Page 100 of Our Sins in Blood (Coven of Sin 1)

Holy shit. This was every nerd girl’s dream.

Sterling’s “den” was a proper secret room in an ancient library, and I could only imagine what secrets lay beyond the darkness at the bottom of the stone steps.

The air wafting from the passageway smelled of dust, old wood, and beneath that, a mouth-watering scent that was all Sterling. It was all I could do to keep my instincts from going rogue again when the vampire prince held out a hand to me, brandishing a charming smile that had to have been the cause of many lost maidenhoods over the centuries.

“Are you coming, Ruby?”

Chapter forty-seven

Lesson in Blood

Sterling’sdenwasmuchlarger than I expected for a secret room behind a bookcase. It was just as big as his room at the top of the tower, if not larger. The walls were stone-covered with thick swaths of velvet drapes and lined with more bookcases. These shelves must have been filled with his favorites because all the books here were in braille, with worn-out spines from countless reading sessions.

I imagined the tomes in Sterling’s hands, his long fingers running over the bumps in the pages, stroking them, building images in his head from what his fingertips felt out.

Fuck me, what I’d give to be one of his books, for him to read my body like braille.

My lusty daydreams were temporarily pushed to the back of my mind when my attention landed on the center of the room where a dark wooden coffin sat. It had elaborate carvings cut into the panels, was topped with gold hardware, and lacquered to make the whole thing shine. The lid was propped against the side, exposing the coffin’s royal blue lining—probably silk—with embroidered flourishes done in silver thread.

Behind the coffin, there was a large fireplace with a sitting area, and to the right of that, a little kitchenette complete with a sink and a mini-fridge. It was a bit out of place among the medieval-style den, but the most surprising detail about the whole space was the grand piano pushed off to the far left corner of the room.

The sight of the instrument tugged at an old memory, and I couldn’t keep myself from walking over to press a key. The note rang out, crisp and beautiful, echoing off the stone. I peeked back at Sterling to find him in the doorway, quietly listening to me as I took in the details of his sanctuary. “Do you play?”

He gave me a nod, a sensational smile flitting across his sharp features, making him look younger, if that were possible. “I do.”

“But why do you keep it in here? Why not have it where other people can hear you play?”

His smile slipped some. “My music is something I prefer to keep to myself. But…I can play for you if you’d like.”

By the luscious lilt in his tone and the mischievous smile on his face, I’d think he’d just offered to take his pants off rather than play piano for me. But my body was heating at his offer all the same because I knew just how intimate of a thing this probably was for him. “I’d love to hear.”

Sterling’s eyes glittered, and he looked so pleased, so happy.

Goddamn, things were so easy between us. How could he still be so resistant to claiming me when we were just so damn good together?

My body craved the darkness Vincent offered and the pain Eros promised. And I couldn’t help but adore playful Corry. While I liked all of them equally for very different reasons, Sterling made my body sing for some weird, primal reason I wasn’t sure I’d ever understand. His gentle, kind, and sage mannerisms had a way of driving me mad with lust, just as much as Vincent’s possessive words, Eros’ depraved tools, and Corry’s greedy addiction to my blood.

I took a step toward the prince, and he tensed, as if he could glean my building arousal. “Before we do anything else, you need to feed.”

My line of sight went to the mini-fridge at the corner of the room. I saw the biohazard sticker slapped onto the front, which told me this was where Sterling kept his blood. Knowing he wasn’t offering himself as my meal, I started for the fridge, but in a blink, he was in front of me, blocking my path.

He extracted his cellphone from the pocket of his sweats and said, “Siri, call Miss O’Leary.”

I blinked, wondering who Miss O’Leary was until Kenzie’s voice answered. “You need me, Your Highness?”

“Yes. I need you to bring some pajamas for the princess down to the library den. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting stained. We’ll be taking a meal from you if you’re feeling up for it.”

I could practically hear Kenzie’s shock from the rush of breath coming from her end. After a couple of seconds, she regained herself. “Um, My Prince, you never feed directly from the donors.” Jeez, she almost sounded excited.

“This isn’t for me. It’s for the princess.” Sterling ended the call and shoved the phone back into his pocket.

Kenzie’s shock passed to me. “Wait.What?Aren’t I basically a youngblood? Isn’t it too early for me to be feeding directly from humans?”

Especially from one I liked.

Sterling’s marble-smooth features completely lacked my concern. “With me as your chaperon, Miss O’Leary will be safe.”

“Chaperon?” I snorted. “You act like I’m going to try to fuck or kill her.”

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