Page 121 of Trapped By the Blood Ruby

Hassan turned to Zola. “You want another of my famous mystic hoppers?”

“Sure, why not.” She braced her forearms on the bar to watch Hassan work. I didn’t miss the way her eyes fixed on him intently, or when they dipped lower than his back as he bent to grab a bottle.

There were nearly ten other vampires in the room mingling. They could have been invisible for all the attention I paid them. I could only think of what Zola said earlier, contrasting it with the way Laurent hovered behind me. His hand still cupped my hip, sinking a little lower over my backside.

“Interesting choice of dress,” he murmured against my ear. His lips brushed the shell of my skin and I shivered. “The more you hide your throat, the more I want to sink my teeth into you.”

“Fuck me,” Zola breathed. “Can the two of you spare the rest of us?” Zola’s complaint was only half-hearted.

Hassan chuckled. “They’ve been like this for the past few days. I can practically taste the tension.”

“Hassan,” I barked. “Enough.”

“Mmm. I do love when your sharp tongue is directed toward someone other than myself.” Laurent growled against my ear.

“Your drink, madam,” Hassan said, as if he couldn’t get me away from his bar fast enough. I sipped it and smiled with approval.

Laurent guided me away, linking my arm through his to promenade. “I thought the whole point of these dinner things was to mingle?”

“Fine, you caught me. Zola was going to try to steal you for herself tonight. This was my solution. I have no desire to share you. Call it selfish, but I find I’m quite possessive of my time with you.”

Butterflies erupted in my stomach, but they were tinged with something bitter. Possessive. That’s what he’d called it—possessiveness, not affection. Not love. He wasn’t supposed to make me feel like this when all I was to him was something to own. How could I protect my heart?

“You did well today,” he said, surprising me. “Tomorrow, you will work at it again.”

“I’ll get better,” I assured him.

He hummed. “You will. If it’s anything like the other things you put your mind to, you’re going to be impressive.” I faltered, leaning on his arm. “Don’t be so surprised. It is no secret, my thoughts toward humans. But you? You are something else entirely. Strong, driven, intelligent, and…”

“And?”

“Stubborn.”

My laugh was delighted.

“You’re also defiant. I thought I was going to hate it. Perhaps I did, at first. Now I want it. I want you to run from me, little flower, so that I can chase you.”

Everything inside me tightened. “You do?” He made a humming sound. I licked my lips. “And what would you do once you caught me?”

A nearby throat cleared.

Laurent leaned in, “Why don’t I tell you exactly what I’ll do later tonight, hmm? We should probably spare our audience. Otherwise Vittorio’s ears will start bleeding again.”

“Laurie,” I hissed. My skin flushed hot. I hated how easy it was to forget what they were. Their abilities. The fact that everyone in the room was listening to our conversation left me mortified.

“Come, Lily. Let’s eat.” He led me to the table, sliding out my chair, helping me into it before taking his at the head on my right. I wanted to sink down and slide beneath the table. The neckline of my dress wasn’t helping my body temperature. Fortunately, no one looked at me any differently. Certainly not with judgment.

Dinner passed in a blur of rich flavors and comfortable conversation. It was a contrast to the one we’d shared the first time. Laurent tried each dish as it was presented and gave his approval before we enjoyed our first bite. There was a creamy potato soup, apple walnut salad, pork tenderloin with a sweet sauce and veggies, and finally, chocolate cake. It was delightful.

Laurent didn’t speak much, but I gathered this was usual for him. The other vampires comfortably chatted. Zola peppered me with questions about all the social media apps people were using these days. I admitted that I only used a couple. It was all too much to keep up with, she claimed, which earned several jokes from the others.

“Shall we retire to the drawing room?” Laurent announced as our dessert plates were cleared.

“We always retire to the drawing room for coffee or tea,” Zola whispered.

Everyone rose. Laurent reached for me and I took his arm, letting him guide me there. I couldn’t believe how quickly Vittorio worked. The room lights had been dimmed, candles flickered to life, and several trays appeared with tea, coffee, and little snacks. Never mind that we’d just stuffed ourselves. “Do save your appetite for later,” Laurent whispered against my ear when he caught me eyeing everything.

“You… You’re going to make me something?”