Page 57 of Seduction in Blood
I nodded. "Simone made some mention of it, I think. It has something to do with not having your censure removed."
His expression soured. "She shouldn't have told you about that."
"It wasn't just her. There was a lot of gossip at the tea party. And I'm sorry if I divulged a confidence I shouldn't have mentioned."
He shook his head and set his brandy down. "It's obviously not a secret in my world. I didn't see a reason to mention it, and you have enough to think about. I'm still allowed to entertain and mingle with high society and Council members. However, I have no voting privileges on Council matters, and my business interests among the vampires are curtailed."
"I'm not judging. Shit. I'm a rebel and outcast myself."
He seemed to relax, though I sensed there was something riding just below the surface he wanted to broach with me. Was it the dreams?
"As I said, we seem to be evenly matched in many areas." He took my glass and set it on the table next to his. He turned to me, lifting one of my hands, his thumb running small circles over my skin and sending small shivers through me. "I know you're here to pay off a debt, but you've done more than what's been asked. You've stepped up to learn more skills and suffered under Anna's tutelage."
That made me smile. One would think martial arts and weapons training would create the most suffering, but it seemed Devon and I both silently endured the etiquette of his world. "Is that why you don't attend the parties. All the stiff rules?" I'd meant it as a jest, but he appeared sad when he glanced down at our hands, his gentle massage never stopping.
"In part. Our family had been ostracized by many in our gallant society long before the censure." When he sensed my question, he shook his head. "That topic is something for another day. Let's just say, many had reason to shun us from the more formal gatherings, yet they couldn't outwardly stop us from attending larger gatherings open to Council members and the aristocrats. But even with that, yes, I found the old ways stuffy. If someone should take a single perceived step outside of those conventions, they could be off a guest list for months, even years. That in itself could damage a person or family's reputation, as well as their business interests. Just one more reason for me to be considered an outcast since most of my business has always been with shifters and humans."
"Sacrilege?"
"To many, but not all."
"It sounds like you've been building an army of like-minded Houses. Are you waiting until you have enough to tip the balance?"
He let go of my hand and caressed my cheek. "You are an enigma, Cressa. Intelligent, courageous, reckless, unpredictable."
I quirked my lips. "A bit of a mixed compliment."
His gaze caught mine and wouldn't let go. Or maybe I refused to let go of the intimate moment. "You think so? I think it fits you perfectly."
Then he kissed me. A light brushing of the lips, a tentative test, nothing I'd ever experienced in the dreams, which were seductive and hot. His lips pressed harder. The tip of his tongue traced the outline of my lips as if memorizing their borders, their feel, their taste.
I leaned in, welcoming the parting of my lips as his tongue explored. I tried to be patient, to see where this would go with only his own need moving us, but my body had other thoughts, wanting to meet his growing demands as our tongues met. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt his hand travel up my body until he was cupping my head with both hands, his fingers weaving through my short locks as my arms ran over his shoulders.
The kiss lasted forever and not long enough as he pulled away. The warm glow of the vampire raged with something primal. And I wanted more. The need between my legs more intense than I could imagine.
He stood, his hand cupping my chin as he lifted my head to meet the fire in his gaze. His voice was low and husky, such a promise of more. "Get your rest, Cressa. You have a busy day tomorrow." He kissed my forehead and almost dashed out of the room.
I touched a finger to my swollen lips, closing my eyes as I remembered the real deal. Exactly like the dreams. For the hundredth time, how was that possible? I smiled. He might think he can get away from me. But somehow, I knew there would always be the dreams.
ChapterTwenty-Seven
I slumpedagainst the window and watched the morning break slowly along the coast. Remnants of a light mist softened the landscape. The grave markers were hidden within the shadow of the sycamore. The mysterious woman was all but forgotten between the events of the last couple of days.
No dream. I'd expected one after last night. I touched my lips, still able to feel his on mine. The kiss had been passionate, heat burning under the surface. I'd been disappointed when he walked away, certain he'd finish what he'd started. The dreams had always come after Devon expressed high emotions. Why not this time?
I'd been left with nothing but a sleepless night, my thoughts jumping between Devon and the job before me. Anxiety clawed, churning my stomach. Day seven. The main event was less than sixteen hours away. Not that I'd been checking the time every fifteen minutes, waiting for the house to wake. I'd never been this nervous—felt so off—before a job. It must be the vamps. An unknown equation no matter how many times I mentally reviewed the mission.
Devon drifted back to me. The line between the man in my dreams blurred with the leader of a vampire House. I could say it was his tailored suits that couldn't disguise what lay hidden beneath the clothes. The snug fit of his workout attire that revealed toned muscles and hinted at the ridged lines of his stomach. But those images weren't the ones that tugged at me.
It was the quiet moments. Devon relaxed at a meal, teasing Anna over some silly incident. His routine of reading the newspaper in the solarium before dinner, a slight wrinkle along his forehead. Each time he'd stop to talk with Lucas or Sergi with a casualness that spoke of years of camaraderie. Those were the moments I remembered the touch of his skin—hot and scented with long, sultry nights. It would taste of deep desires, sweet regrets, and everlasting satisfaction. And those few times, when he looked at me in a different way, if only for the barest of moments, I had no doubt he was aware of the dreams, yet I had no idea how.
Instead of fearing the dreams, I welcomed them. And I couldn't decide whether it was because, even with a house full of people, I was still lonely, or because I wanted to take my pleasure where I could.
Everything about Devon Trelane rattled me, intoxicated me, terrified me, and pulled me in like I was a helpless kitten. Which was why it perplexed me that the real man hadn't taken our attraction a step further last night, considering how daring and seductive he'd been. Tension had been there—for both of us. And not just sexual tension. Tonight was the big event, and we were both worried, albeit, I'm sure, for different reasons.
I wasn't sure what Devon's motives were. He never confided his thoughts with me—not those that counted. But something simmered on the surface, and I wondered what it meant that I could read his emotions so clearly now. I might not know what he was thinking, but I could determine his mood by the way he walked, his speech patterns, and how he interacted with others. With me. Whatever had him worried, I had no doubt they were much larger stakes than mine.
For me it was simple. Do the job. Get out alive. One wrong move and I would only have myself and my training to rely on. And Simone—wherever she would be.
