Donatello walks in first, then steps aside to motion me in like a gentleman. I smile at him, slip out of my heels, and step across the threshold. My bare feet meet warm floorboards, and I shiver, moving my toes to savor the feeling. The lights turn on as I walk into the living room, motion-censored.
Soft, warm light illuminates the place. Light gray couches face one another, next to a TV so big I can’t guess the inches. It’s set up to the wall, over a gray wallpaper the same shade as the throw blanket. Minimalist furniture takes the place, all in elegant shades of dark wood.
“Wow,” I breathe out, making a circle before I see Donatello standing near the door, hands in his pockets as he watches me.
“Do you like it?”
“Very much. You have great taste.”
“Good.” I feel myself blushing. Why does he care, anyway? He’s not even my mate or anything. “Let me show you the rest.”
He leaves Apollo behind as he takes the lead, offering me a hand. He also ignores Apollo once he roars at the sight of my fingers around Donatello’s. The vampire leads me to the windows first, overlooking Hiram. No matter how close I put my face to the glass, I can’t see the city’s ceiling or sky. Donatello shows me a library full of first editions he keeps behind glass doors and a pool room with a jacuzzi. I smile at it, my imagination running wild and picturing the three of us sharing it.
Never thought I was this naughty, but I don’t mind it at all.
There’s a huge, and I meanhuge, kitchen, with an island and all appliances ever known to mankind. Vampire-kind, I guess. I brush my fingers over a coffee machine so fancy it belongs inside an expensive and exclusive coffee shop.
“Do you cook, Donatello?” I ask, looking at him from over my shoulder.
He smiles. “I do my best.”
I whirl around to face him, the heels hooked on my fingers, hitting my thigh. “So vampires can eat?”
“Of course, we can. We need the sustenance of blood, yes, but regular food still tastes good.” He shrugs in that smooth way. “It would be a boring eternity if we couldn’t eat.”
“Agreed.” I chuckle and follow him across his bedroom, with an ensuite bathroom, the main bathroom, and the guest room. The latter has another enormous window with a view into the city, all glittering purple and blue. I stand there for a moment, watching the beauty of darkness.
It’s a strange thought. The dark is not supposed to be pretty. It’s supposed to be fearful, crowded with wretched things, creatures that want to hurt you. Yet, here I stand, admiring it. The darkness calls to me, and all the glittering light is a call I can’t refuse.
Donatello’s presence embraces me. His cold fingertips brush down my exposed shoulder, making me shudder. “My closet is full of shirts and jackets. Make yourself at home. I promise we’ll buy you new clothes tomorrow,” he says.
I whirl around, catching his gaze on me. There’s something like longing on his face. I inhale his scent until it burns my lungs. “Where are you going?”
“I’ll visit the mage I spoke about. Make sure she’s intending on keeping her end of the bargain.” He flashes his sharp canines. “You stay here, eat and rest, and I’ll have everything fixed for tomorrow.” He winks, making my entire body turn to mush, and then turn on his heels, making his way out of the guest room.
Apollo steps in front of the door, stopping Donatello. “I don’t trust you, vampire.”
“You don’t need to trust me,” Donatello replies. “We have a common interest.” He jerks his head in my direction. “Her safety.”
To that, Apollo huffs and steps away. Donatello leaves in those quiet steps of his. The front door closes as I put my heels away, and I stroll out of the guest room to Donatello’s closet. As promised, he has all kinds of t-shirts and button-downs, coats and jackets. I stroke the softness of a leather one, and if Apollo wasn’t hovering behind me, I would stick my face to it and allow the scent to fill my lungs.
I untie the shirt from my waist and let it pool around my feet. The jacket comes on next. I take a discreet sniff of it, and the hum that climbs up my throat is accidental. Apollo doesn’t comment, but his eyes brighten when I whirl around to face him.
“I bet you’ll look great in anything you wear,” he says, in that hoarse voice that makes me want to dry hump him. Not that I normally don’t want to dry hump him.
A smile curls my lips as I approach the window once more. “What do you think is down there?”
Apollo hums, closing the distance between us. “Parties, drugs, casinos. You name it. Vampires live for their pleasure.”
I chew on my lower lip, turning so my chest brushes against his stomach. I glance up at him from between my lashes. “Wanna go somewhere?”
Apollo changes his weight between his feet but smiles back. “You sure? The vampire told us to stay.”
My smile grows. “I was never good at obeying.”
CHAPTER10
CASSANDRA