Chapter 7 Stellar Entrance
Stellar Entrance
ELI
I tap my black Pradas against the ground and take in a deep soothing breath, isn’t that what my therapist always encourages? Five seconds in, five seconds out.
Why is not helping?
I check my Rolex. There are only two of its kind with gold and silver plus a blue face and tiny encrusted crystals. The only people who own one are me and my brother.
It always reminds me of sad memories and I only ever wear it during special events because I know how intimidating it can be to shake someone's hand, look down and know they’re wearing a half a million dollar watch right next to their fingers.
Two minutes late now.
Three.
Should I start counting sheep at this point?
One day on the job and while she did bring an impeccable latte for my consumption, making my day less shitty, I hate it when people aren’t punctual. It’s a pet peeve.
Like stray hairs.
Fur.
There’s a reason naked cats exist, in my opinion. I shudder and turn around just as a panicked looking Ava power walks toward me in nude Louboutin heels, a beautiful red dress that leaves nothing to the imagination in the front and makes my mouth water so hard.
Wait? Is that fang?
I rub my teeth across my incisors and groan, even touching them with my own tongue feels nice. I have never in my life fanged out in front of a woman before.
Oh shit.
She’s coming closer.
She smells so good.
She does a quick turn to show me her back and I’m lost again. I clench my fists at my sides and all I get out is, “You’ll do.”
Her eyes fall, they’re so pretty I want to get lost in them, she nods and shoots me a forced smile, her lips are such a pretty pink, not too glossy, just perfect.
“Well, that’s what I’m here for, to serve you.”
She really needs to stop saying things like that if she doesn’t want me to have visions of her on her knees in front of me doing exactly that.
“Yes,” I say gruffly and offer my arm.
“The car’s waiting, apparently we’re going to make an entrance at the Gala a few blocks down.”
She flinches and takes my arm after a few seconds, she’s wearing a diamond bracelet and her nails are painted a pretty nude to match her shoes.
Rather than a normal necklace encased in diamonds, she has a large intricately woven black lace choker that dips strategically down her cleavage, almost like a collar.
My fangs refuse to retract, and the more I talk, the more she’ll have the chance of seeing I’m not entirely normal or human.
Marvin, my driver, opens the door to the black Lamborghini SUV and does a double take of Ava.
I have to clear my throat twice before he looks away and nods in my direction. I shut the door without entering and cross my arms.
“Don’t look at her.”
Marvin’s brown eyes widen.
“I’m sorry, I was just surprised, I won’t stare ever again, please don’t fire me!”
“Well, if you weren’t so good at your job and training me for a marathon, I kind of feel like I probably would.” I curse and look away.
“Sir, your fangs are showing—” He points.
I bat his hand away.
“Why do you think I’m taking a minute to calm down?”
I’m about to be stuck in a small space next to her for the next five minutes before making an appearance at the biggest gala of the year, I cannot werewolf out in front of the press.
“Hold your breath?” Marvin offers.
“It’s a nice night, why don’t I roll down the windows?”
I stare down at my shoes and the cement.
“It would ruin her hair.”
“You hate hair.”
“Hair that’s not attached to the body,” Though briefly I imagine one of her hairs just dangling in the wind and I don’t immediately want to puke. In fact, my mouth salivates more.
No!
Just no.
“Drive,” I bark.
“And make sure to keep the windows cracked.”
He smirks.
“Yes, sir.”
“Stop being amused.” I call after him.
“Yup.” His shoulders move like he’s laughing as he gets in, leaving me to open my own door because he knows I don’t give a shit.
Once I’m in the car, the smell of her hits me like a wall.
“Everything okay?” She smiles over at me.
My lips part. I know I need words to respond to her but all I have are angry ones from my own projection, my own rage, and need to stay far away when every instinct in me tells me to lean in close.
The vein on her neck pulses.
Mating bites only take place there, it’s truly the only thing we have related in our rituals to vampires.
The pulse, the vein, closest to the heart while you claim their blood and soul.
“Stellar.” I finally announce in a voice that sounds angrier than it should, causing her to jump next to me and scoot a few inches away. Great, now I’m scaring her on top of treating her like shit.
But damn that outfit, what the hell was I thinking?
Clearly, I wasn’t.
I clear my throat and stare straight ahead while I sit in actual torture. She drums her fingertips against her thigh.
“Oh.” She jerks toward me, it’s my turn to jump a foot.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” Her smile’s small, tentative, like I’m about to yell at her any minute. She bites down on her lower lip.
“I was just going to ask if there were any important people that I need to know before we’re there, I mean, I’m sure I’ll recognize some people, but important ones to you or any charities you run? The company?
She knows I run charities.
She knows what to ask.
Magnificently off-limits woman.
I reach for my tie to adjust it and realize that nothing’s there, that I’m wearing nothing but a black suit with a black shirt that’s open down the collar.
I said no to the sunglasses. It’s already dark and it just feels stupid.
“No.” I take a deep breath.
“But I appreciate your dedication.”
Her pretty eyes lock on mine, the car jolts to a stop, nearly sending her into my lap, as it is her hands move to my chest, I allow myself one more inhale and pray that she can’t see my fangs.
I start to pant while she stares at my mouth like she’s never seen lips before. I do it out of pure reaction and instinct, I lick my lips and taste the air between us.
I should have never.
I grip her by the shoulders, mouth aching. My reaction is probably lack of sleep, right? And all I had was my coffee today.
Yes, it’s a nutritional imbalance with exhaustion tapped in.
She snakes a hand up my neck.
“You smell good.”
I’m ready to respond when Marvin clears his throat.
“We’ve arrived sir, they’re waiting.”
Forget firing him. I’m going to kill him and feed him to a hairless cat when I get home.
“Right.” I pull away from her.
“Thank you for your impeccable timing, as always, Marvin.”
He knows I want to strangle him as he smiles through the rearview mirror and gives me a little salute.
Mine wouldn’t have been as kind as a few fingers.
Just one.
I nod and hold out my hand to Ava.
“Ready?”
“Sure, I’ll just throw up in the bathroom later.” She jokes and grabs my hand.
“So much for being low key, it looks like we are at the end of the arrival.”
I don’t tell her I think she would make an entrance, even if she was early enough to help the janitor clean the floors.
I keep my mouth shut as my fangs fever for her.
Pictures go off in front of us and I hold her close.
Her poses are perfect. She’s perfect.
I made the right choice in bringing her, now I just need to survive it.