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I watched him go, then took a shaky breath, turning back to the bedroom. Antoine sat on a chair off to one side, watching me as if he had all the time in the world. I fidgeted with my hands, lacing them together before releasing them to swing my arms back and forth.
"So, uh, how do we do this?"
"Shut the door."
My brows raised before I clamped my mouth shut and did as he asked. "Of course, sure. That makes sense. Wouldn't want anyone staring at us, huh?"
I let out a nervous laugh and wrapped my arms around my waist as I waited by the now-closed door for Antoine to give me some kind of direction.
"Piper." My head jerked up to meet his pale eyes. "Calm yourself. You're hyping this up too much in your head."
"Oh." I let out a small laugh, feeling really silly. "Sorry. I just don't know what to expect."
Antoine stopped me with a raised hand. "You chose me for a reason, one you were quite forthcoming in letting us all. So, now I'm going to be the same as you and be utterly forthright." He paused as he stood and approached me with a predatory look in his eyes. "Blood binding is not something you do just for protection. Most don't do it at all unless they are... emotionally attached." Antoine gave me a meaningful look until I made a sort of o-face.
"Oh, okay. I got it. Like lovers or whatever." I waved a hand, my heart jumping further into my throat the closer he got to me.
"Yes, precisely." His words grew low as his eyelids dipped down. For a second, I thought his eyes moved to my lips before they were back on my face. "So, the process isn't exactly appealing."
"What do you mean?" My head cocked to the side, my already frazzled nerves becoming even more entangled.
"It's painful," he bluntly explained, his eyes focused on my reaction. "I believe one once described it as having fire running through their veins. Ironically, that is similar to how it feels when to be turned into a vampire."
"Oh."
"So, you see why it is usually lovers who do this kind of thing." He inclined his head toward me as if he were trying to get some point across that I wasn't catching.
"Because it isn't worth the pain?" I arched a brow as my feet swiveled from side to side.
Antoine smirked and leaned in even closer. "Because most of them do the blood exchange while fucking."
I gasped and pulled back, my face burning from hearing those words come from his accented mouth. "Wha... what? You want us to... you and I to have sex?"
Antoine shrugged an elegant shoulder and turned his head to the side. "Unless you prefer to be in unbearable pain?"
"No, no." I shook my head rapidly and swallowed hard. I did not handle pain well, not at all. I whined when I pulled a tangle out of my hair. However, having sex with Antoine hadn't been what I'd signed up for when I chose him to bind me.
Antoine seemed to see my struggle, stepped back, and gestured toward the door. "If it would make you more comfortable, we can have one of the others do the actual act, and I will just do the binding."
"One of the others?" I couldn't believe he was actually suggesting what I thought he was suggesting.
Antoine tucked his hands into his pockets, pushing his suit jack back as if he hadn't just asked one of his brothers to join us in the bedroom. "Perhaps Wynn or Rayne? Which one are you into right now?"
The shock in my system quickly cooled at his question. I scowled. "I'm not some flighty woman who is jumping back and forth between them. I like them both. I mean, all of them." I huffed and planted my hands on my hips. "Besides, it's not like they aren't coming on to me. You've done it too."
Antoine gave me a wicked grin. "But didn't you just say I only try to seduce you when I want something?"
I gaped at him as anger slipped away to shock. "So, you were listening?"
“Fervently."
I winced and brushed a hair behind my ear. "Look, I stand by what I said. I think you're the right choice, but..." I sighed and dropped my arms beside me. "I'm not particularly into pain, and while having sex with you might not be what I had signed up for, I don't think it would be the worst thing in the world."
"Why, thank you, I'm glad I'm not so repulsive for you."
Cringing at the bite in his voice, I tried to correct myself. "That's not what I meant. I mean, I just didn't expect to be having sex with my boss."
"You won't be." Antoine removed his jacket and folded it over the arm of the nearby chair. His hands went to his tie where he loosened it but didn't remove it. He rolled his sleeves up, and I'd never been so intrigued by someone's biceps before.
