Steal the Night (Thieves #5)(127)

Myrddin had told me the only way I could win was to not give in to my grief.

“I would have expected the two of you not to get along,” Marini said from the doorway of the bathroom.

I saw Rose’s entire demeanor change the moment she knew Marini was in the room. She seemed to shrink in on herself.

I turned slightly to acknowledge the vampire’s presence. “Why would you think that? Rose is very sweet. I like having someone to talk to.”

Louis was dressed to kill in a dark designer suit. His black hair curled just at the nape of his neck and if he wasn’t such an evil son of a bitch, he would have been quite handsome. “I would have assumed Rose would be angry that you’re taking her place.”

I managed to not laugh at him. It was truly a sign of my burgeoning self-control. “Louis, you’re a practical man. Do you really believe you’ve treated her so well that she’s in love with you?”

Louis leaned against the paneled wall and his lips quirked up in amusement. I suspected it had been a long while since any female spoke to him so saucily. It appeared he liked it, but I had to tread carefully so sauciness wasn’t mistaken for disrespect. “I suppose not. I haven’t been particularly kind to Rose. I admit I purchased her when she was far too young. She’s not really to my taste.”

Now it was time to treat him like a man, not just a vampire. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about men it’s that they appreciate a woman’s sensuality. I smiled slightly and let my gaze find Rose. “I think your taste is wrong then, Louis.”

His eyebrows shot up and he was suddenly very interested in what I had to say. “So she is to your taste?”

“I have wide and varied tastes.” I let the words drip out like honey. I wanted Louis ready for sex, not violence, by the time my faery prince joined us. “I think Rose is quite lovely. She has a petite little body and perky breasts. I bet they have sweet little nipples.”

The vampire’s smile was sensual as he regarded the two of us. “I will admit her nipples are quite pretty but her breasts are too small.”

“But small breasts are exquisitely sensitive.” I was wandering off into truly unexplored territory here. I hadn’t actually played around with small breasts, but I read that in a romance novel and those couldn’t possibly be wrong. As for the sensuality of my words, I had to thank Devinshea for that lesson. He loved to talk sex. “I bet you could make her come just by sucking on them right.”

Rose blushed all the way to her toes. She stared at me through the mirror and smiled as she ran the brush through my hair again.

Louis was fighting his arousal as he watched us. It was a vampire’s instinct to be private with his companion, but I needed him to see that three could be fun.

“How was your prince this afternoon?” Louis asked, abruptly changing the subject. His change of course didn’t alter the tent in his expensive trousers.

I had to flavor all of my answers with the truth. “He was in one piece, no thanks to you.”

The vampire had the good sense to look slightly embarrassed. “I…was very angry about something Daniel has done. I will apologize this evening.”

I nodded shortly, though an apology really didn’t cover nearly beating someone to death.

“Tell me, mon ange,” Louis began, his voice all dark seduction. “Did you kiss your faery prince this afternoon?”

No lies here. If I got hit I would just take it. Lying would only lead to other questions and the vampire wondering just how much I was covering up. “Yes, I did. Then that stupid wolf made me stop.”

I pouted and sounded petulant even to my own ears. Louis’s laugh boomed through the room. “I’ll have a talk with Trent. I expected that you and the prince would be a bit naughty. You will have thirty minutes each day with him as long as your behavior is good. If you wish to kiss the prince, I’ll allow it, but nothing more. Do you understand?”

I nodded and turned back to the mirror. “I don’t like that wolf.”

“Does the little companion not like her bodyguard?” Chad asked as he entered the room. I was grateful the bathroom was quite large as it was becoming full.

“I think she does not,” Marini replied, smiling at the other vampire.

“He must be doing something right then.” Chad had a dippy smile for his “master.” He was wearing his customary leather and black. His hair was disheveled and he appeared even more insane than normal. His eyes softened as he gazed at me. “Your skin is so pretty.”

“Do you think my companion is beautiful, Mr. Thomas?” Louis asked.

Chad sighed. “She’s gorgeous. I want to trade places with her. It would be nice to be so pretty that everyone around you just wants to coddle you. All she has to do is spread her legs and show off that neck of hers and all the vampires come running. She doesn’t have to do anything. They all just want to take care of her so she’ll love them.”

“You sound almost jealous,” Louis noted.

“Then I’m not trying hard enough,” Chad replied. “I’m entirely jealous of her. She gets everything handed to her. The prince treats her like she was made of gold. At least you’ll challenge her, won’t you, master? You’ll show her who the boss is.” Chad sneered at me, his face hard. “Your new master won’t let you run wild. He’ll beat the shit out of you if you step even an inch out of line, bitch. You won’t be able to control him because he just wants your blood. He couldn’t care less about the rest of you.”