His words hit me like a slap in the face. Wasn’t a man supposed to soothe your anxieties about things like that? I made a mental note never to ask him how my butt looked in jeans.
“Come,” he urged me toward the limo.
The limo! Limos were reserved for weddings and funerals, not dates, where I came from. What had I gotten myself into? Julian thought this was a terrible idea, I was about to be surrounded by vampires, and I hadn’t even delivered the bad news to him yet.
I wasn’t going to keep the cello. I couldn’t. It just felt…wrong.
I snuggled into his jacket as he guided me toward the back passenger door. A hint of exotic, spicy cologne lingered on it, combining with something that could only be described as Julian. It was the centuries of experiences he’d lived before me, the places he’d seen and I’d only read about, the people he had met, and then, strangely, the music. There was something that hung on him that I’d only ever known when I was playing my cello or listening to music. I’d tasted it in his kiss, too. I wanted to taste more of it. I wanted to experience his lifetimes, one lingering kiss at a time. It was going to be hard to keep my head on straight around him. It didn’t help that his hand rested on the small of my back. Between that subtle contact, the memory of his lips on mine, and the scent of his jacket, my head was swimming.
The chauffeur jumped out of the car as we reached it. He dashed over to open the door, but Julian angled himself between us. The driver paused, his eyes widening, as Julian drew to his full height, squared his shoulders, and…growled.
It was more of a low rumble–a warning–than anything else. But it had its intended effect on the man. I was stunned.
“Did you just growl?” I asked him slowly.
He ignored my question. I couldn’t tell if he didn’t want to answer me or if he felt he needed to keep his eyes on the driver. His jaw tightened, but he didn’t take his eyes off the other man. Julian opened the door for me. “Get in the car, pet.”
“As long as you stop acting like a Neanderthal,” I grumbled.
It turned out that getting into a limousine while wearing a dress wasn’t all that easy. Or maybe I, as a limo virgin, didn’t know the trick. Regardless, I found myself a bit relieved that Julian was too busy with his pissing contest to watch my less-than-graceful crawl across the limo’s back seat. I bumped my head against the felt roof liner, and static electricity prickled all over my head. Given the slightly squat seat, it took me a second to arrange my skirt. I quickly tidied my hair which was trying to fly away from the static. Julian slid in just as I settled, and I did my best to look casual.
That was hard because this was worse than driving with him in the BMW. Those had been close quarters, but there had been a center console between us. Now I was alone in a massive back seat with a man who kissed like a reincarnated sex god, bought half-million-dollar presents, and growled if another man got too close to me. I wanted to mind the last one more. Honestly, he’d been born in the Middle Ages, not a cave. Instead, arousal ticked in me like a time bomb, and I pressed my thighs together, trying to keep myself from exploding.
I had no idea what Julian saw in me. He had to have met far more interesting women in his life. I also felt more confused than ever because he’d made it clear that a relationship with me was out of the question. So why had he acted like he owned me?
Better yet, why had I liked it so much?
Julian remained silent next to me as the limousine pulled away from the curb. Something was preoccupying him, too. He stared out the window. How could he be so close, that my whole body felt on edge, and so far away at the same time? At least, the distance that hung between us made bringing up the cello a little easier.
I took a minute to gather my courage before I plunged into the speech I’d practiced with Olivia’s help all afternoon. “I wanted to thank you for the cello.”
His head swiveled toward me, studying me for a moment. “It pleased you?”
“Definitely,” I said quickly. He was paying attention. That was the first step. “I can hardly believe I touched something as beautiful as that Grancino. I was almost too scared to pick it up.”
A smile spread like warm honey across his face. “Pet, you have to touch it to play it. Were you satisfied with its sound?”
“Actually, I didn’t play it.” I felt like I was confessing to a murder, but he only lifted one dark brow.
“Why not?”
“It’s too much,” I blurted out. I was already off-script, so much for delivering my decision calmly and smoothly. “It feels indulgent. You shouldn’t have done that.”
“I want to indulge you,” he murmured.
His words sounded like how I imagined sex felt. I found myself wanting to play for him. I saw a vision of me, completely nude, with the cello carefully placed between my legs. My mouth went dry as he joined the fantasy. His bare hands brushed my shoulders as I played. A finger danced up my neck and unpinned my hair. Julian draped a long arm around my neck and began to play with my nipples. I gasped audibly, and the vision evaporated. Next to me, Julian straightened instinctively, his protective demeanor returning from its short hiatus.
“Are you feeling well?” he asked.
“Fine,” I lied. Now it wasn’t just my head spinning. “I was just imagining playing it for you.”
His head tilted, and he studied me for a second. “Interesting.”
“What?” So much for taking control of the situation.
“Nothing.” He waved it off, but wheels continued to turn in his eyes. It was definitely something. “I would like that.”
“What?” I asked, now completely confused.
“For you to play it for me.”
I swallowed before nodding. “I can do that, Julian, but I can’t keep it.”
“I broke yours.” He folded his hands in his lap as if waiting for me to respond to his move.
“I didn’t need such a luxurious replacement.” Why couldn’t he see that? Or maybe vampires just bought stuff at antique stores because they preferred to shop in them? It hardly mattered. “I’d be afraid to even touch it. What if I broke this one like I did the other?”
“Then you’ll likely have to settle for something other than a Grancino. There aren’t many of them left in the world.”
It was a very practical answer to my hypothetical question. But it illustrated the ocean between us. “It belongs in a museum,” I continued. “Or a private collection. It’s not meant to be played.”
Julian leaned closer and took my chin in two gloved fingers. “Don’t be ridiculous, pet. It wasn’t crafted to be in a display cabinet. Giovanni would want you to have it, and he would want you to play it.”
Of course, he’d known him. Who else had he known over his many lifetimes?
He mistook my silence for anger, and he released my chin with a sigh. “I can get you another, of course. I’m sure there’s something under one hundred.”
“You mean a hundred dollars, right?” I asked weakly.
He narrowed his eyes. “Is this about the instrument or money?”
“Can’t it be about both?” The price tag alone was bad enough, but the thought of playing something that old and precious felt wrong. “I don’t deserve that cello.”
“I’ve heard you play, and I disagree,” he said quietly. “There’s another arrangement we could reach if you’re concerned about its cost.”
God, I hoped he wanted me to play it for him. Naked.
“Consider it compensation.”
“Are you giving me a job?” I glanced down at the dress. My gaze snagged on the uncovered swell of my breasts. Was that why he’d sent me something so sexy to wear? Because he wanted me to be his escort–in the legally questionable sense of the word?
“In a way, and trust me, after tonight alone, you’ll have earned it.”
He dropped the statement with a casual air that didn’t match the explosion that followed his words.
“Why is that?”
“Because my mother is going to be at this party,” he said simply.
I collapsed into my seat and groaned. Outside, the city shifted into rows of houses, each neatly contained in its own box, surrounded by carefully trimmed shrubs. But as the limo traveled, the houses got larger, taking up lots the size of two or three of the neat little houses. Then, they sprawled into mansions peeking out from security gates that separated the world inside them from the rest of us. I couldn’t imagine where I would find myself this evening. Would it be one of these estates? If his mother was going to be there, it must be. This date, as he called it, was not what I was expecting. His mother hadn’t been very friendly, and I doubted she would be happy to see me again. Being asked to be a call girl was starting to sound okay in comparison. “Why?”
“Because the party is at her house this evening,” he explained.
Could tonight get any worse?
“Is this a good idea?” I forced myself to ask. “Your mother didn’t seem to like me too much. I doubt she’ll want me at her party.”
“She’s been warned to be on her best behavior.” The way he grimaced as he spoke told me that would hardly matter. “And she’s expecting you.”
“Why is that?”
He paused, choosing his words carefully. “Because I told her that you’re my girlfriend.”
My jaw unhinged, and I stared at him, waiting for him to smile and tell me he was joking. Julian didn’t move. He only studied me as if to determine how I felt about this revelation. “I’m sorry,” he said finally, “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
His apology snapped me out of my daze. “Upset? That doesn’t feel like a strong enough word for it. Why would you do that?”
“Because I need a girlfriend to keep me from staking myself to get out of these fucking parties,” he started.
“How romantic,” I grumbled. “I completely understand now.”
He appeared lost in thought for a moment. “It wasn’t my intention to hurt you. I’d hoped the cello might open your eyes to what I can offer you.”
“And what is that?” I channeled all the anger inside me into glaring at him. If I didn’t, I was worried that I might cry. Had I actually thought this was a real date? He’d made it clear last night that he wasn’t interested. Today, when the cello and dress arrived, I thought he had changed his mind. But this had nothing to do with romance. He wasn’t interested in me. He saw his gift as a sign-on bonus for hanging off his arm at parties.
But his answer wasn’t what I expected. “The world,” he said softly. “I can offer you the world.”
“Gift-wrapped?” I asked in a flat voice. I had no clue what he meant by any of this or why he would choose me–a woman he didn’t even want to sleep with–to be the one at his side.
“If you like.” His lips twisted into a smirk.
My heart fluttered at the sight, but I refused to give in to its reckless ideas about Julian or his lips.
“You can’t just buy yourself a girlfriend!” When had he taken his nap? The eighties of the eighteenth century?
“In my world, you can,” he said. He took one look at my face and swiftly added, “But that’s not the point.”
Before he could enlighten me on exactly what the point was, the limo paused in front of a wrought iron gate. Julian groaned as he looked out the window. “I will explain this to you later,” he promised. “But we’re here. I would like you to accompany me, but if you’d rather be taken home, that can be arranged.”
“Maybe we should finish our conversation.” I felt sick to my stomach. I wasn’t prepared to face his mother or hordes of beautiful vampires.
“I would much rather sit in here with you and debate this, but I’m expected inside.” His tone had taken on a sudden violent edge that shocked me. I cringed into my seat, and his expression softened. “Please, will you come with me?”
“In exchange for a cello?” I asked bitterly.
“The cello is yours.” There was no questioning the finality of this as he spoke. “You can do what you want with it.”
“I want to give it back.”
“Except that,” he said through a clenched jaw. “Play it, burn it, sell it. You’re just graduating, right? Pay off your student loans, buy a cheap instrument, and travel.”
I stared at him. A half a million dollars would do more than pay off my student loans. It would pay off my mom’s medical debts.
Julian smirked. He knew he had me against the wall. “What do you say?”
