Chapter 37
We were back in Genia at the dressmaker’s. Laurent had relocated us to the townhouse yesterday after two weeks in Anoth. I was glad to be back in the city, away from the majority of his family. The townhouse was quieter and more intimate.
“You will be the belle of the ball, darling,” Zola gushed, looking me over during my final fitting.
This particular designer was by appointment only. Not only that, but he accepted a very small handful of clientele. Zola was one of his exclusive patrons. My entire wardrobe for the vampire season was being made by this single individual and his army of helpers.
“She is not wrong,” Gio, my dressmaker said. He spoke in heavily accented English as he pinned and tucked the midnight blue fabric around my body.
A male vampire appeared from the back of the shop. He strode over and gave Gio a kiss on the cheek, depositing a large latte beside him. “Here you are, love. I’ll be in the office if you need anything.” Gio looked up at him with soft eyes and an even softer smile.
“Thank you, Corda.”
I bit my lip at their display of tenderness, reminded of my own feelings for Laurent.
Not that I’d been able to act on them. Back at Anoth, most of my time had been spent pouring over papers my advisor sent me or training with Hassan.
Both activities helped fill the time and distract me from my desire to rip Laurent’s clothes off.
We still fed from each other regularly, so I was getting a steady dose of orgasms from that alone. But I refused to let him touch me the way I yearned to be touched—the way he yearned to touch me. It only served to irritate him, which then served to make our feedings more aggressive.
My cheeks reddened beneath the pedestal’s soft light. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. Anyone looking at me would likely surmise my thoughts, let alone smell them, since vampires could smell such things.
Last night, Laurent had been particularly relentless.
He had not stopped after my first orgasm as he fed from me, but waited until a second had blindsided me.
Only then did he gently lower me to the couch.
I was near dizzy with pleasure and blood loss, but that was not enough to keep me from ordering his wandering hands to behave.
Perhaps he’d thought that in my post-orgasm haze, my guard might be down.
Laurent was not one to be denied. Someone such as him was used to giving orders, not taking them. He let out an angry growl and stalked off to his study after that. Lately, he’d spent an unusual amount of time barricaded in there.
His inner circle suspected something was afoot, but everyone else was none the wiser. He still held my hand when we were in plain view of others. He still pulled me into his lap, or kissed me, or made suggestive comments in my presence, hoping to make me blush.
With each day, my frustration grew. I no longer knew if this was a fight for love, or merely a battle of wills over who was more stubborn.
Lately, it seemed to morph into the latter.
Which of us could hold out the longest? Was I ready to admit him incapable of love?
Or was he ready to give me an answer? All it would take was a yes or no, and we could be back to doing what we wanted.
But at least then I’d know what I needed to do.
To open my heart to him, or silence my feelings forever.
“There. That’s the last of it. I’ll have everything ready in the next several hours, madame.”
“Just in time for tonight,” Zola purred, taking me in.
During the car ride over, I’d confessed to Zola about what was going on with Laurent and I.
Since Vittorio and Hassan were in the front seat, they’d heard too, though they had pretended otherwise.
I was glad of it. I got so little time with Zola these days.
She was too busy rushing off between the fortress and Genia, carrying out all of Laurent’s orders.
“He will take one look at you and forget his pride. You will have an answer by the end of the night. I’m sure of it.
” Despite her warning, she was rooting for me.
She, too, had admitted that Laurent was showing a side he’d never shown before.
That perhaps she’d been wrong. Perhaps he could be capable of love. Or at the least, try.
That was the keyword. Try—a willingness to try. It was all I really wanted.
How could he know the extent of his humanity if he didn’t test the boundaries?
He wanted to believe he was nothing more than a monster.
If he said it often enough, he could readily convince himself.
I wanted to prove that there was more to him than that.
Especially with each new memory I gained from his blood.
So, yes, maybe this was turning into a battle of wills. Maybe it went deeper than love.
“I hope you’re right,” I murmured, taking one final look at my gown before Gio helped me out of it.
We returned to the townhouse, which would be our home for the next few days. It was easier to attend the events of the season without the extra two hour drive to Anoth Fortress. It wasn’t as safe, but we’d be more comfortable here.
Laurent had already constructed an extensive security detail for the festivities. Our enemies would be insane to try anything. All we had left to do was wait for the start of the season.
“Little flower?” Laurent’s voice made me whirl.
I stood in the empty drawing room near the piano, anxious and giddy in equal measure.
Laurent’s lips parted. His expression heated as he took me in, eyes traveling down the length of my body.
The midnight blue gown Gio had fashioned was strapless, with folds of silk at the bodice that cascaded down to the floor.
The hem was just so, to keep me from tripping when I danced.
A pair of satin flats peeked out from beneath.
Beads of black and silver covered the bodice, making me shimmer when I moved.
But it was the swish of the skirt when I walked that I especially loved.
Gio was an artist and this was his first of many masterpieces for me.
“You…” Laurent’s mouth opened then closed. He simply stood, unmoving.
A few of the others waited for us in the hall. Zola and Catina had helped me get ready, then positioned me here so that Laurent would get an eyeful, undisturbed. Their planning paid off.
I twisted my fingers together in front of me. “Do… Do you like it?” I spun in a circle to emphasize my question.
He let out the breath he must have been holding—not that he needed to breathe.
“Like it? Lily… You… You are exquisite.” He came to me, reaching out to trail his fingertips along my cheek.
Not enough to smudge my expertly applied makeup.
I resisted the urge to bite my lower lip, so as not to disturb my blood red lipstick.
Laurent’s eyes darted there anyway. I swallowed.
“Can we have a truce?” he asked. “Just… Just for tonight?” I’d never seen him so tongue-tied. I desperately fought the urge to agree. What harm would one single night do?
The yearning in his voice almost undid me.
I hardened my heart and said, “Am I really so difficult to love, Laurie?” His nickname slipped out before I could stop it.
Over the past two weeks I had refused to use it, calling him only Laurent, even though he insisted I use Laurie repeatedly.
I’d managed to go the entire time without a single slip up.
Laurent’s eyes darkened. He hadn’t overlooked that small detail. “You deserve more love than I know how to give, Lily. You deserve everything—the world at your feet. That much, at least, I can provide.”
“You would give me the world, but not your heart?”
“Lily—“ he croaked, stopping himself. Fear flashed in his gaze. Genuine fear. It was there and gone so quickly I must have imagined it. But I hadn’t. For just a moment, this ancient vampire had looked absolutely terrified. That revelation told me everything about what he was fighting.
I took a long, steadying breath. “I’ll wait for your answer, Laurent, but I won’t wait forever. If you don’t want to try to love me, just tell me. If you do care to try, then we’ll try. It’s a simple yes or no answer.”
A low, desperate growl built in his throat. “Simple?” His voice was strained. “Nothing about this is simple.”
I exhaled. “Look, if you don’t want to try, then just tell me.
I’ll remove my feelings from the equation and we can simply enjoy each other’s pleasure.
Nothing more. No strings attached—just pure fun.
” I watched his jaw tighten at those words.
At the thought of me feeling nothing for him. “But if you care to try…”
We could be so much more. I didn’t say it aloud, but he heard my unspoken words nonetheless as they lingered between us.
He said nothing and my hopes fell.
I cleared my throat. “The others are waiting. We ought to get going.”
When he still didn’t move, I took his hand and lead him from the room.
This ball was the first of the season, held in a large manor on the edge of the city.
Unlike many of the homes within Genia, this was far enough outside the city that it did not sit on a waterway.
It had a high wall with a giant gate and roundabout drive.
The bustle of cars coming and going was organized as guests were deposited before the stately house.
Laurent emerged first, handing me out of the town car while Vittorio held the door.
Zola exited from the front seat. We already had a contingent of vampires from House Sarkas awaiting our arrival.
My pulse fluttered with nerves as I took in the giant facade.
It was nearly as large as Laurent’s mansion in Braxton.
He kept a firm hold of my hand, positioning it on his arm. I was to stay by his side the entire night—no exceptions. His scent might have been all over me, which would act as a deterrent for many vampires, but it would not guarantee my safety.