JК
Guilty Pleasures :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 160 из 205His whole body stiffened, neck arching, arms jerking at the chains.
“Leave him alone!” I drove an elbow into Winter's stomach. He grunted, and his fingers dug into my shoulders until I wanted to scream. His arms enveloped me, tight to his chest, no movement allowed.
She raised her face from Phillip's skin. Blood trickled down her chin. She licked her lips with a tiny pink tongue. “Ironic,” she said in a voice years older than the body would ever be. “I sent Phillip to seduce you. Instead, you seduced him.”
“We are not lovers.” I felt ridiculous with Winter's arms crushing me to his chest.
“Denial will not help either of you,” she said.
“What will help us?” I asked.
She motioned, and Winter released me. I stepped away from him, out of reach. It put me closer to Nikolaos, perhaps not an improvement.
“Let us discuss your future, Anita.” She began to walk up the steps. “And your lover's future.”
I assumed she meant Phillip, and I didn't correct her. The nameless man motioned for me to follow her up the stairs. Aubrey was moving closer to Phillip. They would be alone together. Unacceptable.
“Nikolaos, please.”
Maybe it was the “please.” She turned. “Yes,” she said.
“May I ask two things?”
She was smiling at me, amused with me. An adult's amusement with a child who had used a new word. I didn't care what she thought of me as long as she did what I wanted. “You may ask,” she said.
“That when we go, all the vampires leave this room.” She was still staring at me, smiling, so far so good. “And that I be allowed to speak with Phillip privately.”
She laughed, high and wild, chimes in a storm wind. “You are bold, mortal. I give you that. I begin to see what JeanClaude sees in you.”
I let the comment go because I felt like I was missing part of the meaning. “May I have what I ask, please?”
“Call me master, and you will have it.”
I swallowed and it was loud in the sudden stillness. “Please … master.” See, I didn't choke on the word after all.
“Very good, animator, very good indeed.” Without her needing to say anything, Valentine and Aubrey went up the steps and out the door. They didn't even argue. That was frightening all on its own.
“I will leave Burchard at the top of the steps. He has human hearing. If you whisper, he won't be able to hear you at all.”
“Burchard?” I asked.
“Yes, animator, Burchard, my human servant.
“Leave him alone!” I drove an elbow into Winter's stomach. He grunted, and his fingers dug into my shoulders until I wanted to scream. His arms enveloped me, tight to his chest, no movement allowed.
She raised her face from Phillip's skin. Blood trickled down her chin. She licked her lips with a tiny pink tongue. “Ironic,” she said in a voice years older than the body would ever be. “I sent Phillip to seduce you. Instead, you seduced him.”
“We are not lovers.” I felt ridiculous with Winter's arms crushing me to his chest.
“Denial will not help either of you,” she said.
“What will help us?” I asked.
She motioned, and Winter released me. I stepped away from him, out of reach. It put me closer to Nikolaos, perhaps not an improvement.
“Let us discuss your future, Anita.” She began to walk up the steps. “And your lover's future.”
I assumed she meant Phillip, and I didn't correct her. The nameless man motioned for me to follow her up the stairs. Aubrey was moving closer to Phillip. They would be alone together. Unacceptable.
“Nikolaos, please.”
Maybe it was the “please.” She turned. “Yes,” she said.
“May I ask two things?”
She was smiling at me, amused with me. An adult's amusement with a child who had used a new word. I didn't care what she thought of me as long as she did what I wanted. “You may ask,” she said.
“That when we go, all the vampires leave this room.” She was still staring at me, smiling, so far so good. “And that I be allowed to speak with Phillip privately.”
She laughed, high and wild, chimes in a storm wind. “You are bold, mortal. I give you that. I begin to see what JeanClaude sees in you.”
I let the comment go because I felt like I was missing part of the meaning. “May I have what I ask, please?”
“Call me master, and you will have it.”
I swallowed and it was loud in the sudden stillness. “Please … master.” See, I didn't choke on the word after all.
“Very good, animator, very good indeed.” Without her needing to say anything, Valentine and Aubrey went up the steps and out the door. They didn't even argue. That was frightening all on its own.
“I will leave Burchard at the top of the steps. He has human hearing. If you whisper, he won't be able to hear you at all.”
“Burchard?” I asked.
“Yes, animator, Burchard, my human servant.