Until the Sun Falls from the Sky (The Three #1)(55)

I knew that last already. Stephanie told me, including the fact that Lucien had conducted two such assassinations himself.

Something occurred to me then. Something I knew but hadn’t thought about. Something that made me feel like my blood had turned to hot lava, an intensely uncomfortable sensation.

I didn’t want to ask, I really didn’t, but I found myself doing it anyway.

“Do you and your, er…” I tried not to choke on the word and luckily succeeded, “mate have any children?”

For some reason I hated thinking about him having a mate. Essentially a wife somewhere out there staking claim to him on a level I would never have. Why I felt this way, I had no clue and it scared me most of all.

He shook his head but I didn’t feel relief. His next words, spoken so casually they were careless, cemented this feeling further.

“Not with Katrina, no. From two separate unions long ago, I created a son, Julian, and a daughter, Isobel, both live in England.”

Oh my God!

Lucien was a father.

I couldn’t wrap my head around that concept at all.

My eyes shifted away from him when I queried, “Do you talk to them?”

“Frequently.”

I kept my eyes averted. “Are you close?”

“Very.”

“Do you, um… keep in touch with their mothers?”

Why was I asking these questions?

He didn’t hesitate with his reply. “Isobel’s mother took her life thirty years ago.”

My eyes snapped back to his face but there was no expression there, no sadness or remorse.

He continued, “I still speak with, and sometimes see, Cressida, Julian’s mother.”

I didn’t want to be talking about this anymore. And in hopes of ending the discussion and my lesson which had started out great but took a turn for the worse, I asked no further questions and simply said, “Okay.”

For a moment, Lucien examined my face.

Then he asked quietly, “Have you had enough, pet?”

I’d had enough.

Boy, had I had enough.

I nodded.

“Do you have any questions?” he offered and I shook my head.

This was a lie. I still had a million questions none of which I wanted answers to at that moment. The top of the list was the existence of Katrina. Who she was. Where she was. What she thought about me. How long they’d been together and why Lucien was in my bed at night, his clothes in my dressing room, his body lying with me at this very moment on the couch he provided for me.

Though I knew I definitely didn’t want the answer to any of that.

As I was sorting through this new mess in my brain, his head lifted and his face disappeared in my neck. “All right, sweetheart. Lesson over.”

I shivered mainly because his deep voice sounded against the sensitive skin of my neck and that felt nice. Also because, after he stopped speaking, his tongue tasted me there and that felt nicer. Finally because he called me “sweetheart” and I liked it when he did that.

In an effort at self-preservation, to end my body’s betraying response and in an attempt to take some control of the situation, I asked, “Can I get dressed?”

“No.”

I blinked.

“No?” I queried and my voice sounded breathy.

His mouth traveled up my neck, over my jaw to meet my lips.

“No. I’ve decided you’ll be na**d most of today.”

What? My mind screamed.

“What?” my mouth whispered.

I felt his smile against my lips. “You’ll be naked. Obviously you’ve learned your lesson and decided to mind me. That deserves a reward.” His voice dipped lower when he informed me, “And I’m going to spend all day giving you that reward.”

Oh my God.

Now what had I done?

The game I’d instigated had taken a nasty turn. And this was because he played it far better than me.

Damn the vampire!

“Lucien…” I started but his hand hit my bare thigh, roving upwards under my robe to cup my bottom.

He interrupted my concentration on the movement of his hand by demanding, “Kiss me, pet.”

“Kiss you?” I whispered.

“I want your tongue in my mouth.”

Oh my God.

“Lucien –” I started again but he cut me off.

“You intend to disobey me?” His tone sounded like a gentle threat or possibly a challenge.

What did I do now?

My choices were to be Obedient Leah and kiss him or be Real Leah and likely get punishment.

I was screwed!

“Can we –?” I began yet again only to be interrupted again.

“Kiss me, Leah.”

“Just give me two –”

His hand pressed my h*ps against his and I could feel he was hard. My body registered that I liked it that he was hard, that I could make him hard just by lying beside him and talking.

That may have been what my body registered but my mind registered complete and utter fear.

I watched his eyes grow dark and intense.

Then he growled, “Do what I say or –”

I cut him off this time and kissed him.

The minute my tongue touched his, per usual, I wondered why I’d struggled against it. Both our heads slanted to opposite sides. Our tongues dueled, both fighting for supremacy, taking, taking, taking, so hungry, at the same time giving so much I felt my body consumed with the gift of his kiss.