Stephanie hesitated a moment before answering, “At the wilder ones, with vamps who don’t take good care of their girls, yes.” I sucked in breath and she hurried on, “But Lucien doesn’t go to those.”
“So, that’s why it’s dangerous,” I whispered and Edwina made another pip noise. Again Stephanie and I looked at her.
“Not entirely,” Stephanie replied, glancing back my way.
“What is it, entirely?” I pushed.
Stephanie sighed before saying, “Even at the good ones, things can get out of hand. Vampires are what we are. It isn’t unheard of for there to be bloodlust. In the throes of bloodlust a vampire will go for anything mortal. It’s not unusual for concubines to be used by other vamps, even offered by their own vampire to his friends.”
“Oh my God,” I breathed.
“Lucien wouldn’t do that,” she rushed to assure me.
“Oh my God,” I breathed again.
She leaned toward me. “Leah, seriously, Lucien would never share. Ever. You have to believe me. I’m being very serious.”
I just stared at her.
She kept talking. “He’d sense if things were deteriorating and he’d get you out of there. It wouldn’t matter. No vampire is stupid enough to touch what’s Lucien’s. He’d burn. Lucien would make sure of it. He’d do it himself. He’s even done it before.”
“Done what before?”
“Burned another vampire. If memory serves, he’s done it twice. Once was after something happened at A Feast. The other vamp didn’t even feed from his concubine, he just touched her. Lucien went mad, hunted him down, made him burn. The second was –”
She didn’t finish, I interrupted her by whispering, “Made him burn?”
Stephanie nodded. “Lucien killed him without a thought and he’d been within his rights. You don’t touch another vamp’s concubine. Most vampires cover it up, make a monetary agreement. They don’t take it that far. Any money that exchanges hands they give to their concubine to buy her silence. But Lucien would take it that far, no doubt about it. If it happens, it reflects on her vampire. He’ll seek vengeance and it’ll be granted. And she can demand immediate release and that too will be granted.”
“You can demand release?” I was too drunk to mask the hope in my voice.
“Yes,” Stephanie answered. “It’s tantamount to neglect which is grounds for unconditional release.”
My inebriated mind recalled reading that in my contract.
Why hadn’t I thought of that before?
There were grounds for unconditional release. Neglect, which Lucien had definitely not done, and extreme cruelty, which he could have done.
My brain was drunkenly churning so I didn’t catch Stephanie getting close.
“That doesn’t count,” she said softly, reading my drunken thoughts. “It happens to us all, not often but it does. I’m surprised it happened to Lucien but not surprised at the same time, considering it’s you. We lose focus or control. We’re vampires, you’re concubines. It’s the nature of the relationship.”
There it was. My hopes were dashed.
Again.
“I don’t like anything about the relationship. Not. One. Thing,” I announced and then took a huge sip of my martini.
When I was done swallowing, I caught her sly grin. “I’ll call you tomorrow morning after he feeds tonight and we’ll see what you say about the relationship then.”
I rolled my eyes. Stephanie laughed.
“Don’t you have more boxes to open?” I asked tartly.
She looked down at the boxes on the coffee table, her eyes narrowed and she reached out to grab one.
“This one has a note on it.” She yanked off the bow using the thick, cream card that was attached. “It says, ‘This is for tonight’.” She turned it to face me. “That’s Lucien’s handwriting.”
I looked at the bold, slashing, powerful, black scrawl that, in itself, was a command even if I couldn’t make out the words that seemed to be moving under my eyes. Of course it was his handwriting.
She thrust the box in my hands. “Open it. I have to see this.”
“No,” I thrust it back, “you open it.”
She pushed it back to me. “No, I want to see your face when you see what’s inside.”
I glared at her. She had eternity to live; she could play this game forever. I had only another forty, fifty years, if I was lucky.
I pulled open the box. It was, to my relief, not bondage gear.
It was, to my surprise and secret delight, something even more exquisite than the black gown.
A rich taupe camisole with dusty, lilac flowers imprinting the silk jacquard, trimmed in delicate taupe lace. The cups were half-jacquard, half-lace. The body was jacquard as were the thin straps. There were matching Brazilian cut panties, the front was jacquard with lace trim, the back almost entirely lace except a tantalizing triangle of jacquard at the top. There were sweet little rosettes at the waistband of the panties under the navel and at the juncture of the bodice where it met each of the straps of the camisole.
Stephanie eyeballed the camisole and panties as she took a sip from her martini. “Lucien always had good taste.” Her gaze moved to my face, a smile lit in her eyes and she repeated, “Always.”
I decided, yet again, I really liked Stephanie.
“Thanks,” I whispered.
She gave me a wink and nodded to the lingerie. “New order. Try that on first. Then the black gown.”
“We’ll have a fashion parade!” Edwina shouted enthusiastically from the kitchen where she was cooking dinner. I jumped because I forgot she was there.
A fashion parade didn’t seem like a bad idea. Or at least it didn’t after four martinis.
I jumped up, wobbled then righted myself and announced, “I’ll change, you open more boxes.”
Stephanie didn’t need to be told twice.
I started to run to the powder room but skidded to a halt and asked Edwina like I was a tweenie and Stephanie had come over after school, “Can Stephanie stay for dinner?”
“Of course, dear.” Edwina smiled and I smiled back.
Then I whirled to Stephanie. “Will you stay for dinner?”
She was still digging through boxes and didn’t look up when she answered, “I’d like that.”
Happy for the first time in weeks, I took my pretty lingerie, deciding not to think of it as a gift from Lucien as that would spoil the fun, and ran to the powder room to start the fashion parade.
Chapter Seven
The Punishment
Lucien walked into the kitchen from the garage and halted.
Edwina was busy at the sink scouring pots and pans. The living area looked like an exclusive boutique exploded in it. Red tissue paper, ribbons and black boxes were scattered everywhere, mounds of the clothing Lucien purchased for Leah were smoothed out on the backs and arms of furniture. On the countertop of the island bar were three used martini glasses all with silver toothpicks resting in varying states of martini remains. One still had a half-eaten olive on it.
Edwina turned to him with a bright smile on her face and he instantly knew she was intoxicated. He saw it and he smelled it.
This surprised him.
In the forty years she’d worked for him he had never, not once, come to his concubine’s home to find it a mess, to find the kitchen not sparkling clean, to find Edwina inebriated while on duty.
He’d seen her that way, of course, during parties or celebrations where she attended as a guest. For instance the birthday parties he threw every year for his concubines past and present. And the first anniversary of The Bloodletting which it was a tradition to celebrate.
Any other time, never.
“You’re here!” Edwina greeted happily, a huge drunken smile on her face.