Infamous: (A Bad Boy Romantic Suspense) (22 page)

Feeling wine-bold, I took his hand and began to trace the lines on his palm.

“You’re so warm. I keep expecting you to be cool or cold. You feel as alive as I am.” I didn’t look at his face as I touched him, just let my fingers wander. “You have the hands of an artist or musician. Do you play?” I asked.

“The piano sometimes. I’m a little rusty.” His voice was low. I got up and walked over to him. He started up but I put my hands on his shoulders to push him gently back. He was looking up at me, the soft candlelight making the lines of his face pale gold.

I finally did what I’d wanted to do since I’d met him: ran my fingers through his soft, silky hair. I looked him in the eye as I did so, their sea-like depths watching me, thick eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. When I touched his cheekbones, his hands came up to my hips.

I leaned down and brushed his lips with mine, softly, curiously. He pulled me gently down onto his lap and deepened the kiss. He was tasting me and I knew it. I felt it all the way to my toes. Desire coiled and grew as we kissed. His tongue darted at mine and I licked it.

I maneuvered myself so that I was sitting astride him and his hands came up to cup my breasts. Heat spread. He pulled my shirt down and broke the kiss, only to begin it again on my nipple. One of his hands came down to hold my backside, then slide towards the cleft. I sighed and rubbed against him.

He moved with easy, gentle strokes, cupping and rubbing. I could feel how hard he was against me.

“I think…I have too many clothes on. And so do you,” I said close to his ear, before gently biting the lobe. He groaned and nodded.

It didn’t take long for us to both be pants-less, and I was straddling him again, pressing down skin to skin. He slid into me, full and easy, and I arched back. One arm held me as another stroked down my belly to rest against my damp curls. I moved against him, slowly, letting him fill me up. It had been a while, and I had forgotten just how good sex could feel. My body was focused, my mind deliciously blank of anything but the desire between my legs.

Dimitri tilted me back further with one arm, then pressed his fingers against my clit. I cried out, jerking a little, the bud sparking. It didn’t take long before I was spiraling, a hot ache spreading, reaching, peaking. I came hard, sharp, back bowing.

He was still hard and my body wasn’t done. I put my hands on his shoulders and pressed down firmly, then up. A rhythm was started, met, worked. I came again, clutching at his face, kissing him and biting at his neck. He was stroking deep, a little frantically even. I watched his face as he came, eyes closed, concentrated. He pumped inside of me and I clung to his neck.

“Well,” I said, when I thought I could safely speak again. “That was unexpected.”

“Not entirely.” He grinned. I smacked his shoulder. I felt good, relaxed, and completely unashamed of just having fucked a vampire I’d met one day before. Maybe I was more of an adventurer than I thought.

I slept for a long time that night, for obvious reasons. My dreams were odd, intangible things full of vague terrors and equally strange desires. I ran from laughing faces and embraced pale figures. Cities I didn’t know streamed past.

When I woke, I felt rested but confused, unsure of where I was at first. I was too hot, trapped under a mountain of blankets. I was also alone and saw afternoon sun streaming in through a slightly open curtain. I opened it up and looked at the grounds. They were sprawling and green and there seemed to be a small lake in the distance. Flowers spread about in neat rows. I wished they were wilder.

I dressed and somehow found my way to the kitchen. If there were any other people around, I didn’t see them. It was quiet as a tomb in the house—a thought I didn’t exactly love.

I spent the rest of the day wandering about the castle. I’d never been in one before and I have to say, it was spectacular. But cold and not nearly as interesting without my handsome guide.

When Dimitri appeared, the sun had just set. He was looking rested and a bit self-satisfied. I rolled my eyes when he came up to me and kissed my hand.

“Sleep well?” he asked.

“Yes and no. Strange dreams,” I said, walking outside with him. The air was sweet with the scent of night blooming flowers.

“We’ll head to Paris tomorrow. I’ve made contact with the council and I should be able to get this settled quickly.”

“Will I have to speak to this council?” I asked, not really relishing the idea of explaining myself to a bunch of vampires.

“No, I’ll be your advocate. They’re very secretive, and for good reason. You already know more than they’d like.” He didn’t look at me.

“Well, that sounds ominous.” I wanted to sound nonchalant but I felt queasy and scared. It had been easier to ignore the strange reality I’d been thrust into in the light of the afternoon. I could pretend I’d just met a handsome stranger and been whisked off on a romantic tour of France. I had, of course, but there was a rather large catch. There usually is.

“Will I at least be able to see some of the city while we’re there? During the day, I mean?” I asked, leaning against a wall to look out over a sweet little garden of purple flowers.

“Of course. I’ll have some of my bodyguards keep an eye on you.” He put his hands around my waist as he said this, breath against my neck.

“Ah,” I said, and his lips brushed the back of my neck. Then his teeth. Desire was alive between us again, making me forget my fear and just want skin on skin.

I turned around, and he touched my cheek. Then he was on his knees, pulling up my skirt. I gasped, grabbing his head. Pulling it to me. He pushed aside my underwear and put his mouth to me, hot, hungry.

“Oh, god,” I said softly as his tongue found its mark. The sensation was sharp, delicious, intense. I gave myself over to it, my body welcoming each sip of his tongue, each touch of his hand. When he put my legs over his shoulders for a better angle, I held his head. When I came, I shouted into the night, free and clear.

He turned me around and I presented myself to him and the cooling night air, panting a little with anticipation. I looked over my shoulder at him as he unbuckled his pants. Then he was entering me from behind, swift and sure. Using my arms, I pushed back against him, hard, meeting each of his thrusts with my own. We met skin to skin, flesh to flesh, heat to heat.

I was a little shaky when it was over this time, surprised at myself. I’d never had sex outside; anyone could have seen us. But I wasn’t embarrassed. I seemed to be more and more willing to take risks these days.

“We fit well together,” Dimitri said, kissing my shoulder and stroking my bare hip. We were in bed this time, after a rather rushed dinner. The more we touched, the more we seemed to want to.

“I don’t generally do things like this,” I said, touching his cheek and pushing his hair back. “I don’t even know you.”

“What more do you need to know? I can make you feel good, and you make me feel good. We’re lucky.” His hand rested on my curved belly.

“I suppose this is what affairs are, then? Lots of sex, not much getting to know each other?” His hand moved lower as I spoke.

“Oh, I think we’re getting to know each other pretty well. In all the right places.” He kissed my spine as his fingers slid between my legs. I sighed, opening them.

“God, you’re lovely,” he said and slid a finger inside. I arched and gave up trying to talk.

The next day I woke up late. It was already night. I was keeping vampire hours already. We took the car into the city with several large suitcases I hadn’t seen before. Dimitri entertained me with stories about parties, hijinks, and a whirlwind lifestyle that sounded both extravagant and lonely to me.

“…we were so drunk we didn’t realize that we’d wandered straight into a French encampment. The soldiers were more surprised than we were.”

“Did they say anything?” I said, wondering if he was talking about some recent escapade or something more than a hundred years ago. Time seemed to work a little differently for those who had an infinite amount of it.

“I don’t recall. The ladies I was with were quite…distracting. We made a hasty exit and took our party elsewhere.”

“I bet.” I thought about the escapades we’d been up to in just the past few days and suspected he’d done far more adventurous things than I could imagine. It was good thing we were just having fun or I’d be more than a little jealous.

“If you look to your left, you’ll see the Eiffel Tower,” Dimitri said suddenly. I looked out eagerly, and my breath caught.

I know it’s ridiculous, but it was beautiful in the dark. We passed not far from it and I was surprised by how intricate the metalwork was. It was lit up like a beacon in warm yellow-white lights, towering up against a deep blue sky. It stood out from the rest of the city, iconic, striking. My heart beat a little faster just looking at it.

Dimitri was suddenly kissing me and I laughed.

“What was that for?” I said, pulling back.

“You looked so happy. I think I take some of these things for granted, I’ve been alive so long.” He kissed me again and I kissed him back. I was starting to actually like him and it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.

We arrived at Dimitri’s flat a little while later. I was expecting something like the castle, but it was sprawling and modern. Unlike the castle, it looked well lived in, in warm leathers and bold fabrics.

It was the view, however, that was breathtaking. High above the city, it looked out over the sprawl of Paris like a perfect postcard. The Eiffel Tower glittered, the city sparked and glowed, and I suddenly understood why people envied the wealthy. This was some kind of life to have, anytime, anywhere.

Dimitri showed me to his bedroom, not a guest space. He just assumed I’d be sleeping with him. I didn’t mind, though I did note the slightly tinted glass and automatic blinds that looked like they might seal tight enough to be a bomb shelter. I was already getting a little restless with the night life and it had only been a few days. I wanted to explore the city under the glory of the sun.

“I had a few things picked up for you, clothes and the like. I figured you might be tired of the same few outfits.” He opened a deep cherrywood closet and I saw a row of mostly black and gray, except for one bright red garment. It looked like a dress. Everything was finely made, tailored even, from designers. I shook my head.

“This feels a little too
Pretty Woman
,” I said.

“What’s that?” Dimitri asked, brow raised.

“A crappy movie a lot of people think is romantic. Millionaire guy pays a prostitute to pretend to be his girlfriend and he buys her a bunch of stuff while everyone treats her like a whore or a child.” He stared at me. “I might have…issues with it,” I finished, shrugging.

“Sounds terrible. I didn’t mean to imply that I own you or anything. You’re not my pet,” he said.

“Thank you. In that case, I will take the clothes and enjoy them, but give them back when this is all over. Except maybe this cardigan. I love the little rhinestones on the sleeves!” I said, holding it up and grinning.

“There’s also a dress in here for tonight. There’s a big party at La Rose Morte tonight and I’d like to bring you along.”

“The Dead Rose, seriously?” I pulled out the dress and stared. It was a dark red with a deep, plunging neckline, and a skirt in layers and layers of different shades of red silk. It was the kind of dress I would never pick out for myself.

“All the women will be wearing red, the men black. I know it’s pretty obvious, but I promise, it’s fun. Oh, and there’s this.” He pulled out a mask covered in red silk roses and black lace.

“It’s a masquerade?” I touched the petals. They were so soft.

“In a way.”

“Wait. Is this a…vampire masquerade?”

“Well, there will be other vampires there. But also plenty of humans and other…folks,” he hedged.

“I’m not going to ask. I can only handle the idea of vampires being real right now,” I said. “Will I be safe?”

“Absolutely. The Arcanas throw a great party and they make sure everyone leaves exactly as they showed up.”

“Okay, well, I guess I’ll go then.” This felt anticlimactic.

We looked at each other for a while, not saying anything. It was awkward.

“I’m going to take a bath,” I said.

The bathroom was huge and the tub was like a mini pool. I felt suddenly out of place and weird. But I rallied, bubbled the hell out of it, and decided to enjoy myself.

The water was so hot, nearly too hot, but I liked it. It felt good, like I was getting new skin. I washed my hair, rubbing my scalp, relaxing my shoulders and breathing in the scent of jasmine.

I submerged myself for a minute, eyes shut, letting myself float in a warm world where nothing was complicated or weird or full of undead cuties I kept wanting to hump.

When I came up, Dimitri was sitting by the tub, watching me. I’m not one of those girls who looks sexy with wet hair plastered to her head, and my skin was rosy from the hot water. I probably looked like a drowned rat, but eff it. It wasn’t my job to look glamorous all the time.

“Come over here,” he said as he took his shirt off. I watched as his lean muscles were revealed, the sleek triangle of his stomach. I wanted to pet it. I moved over and sat on the little shelf inside the tub. I pulled the bubbles around me, blowing them off my hands, then putting some on my head and sticking my tongue out at Dimitri. He was slipping his pants off and I immediately felt less goofy. Especially when his exceptionally tight ass came into view.