Total pages in book: 436
Estimated words: 415303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 2077(@200wpm)___ 1661(@250wpm)___ 1384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 415303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 2077(@200wpm)___ 1661(@250wpm)___ 1384(@300wpm)
"They'd do that? To you? Someone so old?"
His mouth pressed into a firm line. "I'm not that old."
"You are."
His arm tightened around my shoulder. "Great, then that makes you a child?"
"No, but—"
"They'd challenge me still, yes. And if Cassius approaches, try not to touch him, any part of him."
"What about breathing?" I tilted my head mockingly. "Am I allowed to do that?"
"Ethan!" Gushed a high pitched female voice from my right.
I turned and had the sudden urge to hide behind a potted plant, or maybe just Mason, wherever he'd gone. The woman was at least six feet tall, had long ebony hair, crystal green eyes, and a smile that seemed completely unreal.
"Where have you been?" She pushed me slightly out of the way, as if I didn't exist, and kissed him on both cheeks then pulled back.
"Busy," Ethan answered, tugging me yet again close to himself.
The woman's eyes squinted in my direction. "Oh…" She smirked. "Sorry. I didn't see you there."
Right.
Because I was ugly.
Nonexistent.
Worthless.
I tried to appear meek, but it seemed the longer I was in the immortal world the more anger issues I was developing. A week ago, I would have blushed and shrugged it off.
Now? I wanted to find a fork and stab her with it.
I clenched my fists together and offered a pathetic smile.
"She's the one then?" The woman kept talking. "I don't see it. I really don't. I heard Cassius is on a rampage."
"Cassius is always on a rampage." Ethan shrugged. "Delora, this is my mate, Genesis."
"Already?" Delora gasped. "Ethan, I thought—"
"It was great seeing you." Ethan dismissed her as if she were nothing but a tiny bug beneath his shoe. "I promised my love a dance though. Excuse us."
I fought the urge to snort. His love? Right.
Without asking me, Ethan set the champagne glass down on a nearby table and pulled me onto a small dance floor.
"She was lovely," I said once the music started.
A smile teased the corners of Ethan's mouth. "She's horrible, but at least you didn't throw your champagne in her face."
"I was tempted."
"Me too." His voice caressed my body. I tried to keep my distance from him, but he wasn't having it. Instead, he pulled me as close as physically possible so we were chest to chest. "I like your dress."
"It's red." Lame. Someone, put me out of my misery.
His warm chuckle had my knees shaking together. "Like blood."
"Yeah."
"About as damn tempting too."
I was desperate to hear him say it wasn't just the dress that was tempting, but me, even though I knew it was stupid, and I was just setting myself up to get hurt all over again.
"You look… nice."
Nice. He said I looked nice. Not pretty, not even cute, or beautiful, just nice. Like a dog.
Or a plant.
"Thanks." I swallowed the lump in my throat.
Ethan
Every damn woman in that room paled in comparison, and that was the truth. It was like fighting a war with myself — not telling her how I really felt, like dragging her away from the watchful eyes of people who'd do her harm and kissing her senseless then promising her forever.
It was instinctual.
Nothing more.
If I pushed her away, I wouldn't attach myself more emotionally — at least, that was what I told myself — then she'd gone and gotten cranky, which, frankly, was adorable.
She crossed her arms.
I half-expected her to stomp her foot or at least claw my eyes out. Damn, I would have been gone if she'd done any of those things.
She still had control.
I wondered if she noticed how her personality was slightly changing. Vampires weren't known for being calm and collected. Perhaps on the outside… but on the inside? Blood boiled; it always boiled. And I knew it was just a matter of time before she snapped.
Because my blood flowed through her veins, and if that didn't make me want to shout at the top of my lungs.
Her scent was covered up with perfume.
I didn't like it.
I sniffed her neck harder.
She flinched.
I licked.
And she froze in my arms.
I hadn't meant to actually lick her, or maybe I had, and I just hadn't fully thought through the ramifications of my actions.
"Sorry…" Since when did I apologize? "I was… curious."
"So you licked me?" Her body trembled in my arms.
I held her tighter. "Yeah." That's all I had.
The song was ending.
"What do I taste like?"
"Heaven," I said before I could lie. Being honest with her about her own taste was the least I could do, right?
But just admitting it out loud made me want more.
"What's heaven taste like?"
"Genesis." My mouth curved into a small smile at her swift intake of breath. Her heart picked up speed, like a horse getting ready to race. Her palms began to sweat against mine.
"Care to know how I taste?" I asked, dipping her low in my arms.
She blinked up at me. "Yes."