Page 38 of Summoned
But then she turns around, reaching for clothes in the wardrobe. I keep observing her in silence—the stretch of her arm, the subtle tension in her thighs as she rises on her toes. The way her fingers slide through her hair, tousling copper strands down her back.
I follow the curve of her bare breast and the smooth outline of her stomach. Her skin looks flawless and inviting. It reminds me of a canvas begging to be marked…with teeth, among other things.
My Baroness is stunning.
Myblood surges south in an instant.
She throws on a satin robe and whirls in my direction. Wet streaks of black cut down her cheeks, but her chin is lifted high. “Show yourself! I know you’re here!” she commands, her tone sharp and imperious—so very her, it almost tempts me to break her just to remind her who’s in control.
She must be bluffing, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not some shy boy caught peeping. If anything, being seen adds another delicious layer to our dynamic.
“At your service, Baroness.” I step from the shadows in full, corporeal form.
She stiffens, spine snapping upright. “Were you seriously lurking around while I changed?!” She yanks the robe tighter with a jerk of her hands.
I approach her until I’m close enough to wipe those thin streams of mascara and tears from her cheeks if I feel inclined. “Did you want me to?”
Her nostrils flare as her chest rises, shifting the robe with the motion. “If you think you can embarrass me, you’re wrong.”
I lean toward her ear. “Good. Because I did watch.”
She recoils just enough to meet my eyes. “I hope it wasworth it.” Her mouth tightens into something between a smirk and a snarl. I don’t miss the way her fingers clench the robe’s collar… or the faint blush creeping up her cheeks.
“Every second,” I say.
This time, her blush is more pronounced. “Shouldn’t you be in a cell? Or Hell?”
“Even if I wanted to be, neither prison nor Hell can hold me.”
She studies me with sudden curiosity. “Why not?”
My gaze trails over the thin fabric covering her. The image of what’s underneath is vivid in my mind. It might be a lingering effect of the chemistry from our dance, rather than a genuine physical attraction. Or maybe what I saw just now heightens my interest because I haven’t seen such a masterpiece in years.
Whatever the case may be, I want to learn more about her. And it would be my greatest pleasure to get that information from her, while making her think she’s sharing it willingly.
I tilt my head.“How about a game? One where you can ask me anything you want.”
“A game? With you?” she asks, disbelief thinning her voice.
“I’m kind of lonely tonight.” Not quite a lie.
She huffs.“I’m guessing you’ll be asking me questions, too?”
The Baroness is always quicker on the uptake than most of my harvests.“To get something, you have to give something,” I say. “But if you win, you gain leverage. I’ll never intrude on your intimate moments again—doesn’t matter if you’re naked, in the shower, in bed with someone. Or alone…”
A crease appears between her eyebrows. “How wouldyou even know what kind of ‘moment’ I’m in before you show up?”
“I wouldn’t,” I admit. “But if I do happen to appear during a private moment, I’ll leave immediately.” The tightening of her features tells me the idea unsettles her further, so I add, “Without you ever realizing I was there.”
“How comforting,” she mutters.
“That’s the offer, Baroness. Take it or leave it.”
Her eyes flash. “And if I lose?”
My fingers hover just above the sash of her robe, never touching the satin itself. “Then every time you undress that divine body, you’ll wonder if I’m hiding somewhere in the shadows, watching…” I bet she adores compliments —feeds off them, the way I feed on fear. But she’d never admit she enjoys hearing them from me. So I press further. “Or maybe… that’s exactly what you want.”
“Let’s play,” she snaps, crossing her arms over her chest.
