Page 141 of Trapped By the Blood Ruby

He caught Lily’s glance, a small smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. He closed his eyes, letting his head fall against the sofa as he listened to her play. The tension in his muscles began to ease. Long minutes passed. When he felt more himself, his head snapped up.

“Come here, Lily,” he commanded. Her playing cut off. She studied him before abandoning the piano. He pulled her onto his lap, positioning her so she straddled him.

“Everything went all right today?” He already knew it had. Vittorio had sent him updates via text every five minutes at his insistence.

Lily snorted. “Apparently I’m to have an entire wardrobe of fancy evening gowns.”

“Good.”

“Zola repeatedly scolded me for picking the cheapest things, then proceeded to choose fabrics that cost three times as much. We spent more money today than the cost of my entire university education thrice over.”

“Hmm. Sounds positively trying.”

“It’s not funny, Laurie. You have no idea what it was like growing up with nothing. I…” She hesitated, her eyes glittering with hurt. “I’m not used to buying whatever I want and pissing money away like it’s nothing.”

He watched the old pain flicker across her features, the shadow of a childhood spent wanting. It was a reminder of how different their worlds were—and how easily he could hurt her without meaning to.

“I mean, it took me two years just to break my food hoarding habits when I set out on my own. Two years before I realized I wasn’t going to starve if I didn’t save every last leftover like a pack rat.”

His mood darkened. The thought of her suffering, going hungry, left his blood boiling. He said through gritted teeth, “I’m sorry, little flower, that you went through that. Never again. I will see to your every need. I know it is an adjustment, but I intend to spoil you as you deserve to be spoiled. Let me take care of you, hmm?”

She caught her lower lip between her teeth, contemplating.

This was becoming a frequent desire of his, one that both surprised him and concerned him. He had an entire house of vampires capable of addressing her needs. Instead, he wanted to be the one taking care of her. With each act, he found himself more and more ensnared in the web she had woven around his heart.

“It still doesn’t feel real,” she whispered.

“I can understand that.”

“Sometimes I wake up and wonder if today is the day when you change your mind about me.”

“That will never happen.” The words were a fierce growl, one he hoped she believed.

“But…you’re a vampire.” Something flashed in her gaze. He stilled, suddenly fearful of this conversation, the direction it was going. “What will happen when you grow bored of me? Or when you realize you can’t love me? Are… Are you going to break my heart?”

His arms tightened around her. “Never.”

“Don’t—“ She exhaled. “Don’t say that without thinking it through. Like it’s an off the cuff response. Zola told me to be careful with my feelings. That you wouldn’t fall in love. Is that true?”

A flash of irritation stole over him. “What else did Zola say?” he hissed.

“Nothing.”

He calmed himself, closing his eyes, letting his head fall back against the sofa. “Zola spoke true.”

Lily stiffened against him. He didn’t open his eyes, didn’t dare witness her disappointment.

Throughout his long years, he’d felt a range of emotions, hate and anger being chief among them. But love? Certainly not. Longing and desire were perhaps the closest, and those had been fleeting. What was it, then, that he felt for Lily?

“So… I should protect my heart?” She pulled against him, attempting to get free. His first instinct was to tighten his hold, but the scent that hit him kept him from it. She needed space for this discussion and he wouldn’t confine her. Especially if it risked undoing much of the progress between them.

So he let her go.

When he finally opened his eyes, it was to see her standing several paces away, staring at him with flushed, angry cheeks. “I told you before, Lily, that I would see to your every need. I intend to make good on my word.”

“Yes, how could I forget. I’m to come to you for whatever pleasure I crave.” He didn’t appreciate her cutting tone, but he held himself in check. “Maybe you can unfeelingly enjoy what I offer between my legs, but I’m human, Laurent. Which means that I’m going to feel. I’m going to feel deeply. And it scares the shit out of me to think that whatever deep rooted feelings I develop will never be returned. I get it. You’re a vampire, and—we’re getting off track. I stand by what I said moments ago. Sometimes I wake up and wonder if today is the day you will tire of me, grow bored, whatever. So don’t give me some half-baked answer like ‘never’, when you can’t claim to possesses the emotional range to back it up.”

She stormed from the room. He watched her go. Once she was gone he slammed his head back against the sofa. “Fuck,” he hissed, scrubbing a hand over his face.