“Your hands aren’t even on—” Before she could finish, he turned the ignition key and started easing out of the parking space.
“You were saying?” He parted his lips once more.
There wasn’t enough patience in the world for someone to channel in order to deal with Bastien. Unwrapping the glazed chestnut, Celine shoved it between his lips. The tip of her finger caught on his teeth. When she tried to pull her hand away, Bastien grabbed her wrist and licked at the glaze.
Celine let out a soft gasp; her thoughts reeling a hundred miles off course at the feel of his lips. They were just as soft now as they had been the other evening. She recalled how his mouth had mapped out the expanse of her neck, how his teeth had grazed and nicked every part of her chest that wasn’t covered by the dress. Celine’s own lips parted while she looked at him, and she suddenly wished it wasn’t her finger he was licking.
Bastien released her hand, smacking his lips contentedly. “That was very tasty.”
Celine peered at him from under her hat, eyes narrowed to slits. “What happened to keeping your hands on the wheel?”
“Those things are awfully sticky, Celine,” he smiled cheekily. “You could have gotten your dress dirty.”
“How considerate of you.” They fell into silence as Bastien navigated into the main avenue where the traffic was thick and the drivers unrelenting. It occurred to her then to finally ask, “Where are you actually taking me?”
“Don’t give me that,” Bastien chuckled. Though it might have been a scoff, she couldn’t be sure. “If I wanted to murder you, Celine, I wouldn’t have done it in broad daylight. You will love this place, trust me.”
“If it’s somewhere disreputable—forget it!”
“Disreputable places don’t open this early.” Leaning over, he opened the compartment in front of her. “Here. I’ve noticed your eyes seem to hurt from sewing all day.” Bastien handed her his shades. An elegant gold rim framed the green-tinted lenses. “But know that you are never refuting thosevampclaims.”
The wry remarks abandoned her. Celine took the glasses with a weak “Thank you” and slid them on.
A row of buildings slid past them, the sun bouncing off the silver rooftops. It was noon, so the streets were mostly empty of pedestrians. Celine could gather nothing from their surroundings; the Haussmann buildings all looked the same.She gave up guessing where they were heading and returned to the conversation conspiring inside the car.
“You’ve become so contrite recently,” she pointed out, unwrapping amarron glacéfor herself. “Even though you’re still a nuisance.”
“I have a lot to be contrite for,” he said, eyes fixed on the road.
“So, climbing to my room last night was just for sport?” Celine dared a glimpse at him and noticed his lips had pulled back into a smirk.
“I had to get my exercise in somehow. Elana was busy.”
The sweet glaze soured on her tongue. Habitually, Celine produced a gagging sound.
“Now, now. Don’t be jealous, baby vamp.”
“Jealous?” she scoffed. “I have no reason to be. I have Jacques.”
“Really? Then why are you always so tense?”
She whipped her head around so fast the hard sugar coating on the chestnut cracked under her teeth. “My private life is none of your business, Bastien.”
“I hate being the one to say this, Celine,” he sucked in a breath, “but denial doesn’t become you.”
“Believe whatever you want, but Jacques and I areveryhappy.” Celine thrust her chin up. “Our union might have been arranged at first, but I have always liked him.”
It was only when the words registered that she realised what she had let slip. “I meant…love. I have alwayslovedhim.”
She waited a few, excruciating minutes for Bastien to respond. She had offered him enough ammunition in one sentence alone for an endless string of remarks. When he didn’t, she clicked her tongue. “What, you’re not going to say anything?”
“Teasing you about Jacques can only be so much fun. Besides, who amIto comment?” His grip tightened on the steering wheel. “I know nothing about love, right?”
Celine sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, feeling foolish for the words. She had recklessly tossed them at him the other night and now she regretted them. Who wasCelineto judge him when it came to love? She knew nothing about it, either.
“You were right, though,” Bastien confessed suddenly. “I have never loved anyone.”
“I don’t believe that.”
