against the hard pillow. Each shift made my nipples scrape through the thin material of my night gown. The fabric between my thighs became damp the more I moved.
Something soft stroked down my spine, coming down to cup my hip, helping me move faster and harder. I was on the cusp of something explosive when I realized someone was touching me for real.
This wasn’t a dream.
My eyes flipped open as my mouth stretched in a silent scream and pleasure stuttered through my core. Dark hooded eyes locked with mine. The urge to push away got mixed up with my release, ending with my lower half pressing harder against Blackthorn’s thigh while my head jerked back in horror.
When I had control of my body once more, I jolted to the side and rolled until I sat on the side of the bed, my back to my captor. I clasped my face with my hands, mortification burning through me. The mattress shifted behind me, and I prepared myself for the taunts and rejection the vampire would throw my way.
Blackthorn pressed against my back, his hand brushing my hair away from my neck. I felt him inhale against my skin. “You smell divine. Please feel free to use me for your pleasure again.”
I ducked my head, hiding my burning face behind my hair.
Unaware of my humiliation, Blackthorn went about getting dressed for the day.
My eyes stalked him around the room, my pulse still racing. The place between my thighs had a beat of its own, achy and begging for more.
It wasn’t like I hadn’t touched myself there before. I’d also fooled around with a boy back on the island before I came to Candiopolis. But I’d never really been interested in anyone outside the usual young person’s curiosity.
Then, after I got caught up in Rumple’s trickery, the hope of ever being with someone was squashed.
I told myself that was all it was, my body’s lack of experience reacting to stimulation. It didn’t matter that it was Blackthorn. I would have ground against anyone. Even Fran, had I been half asleep and cuddling her body.
My own denial sounded false even in my head. But I didn’t want to refute it. I had made a plan last night, and one moment of weakness this morning wasn’t going to derail it.
When Blackthorn was done dressing for the day, he stopped in front of me, hand tilting my chin up until my eyes lifted. A curious expression filled his face, his thumb tracing my bottom lip. “So lovely.”
His words did not have the effect he probably hoped it would.
I jerked my face out of his grasp with a scowl. “Don’t spout lies.”
Blackthorn’s brows scrunched together, his mouth opening for a moment before closing. He straightened and adjusted his suit jacket. “Try not to get into too much trouble today. I do not wish to restrict you to this room again.”
I silently mimicked his words behind his back, before shooting him a rude gesture with my hand.
Once he was out of the room, I stalked to the bathroom and used water from the sink to scrub every part of me that had touched him. I had to be a bit more gentle between my thighs, but I cleaned until I didn’t feel his touch on my skin anymore.
“Mistress?” Fran’s voice called out through the bedroom and into the bathroom.
“One moment!” I huffed out a breath and then splashed water on my face, not caring if it made me look like a drowned rat. When I felt a modicum of clean, I stepped out of the bathroom.
Fran sat a tray on the low table next to the sofa filled with pastries and fruit. She barely glanced up as she flipped open the book she had been studying the day before.
“I figured we could focus on spells that broke contracts rather than just breaking spells in general. It may give us an edge on what we’re trying to do.”
I nodded, picked up a strawberry, and bit into it. “Whatever you think is best.” since I had no experience with magic whatsoever, I was happy to let her take the lead.
Fran glanced up, her eyes skimming my face.
