Passion Follows Pain (Passion Series Book 3) (10 page)

Suddenly Francesca’s eyes were on me. “Ah, so you’re Arissa. Well, well, my little brother has mentioned your name once or a couple of dozen times.” She put her hand up to her mouth and leaned towards me, her fragrance teasing my nostrils. “I think he might like you, but you didn’t hear that from me.” She gave me a wink. “Anyway, I’m out of here. I have places to be, men to fuck. Good night.” She waved and disappeared down the stairs, climbing into one of the several cars parked in a large open garage area under the house.

Seconds later we heard an engine start up and the car backed down the driveway. It paused for a moment in the middle of the road before accelerating away with a squeal of tyres.

Lucian turned to me, his eyes wary. “Please don’t pay any attention to Fran. She doesn’t care what she says or does and she will always go for the shock factor. Please, please don’t go Arissa, come inside and talk with me, meet the others. You must have come here for a reason, so don’t let my annoying siblings chase you away.” He held out a hand to me.

I looked into his warm brown eyes and then down at the hand he held out with its long slim fingers. God, even his hands were beautiful. My eyes shifted to his again and I sucked in a deep breath before placing my hand in his. His fingers closed around my much smaller hand and I shivered at how cool they were. A part of me wondered if I was making a mistake, but I shook off the warning voice in my head, and tuned out my father’s harsh tone as he told me I was nothing more than a dirty girl.

Lucian tugged gently on my hand and I stepped towards him, my gaze locked with his. He smiled, showing off perfect straight white teeth and I shivered in reaction. How this man frightened me with his good looks, his charm and that invisible thread that seemed to draw me to him, despite every warning bell inside me, telling me it was a mistake to get involved with him.

I heard someone clear their throat nearby and the moment was lost. I turned my head to meet Damien’s green eyes and he was grinning. “I’m out of here brother dear. I feel the need, the need to fu…..” He broke off suddenly. “I…I have a date.” He said instead and took off down the stairs.

“Come Arissa.” Lucian pulled me after him and nervously I stepped inside the vast house, confronted immediately by a long corridor.

I followed Lucian, my heart pounding and eventually the corridor ended, opening up into what looked like a living area which was a sort of circular shape. It was big, several lounges spaced throughout it, a fireplace at one end and several low tables, some with magazines spread out on them, others with candles and ornaments.

My eyes drifted around the room, and finally stopped on a man seated in one of the armchairs in the room. He had a newspaper spread out over his lap and I stared at him, my eyes wide. My god he was beautiful, his hair a strange kind of dirty blonde, with some very pale streaks through it, but it was his eyes, the eyes that he turned on me that left me frozen, unable to move. They were a very pale grey/blue colour and as he stared at me, I felt like I’d been stripped bare, exposed, so this man could see inside me to my very soul. He stood and walked towards us, his stride long, his movements graceful and confident. I couldn’t do anything more than stare up at him as he approached, my heart hammering painfully in my chest.

“Well son, who is this that you have brought into our home?” His voice was deep.

“Fabian, this is Arissa.” Lucian said and I watched the man with the pale eyes turn his gaze back to me.

“So this is Arissa. We have heard much about you little one. I think it would be safe to say that my son is very taken with you and has spoken of you often.”

I stared at him trying to think of something to say in response but my mind was blank. Lucian’s grip on my hand tightened, as he started pulling me forward into the room and towards the imposing man with the pale eyes. Fabian, was that what he’d called him? Was he Lucian’s father? They didn’t look alike; none of them did apart from all being stunningly good looking. Maybe they were all adopted or something? Fabian looked too young to have fathered Lucian and the others. It was very confusing.

“Please sit down.” He waved to one of the lounges and Lucian sat, tugging me down alongside of him. “Can I get you something to drink.” He asked me, those pale eyes studying me closely, too closely. I just wanted to get up and run from the house.

“N…no thank you.” I said softly. “I…I can’t stay long. I…I came to see Luc...Lucian.” I turned to him. “Thank…thank you for the dress, shoes, for everything. I’ve come to tell you that I will... come with you on Saturday but would you, I mean could you…do you think you could come to meet the lady I’m looking after? She would like to meet you. You’re neighbours but you’ve never met?” I said, surprised. “How long have you lived across the road from her and you haven’t met her?”

“That would be my fault.” Fabian said. “We tend to keep to ourselves and the nature of our.” He paused briefly. “Our work has us more active at night, not so much by day.”

I shot Fabian a nervous smile before turning back to Lucian. “So can you come to meet Daisy?”

“Daisy; oh you mean Mrs Appleby? Yes of course I will meet her and I can’t tell you how happy I am that you have agreed to come out with me on Saturday.”

“Mrs Appleby must care deeply for you if she needs to meet my son to check his suitability for dating you.” Fabian’s lips curved up in a semblance of a smile.

I smiled my first real smile since I’d stepped in their house. “She’s so good to me. She’s become like a mother to me. I’m going to miss her when she’s better and has no further need for me. I don’t know where I’m going to go or where I will live to be honest.” I sighed. “I have to find something. I can’t, I just can’t go home.” I shuddered when I pictured the rage my father must have brewing towards me by now.

Suddenly there was the sound of the front door, then the click clack of heels on the marble floor. I immediately tensed, wondering who had turned up this time. There were so many of them living in this house and all of them appeared to be beautiful, seriously stunning to look at. It was like the cream of the crop in the gene pool was all in one home.

I looked towards the doorway of the living room as a woman walked in. She was tiny, not very tall, black hair that hung long and shining down her back, and eyes of a pretty jade green. She looked around us all, before her gaze fell on Fabian, and I watched her face light up as she walked towards him.

His face showed his pleasure at the sight of her too and he stepped forward, his arms snaking around her as he pulled her against him, his head lowering until his lips closed over hers.

As they became caught up in one another, her arms around him, his around her, pulling her close, I felt colour flood my cheeks and I turned away, suddenly embarrassed, meeting Lucian’s eyes. I could see a fire burning in them and his nostrils flared, his hand shifting restlessly on his knee.

Despite my embarrassment at the obvious and very public display of affection between Fabian and the woman who must be his wife, I found myself unable to look away. My breathing quickened, my heart rate increased and I felt my nipples harden and push against the cotton t-shirt I wore with my jeans. A strange sensation started low in my stomach and speared down between my legs making me feel hot and achy but for what, I wasn’t sure.

I tore my eyes from the passionate couple in front of me and turned to Lucian. He was watching me, his eyes burning with a heat that was almost scorching me as his gaze travelled over my face and down the front of me. He stared at my breasts where the nipples pushed up hard and clearly visible beneath my clothing, and then down to where I clutched my hands together in my lap, unsure of what to do next, or how to deal with these strange feelings flooding my body.

He reached out, his finger tracing my bottom lip and I sat there unable to move, my breathing quickening. Slowly he touched me, moving over my chin and down my neck, pausing where the pulse beat frantically. I saw his eyes lift to mine again as his fingers moved back and forth over that little tell-tale sign that I was nowhere near as calm as I was pretending to be. With every touch, my skin tingled and I whimpered, scared of these feelings that were running rampant through my body and unsure what to do next.

I watched as Lucian’s head came towards me, his eyes on mine and just as he reached me, his lips a hair’s breadth from mine, I heard someone clear their throat. I panicked and lunged back, the moment lost as my head whipped around to where I’d heard the sound.

My wide eyes landed on Fabian who was watching us closely, the tiny woman by his side, focused just as intently. I heard a soft groan from Lucian, just the tiniest of sounds, little more than a sigh under his breath and my eyes turned to him again seeing the frustration and disappointment in his gaze.

“Sirene, this is Lucian’s friend from across the road, Arissa and Arissa this is my beauty Sirene.” Fabian said, smiling at the woman by his side and I stared at them trying to imagine what it would be like to have a man who loved me like he obviously did. His eyes lit with something, they seemed to glow, to heat with some kind of fire every time he glanced down at the tiny woman by his side.

I managed to mumble some kind of nervous response but I did feel a little less intimidated when Sirene smiled warmly at me. “So you are the woman that has our dear Lucian in a state? I hope you’re here to accept his invitation to go out with him on Saturday night? I fear for the boy’s heart if you’re here to turn him down.”

I looked up into Sirene’s smiling face and felt myself relaxing a tiny bit. She seemed nice, kind and she was smiling at me. “I…I’ve already told Lucian I will go with him on Saturday night. I came to tell him that and to thank him for the things he sent for me.” I said, my voice quavering slightly.

“Things? What things?” Fabian’s eyes turned to Lucian and I watched him squirm. It would seem no one else knew about the dress he’d sent me and suddenly I felt worried that I had said and done the wrong thing.

“I sent Arissa a dress and shoes for Saturday since she doesn’t own anything suitable to wear out.” He said and when his eyes met Fabian’s I thought I could see a hint of defiance in them.

“How very noble of you my son.” Fabian’s eyes shifted to me. “So you are going to accompany Lucian? How nice of you to come and tell him so he didn’t spend another night frustrated.”

“That wasn’t the only reason for Arissa’s visit father, as she just told you. Mrs Appleby would like to meet me and test my suitability. She has become very fond of Arissa and vice versa.” Lucian said, turning his attention on Sirene. While he spoke, I watched him, almost mesmerised by his beauty. When he turned and caught me looking at him, I blushed and averted my gaze.

Fabian’s eyes shifted to me again and I found myself squirming under his intense gaze. “If Mrs Appleby is concerned about my son’s intentions for you little one, perhaps it might be best if we all went over to meet her and put her mind at rest. Still a part of me is curious; while my son is to be put under the microscope so to speak to test his suitability for you, who will be testing your suitability for him?”

I looked up at him, my eyes widening. “I…I don’t know what you mean? What do you mean who will be testing my suitability? I…I…I think I need to go now.” I whispered, standing, rubbing my suddenly sweaty palms down my thighs.

“Sirene, I think this would be the right time for you to assist Arissa, don’t you?” Fabian asked her and I looked nervously between the two suddenly aware that something was happening but not sure what.

I saw Lucian stand and step close to me. “What is happening father, Sirene? What do you have planned?”

“I want you to have answers my son.” Fabian said and I frowned, feeling more and more confused about where this conversation was going. I just wanted to get out of here now.

“Umm, I need to go.” I said tentatively but no one seemed to be paying attention. “Well, good bye.” I called and started to leave the room.

“When I give the command, you will answer any questions we demand.” I heard Sirene say and I froze, feeling suddenly a bit faint and nauseous.

“Help her to a seat Lucian.” Fabian said quietly and I felt hands take me by the arms and lead me to the lounge, sitting me down again. “Now we have questions for you Arissa. Questions about why you are the way you are and you will answer honestly because, well, you have no choice. The spell will force you to be honest. Is that quite clear?” Fabian asked and I found myself nodding, unable to do anything else.

Lucian

Lucian looked down at Arissa once she was seated again on the lounge. She was awake but her expression was blank and her eyes had a faraway look in them. Sirene had cast a spell on her that was obvious, but for what reason he had no idea; but he sure as hell intended finding out.

“What have you done to her? Why is she under a spell Sirene?  What do you intend doing with her?” He snapped at the tiny woman angrily before his accusing eyes turned to his sire. “This was you, wasn’t it? Why? What do you want from her? I won’t let you hurt her.”

Fabian chuckled quietly. “My son, you couldn’t stop me if I wanted to hurt her, and you know that, but I have no desire to harm this tiny, fragile looking woman you desire so much. I merely want to know why she is as timid and as lacking in trust of people as she appears to be. You said yourself her father has made her the way she is, and you suspect it’s because he’s controlling, but sadly I believe her behaviour to be the product of abuse from her father, abuse that is unspeakable. It pains me to even imagine it, but sadly I suspect this poor child has been horribly abused and hurt by the man who should have protected her and nurtured her.”