Until the Sun Falls from the Sky (12 page)

I didn’t know what Lucien did. I didn’t look. I think he read because I heard pages turning. He didn’t touch me though and finally I turned out my light and tried to sleep.

He didn’t. He kept doing whatever it was he was doing for a good long while keeping his light on.

Eventually this forced me to ask irritably, “Are you ever going to turn out your light?”

“In a minute, my pet.”

God, I hated it when he called me his “pet”. It was way too close to the bone.

“I can’t get to sleep with the light on,” I informed him waspishly, still with my back to him, speaking to the opposite wall.

“You’ll learn,” he replied casually.

I clamped my mouth shut. Then I lay there and seethed. Lucien took his time which I thought was incredibly inconsiderate. Finally, he turned out his light.

I began to force myself to relax.

This effort was immediately rendered futile when he pulled me into him, the length of my back pressed to the length of his front and his arm tight around me.

“I’m not a cuddler,” I shared.

“You’ll learn that too,” he returned.

What a jerk!

“Lucien –” I started.

He cut me off. “Quiet, Leah, I’m tired.”

He said this like he expected me to obey without question. Which I supposed he did. And worse, I had pretty much no choice but to do so.

“My life sucks,” I announced into the dark.

He chuckled into the hair at the back of my head.

I didn’t know when he fell asleep. I didn’t even know when I did. I just knew I did because now I was facing him, staring at his glorious chest.

I had to get out of there.

My body tensed for flight. The instant it did, his hand came up, grasped a handful of hair and tugged it down, forcing my head back. I looked up into his still-drowsy face and caught my breath.

I hated him but there was no denying he was gorgeous, especially in the morning with that still-drowsy face.

His head was tilting toward me and before I could process the meaning behind his movement, his mouth was on mine.

This surprised me. Not that he would kiss me because the detail to my job description was pretty freaking clear.

No, what surprised me was that the kiss was soft, gentle, exploratory, not hard, demanding and invasive.

I was so surprised I didn’t even think to pull free.

His lips moved on mine in sensual discovery, his head slanting ever so slightly to press deeper. It was nice, stirring me but not frightening me.

I felt him then, the heat from his body, the soft skin over strong muscle of his chest under my hands. That was nice too.

His hand at my hip slid to the small of my back, just above my bottom and it pressed in.

More heat, more hardness, more pressure on my mouth, all of it controlled but delicious. Without a thought I helped, wriggling to get closer, liking what I was feeling.

His mouth opened over mine and, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, mine opened under his.

His tongue slid inside.

In a flash all gentle exploration was gone. The minute his tongue touched mine, my body exploded. My stomach dropped, my toes curled, my nipples hardened and I felt a wave of fire rush between my legs.

It was fantastic.

Helpless to stop myself and not even trying, I pressed into him full body, trying to get as close as I could. Even though I was lying down, both of my hands slid up his chest and held onto his shoulders tightly like if I didn’t, I would fall.

At my touch, he growled low in the back of his throat, the power of it vibrating through my mouth, against my tongue and I lost it. Not that I had much of “it” to lose.

One of my hands pushed under his arm, wrapping around his back. The other one curled around his neck and up, gliding into his thick, soft hair.

He rolled into me, slanting his head further, deepening the kiss, his hand at my back sliding over my bottom, cupping me, pressing in. Our tongues tangled and he tasted beautiful. I’d never tasted anyone (especially in the morning) that amazing.

I liked it. I craved it. I wanted more and I took it. I took it like I needed it, like my life had a limit and if I didn’t get as much of it as I could, I’d quit breathing the next instant.

He felt my urgency and rolled me fully to my back, his weight pinning me, his hips grinding into mine so I could feel his arousal. My body answered with another luscious belly drop and rush of warmth at my core. My hand clenched in his hair and I didn’t care if it hurt. I was going to hold him to me for as long as it took me to get my fill of that mind-blowing kiss.

Suddenly his mouth tore from mine. His head went up and cocked slightly to the side.

I did not like this.

I held his hair clenched in my fist, my body squirming under his to resurrect our contact, my breath coming in fast pants.

“We’ve company,” he murmured, his eyes dark and unfocused, a strange look of annoyance on his features.

“What?” I breathed.

He looked down at me and when he did his face gentled.

“Company,” he repeated and I didn’t process this. I couldn’t. My concentration was entirely centered on his mouth, his eyes, his face, his body, his hardness, his heat and the intense, altogether too pleasant feeling between my legs.

His face dipped closer and my mind and body rejoiced.

But he didn’t kiss me (alas).

Instead, his hand came to cup my jaw and he muttered, “I can’t tell you how much it pleases me that you need no instruction on how to kiss me like I like it.”

This pleased me too. Intensely. Considering I hated him with every fiber of my being this also confused me. Just as intensely. And, considering I hated him with a depth that was scary, this also pissed me off, at myself. Even
more
intensely.

Before I could come to terms with any of this, his mouth brushed mine then he whispered, “I’ll be back.”

In a flash, he was out of bed. He hesitated at its side, looking down at me.

I blinked, still not used to how quickly he could move not to mention the sight of his chest.

I watched his face grow hard and he ordered, “Don’t move.”

Then he was out the door.

I lay in bed wondering what in the hell just happened.

My body didn’t wonder. It knew what happened. It liked what happened. It wanted
more
of what happened.

“Oh my God,” I breathed aloud.

I
was
deranged.

I liked being kissed by a vampire. Worse! I liked being kissed by Lucien, the Big, Bad, Jerky, Controlling Vampire.

I’d lost my mind.

Then it hit me that I had company.

How could I have company? No one knew where I lived. Even
I
wasn’t certain where I lived considering a driver picked me up at the airport and brought me here. I was too busy lamenting my sucky life to pay attention to where we were going.

Ignoring his order not to move, I threw back the covers and stood. This caused me to feel a wave of dizziness. Clearly, I hadn’t fully recovered from his onslaught at The Bloodletting.

I let my head adjust and then I hurried to the bathroom. Grabbing my short, creamy-colored flannel robe off the hook on the back of the door, I shrugged it on and rushed out of the room. Tying the belt as I went, I ran as fast as my legs would carry me without passing out and doing myself bodily harm.

I flew around the landing. As I was descending the last flight of stairs, right in front of me at the door, I saw Lucien’s powerfully muscled back in his pajama bottoms. I also saw he was holding himself rigid, why, I didn’t know. Probably anger or frustration.

I also saw he was facing my aunties Kate, Millicent and Nadia, all of whom were standing just inside the door.

Hallelujah!

Before I was all the way to the bottom and opened my mouth to speak, Lucien’s torso twisted so he was facing me. I caught the look on his face and realized it wasn’t anger or frustration.

It was fury.

I didn’t get to greet my family. Lucien spoke first.

“What did I tell you?” he demanded, his voice so harsh it was a whiplash.

“Sorry?” I asked, stopping two steps from the bottom in an effort at self-preservation. I hoped distance would help me avoid the almost physical lash of his tongue.

“What did I tell you?” he repeated, turning slowly to me.

My eyes flickered to my aunties who were looking pale and concerned, their own gazes moving between Lucien and me.

“Get back upstairs,” Lucien went on when I didn’t reply.

I looked back to him and said, what I thought was logically, “But, my aunts are –”

I didn’t finish.

I found myself over his shoulder and in the bedroom where he tossed me on the bed. This happened so fast the only thing I could feel was the wind created by his movement.

I bounced on the bed once, twice, staring up at him.

Then I said in a furious whisper, “You did not just –”

Lucien interrupted me. “Don’t move.”

Rage engulfed me, I got to my feet, standing on the bed and shouted, “Don’t you
dare
tell me –”

He cut me off again, this time using mind control.

Lie down, Leah
.

I fought it. Well, my mind did. This lasted about three seconds.

Humiliatingly quickly, I lay down on the bed.

Get comfortable,
he ordered and I did as I was told as best as I could when I was struggling against my mind which was in his stranglehold.

Don’t make a noise and don’t fucking move,
he finished and, without further ado, he left.

I lay on the bed motionless but comfortable as the minutes passed. There were a goodly number of them before he returned. I had no idea where my aunties were or why they were even here. I had no idea what was going on.

The only thing I knew was that I hated him now more than ever.

He sat on the side of the bed. My eyes watched him do this and I screamed my hatred at him in my head as he tugged me across the bed and into his lap.

I didn’t struggle. I didn’t because I couldn’t move.

His eyes locked on mine. “You must learn to mind me.”

Go to hell!
My mind shouted.

He shook his head and cradled me closer, speaking softly, “You need to learn this lesson, pet.”

Fuck off and don’t call me pet!
My mind shrieked.

He held my body in his arms and my glare with his calm gaze as I tried desperately to shoot laser beams out of my eyes and annihilate him.

This, unfortunately, did not work.

“I’ll not countenance disobedience.” He kept speaking softly.

No duh?
My mind asked sarcastically.

He sighed then stated, “Leah, if you defy me again, especially if you do it in front of others, you’ll be punished.”

Do your worst!
My mind challenged.
It can’t be worse than what you’ve already done.

He stopped using his voice and instead spoke directly to my mind.
You’ve no idea.

Dazzle me,
my mind snapped.

Our eyes locked for long moments before he took up my challenge.
As you wish. Tonight, I feed. Then your punishment begins.

I can’t wait,
I lied.

I could definitely wait. This whole thing was freaking me out.

He looked angry but resigned as he muttered, “Stubborn.”

My mind stayed silent.

“Your punishment will be just as difficult for me as it is for you, Leah.”

Good!
My mind ground out.

His eyes moved over my face, the anger drifted out of his and I could swear he looked almost pleased.

“One thing about you, pet, you aren’t a disappointment.”

I had no idea what he meant by that and thus didn’t have a retort.

I felt my mind freed, my body at my command again and I didn’t hesitate. I scrambled off his lap and backed swiftly away as he rose from the side of the bed.

“Can my lesson tonight be how you kill vampires?” I asked in an ugly voice.

Shockingly, Lucien replied instantly, “Burn to nothing but ash then scatter the remains.”

“Well then, Lucien, you better get Edwina to hide the fucking matches,” I retorted and without another word I turned on my heel and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door and locking it.

I put my back to it, drifting down to my ass.

I rested my forehead to my knees and realized I was in full body tremble.

God, I
hated
him.

* * * * *

This was the rest of my blinkety-blank day: