Page 26 of Obsessed in Blood
He tossed his napkin on the table. “I’ve had some unsettling news from the mainland. You’ll learn to temper your behavior around me once we get to know each other better.” He grabbed my wrist, and my eyes flashed to his and locked.
Whatever my earlier concerns might have been drained away. I leaned in. “How long will you be gone?”
His eyes glowed a dark red that I found pleasing and dangerous at the same time. He rubbed his thumb across my wrist and lifted it to kiss the soft skin underneath. He stood and pulled me up with him. Then his lips were on mine, crushing, bruising, his tongue forcing its way in as he tugged me closer.
Then he released me to drop into my chair. He bent low. “I’ll give you time to think about how good things can be between us. On the evening of my dinner party, you’ll be mine—body and soul.”
He strode out, the two vamps following behind.
It took me several minutes to recover. There was a tightness between my legs and a desire to race after him. An image of him naked in a large ornate bed fit for a king with me naked under him flashed in my head. Then another image superimposed it. I was lying on the grass in a lush garden. A man with startling blue eyes stood over me. He knelt and ran a hand down my cheek. His eyes changed, glowing with an icy blue that warmed as he bent his head.
Dishes clattered as I snapped out of wherever I’d been and noticed my plate had been removed.
“I wasn’t finished with that.”
“You’ll learn to eat when the master eats or not at all.” My vamp bodyguard lifted me by my upper arm and all but dragged me out of the room. “First, you’ll go up and change into what has been laid out for you. Then you’ll remain in your room until Mrs. Newbridge comes for you.”
He kept his grip on me all the way to my room. He took a different route, which gave me more rooms to add to my internalized floor plan.
The vamp, who I decided to call Asshole, led me to the bed. He glared down at me. “You should understand something. Master Venizi is an exacting vampire. He expects only the best out of his Family. He can lavish you in the finest clothes and treat you like a queen as long as you do what he wishes. The moment he gets tired of you, he’ll pass you on to one of his cadre or someone lower.”
He bent his head until his lips touched my ear. His voice was nothing but a heated whisper. “I’m hoping he’ll tire of you quickly. As your security, I will have first dibs. And I’m already planning how to use your splendid body.” He pushed me onto the bed then turned and stormed out.
I shook with anger and fear. Obedience and domination seemed to be the rule at House Venizi. It was hard to believe life at House Trelane was worse than this. Because I was pretty sure a firm hand or slap was nothing to these vamps.
My fingers touched silk, and I looked down. It was one of the silk blouses, and next to it were rose-colored pants with a matching blazer. Four-inch heels were on the floor. Ugh.
I changed and walked out to the balcony. Now that I was looking for it, I saw the blue ocean beyond the trees of the garden. How big was the island and how many ways off it? But then where would I go? I had no money, and for some reason, I couldn’t remember anything about House Trelane. All I recalled was a large mansion where I grew up. And something told me not to go there.
I was stuck.
The door burst open, and a sour-faced woman with gray streaking her black hair strolled in. “Come. You’re late for your first lesson.”
I was the one late again. How did that work when I was told to wait in my room? It was like everyone wanted me to fail. I took a last look at the bed. Thoughts of Lorenzo lying in it, beckoning me to go to him drew a shiver through me. I swallowed and turned to follow Mrs. Newbridge out the door. Asshole kept his eyes on me as I passed, and for the moment, I was simply grateful he didn’t follow us. It appeared Mrs. Newbridge was my watchdog for the day.
I sighedat the outfit Millie, my vamp lady’s maid, set out for me. This time it was a chartreuse pantsuit—pants, blouse, and jacket all the same horrid color. I tried not to gag when I put it on. No mirrors for me today.
This was day two of etiquette training. Somehow, I’d passed the first day with flying colors. No one was more surprised than me when I easily demonstrated eight different table settings based on various vamp engagements that included personal gatherings, social gatherings, formal dinners, and banquets.
Mrs. Newbridge grudgingly accepted my performance, though she tried hard to find something wrong. Today, she decided to punish me by stepping through every painful and boring task of how the house was maintained. I watched the staff polish silver, clean chandeliers, make beds, and then back to polishing—this time shoes. It seemed Lorenzo had a fetish for a high sheen on everyone’s feet.
When we marched into the kitchen, I expected to see an urn for coffee. But there wasn’t one, and I wasn’t sure why I’d anticipated it. The smells were even different.
I stopped in my tracks. A splitting headache hit me, and I grabbed the counter.
“What’s wrong?” Mrs. Newbridge asked in one of those tones that reflected irritation at something disturbing her routine rather than any concern for me.
“Nothing. Just a twinge from my bruising.”
She tsked. “It’s important you don’t show weakness. Master Venizi expects everyone to be at the top of their game at all times. Mistresses included.”
Mistress. Was that what everyone thought? Great.
I grimaced in response as the headache faded. I smelled a fresh omelet, one where you tossed in whatever’s left in the fridge, but when I searched the kitchen, nothing was being cooked, baked, or fried.
A group sat at a heavy wooden table, and we joined them so I could watch them make elaborate grocery lists.
“Is there any coffee?” Other than breakfast with Lorenzo, I always had to ask for it. It was obvious no one liked me, and I had no idea why.
