“So your advice is…” I trailed off, pursing my lips.
“Be yourself,” Rayne reiterated, patting me on the shoulder. “The rest will come. Don’t worry so much. Women don’t require as much as they used to back in your day. A little romance here, a compliment there. Just let her know you’re interested without being a dick about it.”
I arched a brow, glancing in the direction of Antoine’s empty bed.
Rayne threw his head back and laughed. “Okay, so the dick thing works for some guys. Antoine is a special kind of dick. Don’t try to be him. Just be you and it will be fine.”
“Alright,” I nodded and stood.
Rayne frowned. “Where are you going?”
I paused at the basement stairs. “To greet the new maid? After all, you did say I would need the longest time. I might as well start now.“
The others didn’t protest as I made my way up the stairs. I wasn’t sure about what Rayne said. The women when I was alive were very insipid creatures. Their heads full of babies and petty things. Most of them weren’t educated the way the women of today were. Their male family members taking care of everything for them, including marriage. I’d been too busy fighting a war to worry about marriage yet. Since then I had only used women for a passing feed or fuck. Piper could be neither of those.
Antoine stopped me at the top of the stairs. “Going somewhere?”
I shifted so that he could pass. “To go introduce myself to Piper…again.”
Humming, Antoine inclined his head. “That’s a good idea. She’s in the foyer right now, cleaning up the Carnets D'Equateur she broke. I snuck down before she could see me. I do not think it is a good idea for her first meeting to be with me.”
I agreed but not for the reasons Antoine might think. He may think he’s the hard ass everyone thinks he was but really he cared too much and didn’t know how to show it. Look at us, there wouldn’t be a house of Durand if not for Antoine saving us. So if anything, Antoine needed to be last just so he could get himself together long enough to not screw it all up by making Caleb give her memories back.
“Goodnight,” I tossed over my shoulder as I walked into the dining room and barely just missing Piper with her hands full.
“Oh my holy ball sacks!” She cried out, throwing the dust pan full of glass pieces into the air. I grabbed her around the waist and jerked her out of the way of the falling debris. With her pressed firmly against my body it was hard to remember that she didn’t know who I was anymore and that this wasn’t entirely appropriate. Though, the hitch in her scent told me that she wasn't totally unhappy to be there.
Reluctantly, I set her down and stepped back. “My apologies. I did not mean to frighten you.”
“It’s okay.” Piper swallowed, her eyes scanning over me unabashedly. “I’m Piper, by the way. I don’t think we’ve met…” She then squinted at me. “Or have we?”
My lips ticked up. “No, we haven’t. I’m Marcus.”
“So…do you work here as well?” She twisted her pony tail between her fingers, pulling her lower lip between her teeth.
Before I could answer, Darren appeared with a broom and a trash can. “Oh, Master Durand, excuse me.”
Piper’s eyes widened and her entire demeanor changed. She dropped her hands and looked from side to side before kneeling on the ground. Piper began grabbing pieces of glass without paying any mind to what she was doing which only figured the next thing would happen.
“Ouch, fuck.” Piper hissed, lifting her hand up. A slice across her finger dripped with blood.
I knelt before her and took her hand. “Let me see. It’s not too deep.” I could feel her gaze on me as I looked over her finger. I thought about what I should do in that moment. The vampire in me wanted to lick the blood off her finger. If Piper had her memories, I probably would have. As it were…
I cleared my throat and stood. “Darren please see to it that Piper finds a bandage.” I nodded to both of them and abruptly walked into the kitchen.
What the hell is wrong with me?