All right, I’m in.
Tawne kept replaying the conversation between her, Will, and the others in her mind, over and over again.
What did I just agree to?
The men had left her alone in her room to unpack, change clothes, relax, bathe, sleep, whatever she felt like doing. Right now, she wanted to scout the house for exits, entrances, where everyone’s rooms were, and if there was a pool. A house this size had to have some sort of pool or hot tub, or both.
She crossed her new bedroom to the windows. Each were trimmed with champagne valances that had to cost as much as a month’s salary at the museum. Probably more. Pulling one to the side, she found a handle on what appeared to be a window type door. She turned it, opened the glass pane, and stepped outside.
Warmth welcomed her as the sun began to set for the day. She closed her eyes and lifted her face to the fading light. She planned on taking in all she could until she was met with the rising moon. Since vampires did not venture out into the sun, she didn’t expect to be out here much; however, she would have to be sure to get out here occasionally to soak up the rays.
A breeze blew, and it shifted her hair across her back, tickling her exposed arms. She sighed and opened her eyes once more, then smiled at the landscape surrounding her view.
A pond in the distance had a fountain sprinkling water into the pool below, and a few ducks and a swan were swimming through the rippling water with ease. Trees surrounded the outer edges of the property en mass. If there was a fence around the property line, she wasn’t aware, but couldn’t imagine a place like this not having some type of security.
The thought of security brought another thought to mind. What if she wanted to leave for an outing? Could she? Would they let her, or would she be escorted? Hopefully the former, but most likely the latter. Close to her balcony, She spied a swing big enough to hold three people. It was wooden and reminded her of the park downtown.
She walked back inside and closed the door behind her. She wanted to tour the home on her own and decided right now would be the best time to start. Making her way to her door, she grabbed the doorknob and paused for a moment.
When Will left earlier, I heard a door slam in the distance. Is his room up here as well? If so, which one would belong to him?
Touring the house didn’t include stumbling into someone’s room. She could imagine that conversation.
Oh, hi, Will. No, I wasn’t snooping. I was just checking what was behind door number three.
She opened her door and stepped out, this time with her eyes open. She didn’t want a repeat of Will walking up on her blind. She pulled the door closed and went back the way they came in toward the staircase. She glanced down over the railing at the steps and could see the gathering rooms on the second floor, and the main entry on the first floor. Was there a basement? A courtyard?
I need to find out if there’s a pool. They also said something about an elevator.
She looked to her right and found an elegant, dark oak desk pushed against the window with paper and a quill sitting on a corner of it. Walking over to it, she touched the writing pen and smiled. It wasn’t often ink wells and writing quills were out for use. The sound of gears moving broke the silence. She glanced over her shoulder and found the elevator door and a backlit panel with buttons. Giving herself a nod for finding it, she turned back toward the stairs and paused. Her room was to the left, somewhere down on the right was Will’s.
The line from the children’s movie, don’t go near the west wing, rang through her mind. She suddenly felt like the carpenter’s daughter held captive by a beast who wanted to torment her, but there was another side to the man, a side she wanted to find.
She took the stairs down to the second floor. The familiar rooms were in view, but there had to be more. Walking through the room where the Cello was placed, she noticed it extended to another room with a pool table, foosball, and a two lane bowling alley.
She raised her brows at this extravagance and stepped inside the room. She’d played pool before, some foosball, but bowling wasn’t something she excelled at. She grinned at the thought of the four vampires in this house all bowling.
Turning around to walk back, she observed a bar behind her. With its shiny mirrored backing flashing her reflection as she made her way closer to the wooden slab top, she discovered the bar was filled with liquor and flavors. How much alcohol was needed in one home was uncertain, but who was she to judge? She felt thirsty, so why not make a drink? Stepping behind the bar, she picked up a glass and pushed the sliding lid for the ice.
No ice.
“What kind of bar has no ice?”
“The kind that isn’t used often,” Cristofano answered.
She gasped and jumped back. “Shit, you scared me. I thought I was alone.”
“Oh, you were, but I felt your presence. I hope you don’t mind?”
“My presence?” She shook her head. “No, I don’t mind. How did you feel my presence?”
“It’s a vampire thing we do. We pick up on emotions. I can feel you on another floor.”
She raised her brows. “Everyone can pick up on me?”
He nodded. “Or they can choose to ignore it. I asked the lot to leave you be for a while.”
She smiled and picked up her glass. “So why did you come then?”
He shrugged. “I was hoping to help settle any doubts, fears, or maybe get you a drink?”
She tilted the glass and tapped the side of it with her finger. “No ice.”
“What are you wanting to make?”
“Hmm, vodka tonic.”
He nodded. “There’s vodka in the freezer and tonic in the fridge. You shouldn’t need ice for that.”
“Oh.” She turned and opened the freezer and sure enough, a bottle of Vodka sat in the door. She grabbed it then found the tonic. She poured the drink, half and half. If today was any indication of how things would progress, she needed a strong drink.
“Do you like your room?”
She met his gaze while drinking. Setting the glass down, she licked her upper lip, then nodded. “Yes, very much so. It’s beautiful.” When Cristofano didn’t say anything or move, she raised a brow. “Are you all right?” He was staring at her mouth, unmoving.
“What?” He met her gaze, then smiled and shifted the weight on his feet. “Yes, I’m fine. I was mesmerized by the flick of your tongue over your lips.”
A heat rushed through her and her face burned. She grinned and lowered her gaze to the ground. “No one has ever said anything like that to me before.”
“No one has seen you the way we do, Tawne.”
She wasn’t sure how it happened, but Cristofano stood directly in front of her. She looked up at the man staring into her eyes. He lifted his hand and with a gentle touch, slipped his finger across her cheek and down to trace over her neck where her pulse point throbbed. “You are most exquisite.”
Her breath hitched, her knees felt weak, and a warmth kindled between her legs. The glass in her hand suddenly felt heavy.
“You missed a spot,” he whispered. “May I?”
Her body ignited in a full flame of desire. Would he lick her mouth? Kiss her? Both? She wanted to throw herself on him and do naughty, awful things to him. No one had ever brought her to orgasm, and the only ones she’d experienced previously were given by her own doings. However, with Cristofano and his brothers, she imagined losing count of the times she would come for them.
“Tawne?”
“Hmm?”
“May I?”
She realized she hadn’t said anything or moved. She parted her lips and whispered, “Yes.”
Cristofano took the drink from her hand and set it down on the bar. He brought up his hands and held both sides of her face. He tilted her head up just slightly, then leaned in. She closed her eyes and a whisper of a kiss brushed just next to her mouth, then another slightly above her lips.
Tawne fisted her hands and could feel the self-control slipping. She reached up for Cristofano and gripped his arms at the bend of his elbow. His muscles flexed and contracted against her fingers. “You taste of the sun, vodka, and magic.”
“Will you let me taste you as well?” The words were out before she realized what she asked.
A chuckle bubbled from Cristofano. “Yes, I would love that.”
Without hesitation, Tawne lifted up on her toes and tilted her head up. She slanted her mouth over his and a groan passed between them. Cristofano tilted her head back and slipped his tongue over her lips, pushing them apart. His tongue darted inside, grazing over her teeth and tangling with her tongue.
She wasn’t sure what to expect when kissing a vampire, but by all accounts, this was the best kiss she had ever experienced. He took his time seducing her mouth with his. He slipped his tongue out and teased her lips before dipping back in. He pulled her closer against his body with one hand around her waist and the other buried into her hair.
Then, he broke away from her. Resting his forehead against her, he panted. “Tawne, forgive me. I have been wanting to do that since we met.”
“No apologies are needed. I wanted you to kiss me as well.”
“I’m afraid I’ve taken you from your tour of our home, though.”
She opened her eyes and pulled back to look into his. “Not at all, but, let’s take a moment.” She reluctantly pulled herself free from his grasp and took a step back. She wiped at her lower lip, then picked up her drink. She took a long sip, then cleared her throat. “Tell me about you. What did you do in your human life that brought you to where you are now?”
He motioned to the bar stools. The two took a seat. Cristofano fiddled with a few napkins on the bar as he spoke. “I was born and raised in Venice. I lived near the Bridge of Sighs, or Ponte Dei Sospiri. Occasionally, at night, in the wind I could hear the whispers of those long ago captured and sent to Prigioni Nuove, or The New Prison. The whispers were always greater near the Doge’s palace.
“I fought in the wars between Venice and Italy. After the third Independence War in 1866, Venice finally joined in with Italy. Most did not want to do it, but what could you do? It was not like here in the states. You lived, or you died trying to leave.
“When I turned twenty-nine, I left and joined the military. It was there that I picked up on investments. I served my time in our army, then left. I ventured out to work with money and understand how to invest it. It was at that point that I met the man who changed my life.”
Cristofano paused for a moment, as if reflecting. Tawne sipped on her vodka tonic and waited patiently for him to continue.
“I met a man who had a lot of money he’d inherited and wanted to invest. So, we talked for a while, we shared a few drinks, and when it was time to seal the deal, he turned on me. He attacked me in an alley. It was dark and no one else was around. The last thing I remember, he stabbed me in the gut and then my chest. He threatened something about taking all of my money and investments. Just as I dropped to the ground to die, a sound erupted in the alley that would have frightened me if I were not already dying.
“A second later, the man who attacked me was thrown from where he stood. I heard him scream, then everything was silent. A shadow fell over me as I blacked out. I thought I had died, until I woke with an intense thirst the likes of which I had never felt before.”
Cristofano toyed with the fangs in his mouth as she watched him relive the moment he woke as a vampire.
“Did it hurt?”
He met her stare, then shook his head. “Not in the least. My maker stayed with me for a while, and when I was ready he released me. I decided to stay with investments; it’s what I knew. I started up my own firm and needed someone to run the place with me. That’s where I met Evan and Will.”
She could not move from her seat. “I love history and my dream is to become a museum curator. Your story of Venice, the war, the Doge’s palace…” she trailed off and smiled like a kid on a sugar high. “I would love to hear more when you’re up to sharing.”
“Sure, anytime. I enjoy your company.”
She reached for his hand and squeezed it. “And I yours.”
“Did I hear my name?”
Another voice joined their conversation and Tawne smiled as Evan stepped into the game room.
“Ahh, I see my time alone with you has come to an end. However, I’m happy to hand you over to Evan.” Cristofano lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed his lips firmly on the back of her hand. He kept his gaze fixed on hers as he reluctantly lowered her hand to rest on the edge of the bar. “I look forward to our time together again.” Cristofano leaned in and a kiss as soft as a rose petal breathed across her cheek. “Addio per ora, bella signora.”
“What does that mean?” she whispered.
“I’ll tell you later,” he winked and moved away. “Evan, my brother, enjoy your time with our beautiful guest.”
Evan grinned and stepped further into the room, around the departing Cristofano. “It would be my pleasure.”
Tawne followed Cristofano with her gaze as he left the room. As soon as he was out of sight, she turned her attention to Evan. “Well, hello there,” she said with a grin.