Alexandra nodded her head and made to stand. She grabbed her clutch.
“Wait.” He paused. “I’ll go first, you follow in a minute or two.”
Her eyes narrowed and the storm clouds returned to her eyes. “You don’t want your girlfriend to know that we’re leaving together. Look, forget the whole thing. You don’t owe me anything. I get it.” Alexandra tried to sit but Lazarus grabbed her arm, holding her in place. He pulled her towards him and whispered in her ear. “If we leave together, everyone in this room will think that we are going for a fuck. If you’re okay with that then by all means…let’s go. I don’t mind in the least…I assure you.” He pulled back, releasing her arm.
Her eyes still blazed but her cheeks had flushed red. Hot as fuck. “We have nothing to talk about. Let’s just have dinner and forget about it.”
Lazarus had to smile. “Two minutes or you will go over this shoulder.” He patted himself there and her gaze followed the movement, heating. Interesting, he would definitely be saving that bit of information for another time. He kept his gaze locked with hers for a few beats to show her that he meant business and then he turned and left.
Lazarus moved a little ways down the hall and leaned his back against the wall. It was cool there, but it did nothing to douse the raging inferno inside of him. With barely seconds to spare, the door opened and Alexandra emerged, clutch in hand. She looked up and down the hall. Her eyes overly large. He moved out from the shadows and gestured for her.
Her scent hit him first. Rich, dark chocolate with a hint of chili. Enough to burn but not so much that it overpowered the silky decadence of the chocolate. “What’s so important? Surely it could have waited?” She folded her arms.
“Not here.” He growled, his gaze moving to further down the hall. They were far enough away for human hearing but not so much where vampires were concerned. The guards didn’t need to know his business and this female sure as fuck was his business. He put his hand to the small of her back and ushered her down the hall.
They reached the first door, which he opened. It was dark inside which didn’t mean that it wasn’t occupied, it just meant that it wasn’t occupied by humans. Vampires could see perfectly in the dark. The complete silence and a quick scan of the room told him that the area was in fact vacant. Lazarus flipped the switch and gestured for Alexandra to go in. He closed the door and locked it, the hard click reverberated around the room.
“Is that really necessary?” She looked a little pale and her heart rate picked up.
“Yes.” He nodded. “Speak to me. You’re confusing the hell out of me. What is it that you want?”
She frowned. “I’m not sure what you mean. Why are we locked in here?”
“Relax. I won’t hurt you. I won’t fucking lay a finger on you. I want a few minutes of privacy. I want to understand what the fuck that was all about.” He pointed a finger in the general direction of the dining hall.
Alexandra huffed out a breath. “I know you won’t hurt me.” She looked at him like he was nuts. “You’re a great big teddy bear. I feel perfectly safe with you. I don’t think this is necessary.”
He wasn’t sure whether to be seriously pissed or happy that she didn’t see him as a threat. It was refreshing so he decided he would take it. “What happened in that dining hall?”
She frowned. “What are you talking about? I introduced myself and sat down to dinner…end of story.”
“No.” He growled, impressed when she didn’t flinch. “I saved you a seat. We agreed that we would get to know each other…” Fuck! He was turning into a pussy. What. The. Hell? “You ignored me and sat next to that fucker instead.”
“We said we would get to know each other. Yet, you’re acting like you’re my boyfriend or something. Like you have a say in my life. Newsflash…you don’t.” She threw her clutch on a nearby sofa, running a hand through her hair. “There is nothing between us…this isn’t exclusive.”
“Like fuck it isn’t.” His voice was deep and gravelly. He was so fucking pissed. “You can decide right now, Alexandra. You can go back in there and take your chances on one of the other nine or you can take your chances with me. I don’t share well…not a fuck.” He growled the last.
“You don’t share well?” She snarled. Her eyes narrowed to tiny slits. “You…” She poked him in the chest. “Don’t share…” Another hard poke. “Well…?” A final poke that would have left a mark if he was human. Her spectacular chest heaved, her dress barely holding her breasts in place. “Eyes up here asshole! You get to fuck around but I need to be at your beck and call…ready to jump when you click your fingers? Is that it?”
She didn’t give him a chance to say anything. “You listen to me. It’s not going to happen. I say no way…I would rather take my chances out there. So…” A poke in the chest. “You can take your conditions and ultimatums and shove them up your ass and then you can go back to your fuck buddy in there and leave me alone. I don’t share well either, so there. Nuff fucking said.”
His dick throbbed behind his zipper. It fucking all out throbbed. She was beautiful and sexy when she was happy. She was all out fuck-me-now hot when she was angry. Her skin was flushed. Her nostrils flared. Her eyes a dark, stormy blue.
“I told you that she isn’t my girlfriend.” Lazarus took a step towards her and she took a step back.
Alexandra rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. “Girlfriend, fuck buddy, whatever. I refuse to be the next notch on your belt. It isn’t going to happen.”
“Stop saying those things about Jenna. She is my friend. Full fucking stop.”
“Oh…she’s Jenna.” Her brows went up. “Sarah may have mentioned something about the two of you being friends.”
Lazarus had to suppress a grin, Alexandra had been asking around about him. She may not want to admit it but she cared. He nodded his head. “Look…it’s complicated. I took Jenna home with me last night but I didn’t touch her. Everyone thinks that we rutted but we didn’t. I haven’t been with any of the humans.”
She choked out a laugh. “Yeah, right. Next you’ll tell me that Santa Claus is a vampire and that the reindeers are shifters. I know you slept with…at least one of them.”
Lazarus shook his head…again. This female was infuriating. He took another step forward and she took another step away. A small one, her back hit the wall. He took another step, putting her a breath away from him. “The other human females are afraid of me and Jenna is my friend. I like that you are jealous though.”
Her mouth tightened and she shook her head so hard that her curls bounced. “No, I’m not. It’s just that you’re wasting my time.”
“You are jealous and I’m not wasting your time.”
She narrowed her eyes. He could see that she was still not buying it.
“I want to get to know you better, Alexandra.” He brushed a wayward strand of hair off of her face and placed his hands on the wall on either side of her head. Her heart rate picked up. “There is something about you that I really like.” He let his eyes move across the delicate features on her face before moving back to her eyes. They reminded him of the ocean. Stunningly beautiful but unpredictable as fuck.
She made a snorting noise. “Yeah”—she rolled her eyes—“my boobs. You have a thing for them.”
“Let’s get something straight, I don’t like your breasts, Alexandra. I fucking love them.” Every muscle inside of him clenched. “There is more to this though. Much more. I’m not a part of The Program for a quick fuck. I can get that anywhere…easily. I’m here for more. The question is…are you here for more too?”
Her eyes flashed with something that looked like panic. Then they locked with his once more. Calm and collected.
“For the last time, do you want to do this, Alexandra? Before you answer, know that it will be exclusive—”
She sucked in a breath, wanting to say something.
“—exclusive for the both of us. I’m glad that you don’t like sharing.” He pushed himself against her, loving how her eyes widened and her pupils dilated. His cock was hard and throbbing and pressed tightly against her stomach. This wasn’t a game. This was the real fucking deal. “I’m glad you were jealous. I was too. The next time any of the others so much as think about touching you, I will break every bone in their fucking hand.”
The scent of her arousal caught him deep in the nose.
He had to smile. “The thought of me breaking another male’s hand turns you on?”
She chewed on her lip.
“It does, doesn’t it?”
A small nod.
Lazarus leaned in so that his mouth was almost touching her ear. “I think we’re going to get along just fine. Now, kiss me.” He leaned back so that he could look into her eyes.
“No.” She shook her head. “We need to get to know one another. No kissing.”