Page 43 of Pucking Vamps

“Yes. This is Areos.” He nudges the horse toward me and I get booped on my shoulder. “And he seems pleased to meet you.”

I laugh, caressing the horse’s snout. “You are crazy, Leander. Seriously.”

“Perhaps. But we can discuss that later. Let’s go for a run. We’ve got only about two hours before we need to get ready and leave.”

“I’ve never ridden a horse,” I point out as he guides them both outside the stables via the door on this end. The saddles are already in place, but not the reins. “And what do you mean we have to leave in two hours. I thought we don’t need to be at the ball until nine?”

“Here. Step on the mounting block. Hold the reins and the pommel and put your foot in the stirrup,” Leander explains as he puts the reins on mine.

I follow his instructions and wait. “Like this?”

“Yes.” He gives my horse a pat on the head. “Now pull yourself up and swing your other leg over.” Carefully and slowly, I do as I’m told and get settled into the saddle. “That’s it. Good boy.”

I snort as I watch him mount Areos without needing a mounting block. “Me or the horse?”

Leander’s flirty smile is potent. “Both?”

I shake my head. “So, the ball? Where is it being held anyway, and why are we leaving so early?” I caress the animal’s neck, not quite sure what to do or how to get him to move. “Also, what’s this one’s name?”

“He has no name yet. I left that for you to pick since he’s yours.” Leander walks his horse over and grabs my hands, fixing my grip. “Veltz Veste is in Germany.”

My jaw drops and my heart lurches madly. “He’s mine? And we are going to Germany?”

He inclines his head to the side, confusion washing over his head. “Yes to both, why? I thought the castle name made it obvious we need to fly out of the States.”

Yeah, no. I’m not very good with names. Or geography. And, oh my god, he bought me a horse. Who does that for a fake boyfriend? “I don’t have a passport,” I blurt out, just now remembering that very important fact.

He waves my concern off. “I took the liberty to sort that out for you. It’s on my desk, next to mine.”

Yep, my hot vampire Daddy is certifiably crazy. But I love it.

I pull out my phone and stare at the time, a sudden realization just how far Germany is from here shooting a bolt of worry through me. I’m pretty sure it takes more than the five hours we have until nine to get to Europe. Are we even gonna make it on time?

I let Leander give me a crash course on how to handle the horse, then once we are on the way toward the woods and I am confident I won’t fall off, I ask, “Um, how exactly are we getting to Germany? And why haven’t we left, like, yesterday? I’m pretty sure we are most definitely going to be late.”

“The ball itself is tomorrow. I intended to go there a day earlier so we could enjoy the extra day of festivities, but Vivian called about the horses, so I decided we could skip that part.”

Ooh. Yeah, okay. This here definitely sounds more fun than trying not to embarrass myself in front of a bunch of high-society vampires. Not that I dread it or anything, it’s just nervousness. This is all still new to me, and besides, I want to impress Leander with how amazing I am at posing as his partner. So amazing in fact, that he’d have no choice but to beg me to be his boyfriend for real.

I look at my vampire and find his gaze already transfixed on me. It carries that shivers-inducing intensity, the one that I’ve grown addicted to without even knowing when. It’s like he sees something irresistible in me, like he just can’t help himself but drink me in. Like he wants to devour me and claim me and make me his. It’s world-spinning, in the best and worst ways, because no one has ever looked at me like this.

Is it because we haven’t fucked lately? Is he just horny? Or am I imagining it altogether? Reading more into it just because I want there to be more?

“Hayden. What’s bothering you?” Leander says, his inquiring eyes clouding a little. “You can talk to me if you wish. About anything.”

I chew on my bottom lip. Why, nothing’s bothering me, Leander. I just want to real date you. Please, yes, okay, thank you.

“Just nerves… I guess? I didn’t even know vampires existed and now I’ll be meeting even more of you.”

He nods. “It is understandable to feel a little anxious. But you are under my care and I will not let anything unpleasant happen to you. Besides, there will be other humans as well. Servants, thralls… lovers.”

My heart does a weird flippy jumpy thing, quickening my pulse. Lovers. Yes, I’d very much love to be Leander Adetu’s official lover for more than a single night. This Cinderella ‘you are special only until midnight’ stuff was never really my thing.

I choose to change the topic as thinking about it only irritates me. I’m yet to decide how to approach my little dilemma, whether to confess how I feel and risk my heart being broken. Because it will be, I’ve realized these past few days, if he says no. He’s just too impossible not to like, not to wish to monopolize when he’s shown me such a kind and caring side. So, perhaps, it’s best that I just quietly move on after tonight. We live in vastly different worlds, figuratively and literally. He can do better than me, way way better.

An hour later, we are back. Montgomery helps Leander with Areos and Onyx—as my horse is now called—while I take a shower and change into the clothes that have been prepared for me. They are the ones we picked when we went shopping, though there is an addition of a burgundy red jockstrap.

As I finish getting dressed, my cock gives an approving twitch that threatens to grow into more when Leander waltzes in decked out in his mouth-watering outfit.

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