Vampires of Eden (Alexander #2)

32. Daniel

CHAPTER 32

Daniel

I ’m confused.

Raphael told me that there was an emergency situation. And yet, I’ve been sitting in this small reception-living room in Alexander’s family estate for the past thirty minutes, alone.

I’ve tried texting Alexander. He hasn’t responded.

I also messaged Raphael to let him know I had arrived. He told me that another servant would let me in and that he and Alexander would be home soon.

What the fuck is going on?

Another ten minutes passes before the sharp citrus essence of Alexander permeates my senses and tells me he’s close. Like a balmy and sweet ocean wave rushing ashore, his nature covers me. Surrounding me in a covetous and sensual embrace. My back straightens. I inhale a sharp breath as my heart stirs and everything below my navel clenches with desire.

I stand, feeling and knowing when he’s about to come through the double doors. My heart thuds loudly in my chest and ears and I can barely breathe. You’d think I haven’t seen him in years. It’s only been a few hours.

Alexander flings the double doors open. He pauses, taking me in and I do the same.

He looks expensive.

Regal. Handsome and stylish. Inaccessible to someone like me, to say the least. I don’t know how much Lord Cherrington offered for his hand, but looking at Alexander right now—in this elegant, perfectly tailored emerald suit and with his thick and buttery hair effortlessly swept back—it couldn’t be anything less than a million dollars.

“Danny.” He exhales my name and a quiet but powerful warmth sweeps across my flesh. “What… Why are you here?”

Intentionally, I take a breath because I had forgotten how to do so for a moment. “Raphael texted me and said there was an emergency. Are you alright?”

Alexander’s eyebrow shoots up in confusion. “He what? An emergency? What kind of—Raph!” Alexander turns his head and barks his manservant-best-friend-brother’s name. As he waits, a long-haired and luxurious-looking calico cat suddenly appears and slinks around his ankles. Affectionately rubbing her body against his pant-legs.

Buffy, I presume.

Her coat is fluffy with an artistic patchwork of white, orange and dark brown splotches. She, too, looks like a million dollars. An elegant purebred with his equally chic cat.

“Yes?” Raphael’s response comes a moment later. Oddly innocent, as if he has no idea why there would be any confusion about me being in Alexander’s family estate at eleven thirty at night. Perfectly normal, all of this.

“You told Danny to come to the estate?” Alexander asks. “What’s the ‘emergency’?”

“ You know,” Raphael retorts off-screen from the hallway. I can’t see him but Alexander can from his vantage point just inside the doorframe. “I asked if you were alright, you said ‘no,’ so I sent up a flare.”

“Are you shitting me?” Alexander asks, utterly spent. “God. You ridiculous and sneaky weasel?—”

“Don’t talk to me like that in front of company. Respect your elder. He’s already not going to let me live with the two of you and I’m going to have to figure out?—”

“Like you deserve any respect! What the hell are you talking about right now? I can’t believe you called him?—”

“Hi, hello?” I interrupt. “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?”

“Yeah,” Raphael declares from the hallway. “Why don’t you focus on your guest? Especially since he came all the way here to make sure you’re alright.”

“ Raph .”

The manservant must walk away, because Alexander practically hisses his name in anger before he turns back to me with apologetic eyes.

“Danny, I’m so sorry. This was totally uncalled for.” He moves toward me, nimbly stepping over the cat slinking around his feet like he’s done it thousands of times. She trots after him, meowing in obvious protest of his ignoring her. “Raphael is severely out of line right now. I don’t know what the hell has gotten into him.”

He pauses a few feet away. A short distance that two confident steps forward would cover. He smells orangey, bright and clean and his presence is divine. Invigorating but at the same time, soothing. Perplexing in a way that I want to unravel, study and memorize by heart.

I’m not sure that I even care why I’m here anymore. I’m just glad that he’s within reach.

“You look expensive,” I state without preamble.

“I…” He blinks and tilts his head. “What?”

“This suit.” My eyes roam over his body. All the way down to his handsome oxfords, then back up again. “It’s impeccable. You look the part of ‘Prince Alexander Ethan Kendrick’ tonight. Perfectly put together.”

He laughs. “Well, you know better than anyone that I’m far from perfect.”

“Do I?” I ask, raising an eyebrow .

The playful mirth in Alexander’s face crumbles and his shoulders drop. Deflated, like a pricked balloon. “Danny…”

I suddenly realize that he’s taken what I’ve said the wrong way. I’m about to cross the small chasm between us to reach him, but he beats me to it.

Before I can blink, he steps into me. I inhale another sharp breath as his wonderful scent encircles us. The heat of him caresses my face and neck and his energy burns through my clothes. Cautiously, he places his hands at my hips. I raise my palms to cup his face, pulling him closer.

Forehead to forehead, nose to nose, I close my eyes.

“This prince stuff is just titles and fa?ade,” he whispers. I part my lips to taste the citrusy hint of his breath. “You know I’m a train wreck.”

“You are not,” I say, drawing away to look him in the eyes. “You’re complex and layered, but aren’t we all? You’re thoughtful and attentive. Sweet. I love these things, Rabbit. For me, you are perfect.”

Alexander stills within my grasp. He stares into my eyes, awestruck, as if he’s seeing me for the first time.

I can’t take it anymore, so I lean and brush my lips against his as I whisper. “Kiss me.”

He exhales, then meets me with his mouth open slightly. The moment we’re connected, the smoldering heat and electricity overtakes and threatens to consume us both. His arms snake and wrap tightly around my body and my hands grip and ruin his neatly-styled hair. I tilt my head, slipping and entangling his tongue with mine and losing myself in the bright spark of him.

I love him in this suit, but I also want him out of it. I want him naked in a bed, breathless with his chest heaving as I lick and taste every inch of his skin. Our bodies connected and his aura liberated and saturating the air around us. His flesh pumping into me, slick and wet until he comes, unraveled and satisfied because I am absolutely certain that I can do that for him.

This kiss, my desires and lascivious thoughts are so intense that it feels as if we’re melting into each other. The invisible magnetism is palpable. A deep and guttural pull that holds us both captive.

“ Meeeoooooow .”

A loud and rather desperate-sounding shriek emanates from beneath us. With our mouths still connected, we both awkwardly open our eyes in surprise. Alexander’s are alighted bright golden as he pulls away and glances down. I follow his gaze. Buffy is stretched up on her hind legs and with her front paws hooked into the material of his pants at his thigh.

Striking suit?

Ruined.

“Buff Buff! Stop .” He releases me and bends to declaw the cat from his pants.

Every sense in my body is heightened and aroused. I take a deep breath to calm myself. “The luxurious cat has destroyed the luxurious suit,” I chide, grinning and rolling my shoulders.

“She’s not ‘luxurious.’ I found her in an alley near a dumpster.”

“Still, she’s a beautiful cat. She looks noble.”

“Another fa?ade.” When he stands, his irises are back to normal and the pretty cat is cradled in his arms like a fluffy newborn. He kisses her face. “Buffy, this is Danny. Danny, Buffy.”

The cat is contented now that she has our full attention. Or, at least, Alexander’s. This might be a problem. “Hello Buffy, the vampire pants slayer. I don’t really do cats or animals in general. Is there some protocol here?”

“Put your hand by her nose and let her sniff you. She’ll decide from there.”

“She’ll decide what?” I ask, nervous. “Is this some kind of test? If she hisses at me, am I not going to get to sleep in your bed tonight?”

Alexander folds his lips in. A weak attempt to stifle his grin. “Just do it, Daniel.”

I pout at the sudden formal use of my name. Setting my shoulders back, I lift a hand and place it by her pink nose. As if this is a standard vetting routine, she sniffs my skin with interest for several beats. When she’s satisfied, she nuzzles her damp nose into my hand.

“Approved,” Alexander declares. “You can pet her.”

“Thank the gods.” I raise my hand and stroke the top of her head. She nuzzles into my palm, purring lightly. Cute. “I’d much rather pet and make you purr. Among other things.”

Alexander chuckles and shakes his head as if to brush me off. Silly Daniel and his flirty comments.

I don’t let him.

“How long do I need to pretend to be this timid and wholesome vampire?” I ask. “When can I be honest about the fact that I would really, really like to make you come again? Hard and inside of me, preferably.” Call me sex-crazed, but now that he’s officially had his fangs in me, I need more. My body craves it. As soon as possible.

The snarling sexual deviant in my nature enjoys the sight of Alexander’s face slowly flushing crimson and his golden eyes reigniting. He doesn’t say anything as he cradles Buffy in his gorgeous (slightly damaged) suit.

“I’m guessing that no one has ever spoken to his highness like this before?” I grin and wiggle my eyebrows. “With such hedonistic vulgarity. I’m not shy or innocent, Alexander. I’ve been holding back a lot with you. I want to be honest about this.”

He bends, gently placing Buffy onto the floor, to which she protests and begins meowing once more. “Well, it’s… Wait. I haven’t even explained why Raph called you. Don’t you want to know?”

“Mildly.” I shrug. “You seem fine?”

“You came all the way here without even knowing why? For me?”

“I did. Are you intentionally changing the subject?”

“No. Well, a little… but I—” He shakes his head, closes his eyes, then sets his palm against his forehead as he takes an in tentional breath. “Listen, let me explain what happened today while we get some food. Are you hungry?”

“I could eat. Didn’t you just come from a swanky Central Eden banquet?”

“Yes, but there’s rarely anything that I want to eat at those events. When I can avoid it, I don’t bother.”

I nod, remembering. “Ah, right. Vegan vampire.”

He opens his eyes, smiling, and they’re back to normal. He offers his hand. “Come with?”

Resolute, I slip my hand into his. “Lead the way.”