“By the way, have you been talking to Devon?” I demand, catching him by surprise with my random question.
He frowns at me. “Devon? No, why?”
I stare at him, looking for signs of deception, but it’s like trying to see deception in a marble statue. He is our sire’s charge, without a doubt.
“If you are lying to me…”
“I have nothing to say to him, Queenie. Why the interrogation?”
I debate on whether to tell him of my suspicions. It might give me a glimmer if I do. “He has had a turnaround regarding Jess. I wanted to know if you had a hand in it.” I challenge him, with my arms crossed.
His eyebrows shoot up and he does look surprised, I can’t deny that. “Are you serious?” he scoffs at me. “For what possible purpose would I have to want him to do that? He is no threat to me.”
“Humph,” I say rudely. But what else can I say? I have no proof. Maybe I am just being paranoid. I just find it difficult to believe that Devon has come to this decision all by himself. We were in a good place. I was even hoping to talk to Cole in letting him spend even more time with us. My attention wanders over to Lincoln pacing by the French doors. I stand and walk over to him. “What’s up?” I say to him, kneeling in front of him. He nods towards the doors and I get that he wants out. I open the doors and, telling him I’ll join him in a bit, he races off to the woods, leaving me all alone with Sebastian. Not exactly a genius plan there, Linc. Thanks a bunch. I sense Sebastian behind me and turn with a dismissive smile, but he doesn’t buy it and presses me up against the windows. “How about a little preview before tomorrow,” he murmurs close to my ear.
“Uh, no,” I say, pushing on his chest.
“Why not? It’s not like we haven’t played before.”
“Under a different arrangement that is now null and void,” I say tightly.
“Please,” he says, his lips now dangerously close to mine. “I want to see you pleasure yourself. It will make it even more exciting when I get to touch you myself.” He slowly takes my hand and moves it in between us and places it where he wants it. His eyes are blazing into mine, almost hypnotic, and a warning goes off in the back of my head. I try to clear my thoughts, but they are being swarmed now, consumed by a fog that I try to fight off but can’t and then there is nothing except the sound of his melodic voice, almost singing to me. He is speaking in a language I don’t understand, so all I follow is the cadence. I see his sad, sweet smile before he kisses me and I close my eyes, breathing heavily as he breaks the kiss. I open my eyes and blink at him.
“Liv?” he asks me, full of concern. “Are you okay? We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I just thought it might be fun.”
“I…I’m…” I pause. “I’m fine. I just think I need to feed.”
“I can help you with that,” he says and takes my hands.
“You don’t mind? So soon after yesterday?”
“I told you, I don’t mind doing this. And time doesn’t mean anything. I am stronger than you know. Take what you need.”
I smile my thanks and squeeze his hands, feeling the fog lifting slightly as I take his energy and then I am all better. “You should be careful, a girl could get used to that,” I say shyly, and he grins.
“That’s what I’m counting on,” he says, and I can’t gauge if he is joking or serious. But it matters not, as our sire finds us now. I light up and run to him, throwing my arms around his neck to his surprise. He recovers quickly and twirls me in a circle and places me gently down as I pull his head to mine and kiss him deeply. “You’re back. I missed you. I would have come with you,” I pout, and he rubs my bottom lip with his thumb.
“It was business, you would have been bored, my sweet.”
“Never with you. I just want to spend time with you and be with you.” I gaze up at him adoringly and he gazes back at me in confusion. He glances at Sebastian who walks past us and slaps CK on the shoulder. A look passes between them that I can’t place. CK relaxes instantly and smiles his made-just-for-me smile at me, and nothing else matters.
“I like this mood you are in,” he says to me, wrapping his arms around me. “It makes me want to take you home with me right now.”
“I want to go home with you. To our home. Take me home,” I say and a part of me has no idea where these words are coming from.
“I’m not sure your husband would be very happy about that,” Devon says as he joins us, to my annoyance. “How about you step away and leave it until tomorrow,” he adds to CK, who looks at him in amusement and doesn’t move.
“Husband?” I whisper almost to myself. “What are you talking about?”
Devon’s sharp eyes focus intently on mine. “Lizzie? Are you okay?” he asks, stepping forward.
“She’s fine,” CK says, turning to face Devon and cutting him off from me. I stare at the back of his really expensive suit and frown. What is going on?
“I’d like to hear that from my sire if you don’t mind,” Devon says, stepping closer.
I loop my hand through CK’s arm and step to his side. “It’s okay, my love,” I say up at him with a beam, all mushy inside over his defense of me. “Devon, I’m fine. Just a little tired and nervous about later.”
“What’s happening later?” he asks. “Oh, never mind,” he adds as he remembers.