Page 46 of Cloak of the Vampire
His front pressed against mine, his lips on my neck, hands on my waist, rubbing against me.
Startled by the assault of the memory, I snatched the sketchbook from his hands, closed it, and blurted, “I don’t.”
I was staring at the floor, and yet I felt his gaze like a physical touch before he said, his voice returning to its usual flat tone, “You have potential.”
My cheeks prickled as a blush arose on my face. “I don’t,” I mumbled and jumped to my feet without looking at him. “Have a wonderful rest of your day,” I added in another blurt while face-palming myself inwardly. Gritting my teeth at the humiliation, I strode toward the exit.
But then an arm snaked around my waist and pulled me back against a hard chest. Ragnor’s breath came down to my ear. “It’s quite refreshing, seeing you all flustered for a change,” he murmured, and I gasped as goose bumps trailed down the side of my face to my fingertips.
When his lips grazed against my earlobe, I squeezed my eyes shut and bit my lip so I wouldn’t moan. My thighs clenched as he put his other arm around me, grabbing my chin and tilting my head to the side, exposing my neck to his roaming lips.
I had no idea what had come over him tonight. I had no idea why he was doing what he was doing without any warning. Because thiswas not about a battle of wills. He was behaving like a totally different person, a sexy, devilishly hot specimen who flirted and teased me as if we weren’t a Lord and his Common noob. As if we were on great terms. As if our relationship wasn’t what it actually was.
Margarita’s threats rang in my head. I might hate her, but she was right in a sense; I needed to keep my distance from him. Ragnor was dangerous. Really, really dangerous.
And yet when his mouth covered the skin of my neck, I shuddered, unable to move as pure need rode me hard, willing me to give in.
A crashing noise made him let go of me, and I jumped away from him. When I heard a loud chatter approaching from behind the corner where the entrance was, I didn’t dare look back at Ragnor and simply followed my instincts, which came back with a vengeance, telling me to run, run,RUN!
But running away didn’t erase his touch. No amount of running could make me forget how I felt when his lips grazed my skin as his strong arms wrapped around my waist.
Yet I tried anyway to scrub away the feel of his touch on my shoulders, my bare skin, my chin held in his powerful hand, and his cock rubbing me and his breath hot and tantalizing on my neck.
CHAPTER 17
To celebrate the end of the first month of classes, Abe had announced we’d be going on a two-week field trip. The chance to get out of here after not being able to leave was exciting. We’d had zero contact with the outside world and no idea what was happening beyond these walls.
“We’ll be visiting the other seven Leagues in the States and meeting their respective Lords,” Abe had explained in our last class for that month. “It’s an opportunity for you to get acquainted with the Leagues you might transfer to after the Auction.”
More like be bought into,I thought bitterly, but I was the only one who felt that way; my classmates were excited about the upcoming trip too much to care for such semantics.
Now, all fifteen of us were waiting with Abe in the old warehouse where I’d first opened my eyes after receiving the Imprint. What we were waiting for, I wasn’t entirely sure; Abe had simply told us we’d depart in a few minutes.
Seemingly lost in thought, Tansy stood next to me, staring at Zoey, Bryce, and Jakob—the golden trio of our class now that Gus was gone. I wondered, not for the first time, what was going on in her head. Unlike my other classmates, Tansy was hard to figure out. Others seemed to think so, too, because everyone gave her a wide berth.
It was ironic that even among a group of actual vampires, no one accepted those who were different.
“Isn’t it fascinating?” Tansy suddenly asked. I turned to watch the golden trio, trying to see what she meant, but they were simply chatting and laughing, excited for the trip, like everyone else.
“What is?” I retorted.
She motioned with her chin toward the trio. “Them,” she said. “Friendships. How peculiar.”
Look who’s talking.“I don’t follow,” I murmured, frowning. This was why I didn’t bother chatting with Tansy; I didn’t mind her being a little airheaded, but more often than not, trying to understand her led to a throbbing headache.
She shrugged and whispered, “Neither do I.”
Thankfully, I didn’t have to listen to more of her ruminations, because just then, two people appeared at the end of the hallway.
Ragnor and Logan.
I tensed, seeing the two of them heading toward our group. Ragnor looked especially striking today, with a pair of faded jeans tucked into his signature worn-out combat boots, and a light-blue tee covered by his trademark trench coat. His hair was down and wavy, its tips brushing his shoulders, and a five-o’clock shadow covered his jaw—which was new, since his face was always impeccably shaved.
Logan, too, seemed quite refreshed, with hair glistening from a recent shower, sweatpants, sneakers, and a white tee under a black leather jacket.
My asshole Lord and ex-boyfriend were quite the sight, and I wasn’t the only one who thought so; my classmates, both men and women, seemed mesmerized by their appearance. Even Tansy.
Then Abe spoke, and my little staringfest was broken. “Our Lord and Logan will be accompanying us for the trip.”
