Chapter 11
Piper
"What a pleasant coincidence." Antoine laced his fingers in front of him, his eyes shifting between Darren and me. "Are we heading to dinner?" His lips tipped up, his fang flashing briefly, making his words more menacing than they implied.
I grinned mischievously, eyeballing Darren from the corner of my eye. "Oh, yeah. We were just going to Frankie's." I pushed past him and said over my shoulder, "You like corn dogs, right?"
Darren made a choking sound behind me, but I continued to strut down the sidewalk. Did I care that I basically talked shit about a master vampire within hearing distance? Not really. Okay, a little. But only so much in the fact that Antoine could be scary when met head on. Pretending I'd done nothing wrong was the only way to get away with...well...anything.
"Master, we were not expecting you until later." Darren, always the suck-up, trailed behind with the 'master.'
Gag me with a spoon. I didn't know how Darren did it. I barely gave Antoine the respect an employer required. Let alone kiss ass the way he did, and I was boinking the vampire too. Not as much as Darren. Maybe it required centuries of sucking dick to finally make it to the ass-kissing.
I giggled to myself.
"What pray tell has caused your amusement?" Antoine appeared at my side, his pale eyes watching my face.
Clucking my tongue, I lifted my chin up a bit and laced my fingers behind my back. "Nothing. Can't I be happy to see you?"
Antoine scoffed. "Hardly. You cannot pretend to be excited to see me after blatantly expressing your reluctance so adamantly before."
I turned on my heel, so I was walking backward, smiling innocently up at him. "Did I?"
Those icy blue eyes narrowed on me. "Do you really wish to spend the precious time we have playing games?"
Sauntering up to Antoine, Darren standing off to one side with a disapproving frown, I reached for Antoine's expensive maroon tie. Everything Antoine wore cost more than I made in a week, and the Durands paid me quite well. Antoine allowed me to paw at him, not even bothered by me crinkling the silk.
I stroked my fingers up and down his tie, making sure my body pressed just barely against the line of Antoine's. Peering up at him beneath my lashes, I licked my lips and murmured, "I thought you liked to play games? Or do you only save those for Darren?" My gaze slid to the side where Darren stiffened.
Long fingers wrapped around my hand firmly. They didn't push me away but pulled me closer. Antoine's silvery-white hair fell over his shoulders as he leaned down to me, his lips against the side of my head. "If it is games you seek, let us retire to the room and I will give you your every desire."
A shudder ran down my body and settled low between my thighs as if Antoine had touched me physically. My lips parted in a gasp. I should have known better than to play with Antoine. Not only could he feel what I was feeling, but he was better at it. I supposed centuries of practice would do that to you.
Licking my lips once more, I trailed my fingers through the length of his hair and brushed my cheek against his own until my mouth was on the shell of his ear. "Not until you feed me."
Pushing away from Antoine with a laugh, I wasn't prepared for the hand that grabbed the back of my neck and jerked me back around. My eyes widened. Antoine's lips crashed onto mine, his hand on the base of my neck, keeping me from moving in any way he didn't want me to.
The sharp edges of Antoine's fangs pressed against my lips, giving me the option to either open my mouth to him or get cut. While I despised being manhandled, I had provoked him on purpose. What did I expect to happen?
Opening my mouth to him, I lightly traced my tongue along the line of his fangs, being careful not to nick myself. French kissing vampires was a tricky business. If you got too out of control, you'd end up with a tongue piercing.
Not pleasant.
My hands slid up the lapels of Antoine's suit jacket and curled into the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer to me. Manhandled or not, I wasn't about to let him be in complete control. The fingers on the back of my neck loosened, allowing me more control of my head.
I briefly wondered what we looked like, standing in front of the hotel, making out like teenagers. Antoine's eyes were closed, but instead of shutting mine as well, I moved my eyes to the side, searching for Darren.
The butler stood to the side of us, just out of arm’s reach. Usually, Darren's gaze was anywhere but on me and whatever Durand was trying to get into my pants that day. Not so today. Those dark orbs watched Antoine and I like a man starved. Desire and jealousy flared in his face. I wasn't sure if it was for Antoine or for me. Maybe both?
No, it couldn't be.
Then I remembered what I'd heard a few weeks ago in full clarity. Darren wanted me. He also wanted Antoine. Watching us kiss must be killing him right now. I didn't know why, but I didn't like it. It made my stomach all squishy.
Antoine pulled away. His swollen lips frowning. "What is it?"
I pulled my gaze back to Antoine and forced a smile. "Nothing. Let's go eat. I'm starving."
For a moment, Antoine looked like he was going to argue but then nodded.
I slid my hand into Antoine's.
The master vampire's brows rose, but he didn't remove it.
Holding a hand out to Darren, I smiled brightly. "Coming?"