Page 74 of Vampires of Eden

Nadya and Sebastian offer a humble nod and greet the older vampire in unison, as if they’d rehearsed it. He shifts his dark eyes toward me. “Hello, Prince Alexander. It’s good to finally see you again—albeit in serendipitous circumstances.”

I stare up at him, frowning and not saying anything for a beat too long because Nadya and Sebastian look at me with questioning expressions. My jaw works. “Hello, Lord Cherrington.”

“Forgive me for interrupting your brunch—could I steal you away for a drink? To simply delight in your presence for a short while? I promise I’ll return his highness unharmed.”

“Forgiveme, Lord Cherrington, but we’ve already ordered our meals,” Nadya says, eyeing me hopefully. “Perhaps a scheduled meeting?—”

“Just for a moment, Prince Alexander?” The elder purebred makes his intentions and authority clear, rudely cutting her off. I glance at Nadya and her eyes are narrowed at Lord Cherrington like razor blades. Furious.

“There are many eyes watching us,” Lord Cherrington goes on. “We wouldn’t want to make a scene now, would we, your highness?”

Reluctantly, I stand.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” I say in a low voice. Not wanting to draw any more attention to the situation than we already have. Agitated, I follow him back inside the restaurant. As we move, heads turn and I recognize several vampires from the aristocracy in the café.

At the bar, he sits, then gestures for me to sit on the stool beside him. “You didn’t bring your drink,” he says, grinning.

“I don’t drink casually. Only on special occasions.”

“But you’ll have one with me now, yes? I insist.” He signals the waiter, then orders another French 75. When he’s finished, his gaze re-centers on me. “I ordered this drink because it reminds me of you—golden and effervescent. Delicious.”

I don’t know how I’m supposed to respond to that, so I don’t say anything.

“You make me chase you, Prince Alexander. In some ways, I like this—a refreshing challenge for my competitive heart.” He pauses and takes a long sip of his drink.

Smoothly, he empties it, then sets it down and stares at the glass. “Let me be clear. I want you. Despite my reputation, I’m quite serious about you and settling down. But it’s become obvious that you are unenthusiastic about this match-up. You are not at all interested in me.”

He presents this information as a statement and not a question. “Are we being candid?” I ask.

His lips quirk up in an amused smile as his gaze shifts to me once more. “Let’s?”

“I am not interested in you or this arrangement—I don’twant any arrangement because it’s too soon after having lost Oliver.”

“Some say that the best way to get over something lost is to acquire something new?”

“No. I don’t want to start a new relationship just for the sake of filling a void. And I don’t want another empty arrangement.”

Truthfully, I’m not sure if it’s possible for me to find something real in Eden. The way our society is set up, I don’t have much hope. Love seems like a far-flung possibility. Like hoping for a blizzard on a tropical island.

Still, it’d be nice to at leastlikethe vampire I’m supposed to bond with. That definitely is not the case here.

“Your mother wants you with me,” he says, placing a hand against his chest. “Iwant you with me. You no longer have your dowry to ensure your independence and choice. Your father’s retirement is imminent and he is expecting you to rightfully fill his seat. So, what will you do, my handsome young prince?” Lord Cherrington discreetly moves his hand from his chest and places his palm on my thigh. My entire body goes stiff.

“You’re not supposed to touch me,” I remind him for the umpteenth time as his hand slides up my thigh and shamelessly toward my cock.

“Yes, I know,” he whispers, leaning closer. “But that makes it more exciting, doesn’t it? Doing something that I’m not supposed to do. You’re so alluring and sweet, your highness. I can’t help myself. Do you have any idea how sensual your nature is?”

Abruptly, I stand and smack his hand from my thigh. The vampires in the café pause, honing in on us because of my sudden movement, but I don’t care. “Do nottouch me,” I tell him sternly. “Stop. Touching. Me.”

He smirks, taking hold of the new champagne flute that the waiter set down for me a moment earlier. “You resisting like this only makes me want you more, Prince Alexander. I will have you. Eventually.”

Turning, I walk away because I don’t have a rebuttal for that.

The truth is, he may be right.

It terrifies me.

The next day, I go to Kat and Roland’s house.