The Vessel - Jenika Snow Page 0,33

didn’t care much about what others thought. I didn’t care if they saw this as wrong, inappropriate, or even trashy.

I didn’t care if they thought I was sleeping with the boss to get ahead. None of that was the case. All I cared about was how I felt and how Lucius made me feel.

And at the end of the day, that was all that mattered.

20

Elise

If I ever thought of an ideal, fairy tale date, Lucius far exceeded my fantasy of that. He’d taken me to a small boutique restaurant, one that served authentic French cuisine. We sat out on the patio, the string lights above us giving an almost ethereal, fairy light quality. I drank two glasses of white wine, something I normally never did.

But I realized with Lucius, I enjoyed the whole atmosphere that went with enjoying a good meal and exquisite wine coupled with perfect company.

I probably talked far too much, but Lucius sat there almost transfixed with me, with everything I had to say. He wanted to know everything about me, all the little details, all the things that made me tick.

And I divulged everything. Because I wanted him to know.

For dessert, we shared a clafoutis, with black cherries arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter. It had been rich and delicious and like nothing I’d ever tasted before.

After dinner, we’d taken a stroll down the street, this part of the city like a world all on its own, a little piece of France transplanted right in the heart of America.

Little shops were at every corner, boutiques, flower shops, even mom-and-pop-style bakeries. The street vendors were by far my favorite. I was used to hot dogs, ice cream cones, and cans of your average soda as the only option. What I wasn’t expecting were crepes of every kind, homemade macarons, and other French delicacies to pick from.

I stopped and looked at one of the flower shops, the display right outside the front windows showing an array of beautiful, colorful roses. I leaned down and inhaled a red rose, the fragrance so potent I actually hummed in pleasure. I opened my eyes, not realizing I closed them, and looked to my left to see Lucius focused on me. His expression was so intense, his eyes taking in every inch of my face. I slowly straightened and turned to face him, but before I could say anything—if I even could have—he leaned in and kissed me. He did it right there in front of everyone, stealing my breath, my very sanity. I melted against him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, pressing my body to his. He was big and hard, strong and masculine, and I felt so vulnerable and innocent, so petite against him.

I felt the tingles of that kiss from the tips of my toes to the very top of my head, and the longer we kissed, the more the world faded around me. I didn’t care who saw. I didn’t care what anyone thought. All I could hear, feel, and smell was Lucius. And it was glorious.

By the time he broke away, I was gasping for air, clutching at him just to stay upright. My lips felt swollen and sensitive, my cheeks hot. When I slowly opened my eyes, I could see he already watched me, this almost drowsy expression on his face, his eyes hooded, his mouth slightly parted as he breathed in and out slowly.

“God, Elise… you’re going to be the death of me,” he said softly, so low only I could hear. He leaned forward, and I thought he was going to kiss me on the lips again, but instead he brought his mouth to the center of my forehead, giving me a soft, almost endearing kiss.

I closed my eyes for a moment and just absorbed it. I’d fallen fast and hard for this man, tumbling over the edge of a cliff for Lucius, and it had never felt more perfect.

He stared into my eyes, my arms around his shoulders, his fingers curled against my waist.

He leaned in close, his lips brushing along my cheek and jaw, down my neck, and settled at the shell of my ear.

“I’m so lost in you, Elise, so lost that I never want to find my way back.”

I closed my eyes and just let all the wonderful emotions wash through me. I’d never be the same. I knew that. I embraced it.

21

Elise

The ride back to my apartment was done in pretty much