“I can,” he replied.
“But, it’s against the rules,” I reminded him.
“The rules have changed,” he informed me.
Oh boy. Here we go again. Lucien doing whatever he wanted to do and f**k the consequences.
“Lucien –”
Then he wasn’t lying on top of me and I wasn’t on my back.
He was on his ass in the bed and I was straddling him. One of his arms was tight around my back holding my body close to his. His other hand had sifted in my hair, cupping the back of my head and holding my face super close to his.
The instant he got us in this position, before I processed I was in it and therefore was by no means ready for what he was going to say next (not that I ever would be), he stated, “I’m in love with you, sweetheart.”
Oh my God!
Was he…?
No.
No!
“Don’t,” I whispered, pain piercing through me and I watched Lucien blink.
“Don’t?” he whispered back.
“Don’t do it again. Don’t play me,” I explained quietly and I watched the gentleness fade from his features as fury infused them.
I braced.
“I’m in love with you,” he repeated.
“Don’t,” I whispered, that word breaking in the middle and his hold on me tightened mightily.
“Leah… I’m… in… love with you,” he growled, I opened my mouth but his arms squeezed so hard all breath left me. “He lied to you. My father lied. I told you I did not respect him and you knew he was not a man to be respected. Eating lunch with him, you figured it out. And at lunch, he was on his best behavior. During the attack, he treated you to exactly the vampire he really is. He lied, Leah. Edwina told me what he said and what he said to you about what’s between you and me, every bit of it, was a f**king lie.”
I wanted to believe that.
I really did.
But…
Before I could even think through my “but”, Lucien sensed there was one and kept talking.
“There are things I’ll explain more fully when I’ve seen to the woman I love but for now, The Council has amended the Immortal and Mortal Agreement. Vampires are again free to take mortal mates. And I’m taking my mortal as mate. You love me, I love you, we’re connected, what we have is beautiful and that’s all it’ll ever be. For eternity. Until the end of days. Until the sun falls from the sky, all you and I will share is beauty.”
I felt my heart leap, tears fill my eyes and hope suffuse my system.
But what came from my mouth was simply a whispered, breathy, “Please.”
I didn’t even know why I said it but Lucien did.
So he replied in a voice filled with tenderness, “Yes, my love. I’m not lying. I am not playing you. Swear to God, this is all truth.” He pulled me even closer. “I love you, Leah. I’ve loved you for twenty years and I’ll love you for eternity. My beautiful Leah, listen closely. What I say is pure truth. And on this truth, you have my vow.”
The tears slid out of my eyes, coursing down my cheeks. I knew Lucien saw them but his eyes never left mine.
And mine didn’t leave his.
I looked deep. I felt his arms around me, his big, strong body and I paid close attention to the wonder of his vow sinking deep.
He loved me.
The Mighty Vampire Lucien loved me.
Oh God. That felt great.
I pushed my hands that were trapped between us up until my fingers could curl around his neck and I whispered, “You can be bossy and annoying. I can just be annoying. We’re going to fight. So my guess is, we’ll clash, like a lot. Therefore it will be awesome but it won’t be an eternity of just beauty.”
I barely got the last syllable out before his hand at my head crushed my mouth down to his. Our lips opened, our tongues dueled and then I was on my back giving everything to my vampire and experiencing the beauty of finally, finally getting everything from my vampire in return.
And, let me tell you, it was amazing.
After a long time, he lifted his head and I dazedly opened my eyes to see his heated but gentle, searing into me.
“Right. That’s done,” he declared. “Now tell me, what do you f**king want to eat?”
I stared up at my vampire.
Then I burst out laughing.
* * * * *
I blinked the sleep away hearing from a distance Lucien talking and I knew he was again on the phone.
I stared across the sheets that did not, by a long shot, feel like cardboard.
Lucien had fed me. After our kiss, suddenly ravenous in a way that didn’t mingle with nausea, I’d asked for burritos. Lucien told me burritos were out of the question considering I should have something bland and filled with vitamins and energy in my stomach after not eating for ten days. I told him I had a craving for burritos. He told me there was no way in hell I was getting burritos. I asked him why he asked me what I wanted when he was going to get me what he thought I should have anyway. He kissed me until I was dazed, left me in bed and then came back fifteen minutes later with a bunch of bananas and a jar of chunky peanut butter.
I sat cross-legged in bed, using a plastic knife to gouge out peanut butter and glop it on my two bananas, eating them all the while glaring at Lucien who was seeing to the not taxing chore of packing up my things.
I didn’t admit to him I loved bananas and peanut butter and it tasted awesome. I also didn’t admit it filled me up and made me feel human for the first time in days.
I dressed. Lucien dragged my stuff to his Porsche. We got in and he drove us forty-five minutes to the nearest city. Upon entering the city, like it had a homing beacon and Lucien was the receptor, he guided us straight to what had to be the most exclusive hotel in the city. He valet parked, grabbed one of my bags and his only bag and walked us in. He then proceeded to check us into the presidential suite which had its own butler (no joke!).
We took the elevator up and Lucien let us in. It was phenomenal. I lived in a mansion and the man who loved me was a billionaire and still, I’d never seen anything so opulent.
Lucien ordered me to take a shower and get in bed. I told Lucien I wanted to explore our sumptuous suite. He repeated he wanted me in the shower then in bed. I told him it would take ten whole minutes for me to look around so he should just keep his pants on. Approximately three second later both Lucien and I were naked, in the shower and he was turning on the water.
At least I got to see the bathroom before he led me to the bedroom and gave me one of his long sleeved tees. He then made a point by digging through my bags and depositing my new nighties right in the trash. His point being discount department store nighties were not good enough for his Leah. I rolled my eyes but I didn’t protest. They were cute and comfy. What they were not was the finest silk and lace. He then ordered me to bed.