Until the Sun Falls from the Sky(25)
She made to move and he allowed more of his weight to settle on her until she stilled.
“If you let me up, I’ll get you a drink,” she offered with false courtesy.
He ignored her attempt to get away from him and his gaze moved to her glass. “What are you drinking?”
She didn’t answer as he took his hand from her neck and reached for the glass. He brought it to his nose and inhaled its scent. It was diet cola and rum.
His eyes moved to hers. “You shouldn’t be drinking spirits,” he admonished.
Her head tilted to the side and her blue eyes grew darker. “Is that an order?”
“For tonight, while you’re still recovering, yes. Any other time you can drink what you wish.”
“I just don’t believe you,” she whispered angrily under her breath.
This was something else he ignored while he took a drink from her glass. For some reason, this caused her to protest, her hand shooting out, fingers wrapping around his wrist and jerking to no avail.
“Hey! Don’t drink from my drink!”
He replaced the glass on the table and looked at her. “Why?”
“It’s my drink!”
“Yes. And?”
“You can’t drink my drink!”
“And why not?”
“Because it’s my drink.”
He sighed her name, “Leah.”
She mimicked his sigh sarcastically. “Lucien.”
He could bear it no longer. She was, quite simply, enchanting.
He burst into laughter, burying his face in her neck while he pulled her to her side facing him, his arms wrapping tight around her, pressing her torso deep against his chest.
“Stop hugging me,” she grumbled over his shoulder, her hands between them pushing against him.
His hand slid down her back to its small, right above her ass and he pressed in. “I can’t help it, pet, you’re entirely huggable.”
“I’m huggable?”
He lifted his head and smiled at her. “Entirely.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You know, Lucien, you need to make up your mind. Either you’re this guy or you’re the jerky, controlling guy who I met at The Selection or you’re the near-miss murder guy last night. Pick one. I’m getting confused.”
He pulled slightly away, bent his elbow and rested his head in his hand, looking down at her.
“I’m all those… guys.”
“Can we make a deal that I get to pick which one I want?”
He was still smiling when he asked, “And which one would you choose?”
“None of them, in a perfect world.” He chuckled and she talked through it. “But this one, since we don’t live in a perfect world.”
“Lucky for you, you have this one now.”
“Then this one would give me back my phone.”
His smile died. “I’ll not be giving back your phone.”
“Okay then,” she shot back, “I don’t have the slightly tolerable one. I have the jerky, controlling one.”
He disregarded her heated words and said, “There are things you need to learn.”
“Yes, and if I could phone my mother, she would teach me.”
“I’m going to teach you.”
Her mouth snapped shut and she stared before she asked in a soft, stunned voice, “You?”
“Me.”
“Why you?”
It had been a boon she’d been expelled from Vampire Studies even if the reason why annoyed him. She had no idea her role or his limitations. All she knew was the contract which flew straight in the face of the law. Until he knew why the Buchanans sent her to him even after examining the altered contract, she would have nothing to do with them or anyone.
In the meantime, his path was cleared, at least with Leah.
And that was all that was important.
He, obviously, didn’t tell her any of that.
“Because the idea of doing it amuses me.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Leah,” he called and her gaze came to his. “I’ll take your instruction seriously and I expect you to do the same.”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s no one to pass notes to here and I don’t have a phone so I can text my friends.”
He reached up a hand and slid his fingers through the soft hair on the side of her head. A mortal man might have missed the delicate shiver that slid across her skin at his touch. And a mortal would definitely miss the sudden racing of her heart.
Lucien didn’t.
This pleased him.
Greatly.
He made no mention of it nor did he give her any indication he felt it.
His eyes locked with hers. “Good, then I’ll have your undivided attention.”
“Can we get started?” she snapped.
“You’re very impatient,” he told her, fighting a smile.