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Nerissa stepped in and slid across the seat. She patted the place next to her and I climbed in. Roman followed and his driver shut the door. As we headed into the night, a funny feeling settled in my stomach. Butterflies? Moths to the flame? I wasn’t sure.
I turned to Nerissa, ignoring Roman. “Are you sure? Are you sure you want to do this?”
She shrugged. “The only thing I’ve ever been sure about is my love for you. Men come and go—they’re nothing to me.” Pausing, she leaned around me to smile at Roman. “No offense, Roman, but seriously, pussy’s my first love. But I think you’re right. Since we have to share Menolly, we need to come to an understanding, and this may be the way.”
Roman gave a little shrug. “No offense taken, Mistress Nerissa. As I said, I am content to watch. If you invite me to join, I’ll be more than happy to oblige, but I would never pressure either of you to participate in something uncomfortable.”
I closed my eyes and leaned back against the seat. This was so not how I’d intended to spend the evening. And I wasn’t sure how I felt about the prospect. In fact, I was quickly reaching the point where I’d rather go fight a few ghosts than get through the next few hours.
We fell into an amiable silence. Roman offered Nerissa some champagne and she shook her head without answering. Good girl, I thought. Keep your wits about you. Especially when dealing with someone as old and powerful as Roman.
As we approached his mansion, I tensed, but Nerissa laid one hand on my arm and winked at me. She seemed almost…eager. Maybe I’d misjudged her desire? But no, she’d made it clear that she wasn’t all that interested in playing with male vamps.
Roman escorted us out of the limo and his bodyguard walked us up to the door, where one of his servants met us. I handed her my coat—Roman was a stickler for decorum—and then Nerissa slipped off her coat, gaining a surprised look of delight from the maid. I moved closer to my girl, and then, pausing, I turned to Roman.
“As long as we’re in your house, where there may be other vamps, I need a ribbon for her throat.” I gave Roman a long look. “You know why.”
He nodded, turning to the maid. “Bring a guest ribbon, please. I think…pale pink suits her.”
As the maid slipped over to a sideboard and withdrew a long pink velvet ribbon, Nerissa gave me a questioning look. I took the ribbon from Roman and gently tied it around her neck with the bow to the right, making sure it wasn’t too tight.
“What’s this for?”
“Turned to the right, it means only the boys may ask permission to play with you. I’m not letting any female vamps touch you. And it will also ensure your safety. It basically means you’re my pet for the evening. I did this to Delilah once…when we raided the Fangtabula—this was before I was in love with you, Roman.” I waited for his reaction. I didn’t know if he knew about our involvement or not.
“So, you’re the one who caused such an uproar. Why am I not surprised?” He shrugged, his gaze running from Nerissa to me, then back to her. “The ribbon looks lovely and yes, every vampire under my roof will respect what it means. I guarantee with my word.”
As Nerissa stood there in her bridal-night get-up, a surge of possessiveness swept over me. I wanted to wrap her up in her coat and take her home. But she was here of her own free will, and I couldn’t play protector all the time. I had to trust that she knew what she was doing.
Roman led us to a side room I’d never before been in. While I might be his consort, I didn’t live under his roof, nor did I have leave to explore every room—and I didn’t pry. I assumed there were things I didn’t want to know about hidden behind those closed doors that protected Roman’s life.
The room was filled with Roman’s overindulgent penchant for Victoriana, to the point of being suffocating. But it was pretty, I’d have to give him that. Two fainting couches sat at right angles to an ornate coffee table, and the room was a mishmash of velvets and jacquards and brocades. In a way, he and Carter had a lot in common, but Carter was more minimalist.
Nerissa must have been reading my mind. “You certainly don’t go for a minimalist approach, do you? How can you breathe in here?”
He laughed. “I have no need to breathe. And yes, I realize that my tastes are, perhaps, from another era. But this is my home, and so…” Shrugging again, he glanced at me and I could tell that this wasn’t going quite how he’d planned.
She laughed and draped an arm around my neck. “No problem—I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. It is lovely, it’s just not my taste at all. I feel rather claustrophobic.”
I blinked. Nerissa did her best to be diplomatic at all times. I had no clue what was getting into her, unless she was trying to turn Roman off.
She leaned down and pressed a long kiss against my lips and I returned it, sinking into her soft, beautiful body. Her skin was soft as silk sheets, and I rubbed my face against her arm, unable to do anything but respond.
Roman cleared his throat and sat back. I looked over at him. He edged into a wing chair, his gaze fastened on us, his fangs slowly lowering. I met his gaze and did not see what I expected to see. I’d expected a haughty look, superior, but instead what I saw was desire. Hunger, but not predatory. And loneliness.
Faltering, I slipped my arms around Nerissa, kissing between her breasts, then kneeling to gently press my lips to her belly button. I stayed like that for a moment, until she reached down and took my hand, motioning for me to stand. She looked over at Roman and I guess she saw what I saw, because she softened. She leaned down and kissed my forehead, then my nose, then my lips, but chastely, as she stroked my cheek.
She turned to Roman and gave him a soft smile. “This is what you want, isn’t it? You aren’t just looking to get off on a threesome. That sort of thing bored you years ago. What you’re looking for…”
He stared at her, his expression darkening. “Don’t say it, girl.”
It hit me like a ton of bricks. Roman had told me he was falling for me, and I’d warned him not to. He’d been married a number of times over the years…so many years. And he’d lost most of his wives to death—most of them hadn’t been vampires. The ones that were, got bored and moved on. He wanted someone to be with, to the end.
“Roman, please…don’t hope.” Don’t make me hurt you. Don’t make me tell you I don’t love you.
“I know,” he said, slowly. “But…the two of you…you have something that perhaps I can touch, for even a moment. A flower, both fragile and yes, stronger than steel.” He moved to stand, but then paused. “If you wish me to leave, I will excuse myself.”
I looked at Nerissa. It was her choice. She stood silent, for a moment, then walked over, slowly, to Roman.
