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Fate has seen fit to assign me a mate who will not easily bend. That is exactly the kind of woman I need.
But no matter how many times I claim her in our shared dreams, she has yet to accept me in the waking world. Tonight, I hope to take strides toward remedying that.
As I have several times before, I let myself into the Consort Suite. Immediately looking for the woman whose taste still lingers on my tongue. The memory of which is only heightened as her natural fragrance rolls over me from every direction. Her scent has infiltrated the room now. A single breath is all it takes to awaken my desire.
Then I see her, standing on the precipice of the en suite, in a dress that doesn’t reach her knees and boasts a distractingly plunging neckline. She’s added a mismatched thick leather belt, pulling the dress tight to emphasize her figure. The once-black dye has washed almost entirely from her hair, revealing the fiery red she was named for. She is stunning. I want nothing more than to pull her into my arms.
She takes a deep breath. “You’re earlier than usual.” I appreciate the calmness in her voice, however hesitant it is.
I let my lips tip up in a momentary smirk. “Is now a bad time?” Teasing her is dangerous, but any banter different from the immediate arguments we’ve previously fallen into is preferable.
Scarlet snorts and rolls her eyes, one arm waving toward the interior of the suite. “Yes. I’ve been terribly busy re-reading Pride & Prejudice.” She moves into the room, bringing herself closer, and plants her hands on her hips. “So, have you come to keep your promise? Are you letting me go?”
A growl escapes me without warning and I stride up to her, until she is forced to raise her head to keep eye contact. Until she is incapable of drawing a breath that does not smell like me. I make sure to keep my touch light when I raise a single hand and stroke my fingers along her jaw. Holding her in place.
“I promised to take you outside. But understand me, Scarlet. I will never let you go.”
Her eyes widen and her breath hitches in the back of her throat. Arousal spikes through her scent and my mouth waters.
I indulge myself, for a torturous moment, and bow my head until my lips graze the skin beneath her ear. Her pulse quickens but she makes no effort to pull free of my hold. It is not the time to sink my fangs into her flawless skin, no matter how tempted I am, so I press a kiss to the flesh beneath my lips instead.
My choice is deliberate. She isn’t the only one haunted by dreams of carnal desire. I consider whispering my claim against her skin, but I want tonight to go well. So I refrain.
The breath she draws shudders through her and I straighten, for my own sake, and return my raised arm to my side. Our eyes meet for a lingering moment and I can see she is struggling to understand what is happening.
Instead of attempting to answer every question burning through her, I take a single step back and hold out my hand. An invitation. A request. But also a test. “Come with me, Scarlet.”
She stares a second longer, releases a breath, and slips her hand into mine.
I fight not to smile as relief and hope sparks in my chest.
She says nothing as I lead her past the threshold of the Consort Suite, into the hall lit with old-fashioned lanterns. Outside the sun has sunk low enough beyond the horizon that its deadly rays do not slice through the foliage from the thick trees that shield our property. I have a brief moment of wishing I could take Scarlet out during the light of day, but that’s impossible.
Soon enough, she will understand.
I hope.
Scarlet studies the admittedly lacking decor as I guide her down the stairs. Her hand remains steady in mine, but I can feel the nerves kicking up inside her. Making her anxious. I tell myself that’s a reasonable, even healthy response. I still want to chase the feeling away. I want her to only ever be at ease in my presence and in the home I hope to share with her.
“It’s kind of … dark,” Scarlet finally says.
I’m almost positive I hear snickering behind one of the closed doors off to the side.
I manage to ignore the eavesdropper and glance around at the scattered lighting. Vampires have perfect night vision, but consorts aren’t guaranteed the same, so we make sure to keep it up. But I can see what she means, as if I’ve never cared to look before.
“I can get some more lights put in.”
Scarlet says nothing and I continue leading her through the ground floor of the coven house. The approved spaces, at least. She shows interest again at the kitchen and perks up the most in the library.
“Why couldn’t you have locked me in here?”
I can’t help the faint smile that teases my lips. “The library is a shared space. But you could persuade me to bring you here again.”
She pouts up at me as if I’ve said something indecent and it’s all I can do not to suck those pouty lips into my mouth and teach her what indecency truly feels like.
Somehow, I contain myself, and we make our way to the backyard. My earlier nerves twist my gut again, but a quick sweeping glance assures me everything is the way it was when I left to retrieve Scarlet minutes earlier.
I hear her heartbeat spike and her hand tenses in mine. “What is this?”
