Chapter 17 #2
Most of the people here are absurdly beautiful, but there’s a mix of types.
Some look like high-end models, others like college athletes, mixed in with a few ordinary people who just lucked out at the genetic lottery.
I quickly discern that the room holds a mix of vampires and donors.
The donors are all wearing the silver bands like me, and upon closer inspection, I recognize at least three faces from the gala where I met James.
Bex’s friend Audrey is here. I do a double take when I spot her on her knees in nothing but a hot pink thong, her blonde head bobbing over the lap of a male vamp.
James picks up on where I’m staring, humming under his breath. “Does she interest you?”
“We met at the gala,” I whisper sharply. “She’s… a friend of a friend.”
“And a favorite of Maximus,” he provides, indicating the vampire with his cock down Audrey’s throat. “He says she’s expensive, but worth every penny. If you’re interested in playing with her, I can–”
“No,” I cut in, shaking my head. Not that I’m against being intimate with a woman, per se– the thought of it has always intrigued me– but other than a drunken kiss or two, I’ve never tested the waters.
And I’m not about to do it tonight, in front of all these people, with a girl who may or may not be trying to steal my best friend.
James lets it go with a lazy shrug, summoning the bartender for another drink. Meanwhile, I resume pretending not to watch what’s happening around me while definitely watching.
Everything is ramping up, the music swelling, the air getting thicker by the minute.
I realize that several people have migrated to the bed in the center of the room, forming a tangle of naked limbs and greedy mouths.
A dark-haired guy in a silver band is going down on a vamp woman who’s gasping so loudly it’s obscene.
Another couple is making out right beside them, hands buried in each other’s hair, bodies grinding in a haze of mutual intoxication.
I can’t help but stare. I should be scandalized, but instead I’m fascinated by the rawness of it all– the hunger, the need, the lack of shame.
I’m so distracted that I don’t notice a man approaching us until he’s standing directly in front of me.
He’s tall and solidly built, dressed only in a pair of tailored trousers as black as his hair.
His chest is bare, stacked with the kind of muscles that belong in a fitness magazine, and when he smiles, there’s a flash of fang.
“Is she on the menu?” he asks, glancing from James to me and back again.
James flicks an irritated glance up at him, his grip on my knee tightening. “She is mine.”
My stomach does a weird little flip, the low growl of his voice hitting a button I didn’t even know I had.
The other vamp lifts his hands in surrender.
“Apologies, my king,” he says with a nervous laugh.
He rocks back a step, as if to retreat, but then his gaze skims over me once again, raw hunger evident in his eyes.
“She looks delicious,” he remarks, tracing the tip of a fang with his tongue. “Let me know if you get bored of her.”
He pivots and heads for the bar while I let out a slow exhale, turning to James. “Friendly bunch,” I mutter wryly.
“You’ll get used to it,” he murmurs, seemingly unbothered by that exchange.
I frown. “I doubt that.”
James studies me for a long moment, icy blue eyes assessing. “If you want to leave, you’re free to do so,” he says. “I’d prefer you stay, but it’s your choice.”
I look up at him and my belly does another traitorous little flip. For all his power and arrogance, James never pushes– not really. He’s given me an out every step of the way, I’ve just been too damn curious to ever take it.
“I want to stay,” I decide, intrigue trumping rationality once again.
A slow smile crosses his lips like he knew that’d be my answer. He waves the server over again, and I help myself to two more green shots while we continue watching the party unfold.
It’s one thing to walk into an orgy and pretend you belong, but another entirely to sit on the sidelines and get slowly marinated in the sound of other people moaning, the thick scent of sex, and the skin-prickling awareness that everyone here has probably done this a hundred times before.
The only thing keeping me from melting into the couch entirely is James’ hand resting warm and steady on my knee.
He’s not even looking at me, at least not directly– he’s busy scanning the room, eyes picking up every shift, every glance, every subtle change in the atmosphere.
The way he holds himself is so relaxed and perfectly at home that it almost feels like it’s starting to rub off on me.
Or maybe that’s the alcohol.
Either way, my nerves slowly loosen as time wears on.
The party’s picked up at least three more couples since I arrived, and the population of the bed in the center is now at critical mass.
There are hands and mouths everywhere, the little cries and gasps filling the air so constant that it’s practically become a soundtrack.
After a while, James leans in close, his lips curving into a slow, dangerous smile. “You’re awfully quiet,” he remarks, voice pitched low.
“Just taking it all in,” I reply breathily. Though my anxiety has ebbed, a strange sort of anticipation has taken its place, every nerve now tuned to the frequency of the room.
He lets the silence stretch for a moment before speaking again, low in my ear. “So, do you see anything you like?”
“Like…?”
He gestures toward the center of the room, where a willowy brunette has just gone full cowgirl on a donor with Olympic-level quad strength. “Anything,” he says. “Anyone. If you want to try something, you have only to ask.”
A flush creeps up my neck. “I thought vampires were possessive,” I reply, a little too sharply.
James’ gaze flicks to mine, heat and humor twined together. “We are.”
“And you’re okay with sharing me?” I ask, blinking at him in confusion.
He laughs, low and dark. “I’m possessive over your blood, darling. Not your body. You can use it however you’d like, with whomever you like, so long as they’re human.” He leans back, gaze scanning the room again. “So, what do you like?”
The words hit like a punch. For all my bravado, for all the ways I’ve let myself get swept up in this arrangement, no one has ever actually asked me that before when it comes to sex.
Not a boyfriend, not a one-night-stand, not even the awkward guy from sophomore year who claimed to be ‘very attentive’.
“I… I’m not sure,” I admit.
James tilts his head, considering me for a moment. “Then let’s find out.” He shifts on the couch, slipping an arm around my waist and pulling me in closer so I’m pressed to his side. “Look around,” he murmurs, “and tell me who or what interests you.”
I try to follow his order, but all I can see is the perfect hair, the long legs, the effortless way the other donors slip out of their clothes and into the arms of strangers.
I attempt to pick out something that feels safe, something I could imagine myself wanting, but every scene is a few degrees too intense, a few notches past anything I’ve ever dared.
Then my eyes land on a man across the room, sprawled in an armchair while a vamp woman kneels between his legs.
He’s got a runner’s build and dark skin, mouth twisted in pleasure.
The vamp’s head bobs with slow, practiced motions, and the man’s hands are buried in her auburn hair, knuckles white with restraint.
He looks like he’s seconds from losing control, and something about the tension in his body– the way he’s holding back, fighting for composure– hits another button in me.
I quickly avert my eyes, but not before James picks up on the way I’m blushing.
“There’s no need to be embarrassed here,” he drawls. “Everyone in this room either gets off on watching or knowing they’re being watched. If you want to look, then look.”
My cheeks burn, but I force myself to look again, to actually watch the scene unfold.
The man’s head tips back, mouth open on a moan, and the vamp at his feet picks up her pace, eyes glittering up at him as she works him over.
I can see the shape of his cock, the thick length of it glistening with spit.
For a moment, I imagine what it would feel like to be the one on my knees, to have that kind of power and effect over someone in front of an audience.
Or to be the one being pleasured, with the entire room watching…
The thought is embarrassing and electrifying all at once. My thighs squeeze together involuntarily, and when I risk a glance at James, his pale blue eyes are locked on me, expression unreadable.
“Does that turn you on?” he questions.
The urge to lie is overwhelming, but I don’t. “Yes,” I whisper.
His hand slides higher on my thigh, fingers brushing the bare skin just under the hem of my dress. “Do you want to try it?”
I swallow thickly. “With you?”
His lips curve in a knowing grin. “Not with me, darling. You’re not ready to be fucked by a vampire yet, and if I had you on your knees, I wouldn’t be able to resist.” His thumb circles the inside of my thigh, inching higher. “Pick a human. Anyone you like.”
“You want me to…”
He cuts me off with a look, his gaze so intense that it nearly knocks the breath out of me. “I want you to learn what you like. Explore the possibilities, test your boundaries.”
Considering he’s the one I want to test my boundaries with, this feels almost cruel. “And you’ll watch?” I ask tentatively.
He nods, eyes darkening. “I’ll definitely be watching.”