‘I would wager they’re worth more than rubies.’ Deryck hands me a cracker, soft cheese piled on top.
I take it from him. ‘Really, they’re not. And thank you.’
‘I enjoy watching you feed.’ He licks his lips, amusement flickering in his darkening gaze.
Oh God. Now I’m totally self-conscious. I glare at him and put the cracker down, reaching for my drink instead.
‘Tell me, Deryck,’ Joaquin says, ‘is your family home near here? You have, what, a little castle, right?’
‘It’s actually quite a large castle. One of the largest in Europe.’
I get the feeling they’re not actually talking about castles.
‘Is that so?’ Joaquin grins. ‘Do you hear that, Emelia? One of the largest in Europe. Of course, where I come from, our palaces are as large as cities. This place—’ he waves his hand ‘—would just be one small part of it.’
‘Tell me, when will you be returning to them?’ Deryck’s brows lower. ‘I hope it’s soon.’
‘I’ll go back when I’m ready.’ Joaquin trails his fingers along my shoulder. The blonde vampire reclining opposite us winks at me. It’s the same one who winked at me the night of the ball. Joaquin introduced her as Selene, his cousin and one of his closest friends. Her gaze rakes lazily across me, the jade crescent moon hanging from one of her ears catching the faint lamplight. Each member of Joaquin’s entourage wears a different earring. Joaquin’s is a jaguar, of course.
Selene reaches for the wrist of a blood dancer, his muscled half-naked form reclining with us. I smiled at him as we sat down, but he just bowed his head then looked away. She bites down, suckling his flesh, turning to him like a lover. The movement causes her jacket to gape, revealing one pale breast. I look away.
‘Are you shy, lovely one?’ Joaquin strokes my cheek with the back of his hand, one corner of his mouth curving. ‘Selene does not mind if you watch.’
I turn my head … to see Selene, still sucking on the dancer’s wrist, her other hand down the front of his trousers, pumping him. Oh darkness. I can’t control my reaction, my lip curling, my brows drawing together.
‘What is it?’ Joaquin’s voice is close to my ear, as he plays with a lock of my hair. ‘Do you not like this?’
‘No. It’s a violation.’
‘I agree.’ Deryck’s lip is curled. ‘This is not how we treat our dancers.’
‘You don’t have sex with them?’ Joaquin’s voice trails along the word, but I can’t take my eyes from Selene’s hand moving, grotesque. The young man jerks and shudders, moaning, a darker patch appearing on his trousers.
I get to my feet. This is not my scene at all. Joaquin’s hand circles my ankle. ‘Selene.’ His voice is sharp. ‘Take it elsewhere.’
‘Or stop,’ I say.
Selene releases the young man’s wrist, licking blood from her perfect lips. ‘But he’s so pretty. I’ve only just started to play,’ she pouts. Her gaze moves to me. ‘I didn’t take you for a prude, Raven, not with how you were kissing Joaquin in the gardens the other night.’
My cheeks flame. ‘That’s none of your business.’
She shrugs, the crescent moon at her ear dancing. ‘Whatever. I know what I saw. Come on.’ She pulls the young man to his feet. He looks dazed, staggering slightly.
Joaquin’s hand is still around my ankle. I consider stamping my foot. Deryck looks more annoyed than ever.Thanks a lot, I think, glaring at Selene’s departing form. I just want to go somewhere and be alone for a while.
But Joaquin’s fingers glide up my calf, then he takes my hand, pulling me down to the cushions once more. He reaches across me, his body against mine, and retrieves another grape from the crystal bowl. Deryck is pretty much snarling at this point. Gods. I need to defuse this, despite how I’m responding to Joaquin. I scramble back on the cushions, sitting up.
Joaquin turns my head, gentle, as he pops the grape in my mouth. ‘Deryck.’ His voice is a caress, his hand lingering on my face. ‘I’m sorry if I’ve already trespassed where you wanted to go. She is irresistible, you see. I just had to make her mine.’ His gaze sharpens, pure predator, his hand coming to rest at my waist.
Rebellion sparks. I’m not his yet. And I like Deryck. If I want to kiss him, I will. I wrench my gaze from Joaquin’s with what feels like an effort.
‘Thank you for speaking up,’ I say to Deryck. ‘I didn’t like that.’
Deryck nods, his frown clearing. ‘I didn’t like it either.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Joaquin says. ‘Where I come from, sex is natural. Nobody minds where you do it, or with whom.’ His hand tightens on my waist. I fight the urge to flinch.
‘Really? You just … do it, wherever?’
