But instead, Charles said jovially, “Go on, my dear. You should change into one of your pretty gowns. You wouldn’t want to keep the marquis waiting too long, would you?”
What?
But before she could protest, her sisters had already clasped her arm on each side and were hurriedly urging her towards the door. “Papa’s right,” Aurora was saying. “We should get moving, there’s still your gown to choose and your shoes.”
“I’ll do her hair,” Fleur volunteered. “I know just the perfect style for it.”
As she was rushed out to the hallway, the marquis asked lazily,I look forward to being dazzled.
Shut up.
Fleur gazed at her sister with interest. “Why are you suddenly blushing, Soleil?”
“N-nothing.” But it was hard not to blush even more, with the seductive sound of Ilie’s laughter trailing after Soleil.
As they started to ascend the stairs, he told her,Don’t forget to keep your hair up.
She remembered that time in the carriage, when he had told her why he had wanted her hair styled in such a way—-
So I’d have the pleasure of taking it down.
—-and Soleil missed a step. She heard Ilie laugh again, knew he had read her mind, and her teeth gnashed.Cad!
As Aurora helped Soleil up, she noticed the way her sister was gritting her teeth and shook her head in bemusement. “You are acting so oddly, Soleil. Is this really how women in love act?”
Soleil gasped.
Is it, milady,Ilie said wickedly.
“Shut up.”
Her two sisters turned to her, and realizing she had blurted the words out loud, she shook her head, stammering, “Not you two.”
“Then who?” Aurora asked, even more confused now.
Even by the time Soleil and Ilie were safely ensconced in the luxurious accommodation of his gleaming black barouche, the marquis’ shoulders were still rocking with silent mirth while she stared at him, fuming.
“I am serious, milord. You should never communicate with methat wayagain. It’s terribly confusing!”
“I understand,” Ilie said repentantly, but the gleam in his silver eyes told her he was likely to keep doing it, if only to see her flustered.
Solei rolled her eyes. “You, sir, are not convincing anyone with—-ah!” In a blink of an eye, she found herself dragged into the marquis’ lap, her legs dangling on one side. The marquis started nuzzling her neck, and she froze.
“You smell wonderful,” he murmured against the tender skin of her neck. “So good, it makes me want to take a bite of you.”
When his fangs scraped against the skin, Soleil was embarrassed to realize she was more excited than terrified, enough for her to press her legs together, hoping she wouldn’t get wet.
But of course she did.
And the marquis knew it, too.
“Do you know,” he murmured lazily, “that my hearing is good enough to sense when you’re just about to get wet? The creamy liquid coming out of you, drenching your drawers—-”
“Milord!” Oh my God, it was impossible to stop her body from responding, and she squeezed her eyes shut. “Please! I don’t want to attend a ball feeling...”
“What?”
“You know!”