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“You’re only nineteen,” she whispered to herself, ripping the shampoo down off the shelf and popping it open. She began lathering it into her hair in jerky, angry motions. “You’re just a girl, being manipulated by a much older man. Well… he is only twenty.” She bit her lip and then shook her head, sending stinging shampoo foam into her eye. She groaned. “Twenty give or take a couple of thousand years. He has a lifetime or thirty on you… he knows how to play the game.”
Avery snorted at herself. She was talking crap. To herself.
Suddenly scared Brennus might decide to show up Avery rushed through the rest of the shower and hurried back out into the suite, wrapped modestly in a huge bath towel. She was still alone. Except now there was a tray of gorgeous smelling food on the table by the sofa. Stomach grumbling she sauntered into the walk-in closet and her towel promptly dropped.
“Holy hell…” Her fingers brushed the rows of folded jeans, t-shirts. The skirts, all colours, all lengths, hanging on the rails. Dresses, coats, jackets. Drawers that opened to reveal underwear, pretty underwear… sexy underwear?!
There were even drawers with jewellery and perfume. Racks of shoes, sneakers, boots, belts, bags, purses, hats, scarves... All in her size, all to her taste.
“I think you should be a little more creeped out than you are, Ave,” she whispered shakily, drawing on a pair of panties, bra, black jeans and a shirt. Her gaze fell on the other side of the closet where the layout matched this side. Except it was filled with what was clearly Brennus’ stuff.
“You get everything you need?”
She squealed like an idiot and whirled around to see him smirking at her. “JeSUS!” She glared at him and brushed past him, ignoring the sparks that shot down her arm where their bodies met.
Thumping down on to the sofa, she grabbed at the food tray and began digging in, glaring at him the whole time as he took the seat opposite her. She swallowed when he refused to look away. “You know this is all just a little too Virginia Andrews for my liking.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Meaning?”
“The clothes, the accessories, the shampoo!” Avery shook her head in disbelief. “It’s creepy, Brennus.”
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. Her eyes widened a little. Was he embarrassed?
“Perhaps I went overboard.” He shrugged sheepishly, no longer meeting her eyes. “I just wanted you to be comfortable.”
For some inexplicable reason Avery felt bad for upsetting him. “I know. The thought was nice… if poorly executed.”
Brennus frowned, looking up. “The things weren’t to your liking?”
“Of course. It was just… doing what you’ve done… it’s alarming and a little… gothic.”
He surprised her by chuckling, the sound tugging at her belly. She flushed. God, Josh had never made her feel this way. Sex with him had been perfunctory and boring. Somehow she knew with Brennus it would different. When she looked back over at him, his eyebrows were raised speculatively and she had the weirdest feeling he knew what she had been thinking. Avery blushed even harder and he responded with a wicked grin.
“Sorry, if I ‘freaked you out’, as you kids say today.”
She snorted ignoring the heat in her cheeks. “Could you sound any older?”
“Yes.”
Rolling her eyes at him, it took her a minute to remember she was supposed to be pissed off at him. She stopped smiling and dropped her gaze.
“Avery,” he moaned softly as if her coldness physically hurt him.
Ignoring his plea, she shrugged and continued to eat. When she was done, she leaned back and concentrated on his scar, waiting for the ripples of revulsion she had first felt when she saw him. She bit her lip, telling herself she still felt them. She thought of Sarah and Jemima and how freaked out they’d be if she started seeing this guy. Even the knowledge of their humiliating judgement didn’t bring on the ripples. How long had she been here? It felt like forever.
“So what’s on the agenda tonight?” She asked softly. Giving in.
Brennus stood up and held a hand out to her. “For one night only… I’m going to show you my world.”
I Wonder What it’s Like…
Walking by your Side
The last place Avery expected to end up was the hospital. One minute she was shrugging on a jacket (this gorgeous leather bomber… so soft… she wanted to die – if her aunt saw her in it she would) and taking Brennus’ hand. The next minute, the whirlpool thing happened and they were standing in a brightly lit hospital corridor, nurses and doctors rushing by. Not one of them looked at them and when a short, flustered-looking doctor headed straight toward her as if she were invisible, Avery yelped and pushed Brennus aside so the doctor didn’t walk straight into her.
“What the hell…” she snapped, glaring at the doctor as he hurried off. She was all for not being centre of attention but that was just ruuudddee.
She stiffened at the sound of Brennus’ chuckle and spun around slowly to pin him to the wall with a ‘ferocious’ look. “What?”
