Desire by Blood (6 page)

“Won't you have a seat, Mr. Blackburn?”

His lips quirked. “I believe I will, Lady Cordelia.”

Wells appeared with the tea service.

“I will serve, Wells.”

He hesitated, his narrowed gaze telling her he was not happy
with leaving her alone with Mr. Blackburn. Cordelia was positive Wells would
include this in his report to her brother—not that Alex cared enough to stop
drinking. She did not waver her gaze. Wells sighed then bowed, leaving them
alone, though he left the door open.

“Sugar or cream?”

“Neither.”

Setting her cup aside, she squared her shoulders and faced
him. “I know you did not come here for the refreshments.”

The smile he offered her told her he had been testing her.
He placed the cup back on the saucer. “No. I have come to discuss our situation.”

“Situation?”

He studied her for a moment. “Indeed. By now, what happened
in the Smythe’s library has been recounted to every nosey dowager and debutante
in London. If not, it will be by sundown.”

“Every detail?”

She watched as his jaw flexed telling her he was grinding
his teeth again. It seemed he was always doing that around her. “Well, not
everything. Just...the particulars.”

She could not help the snort that came out of her. “I'm
sorry, but I find that unbelievable.”

He frowned. “You do not think that Lady Smythe did not tell
every gossipy hen she knows she found us in the room, your hair a mess, and
your dress...well, it did not look as it had earlier.”

She waved that away. “No. I expect that to be making the
rounds this morning. It will probably end up in the gossip pages. Most people
expected that kind of behavior out of me a long time ago, if you must know.”

A look of understanding lightened his eyes. “Yes. It is hard
to live up to society's expectations.”

Her throat closed up, and tears burned the back of her eyes.
His voice had turned so gentle, as if he knew exactly what she spoke of, of
what it felt like being an outcast in your own family.

Cordelia cleared her throat. “I was speaking of the fight.”

“Oh, that.” He sighed. “More than likely Lady Smythe will
tell everyone he was fighting for your honor.”

She rolled her eyes. “If anything he was trying to replace
you.”

Nico's eyes widened then narrowed as he studied her.
“Indeed. But he is no concern of yours.”

She opened her mouth to respond to that, but the icy look in
his eyes told her not to pry. She would let it go, but only for now. She would
find out just what was going on with the viscount’s strange behavior.

“Now, to get on to the business at hand. Gray is going to
make sure we have a special license.”

A strange combination of relief and irritation twisted
through her. He meant to marry her, but he was not planning on proposing.
Granted, their situation—especially hers—was perilous. Without a marriage, she
was ruined. They both knew it. It did not mean she didn’t deserve a proposal.

“Is he?”

The foolish man did not hear the warning in her voice and
continued his explanation.

“I assume that we can get married any time after that, and
we can actually have the archbishop oversee it, thanks to Gray again.”

When she said nothing, he turned to her. “Is there something
wrong?”

“No.”

Finally, he truly looked at her. “Yes, there is.”

“You seem to have everything planned.”

He nodded. “Yes. That way you will have no worries.”

“You have every detail taken care of.” He smiled at her.
Stupid man
. “You, however, do not have a
bride.”

He frowned, confusion clearly stamped on his features. “You
are my bride.”

She cocked her head to the side and studied him. “Am I?”

“Who the bloody hell do you think I am going to marry?”

She pursed her lips as if in deep thought. “Maybe a woman
you asked?”

His face blanked then flushed. Seeing Nicodemus Blackburn
blush was somehow endearing.

“I beg your pardon, my lady.”

“It was not as if I expected poetry, but I did expect to be asked.”

He cleared his throat. “My apologies.”

It took every bit of her propriety not to laugh. He was
being subservient but he did not like it, not one bit. It went against
everything she knew of his character. He stood then came to her side. Her
nerves jumped to life, her heart beating faster. She stared up at him,
wondering what he was about now. He sighed as he took her hand, signaling that
he expected her to stand. With an arched eyebrow, she stood and he dropped down
to his knee. Mortification filled her.

“Oh, for goodness' sake, get up.”

He gave her a knowing smile. “Will you do me the honor of
becoming my wife?”

She looked down at him, the clear intent in his eyes, and
knew that no matter if he asked or not, they would be married. Blackburn had an
impeccable reputation...not even the whisper of a mistress, and he took great
pride in that fact. There was no way this man would allow her name to be
ruined.

“Yes, Mr. Blackburn, I would be,” she swallowed, “pleased to
be your wife.”

He rose to his feet and, before she could stop him, pulled
her hard against his chest. And just like that, her pulse fluttered, and her
breath caught in her throat.

“I think we should seal it with a kiss.”

His rough voice shivered over her flesh, caused her head to
spin. He dipped his head and brushed his mouth over hers in an innocent caress.
With a sigh, she leaned into him, into the kiss. He deepened his touch,
slipping his tongue between her lips. The intimacy of the action had her head
spinning. He pulled her tighter against him, his body surrounding her. She slid
her hands up his arms and behind his neck and gave herself over to the kiss. He
slanted his mouth over hers, again and again as he built up the heat that
burned her the night before.

Everything around them disappeared, the sound of passing
carriages, of the servants going about their work. Her nipples tightened as
desire spiraled through her veins. It seemed not to matter where they were. He
could dissolve any barrier she erected. She might have let him have her right
there in the morning room if she had not heard the clearing of a throat. It
took a few moments for it to register that they were being interrupted. She
pulled away. With a growl, Nico tugged her back, but she placed a firm hand on
his chest.

“Nico, we have company.”

She whispered the comment. He finally opened his eyes and
stared down at her for a few moments. The heated lust darkening his eyes almost
had her leaning toward him again, but she fought the urge and turned to face
the person who dared interrupt them. She gasped when she saw the woman standing
there. She was dressed in a pleasant gray traveling dress, much too staid for a
woman in her thirties, but this woman took her duties as a widow very
seriously.

Her sister, Mrs. Diana Simpson, smirked at her, her cold
blue eyes taking in the scene before her.

“Seriously, Cordelia, do you always entertain men in your
breakfast room, or is this a special occasion?”

Nico ignored Cordelia’s attempt to disentangle herself from
him. The primal demand of his body grew with each minute. It was a bit
disconcerting that he seemed to have no control, but at the moment he didn’t
care. All that mattered was that she was there and he had to touch her. She had
agreed to be his. That thought sung through his blood as he pulled her closer.
Cordelia needed to understand what he wanted from her. Everything else
dissolved as the image of stripping her naked took over his thoughts. Nothing
but letting her know that she was his for now and forever blotted out any
reasoning.

“Nico, please.”

Her voice was strained and there was a hint of embarrassment
threading her tone. The haze of lust started to dissolve when he saw her glance
over his shoulder. He finally grasped at the reigns of control and pulled his
needs back. When he turned to face the interloper, he was surprised at the
diminutive woman in front of him. Dressed in a gray morning dress, her
expression was cold, her gaze colder. She raked it over them as if she were
disgusted by their presence.

“Diana,” Cordelia said, her voice breathless as she tried to
pull away from him. He would not allow it. If this was the sister, she would
need to grow accustomed to him touching Cordelia in her presence.

“Cordelia, do you think you should introduce us?” he asked.

She gave a slight wiggle, trying to dislodge his hold. He
tightened it. She gave him an odd look. The depths of her blue eyes seemed to
be confused, but he never knew a woman as smart as his soon-to-be wife. She was
not one of their kind or she would understand his need to touch her when he was
near. It was something primal for all vampires. Their mate would become their
life, and with that, it was essential to be in physical contact.

Cordelia sighed then pulled herself together.

“Nico Blackburn, my sister Mrs. Diana Simpson.”

He nodded in her direction. “My pleasure.”

The smile she gave him was filled with condemnation. “Of
course. Cordelia, your staff is lacking in even the basic manners. They
wouldn’t even escort me back to the room.”

There was a small moment of silence. “They are not my staff.
They are Alex’s,” Cordelia said, her voice ripe with irritation.

Diana seemed to hesitate, and for the first time, he saw the
woman was not as sure of herself as he’d thought. He knew there had to be
friction in the family. There was in any family, but when the youngest was left
to fend for herself without the help of anyone, there had to be something else
going on behind the scenes.

“Mr. Blackburn and I are to be married. You should be
happy.”

“Indeed?” Diana said as her attention shifted to him. “And
why, pray tell, would I be happy about that?”

He felt Cordelia’s spine stiffen beneath his arm. He knew
from his small amount of experience with his fiancée that she could stand her
ground. That did not matter. As her mate, he was pre-engineered to protect.

“I would think a family member would be more accepting of
one’s spouse,” he said. Only an idiot would miss the threat in his voice.

For a moment, there was another beat of silence, a tense few
seconds that seemed to fill the air around them. He was not sure what Diana
would do, but he did not care. Cordelia might be the bastard of their family,
but she was to be his wife. It was best his sister-in-law understood the
situation.

“Of course,” Diana said eventually.

“You are just in time for some tea, Diana.”

Diana turned her attention to Cordelia. If he had not been
watching closely, he would have missed the way her eyes softened before her
expression hardened. This was more than just an older sister showing up to
berate the youngest for her behavior.

"Have a seat, Diana."

For a moment, he didn't realize his soon-to-be wife stepped
away from him, and he didn't like it one bit. He knew it was part of her
Carrier genes that brought on this need to always have her close. Mating was
always a mystery to him. He had avoided innocent Carriers for this reason. Nico
did not want to marry—correction—had not wanted to marry. He knew that the need
to have her near him all the time was going to cause him more than a few
sleepless nights until they married.

Diana nodded and took a seat at the head of the table, not
allowing Cordelia and Nico to sit beside each other. Of course, she did it on
purpose. He’d known his wife would be an obstacle, but now he was going to have
to deal with her bitch of a sister. It did not matter. He would do the pretty
until they were married. Once that happened, he would damn Diana to hell. She
had allowed her sister to be left to survive on her own. That was something
that he would never do, even if he hated the family member. English aristocracy
was so bizarre to him, especially some of the women. Some of them seemed to
have no empathy toward their own sex.

Cordelia did not give any indication that she noticed her
sister's slight. Instead she spent her time getting their tea ready.

"I am surprised that you are here, Diana. You almost
never come to town."

Cordelia's back was to Diana, but Nico noticed that look of
panic before it vanished.

"I decided I needed some new clothes."

Cordelia said nothing, but Nico could tell that the clothes
Diana was wearing were in the first stare of fashion.

"When did you arrive?"

"Late last night. I traveled all day to get here, and
then I find the gossip rags all awash with the scandalous charades of my
younger sister...well I came right over."

The disdain in her voice had his teeth threatening to
descend. It wasn't for sexual need. A member of his family was being
threatened, and his body took over. Of course, it might get better once they
mated, but at the moment he had to keep it somewhat under control. He ground
his teeth together to keep from baring them to Diana.

"This will be fun then. I will need some help with the
arrangements."

Diana blinked. "Oh, but of course, your wedding. And
when will that be?"

"The Duke of Queensbury is taking care of the
arrangements for the marriage license. Once we have secured that, it will be a
matter of days."

"Duke...you know the Duke of Queensbury?"

"Yes. He's an old family friend."

He couldn't keep the smugness out of his voice. He might not
be royalty in the eyes of the English
ton
,
but his family had more clout within the Vampire Alliance than any one duke had
in regular society. In his world, Gray and his family were a few steps below
his.

"I would think we could do it quite fast. Something conservative,"
Cordelia said. Her voice was small, her demeanor one of being defeated. He did
not like it. This was not the woman who demanded an answer from him the night
before.