Guilty Pleasures   ::   Гамильтон Лорел

My eyes kept fluttering shut, but I said, “Don't shoot any of my neighbors, okay?”

I think he smiled. “I'll try not to.”

I nodded. “Are you the vampire murderer?”

He smiled then, bright, charming. “Go to sleep, Anita.”

I was on the edge of sleep when his voice called me back, soft and faraway. “Where is Nikolaos's daytime retreat?”

I opened my eyes and tried to focus on him. He was still sitting in the chair, motionless. “I'm tired, Edward, not stupid.” His laughter bubbled up around me as I fell asleep.



42

Jean-Claude sat in the carved throne. He smiled at me and extended one long-fingered hand. “Come,” he said.

I was wearing a long, white dress that had lace of its own. I had never dreamed of myself in anything like it. I glanced up at Jean-Claude. It was his choice, not mine. Fear tightened my throat. “It's my dream,” I said.

He held out both hands and said, “Come.”

And I went to him. The dress whispered and scraped on the stones, a continuous rustling noise. It grated on my nerves. I was suddenly standing in front of him. I raised my hands towards his slowly. I shouldn't do it. Bad idea, but I couldn't seem to stop myself.

His hands wrapped around mine, and I knelt before him. He drew my hands to the lace that spilled down the front of his shirt, forced my fingers to take two handfuls of it.

He cupped his hands over mine, holding them tight; then he ripped his shirt open using my hands.

His chest was smooth and pale with black hair curling in a line down the middle. The hair thickened over the flatness of his stomach, incredibly black against the white of his belly. The burn scar was firm and shiny and out of place against the perfection of his body.

He gripped my chin in one hand, raising my face towards him. His other hand touched his chest, just below his right nipple. He drew blood on his pale skin. It trickled down his chest in a bright, crimson line.

I tried to pull away, but his fingers dug into my jaw like a vise. I shouted, “No!”

I hit at him with my left hand. He caught my wrist and held it. I used my right hand to grip the floor and shoved with my knees. He held me at jaw and wrist like a butterfly on a pin. You can move, but you can't get away. I dropped to a sitting position, forcing him to strangle me or lower me to the ground. He lowered me.

I kicked out with everything I had. Both feet connected with his knee. Vampires can feel pain. He dropped my jaw so suddenly, I fell backwards.