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I walked out of the Bible Lands Museum where my friend Yosef worked and had been helping me with my research. Although, I certainly didn’t expect when I walked in there this morning that I would be leaving hours later with Lucius’ hand refusing to let go of mine. He had also taken my bag from me, making me suck in a breath at the contact when his arm brushed across my breasts. If he noticed, he didn’t comment but then again, his eyes did brighten a moment, burning amber.
But now, with the way his hand gripped mine in what felt like an unyielding hold, it was as if he was worried that if he let go, then I would bolt, and he would only end up having to chase me. Which, in front of a load of tourists, wouldn’t have been a good idea, not unless we wanted the police involved. But then what was I thinking, as this idea only crossed my mind for a second, because it was foolish to think that by screaming for help right now might have given me another head start. Because Lucius was the master at manipulating mortal minds, so it would have been pointless. He could have just created a wall of people to surround me before calmly walking up to me and throwing me over his shoulder and no one would have batted an eyelid.
Damn Vampire King!
So, instead, I stormed from the glass fronted building and started walking towards where my car was parked across the road. A plan that ended the moment Lucius pulled on my hand, stopping me. I looked back up at him, now seeing him with his sunglasses on and I swear my heart raced. But then with the smirk he granted me, it was obvious that he knew my heartbeat had kicked up a beat. Bloody hell, but could he look any sexier! Gods, if the sight hadn’t been so hot to look at, then I would have hated him for it!
“My car is over there,” he informed me, and I looked towards the chauffeur driven car parked where it shouldn’t be and said,
“Good for you, it’s a good sign you’re aging well when you can remember things like that,” I said sarcastically making him chuckle, before he started to lead me over to it.
“I can’t leave my car,” I told him, trying to pull back. Something that was useless clearly, as he looked towards the parking area and told me,
“We can get it later.”
“Or we could just arrange where to meet and I will take my car and you take yours and I will see you there?” I asked in a hopeful tone making him pull his glasses down enough so he could look at me over them, his unimpressed look speaking for itself.
“I will take that as a no, then?” I commented awkwardly.
“It’s nice to see that your powers of observation are still up to par, Love...as you can take that as a, Hell no,” he said before gripping my hand tighter and pulling me towards his car. So, with my bag over his shoulder and my hand wrapped tightly in his, I had little choice but to go where he wanted me to go. Especially seeing as most of my new life was in that bag he had hold of.
I had been staying in a small apartment only ten minutes’ drive from here, picking it for that reason. Because coming here had always been in my plans as no one knew about Yosef. He was a friend that I sometimes reached out to if anything particularly interesting came into my sector at the museum, one that I knew he could help with. A job, I had to ask myself often if I would ever get to do again. Of course, the museum had given me time off, but I doubted they had been planning on it being three months!
The thought was a depressing one, as that job had been my whole life. A life that, from the looks of things, just got even more complicated.
But Yosef had merely thought I was on a sabbatical, due to a personal historical discovery I was funding with the help of investors. He worked in gallery three of the museum, one that was called symbolic communication, and housed seals used in trade and commerce, being one of the earliest examples of communication and featuring over 6,500 years of glyptic art. He also oversaw works in gallery four which was literate voices, the story of writing. A field of expertise which naturally leant itself as useful considering what I faced.
The history was all based on the development of writing and a gallery of chronicles showcasing the development of written communication from its earliest forms: cuneiform, hieroglyphic and alphabetic writing. So basically, the box in a nutshell. Of course, having the symbols pretty much memorized by now helped in this, seeing as I had thrown the box back in Lucius’ face in my moment of trying to make a point.
So, Yosef had pulled a few strings and they ended up welcoming me to carry out my research with the promise that the museum would benefit from any discoveries I made. I now wondered if that included the angry Vamp King who was currently opening the door to the parked car and nodding down at it expectantly. Well, he was old, so it’s not like he wouldn’t fit in, I thought sarcastically as I folded myself inside. He soon followed and it quickly became apparent that Lucius didn’t intend on giving me much space and he sat in a way that he was touching me. Which made this car feel as though it was getting smaller by the second.
“So, the deal is we go somewhere, we sit, and we talk and that’s it...right?” I said which he ignored and told the driver,
“Back to the hotel.” This made me mutter,
“Or I could just get ignored and you make all the decisions,” I muttered mockingly, making him finally respond,
“Now that sounds like a good plan.” I rolled my eyes at the window this time and ignored him.
“Relax, there is a restaurant at the hotel where we can sit and talk, besides, I need to retrieve my phone from my room.” I looked down at the pockets on his shorts in a questioning way,
“It needed charging,” he informed me, as if this mattered but it made me laugh,
“What’s funny about that?”
“Only that it is probably the most human thing I have ever heard you say.” He scoffed before removing his glasses and hooking the arm of them in the neck of his T-shirt, so they hung there.
“So, this hotel of yours, this isn’t the part where you left out that it was in Germany or Portland, Maine...right?” I asked because I felt strangely as if I needed to speak. He granted me a grin before saying,
“It’s the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Centre.” Of course, I knew of it naturally as it was a beautiful building, with a lot of history.
“Waldorf Astoria all booked up?” I asked making him grant me a wry look before telling me,
“I have investments in the hotel.” I scoffed a murmured,
“Of course, you do.” But this wasn’t what struck me,
“So, the Notre Dame huh...? Well, that’s close then,” I commented quietly, wondering if he was staying there because of how close it was.
“Seven minutes from the museum and ten minutes from your apartment,” he told me, and I released a deep heavy sigh, making him chuckle.
“I didn’t have a hope, did I?” I asked in a deflated tone making him pick up my hand, and raise it to his lips to kiss as he told me,
“No, you didn’t, but if it helps, you gave it a good try, sweetheart.” I yanked my hand from his and mumbled,
“Patronizing, condescending, arrogant...” he laughed before turning to me and saying,
“You can’t say that I didn’t warn you.”
“Yes, because that makes a whole month of buses, cruise ships and car journeys so much better and seem so worth it!” I snapped making him shrug his shoulders just as we pulled up to his hotel that looked more like the entrance to some English castle.
“Yes, well it’s lucky for you, that out of the both of us, my tenaciousness was fueled on the grounds of making you safe, whereas yours was just reckless and foolish,” he said making my mouth drop open. Then without looking back at me or my astonished (had I just been slapped without realising it) face, he got out of the car, doing so the moment the door was opened outside the hotel. I then leaned forward to the driver and said,
“If I give you 4000 shekels, would you just speed away, like right now?” He granted me a wide eyed, questioning look at what was the offer of over a thousand dollars to drive me somewhere. But the sound of the growl outside told me what his answer would be.
“Don’t fucking try it.” Then Lucius’ hand came into view and he said my name in warning, making me release a frustrated sigh before getting out of the car, after first slapping his hand away and ignoring his courteous gesture.
Oh, and let’s not forget the part where I tripped over my own feet and fell into him anyway. The second his hands went to my hips to steady me, my breath hitched and his, in response to the sound, squeezed me tighter. Damn him and his ability to turn me into a mindless twit!
This meant that I had no option at salvaging this other than to take a deep breath and try and at least appear to be taking charge of my life. So, I tagged his sunglasses from the neck of his T shirt, flicked out the arm, put them on and tapped his cheek, before telling him,
“Thanks, handsome, now did you say something about a bar?” Then I started to walk towards the entrance, leaving him behind and left muttering to himself,
“Must be losing my damn touch.” I grinned to myself and felt him catch me up just as I was looking up at the impressive entrance, his next correction was,
“And it was a restaurant, not a bar.”
“Same jazz,” I replied without looking, instead taking in the two turrets of pale stone blocks and the building in between, with glass doors set back through a stone archway. There were also two huge buildings that framed either side of the impressive entrance which I assumed were the accommodation wings.
Lucius opened the door for me, and I walked inside to find a lobby showcasing the same pale stone as on the outside. This was combined with pale marble floors to match. Two comfy looking seating areas framed both sides of the open centre space, one that led to the reception.
Lucius took my hand once more and walked us both through the lobby, going first to the receptionist and when her eyes widened, I could understand why. Damn sexy Vamp!
“Mr Septimus, welcome back, they have just finished adding the new luggage to your suite.” He nodded and said,
“Very good, any messages?” She checked on the system and said,
“Just one, a call from a Mr Draven.” I tensed at the sound of my father’s name and Lucius’ hand tightened on mine before he looked down at me, turning his head to the side slightly, before whispering,
“Easy, sweetheart.” I took a breath and ignored the way he watched me as I swallowed down the hard lump.
“Can you make us reservations for dinner tonight at the Cheese and Wine, he asked, making me want to ask what he thought he was doing. Instead I told him firmly,
“I can’t have dinner with you.” Then I lifted my sunglasses to the top of my head so I could show him how serious I was when making that statement.
“Why not?” he asked, and the receptionist slipped up and also inquired,
“Yes, why not?” I shot her a look, at which she rolled her lips inwards before mouthing a silent ‘sorry’. I gave her a nod before turning back to Lucius.
“The deal was that I let you drag me here for a drink or lunch at the most, but not dinner.” The woman behind the desk looked at Lucius as if asking herself why this man would have needed to drag any woman anywhere. And maybe questioning why they weren’t all lined up around the block or something, this at the very whisper of a mention that he was looking for a date.
“It is too late for lunch,” Lucius told me, and the receptionist opened her mouth about to correct him, when he gave her a pointed look, which in turn made her look to me and quickly say,
“He’s right...so I will just ring them...any particular time?”
“Never o clock,” I answered.
“Eight o’clock,” Lucius replied, ignoring my made-up time which sounded a much better option. She nodded and walked to the phone off to the side, no doubt wanting to put distance between us. Something that became obvious, seeing as she wasn’t using the one that was right in front of her screen.
“Lucius, this was not...” I was stopped short the moment I felt his fingers under my chin, bringing my face up at the same time he lowered his before whispering,
“Trust me, sweet girl.”
I swallowed hard again wanting to point out that I most definitely did not trust him or his pushy ways. But the way he had said it was enough to steal any response I may have had or would’ve been brave enough to voice. I swear, that even my poor neglected clit had just swooned. Because as much as I hated to admit it, my two-month dry spell hadn’t only been linked to sex. For even my fingers seemed to have lost their appeal. This I put down to Lucius and just the thought of him being too painful to think about. Especially in that way. And well, seeing as he had featured in all of my sexual fantasies before he even became my boyfriend, then I was stuck with nothing else to work with.
Which meant that two months without even a single orgasm was enough to make a damn Disney princess cranky and ready to tell even the birds and talking mice to fuck off! But what I was currently discovering that made this even worse, was that I was now being forced to endure my very own walking, talking, smoking hot fantasy! And let’s just say that expecting my body not to turn into a traitorous bitch and betray me was like asking for it to snow tomorrow, and it was summer in Jerusalem!
I swear, I wouldn’t last the day without rubbing myself up against him like some damn cat in heat! Gods, but why the Hell had he turned up!?
It turned out that this internal musing ended up not just making me horny, but I also missed everything that was arranged. Only knowing this when Lucius started leading me to...well, I had no clue where. For all I knew he had arranged chloroform, chains, and a coffin to be in his room, ready to ship me back home...well, at the very least I expected it would have airholes otherwise that would have just been mean.
I let him walk me to the elevators before I finally came out of my own inner monologue, enough to say,
“I’m not going to dinner with you.”
“Yes, you are,” he stated glancing up at the numbers to see if it was on its way.
“You know, bullying a girl to go on a date with you is a little sad and giving off major desperate vibes...besides, why not ask the receptionist, she looked like she was checking you out...see what I did there?” I said nudging his arm and making him smirk down at me, ignoring my ‘check out’ joke and commenting in a cocky way,
“Why, you jealous?”
“Why, you delusional?” I threw back at him, making him chuckle.
“Besides, I am hardly dressed for dinner but hey, that’s an idea, you just let me catch a cab home and then I will meet you back here later...yeah?”
“Nice try, sweetheart. Besides, the dress part won’t be a problem,” he told me as the doors opened and he pulled me inside the elevator.
“I hate to ask, ‘cause I know I am going to regret it, but why isn’t a dress going to be a problem, Lucius?” A bad boy grin was my only answer, making me then ask,
“Where are you taking me now?”
“To my room,” he said making me instantly try to step out of the elevator, at the same time saying,
“Oh, hell no!” Only he tugged me back and slashed a hand in a way that made the doors close a lot quicker than they usually did, so I had no choice but be trapped in there with him. Then an arm banded across my front in a way that seemed as though it was becoming a habit of his. He held me to his chest and whispered down into my ear,
“What’s wrong, sweetheart...scared?”
“Terrified,” I admitted and then to save myself I added,
“They take murder very seriously here.” It was after this that I felt myself shaking thanks him throwing his head back and the sound of his laughter made my heart ache. Gods, but I loved it when I could make him laugh. It felt like I had just won a prize every damn time.
After this, he only let me go from this very intimate hold when the doors opened to what I gathered was his floor. I soon found my hand was in his once again and I was being led to what I discovered wasn’t a room at all, it was naturally a suite.
And as far as suites went, it was a very nice suite, beautiful even. But its beauty wasn’t what my eyes went to the moment I was pulled inside the room. No, it wasn’t the stunning view of the city from the private terrace, or even the expensive looking luggage that was yet to be unpacked, telling me Lucius had just arrived.
No, it was none of those things. Instead, it was the items that shouldn’t have been there, making me turn to the culprit in question and ask him in what I considered a dangerous tone...
“Why are all my bags here?”