Page 70 of Her Vampire, His Ruin

“Why do you want me?”

“Because you’re smart. You’re not afraid to speak your mind. You’re beautiful, Edie, sexy as fuck, and if you want to know the honest truth, you have all the power here. Whatever happens next, it’s your decision.”

She swallows, shifting in her seat. “This is strictly about pleasure.”

“Nothing more,” I confirm, that restlessness to have her by my side unravelling once again.

“You understand I can’t give you anything else.”

I nod. “I understand completely.”

She pauses, and for a moment I think she’ll turn me down, but instead she says, “I’ve never been to a sex club before. I don’t know what to expect.”

Relief unravels the knots in my shoulders, and I seize the chance to reassure her. “I will never put you in a position where you feel uncomfortable, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I’m not an exhibitionist, despite what happened in the restaurant, and the car that night...” Her voice fades, cheeks colouring a deeper pink. If this weren’t such a delicate moment, I might press her, because I suspect she enjoys the thrill that comes with the possibility of being caught.

“And I don’t share, that means the only person who gets to indulge in you is me.”

She chews on her lip, then nods. “And if I come to your club, what’s going to happen?”

“Whatever you want. There are no rules, other than the ones we choose to agree to.”

She reaches for something off-screen, then settles back in view, taking a sip from her glass of wine. “Will Sybil be there?”

“You don’t need to worry about Sybil.”

“Will she be there?” she insists.

I nod, easing back in my seat, ignoring the little voice in my head that tells me I’m courting disaster. “Yes, but she’s performing tonight.”

“If I decide I’m uncomfortable in any way, will you respect my decision to leave?” she asks.

“Of course.”

After a beat, she nods. “I’m trusting your word, Dorian. Don’t you dare disappoint me.”

“So we’re in agreement then? You’ll come to my club?”

She pauses, and I hold my breath waiting. “How long do I have?”

“Logan will be with you in half an hour.”

Propped against the bar on the club’s main floor, I watch the patrons sway to the hypnotic rhythm played by our resident DJ, filling the lull before Sybil takes to the stage again. The air is thick with sweat and desire. Couples are tangled together, kissing and grinding against each other, stoking the restless hunger in my blood. Performers dance on podiums dotted around the space, their swaying bodies barely concealed by strips of well-placed material. Candles flicker on the tables in the private booths surrounding the dance floor, whilst a soft red glow bathes everyone in a seductive, blood-tinged haze. Usually, this nightly spectacle barely registers for me. But tonight, every nerve is raw, strung tight with anticipation for Edie’s arrival.

“Another?” the barman, Emmanuel, asks.

I slide my empty glass across the bar. I’ve already drunk a bottle of blood whilst waiting and my hunger is, thankfully, satiated, though not satisfied given it tasted like fucking dishwater. “No, but tell Viktor to take a bottle of Merlot to suite twenty. I have a guest arriving soon.”

He nods and strides over to Viktor, who is hovering at the end of the bar. I watch them converse before Viktor takes the bottle from Emmanuel and pushes through the crowd towards me. All of the women he passes, and a few of the men, track his every step, his allure as powerful as my own. None of them approach. Our compulsion is so powerful that whispered words to stay away, unless invited, are obeyed.

“You’re entertaining tonight?” he asks without preamble.

“Yes, and it’s important you keep Sybil busy once she finishes her next performance.”

A flicker of surprise dances across his face. “You’ve brought Edie here?”

“Logan will arrive with her any minute. He’s to bring her straight to me. I’ll be waiting in suite twenty,” I say, snatching the bottle from his grip. “And next time I give you an order, follow it without question.”