Lucy
I jump as I regain consciousness, flinching wildly, and for a moment, I’m not sure where I am until the memories of yesterday come flooding back.
Except I’m not on the couch. I’m in a huge bed, between clean sheets, and in a bedroom with white-washed walls, dotted all over with exposed brickwork. Light filters into the room with the strange white-blue spectrum which means outside there has to be snow.
I stretch out, discovering I am still clothed, which has to be a good thing, even if the fact I’m here means Dominik must have brought me to this room. Because the last thing I remember was talking to him by the fire.
My bladder makes itself known, and with a groan, I throw back the covers. There are two doors side by side, so I take my pick and hope one is a bathroom, which, thankfully, it is.
The large room has a heated floor, which is most welcome, and I swiftly use the facilities with a sigh of relief.
Once I’m done, I’m able to inspect a little closer.
The entire place is clothed in a swathe of pretty white and grey marble.
A large shower head hangs in one corner, making this place a wet room.
Fluffy towels hang on a heated towel rail, and my guess is the huge mirror above the sink is heated too.
A tall window sheds light into the room, and the rest comes from spots high in the ceiling. It is a marvel of opulence.
And hardly gothic at all.
Next to the sink, there is a selection of toiletries, all brand new in the packaging. These include a toothbrush, and I find my mind wandering to whether vampires clean their fangs. The rest of the selection are all high end and would, collectively, have cost more than my monthly salary.
I have no change of clothes, given all of mine were left in the hotel back in Budapest, but I know I could do with a shower, and there is a large, fluffy bathrobe hanging on the back of the bathroom door.
So I shed what I was wearing and get the shower going.
A waterfall of delicious hot water flows over me as I make good use of the expensive shampoo and conditioner, luxuriating in the incredible scent.
When I shut off the water, I’m aware of a noise in the room outside. Of course, I have no idea where my stake is, and without it, I am even more naked. I grab the robe and haul it on before grabbing the thing I can think of using as a weapon.
Cautiously, I crack the bathroom door and peer out.
There is something probably dangerous in the form of Dominik. He has his back to me as he rummages in the large dark wood wardrobe on the other side of the room.
It seems he has eschewed his usual suit for a pair of dark trousers and a ribbed sweater in a similar color. Unable to help myself, for a moment, I marvel at his wide shoulders and ogle how good his bum looks in the pants which cling in all the right places.
Agh! A lady as pregnant as me should not be having these sorts of thoughts. And the Van Helsing in me should absolutely not be having such thoughts about a vampire.
“Did you sleep well, Lucy?” Dominik asks, without turning around.
Bat ears.
“Did you bring me here?” I demand, ignoring his question.
“I was hardly going to let my guest sleep on the couch.” He turns to face me. “And I didn’t think you’d want the coffin.” Dominik grins at me, all fang.
If I harbored thoughts about him being handsome yesterday, I am simply floored by how he looks today. His hair is neat again, his cheekbones sharper than ever, his eyes piercing and…is that a smattering of a shadow on his jaw? If I was wearing any, I can guarantee my knickers would have melted.
“I was unable to get your luggage, so I have had a few items brought here which you might want to wear.” He looks me up and down.
I realize that while he’s sex-on-legs, I have my wet hair plastered to my scalp, a bathrobe which is two sizes too big for me, and I’m holding the toothbrush in my hand, shaft out, like it would be a possible weapon against a vampire as powerful as Dominik.
“I was…taking a shower,” I say lamely.
His gaze heats, and I’m instantly reminded of the kiss we shared.
“I need to clean my teeth,” I blurt out and dive back into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me and leaning against it.
Why should I even care what Dominik thinks of me, what he sees when he looks at me?
He’s a vampire. I made a deal with him, that’s all.
What it means in the cold light of day, I’m somehow not sure.
What I do know is I have few options other than to throw my lot in with the most dangerous vampire of them all.
And once I do this, there is no going back. No going home. No return to the bosom of my family. My uncle has made that very clear.
Whatever happens now, it would appear my life is here, with the vampire king.