Page 54 of Filthy Rich Vampires: For Eternity

“Not exactly.” She chewed on her lower lip. “Playing mostly, but there is something about playing for people that’s different. I feel like I’m keeping the music alive. It feels selfish when I play for myself. Music is a gift. I play to give it to other people.”

“You are a siren,” I murmured.

“So it’s not a gift so much as luring unsuspecting males to their deaths, right?” she asked dryly. She looked at me out of the corner of her eye. “I lured you to yours.”

Her words were sharp as a knife plunged straight into my heart. “You don’t really believe that.”

“I don’t know what to believe,” she admitted, keeping too much distance between us.

I frowned and caught her hand. “We’ve been over this. I wouldn’t change anything.”

She swallowed as if she didn’t trust herself to speak.

Our date was on life support, and we both knew it. It was too hard to pretend that nothing was wrong. Too hard to pretend we hadn’t been cornered by bigoted vampires. Too hard to forget that we had to return to court tonight and then figure out what was really going on behind the throne.

We needed a distraction.

“Do you remember the first time I took you to the opera?”

Thea bit her lower lip, color blooming on her cheeks as she recalled the night at the Paris Opera.

“I couldn’t control myself,” I murmured, drawing her to me.

“I remember,” she whispered.

The memory flashed through my mind. One look at Thea told me she was recalling it, too. It was the first night I’d fed from her. Her taste was seared into my memory—sweet and rich and utterly irresistible.

She tugged away. “What about you?” she asked. “Have you ever played on stage?”

“I was hoping you’d forgotten that,” I admitted.

“I can’t believe you never told me you played the cello.” Her eyes twinkled despite the accusation in her voice. “Or that you had a Stradivarius.”

“I believe that belongs to you now.”

“I nearly forgot, with...everything.”

“It’s being delivered to the court. I brought it with me to Venice. I thought it might score me some brownie points.” I forced myself to grin, trying my best to ignore what had happened when I arrived in the city.

“Will you play for me?” she asked.

Pulling her farther into the shadows, I leaned down and brushed a kiss over her lips. Her eyes burned as I stared into them.

“Why wait?”

Thea blinked, confused by my question, and I took the opportunity to spin her around. My arms coiled around her, tucking her body against mine. Sliding my hand along her stomach, I stroked my thumb under the waistband of her jeans.

“You are my favorite instrument,” I told her in a low voice as my hand dipped lower.

Thea released a breathy moan, its sound rocketed straight to my balls. I bit back a groan, already hard and ready.

“I need you,” I whispered, bending over her, nosing my way to her neck. Her blood pulsed beneath her pale skin. Venom welled in my mouth as I breathed in her sweet jasmine scent.

“I need you, too,” she admitted, twisting her neck to offer her lips.

Our mouths collided, my hand slipping down her pants until my fingers found wet heat. “Fuck,” I growled. “You’re soaked.”

She gasped as I dragged my index finger along her wetness before settling over the point of her need. Then, I began to play. My fingertips plucked and strummed, her noises forming a beautiful melody. Each note of pleasure rising but never bursting to a crescendo. Soon she was gasping and pleading, but I could think of nothing but erasing all thoughts except those of me and my fingers. Of us. Of our song.

---