CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-THREE
T he arrival of dawn has brought with it the arrival of, well…Dawn. She and Scott are sitting outside on the terrace drinking coffee. He is ignoring her in favor of Devon’s Financial Times even though she is mooning at him over the top of her coffee cup, her blue eyes all doey. That, however, changes as we step out on the terrace and her attentions go straight to my husband as she gushes, “Hi, Cole,” with a bright smile.
I just stand there until she remembers me and says, “Hi, Liv.” Right…so much for being friends.
“Hi, Dawn,” Cole says, and I smile at her. “You made it, then.”
“The Studio didn’t leave me much choice. I am to drag you back Sunday night,” she laughs and blushes as she is no doubt thinking of dragging him off to bed.
“Humph,” he says rudely and sits with a mood on now that he is reminded he has to go and CK will be staying.
“Don’t worry, baby,” I remind him. “Remember, we are coming to Toronto with you. I no longer have to go back to New York.”
His face brightens as he remembers. “That’s right. You don’t. That is Scott’s job now,” he says, happy that he knows I won’t be leaving him. Until Tuesday, that is, but I don’t say anything about that.
Scott looks up from his FT. “Yep. You are free as a bird to be wherever you like.”
Dawn isn’t looking best pleased that she will no longer have Cole to herself, so I throw her a bone. “Cole. You should feed, baby,” I murmur.
“So should you,” he says.
“I’ll be fine. CK said he’d send someone.” I do wish I hadn’t said that as he gets his mood back on again. “You go with Dawn now,” I say. I have a somewhat vested interest in this desire she holds for him.
She glances quickly at Scott, who holds her gaze for a moment before returning to his reading, oblivious. What a surprise.
They disappear and Esther says there is someone waiting for me in my office. I excuse myself and make my way over. Pushing open the door, I find a stranger with my sire.
“Good morning, my sweet,” he says to me as if nothing whatsoever happened out by the pool yesterday. He kisses me and I blink at him. There is that denial back in full force.
“Hello,” I say coldly. He blinks back at me, his face full of innocence. I s
tare at him for a moment. Was there something I wanted to ask him? I tilt my head in question and he raises his eyebrow back.
“Yes?” he queries.
I frown. “Nothing,” I say. “What do you want?”
“You need to feed, my dear. I am here to ensure you do. The Vampire way,” he emphasizes. “With the added bonus of you owe me one.”
“I do?”
“You do. Tit for tat.”
Oh, I see. I wanted him to feed in front of me and now he wants me to feed in front of him. Not that I am shy about that, he’s seen me feed a thousand times. More, probably. I think he is here mostly to ensure I do it ‘the Vampire way,’ as he put it. I narrow my eyes at him and ask the man to sit. He does and I bend over him, dropping my fangs in the process. CK moves to stand at my back and trails a hand lightly over my behind as I am bent over. I take my fill and pull back. “Happy?” I ask sarcastically.
“Ecstatic,” he responds, reminding me about his over-the-top, precious, generous gift yesterday. He dismisses the man, who he takes his leave quickly.
“I am still mad at you,” I say conversationally.
“I know you are. I was provoked. I lost control of my actions and I apologize,” he says formally. He takes my hand in his and I feel his ring, still on his left ring finger. I twirl it and again, I feel that I’m forgetting something. “Am I forgiven?” he asks quietly.
“I don’t know. We are all supposed to be getting along, but there seems to be nothing but dissension. I can’t bear it.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Are you? Are you prepared to go back to the way things were a couple of days ago?”
“If it gets me what I want, then, yes,” he says so seriously, I actually do believe him. “What you said last night about taking it back really hurt me. Hurt me more than anything and I know, for you to have said it, I must have hurt you terribly, too.”