Discoveries
“You intend to tame him, then?" Auguste whispered in my ear as we watched Amon get into his carriage at the doors to Rooksgrave.
I'd managed to convince Amon to take dinner with me and Ezra, and while there'd been enough bickering to last me a lifetime, it was done primarily with humor. When Auguste rose and made it up to my room, Amon had offered my vampire a slight bow that I could tell surprised Auguste and Ezra both.
"I do," I said with a sharp nod, but only after Amon's carriage had started to leave so I could be sure he didn't hear me.
"Good," Auguste answered, his hand cupping my waist and drawing me into his side.
I raised my eyebrows, curious about his answer, and when his lips twitched and he didn't elaborate, I pinched his side for good measure. "Tell me."
"Mr. Tanner is a good deterrent to others of our kind taking an interest in you. Amon will be even better. Between the two of them, I shouldn't have to lift a finger," Auguste added with an airy note of teasing. "Ouch! I'm immortal, not invincible, woman!" Auguste caught my wandering pinches, snatching my wrists in his grip and hauling me back inside as he fought his grin.
"I think those words really mean the same thing," I said, frowning.
"The death of many a vampire would prove you wrong. No, you're right, too morbid. I promise not to perish by your grabby little fingers," Auguste said, drawing me roughly to his chest and wrapping his arms around me. "Now, what shall we do with our evening, hm? Or are you spending it with Ezra?"
I shook my head and leaned in to whisper in Auguste's ear. "He still has business to manage for Magdalena until tomorrow." Which was when Julian and Siobhan would be leaving again. Auguste hummed and nodded. I drew back and bounced on my toes as I considered Magdalena's conversation with me earlier. "Would you teach me to make something? Like what you do."
Unlike Amon probably would have, Auguste didn't immediately offer to simply make me anything I wanted so I wouldn't have to do the work myself. His eyes lit up and he nodded. "Of course, what would you like to learn? No, I should be master in this, yes? And teach you what you must know first, as I learned?"
"Well, I do like when you're my master," I said, tipping my head thoughtfully, and Auguste let out a low growl.
"Wicked darling girl. I shall make you my slave in the kitchen first, and then later up in bed for that remark," Auguste said, dragging me to the back of the manor. He paused briefly, turning back to ask, "You wouldn't rather visit with the others?"
I was curious about the social rooms of the manor at night, but I was too aware of the strange dynamic of the other house owners being on hand too, so I shook my head.
"Tomorrow night, or when Jonathon comes up so I can…" I trailed off, licking my lower lip and blushing, but Auguste only squeezed my hand. "So I can have you all with me."
He lured me in slowly, his expression finding some common ground with predatory and affectionate, and he waited in place for me to rise to my toes, offering my mouth to him before he took the kiss, slow and sipping.
"I'm going to have you for dessert right on the floor of the kitchen, mon coeur," Auguste rasped. Then he blinked, returning to teasing, "But only after I've been a thorough tyrant as your teacher."
"I might like you as a tyrant," I answered, and then Auguste was dragging me down the hall and into the quiet kitchen.
* * *
I stretchedas I woke the next morning, and then proceeded to roll directly into an unforgivingly hard figure.
"Mrph!"
Two massive firm hands circled my waist as I winced and glared through the sunlight. Booker was in the bed with me! He drew me up and over him as if I were simply his blanket, the sun warming the pale shade of stone to something almost faintly golden. My lips parted as I stared down at him, my eyes crossing slightly to meet his gaze.
"Morning," he said.
I let out a slow sigh, and his dense body seemed to soften with mine.
"Ezra said I could," he added, eyes flicking sideways to where I'd been sleeping a moment ago.
"I say you can too," I answered, blinking, sliding my hands up his chest—for the first time, he was only in his white shirt without the black butler's jacket—to brace on either side of his head and lift myself up. "Good morning. I've missed you."
Booker nodded at that, and then his hands on my waist moved down to take twin grips of my ass. "Every morning."
I blinked, partly distracted by the faint shimmer in the gray vein running over his face like a scar and partly by the ridge of muscle I was draped over. Finally, as Booker began to bunch my nightgown in his grip, exposing me to the room, I remembered his promise of days ago.
"Oh!" I gasped as his fingers slid down, sinking so smoothly into me.
My forehead dropped to his and I moaned as he kept to his word of getting me off in the mornings, touch simple but effective. I searched for his mouth with mine, his lips full and firm but giving as I bit and tugged on the flesh, Booker grunting in response, following for more.
He sat up abruptly, forcing me up with him, but my arms circled his shoulders gladly, my body riding the two fingers inside of me. I kissed his lips, biting his smooth jaw, the bridge of his nose, and grinning as Booker rumbled, arching back and groaning as he stretched me with a scissoring of his fingers.
"Booker, fuck me, please," I whimpered.
His touch stilled and I straightened, smiling down at him, still using my movement to fuck myself on his touch. He blinked at me, and then glanced down to his own lap and back up again.
"Auguste said to wait."
Now it was my turn to freeze, breath hitching as I sank onto Booker's hand, the heel of his palm rubbing against my clit as if our conversation and what he was doing to my sex were two entirely unrelated activities.
"He what? When?"
"Said to wait. Last night."