The Vessel - Jenika Snow Page 0,25

or give her a hard time, had every protective part of me rising.

Yeah, that was not going to happen. In fact, she wasn’t going to be riding public transport anymore. I worried too much, even if it was probably reasonably safe, even if she rode during the daylight. No, if I couldn’t pick her up and bring her to work, I’d have someone I trusted do it.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my distance. I didn’t want to. So I might as well embrace the hell out of how I felt for Elise, and hope like hell she was just as deep as I was.

15

Elise

I wasn’t about to decline his offer to take me home. I didn’t like going home when it was dark for obvious reasons. The city might be safe enough, but I didn’t want to take any chances.

He pulled his expensive sports car into the parking lot of my apartment building. I lived in a shitty part of town; not drug-deals on the corner kind of bad, but bad enough that poverty was high, which meant housing was less than attractive.

“Thank you,” I said, feeling embarrassed he saw where I lived. This was a means to an end kind of situation, but compared to what Lucius was probably used to—the penthouses, the estate—this looked like the bottom of a garbage can. But when I looked at him, all I saw was how transfixed he was with me. He didn’t even look at the building, didn’t even act like he saw anything but… me.

“You’re welcome,” he finally replied, or maybe I’d been so lost in my own thoughts it seemed like minutes had passed. “I’m going to have someone pick you up for work and take you home after your shifts.” His tone brokered no argument, but I was already shaking my head.

“Mr. Blacksmith—”

“It’s Lucius. Call me Lucius.”

I licked my lips and nodded. “Lucius, that’s really not necessary. I’m more than fine riding the subway and taking cabs. I’ve been doing it all my life.”

He had this hard look on his face. “It’s not safe. I’ll have Charlie pick you up to bring you to the house, and he’ll bring you back home after your shift.” He looked at the apartment building. “But he’ll only do that if I can’t.” He looked back at me. My heart did a little gallop in my chest.

Part of me knew I should’ve insisted that wasn’t necessary. Boss, after all. But the other part, the stronger one, the selfish one, said to shut up and just accept this, because it’s what I wanted. So I gave him a smile, nodded slowly, and said thank you once more. He still watched me, and I felt acutely bared, his focus so intense it was like every part of me was on display.

“Good night, Lucius.” I went to get out of the car, but the gentle touch of his hand on my arm stopped me.

It stopped my heart.

“Elise,” he said softly, and I looked at him. I felt his thumb moving over my skin, a gentle caress that had every part of me igniting.

Time stood still; everything moved in slow motion. I couldn’t breathe.

He looked at my mouth then back at my eyes. Over and over again. I knew what was about to happen before it did, before I saw him start to lean in, before I felt his warm breath on mine.

“Tell me to stop,” he said softly, as if speaking to himself, as if trying to talk himself out of it. “I should, Elise,” he groaned.

He was so close to me, just a few inches separating our faces. Lucius looked me in the eye, and I felt everything in me tighten. “I don’t want you to stop, Lucius.” There, I’d said it, which I knew would set everything else in motion.

And it felt… exhilarating.

Before I knew what was happening, before I could take a breath, before I could truly think about this and possibly talk myself out of it, Lucius had his hand wrapped around my nape, pulled me in closer, and pressed his mouth to mine. The small gasp of surprise left me at finally feeling what it was like to kiss Lucius.

I couldn’t breathe, the world around me dizzy as Lucius explored my mouth with his lips and tongue. He ran that muscle over the seam of my lips, gently at first, but then added a bit of pressure, becoming more demanding.

I opened on instinct and let him in,