Page 23 of Taken By The Vampire King

“I can sit you in the same seat your father favors, if you like?” Valérie offered an eyebrow raised in challenge, and Leia gasped. “Other than that, I’m pretty busy.”

“Valérie.” I’d never had to pitch my voice this low to warn her of anything.

She flipped her hair in response and half-turned away from Leia as she faced me. “I have too much to do today to meet the needs of your pet human.”

“Valérie.” This time I cracked out her name like I’d fired a bullet, and it echoed from the ceiling and walls. “You will show respect to me in my own business, and you will show respect to whomever I choose to bring in as a personal guest. It is not your job to second-guess my decisions, question my motivations, or to cast aspersions on those I choose to spend my time with. Do you understand?”

As two bright red spots appeared in the center of Valérie’s cheeks, she inhaled deeply, and her mouth formed a cruel smile.

“Oh, I think I understand perfectly now, Nic.” She leaned closer to me, her palm resting on the front of my suit jacket. “She smells divine.”

I jerked back, away from her uninvited touch. “Get out of my sight.” I ground out each word. Then I turned to Leia. “I have some work to do, but first may I show you around?”

Leia’s lip curled like she might refuse with one of the cutting remarks I was becoming used to, but then she darted a glance at Valérie and paled before nodding and taking the arm I offered. It wasn’t exactly coming to me willingly—her fear of my assistant was clearly stronger than her desire not to associate with me—but I’d take it.

What I wouldn’t accept, however, was Valérie’s disrespect, and from the way her glare looked like it might singe Leia, her attitude could very definitely become a problem. One I would have to keep an eye on.

I showed Leia around, then she sat in my office while I completed some paperwork. Something about her presence soothed me, and I snuck looks at her when she was busy observing the casino floor from a large one-way mirror like the one in the meeting room. I wanted to be able to see the humans trying their luck from wherever I was working in the building.

“I can’t believe you just used to let my Dad sit down there and give you all his money.”

I shrugged and opened my mouth to reply, but her next whispered words stopped me.

“All my money.”

That much was true, and her raw pain drew a thread of guilt through me. The first ounce of guilt I’d felt in a very long time. Usually, I felt little but contempt for those who threw more and more money into my bank account. I could smell their desperation on it. My fortune stemmed from the deadly sins of humans, and it amused me that they didn’t have more discipline.

But it hadn’t been Leia down there, spending her money. I couldn’t make her father’s past mistakes better for Leia, and the fact I had her money tainted my account books.

“I won’t take any more,” I murmured as I shuffled my papers, trying to look distracted, like her sorrowful words and desperate tone hadn’t affected me.

She was silent so long that I glanced up, meeting her gaze as she watched me.

“I mean it. He won’t be welcome here.” Vehemence underscored my words, and I shocked myself that I’d finally found one human I wouldn’t take money from.

All because I’d found one human I was starting to tolerate.

She nodded. “I appreciate that.”

If she didn’t stop looking at me, her eyes full of gratitude and tenderness, I’d press her to the window and claim her as mine as she watched the people gamble below us. My cock jerked at the thought of her soft skin against mine.

I cleared my throat and stood. “I’ve arranged for us to have a private lunch on the rooftop terrace.”

A lopsided grin graced Leia’s lips. “Are you actually going to eat this time?”

I stepped a little closer to her, my shoulder brushing hers as I leaned to open the door. “Oh, I assure you, I’m very hungry right now.”

Her eyes flared as they met mine, but she averted her gaze and hurried past me into the corridor. Once on the roof, a table with booth seats awaited us under the freestanding awning, and ceiling fans kept us cool in the Louisiana heat.

“The view is amazing. How far can I see?” Leia’s enthusiasm was infectious as she stood by the wall and looked out over the city.

I laughed. “Well, we’re not the tallest building around, but if you squint, you might be able to make out the glint of the Mississippi just over there. I have another casino I’m fitting into a riverboat.” I rested an arm over her shoulder as I angled her in the right direction and pointed toward the river. Being so close to her was like a form of torture, and I had to stop myself from nuzzling her hair, holding my breath so I wouldn’t lose control and take more than she would happily give me.

With my teeth gritted, I turned away and walked to the booth under the awning, barely looking up when she sat herself at the other end of the booth. Distance was good. Necessary. I needed to take this slow. Controlled.

“Chef has—” I started, but she held up a hand.

“Please don’t say prepared a range of dishes. If your chef keeps cooking so much food, I might explode.”

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