Fashionably Dead and Loving It (Hot Damned #14) - Robyn Peterman Page 0,4

the hell my dream had come from. I’d blame it on nighttime snacking, but I didn’t eat. “Nightmare. I had a nightmare.”

Ethan’s rigid body relaxed. He crossed the room so fast, a human eye wouldn’t have seen him move. Getting into our bed and pulling me close, he kissed the top of my head and held me tight.

“Want to tell me about it?” he asked, playing with my hair the way I loved.

“No,” I said. “Definitely not. Too freaking weird.”

“I’m good with weird,” he pointed out.

“It’s a good thing you’re mated to me then,” I said, feeling safe in his strong arms. “I’ll tell you tomorrow. Will you hold me while I sleep?”

“Always,” he replied. “Although, tomorrow I have to leave early for a discussion on the West Coast.”

“Define discussion,” I said, tracing the sexy smattering of blond hair on his muscular chest.

Ethan was a thing of absurd beauty. And he was mine.

“Having a few issues out there. Might have to knock some heads together.”

“Literally?” I asked. Vampyres were a violent breed. Often times it was throwdown first, talk second. That is, if you made it through the throwdown.

“Yes.”

“Interesting. Do you want me to come?”

“I want you to take a day and do whatever you want to do,” he said, lifting my chin so our eyes met. “Shop. Sleep. Have some fun. I can handle the problem.”

I sighed and buried my face against his chest. To be honest, I was relieved. I would have Ethan’s back until the end of time, but after my farked-up dream, a day of nothing sounded pretty damned good.

“And don’t forget,” Ethan reminded me. “My brother, his paramour, and my sister will be arriving tomorrow evening.”

“Shit,” I muttered. “We have to entertain them?” I wasn’t exactly accomplished at royal Vampyre etiquette. I would most likely shove my foot into my mouth and pull it right out of my butt.

“We do,” he replied with a sigh, leaning back and getting comfortable. “My brother Wilhem is a bit of an asshole, but you’ll like my sister, Anastasia. She’s as pissed as hell to be playing chaperone.”

“Why does Wilhem need a freaking chaperone?” I asked, wondering what Ethan’s definition of asshole was.

Ethan grinned. “He doesn’t. My father is hoping Anastasia will meet someone on the royal tour. She’s getting crotchety in her advanced years. The King believes she needs to find herself a mate.”

“And how exactly does Anastasia feel about that?” I asked, loving any gossip that wasn’t about me. Nana’s mention of the tabloids in my dream was an unfortunate reality. The Vampyres had some seriously shitty rag magazines. Lately, I’d been their favorite target. Being an undead Princess who could kick everyone’s ass was not all it was cracked up to be.

“My sister is not on board. She’ll be in frighteningly fine form.”

“And you think I’m going to like a pissed-off undead Princess who doesn’t want to be here?” I asked, raising my brow.

“Yep,” Ethan replied with a chuckle. “When Anastasia’s not on a rampage, she’s actually quite fun.”

“Hmm,” I said, squinting at him. “Not the best of recommendations, but I’ll be nice. What about Wilhem’s paramour? Is she his mate?”

“Unclear,” Ethan said, slipping my nightie over my head and pulling me on top of him. “But from what I hear, she’s lovely.”

“So, then this isn’t someone you might have banged in the five hundred-ish years before you met me?” I inquired.

“Absolutely no banging,” he said with a lopsided grin and a possessive sparkle in his eye. “Never even met the woman. Why? Are you the jealous type?”

“Extremely,” I said. “But my mate is even worse. He’ll tear the head off of anyone who even looks at me.”

“Interesting,” Ethan said, sliding his hands down to my bottom that had only minutes ago been glued to a fictional throne in the middle of the desert. “He sounds dreadful.”

“Actually, he’s hot,” I told him. “Hung like a horse and knows what to do with it.”

“Really?”

“Really,” I replied, loving the feel of his skin pressed to mine. I would never get enough of the Vampyre.

Pressing my lips to his, tingles shot through my body. With the amount of sex we had, it would seem like it would get mundane. Nope. It kept getting better. Love made sex otherworldly.

“Wait,” I gasped out as Ethan’s fangs grazed my neck and made my girly bits clench with need.

“If you’re worried about your mate finding out, I promise to be discreet,” Ethan teased as his hands roamed my body with the sole purpose