Page 20 of Traveling with Gentlemen
Sofia stared blankly at my hand, pale eyebrows rising, and Amon cleared his throat. She let out a tinkling laugh, and then like lightning her hand struck out and snatched my wrist, drawing it to her nose. Auguste growled and lurched forward, but I was ready, stepping on his toes. Sofia took a deep whiff of me, her grip stern and unbreakable but not painful, and Auguste settled at my side, tense and prepared to strike.
"Mm, not bad," Sofia said, pointedly dismissive, dropping my wrist. "Certainly suitable for you, Thibodeaux."
Auguste's fingers tangled with mine, his thumb brushing the back of my hand as he bowed from the waist. "Countess."
"The dining room should be safe for her," Sofia said, already bored with me, a sultry fan of her lashes and silken smile aiming at Amon again. "And then you and I may discuss what you really came here for."
"You know what we are here for, and what discussion is necessary aside from your sharing the information we seek," Amon said, voice thick with a growl.
Sofia's laugh sang in the air, as pretty as the music from the room behind us. "Amon, don't be absurd. Everything comes at cost." She trailed past us into the next room, calling over her shoulder. "When you're ready to bargain, find me."
Amon huffed, moving to follow her, and I stopped with a flat palm against his stomach, shaking my head slightly. "Let her toy with us," I whispered.
Amon scowled, but he didn't push past me. "I would rather be done with this farce," he muttered.
"Of course, but she's not going to cooperate until she feels like it," I said, and Amon's hand covered mine, claws stroking gently. "And besides,Iwould like to go and see precisely what is going on in that courtyard."
Amon's lips twitched and his eyes warmed as he stared down at me. "Of course you would."
"Our wicked girl," Mr. Tanner rumbled at my back.
We moved together, and the monsters who crowded the party parted for my gentlemen.
"You changed your plan," Ezra whispered in my ear.
I hummed. "I did. She wants to think little of me. I don't mind."
"She'll learn," Booker said.
I twisted to offer him a smile, and over his shoulder I found the Countess watching us, all her pretty features encased in a cold study. I nodded once to her, an acknowledgment of her victory in the first bout. Our reckoning would come. But first, I would enjoy the party.
* * *
"It's growing late,"Auguste whispered.
"I agree," Mr. Tanner said.
I was languid, curled up on Booker's lap, a glass of spiced wine in my grip that I'd been nursing carefully for the past hour.
"If we wait too much longer, I'm going to be revealing a littletoomuch to the party," Auguste continued.
His ability to withstand sunlight. I straightened on Booker's lap. We were gathered together in a wonderfully comfortable seating area at the back of the courtyard. We'd watched “the races” of pleasure, feasted on the banquet of food—which included beautiful nude donors for the vampires, not that Auguste helped himself to anyone but me—and I'd convinced each of my gentlemen but Ezra to dance with me once. By my guess, dawn was a few hours away, but Auguste was right; we didn't know yet what the countess would ask of us.
When she had appeared in the courtyard, we had drifted to dinner. When she’d arrived to sup on a pretty young man, we’d chased the notes of music to dance. When she’d come to offer a song to a captivated audience, we’d moved outside to catch our breath.
And now…
I smiled as a flash of cream and gold sparkled out of the corner of my eye.
"It might be time for us to—" Auguste started.
"Shh, she's coming," I breathed.
Amon stood across from me, propped against a pillar, and while I was sure he was as aware of the countess's approach, his eyes remained on me, glowing like embers, lips curved in a promising smile.
I'd made her chase us.
"I hope you've enjoyed the party," she called.
