And so when he spoke—
“I need your answer now, mi vavli, and know that whatever you say, it will change both our lives forever.”
Deep inside her heart, Spencer already knew.
“Will you be my woman?”
And she heard herself say shakily, “Yes.”
Chapter Six
“Um…you’re, um, going too fast,” Spencer felt obliged to point out, “for a human.”
“It’s fine,” Etienne said curtly. “Your apartment building doesn’t have any security cameras.”
“Oh. That’s—”
“Not good,” he told her bluntly, “but it should be rectified soon enough.”
His words had her shooting a suspicious look at his direction. “Am I under surveillance?” she demanded.
“Of course not.” Not a lie per se, but the moment she had learned the truth about his kind, he had been obliged to inform the old bloods about this. From that point on, incognito Caros would be monitoring her every conversation to ensure she did not speak of their secret to any other human. The only time surveillance on her would cease was if he claimed her life in any of the three ways approved by the old bloods: slavery, death…or marriage.
“Can we just please play it safe all the same?” she asked nervously.
Seeing the genuine worry in her hazel eyes, Etienne reined his impatience in and deliberately slowed down to that of a normal human.
“Thanks.”
“You worry too much,” he couldn’t help chiding.
“I only just found out what you are,” she retorted. “You should be glad I’m more concerned about keeping you alive than killing you.”
He had to smile at that. “Touché, mi vavli…however—” Dark eyes glinted down at her as they finally reached her apartment door. “I do not appreciate having to wait longer than necessary to have you in my arms—”
“Um, about that.” In the act of inserting the key into the lock, she turned around to face her boss and tried to reason with him one last time. “Don’t you think we’re, um, going a little too fast—”
“I want you. Now. So it’s your choice. Do I touch you here or in your room?”
Spencer made a face. “You call that a choice?”
“Then should I make the choice for you?” Etienne asked silkily.
“On second thought,” she backtracked right away, “I think I’ll go with the former.”
Kiernan was still having breakfast at the small wooden table next to the kitchen when they entered the apartment, and Spencer’s roommate nearly fell out of her chair at the sight of them.
“Hey.” Spencer tried her best to sound blasé about suddenly showing up in their apartment with their mutual boss in tow. “Mr. Hirsche—”
“Etienne, mi valvi.” The words, albeit spoken in a low, silky murmur, were still loud enough to have Kiernan’s eyes widen all the more.
Triumph blazed from his dark eyes…just as he dispensed with the last piece of her clothing and he had completely bared her body to his side.
Oh God.
She tried to cover herself, but another growl of warning quickly had her arms falling limply back to her side, and all she could do was tremble and turn red all over as his ravenous gaze slowly devoured her from head to toe.
“You’re embarrassing me,” she snarled under her breath.
“No, mi vavli.” The rasp in his voice had become even more potent, more seductive, and she could feel her breasts ache and strain up in helpless response.