Passion Follows Pain (Passion Series Book 3) (12 page)

I gazed around a room that was unfamiliar to me and met the worried eyes of Lucian. What had happened? Did I fall asleep or something? There were flashes of images running through my head, of my father, no, oh god no, did I tell Lucian about him?

As I continued to look around, fear and panic filling me, I saw the man they called Fabian and the woman he’d called Sirene. She must be his wife since they’d been kissing earlier. Now there was another man with them. He too was beautiful, truly beautiful and yet strangely familiar.

“Arissa I would like you to meet mine and Sirene’s son Adrian.” Fabian made the introductions. “Adrian, this is Arissa, the woman Lucian has requested join him on Saturday for a date.”

I mumbled some sort of greeting at the pretty black and blonde haired man before scrambling to my feet. “I need to go, I…did I fall asleep or something? I…what happened?” I shook my head trying to make sense of the quick flashes of images in my mind.

“I thought you wished for Lucian to accompany you so he can meet with the woman you’re caring for and she can decide on my son’s suitability.”

“I…I do, can he, can you come?” I raised my eyes reluctantly to him. Something felt different with him and I wasn’t sure what. “Did…did I pass out or something? I’m not sure, but something doesn’t feel right.”

“You did little one.” Fabian answered. “Have you not been eating properly or sleeping well? You are too thin. Do I need to speak to Mrs Appleby about you eating better?” He smiled at me.

“I cook the meals for us so it’s me who decides how much food I will eat. I don’t eat a lot anyway.”

“Come Arissa, shall we go? It’s getting late; we don’t want your employer worrying about you.” Lucian interrupted.

“Don’t be a stranger little one, please call on us again.” Fabian bowed his head to me and I looked at him in surprise. There was something about him that was almost old fashioned in his mannerisms and speech. I found him somewhat intimidating and it was a relief to say goodbye to them all and get out of the house.

Once we arrived at Daisy’s, I unlocked her door and stepped inside, leaving the door open for Lucian. He didn’t follow me however and I turned back to him in surprise. “Are you going to wait here? Mrs Appleby, Daisy’s on crutches. I would prefer she didn’t have to come to the door.”

Lucian looked uncomfortable and shifted from foot to foot, one hand raking through his hair, messing it up in a way that made him look so incredibly handsome.

I felt my heart start to flutter in my chest and suddenly I heard the words as if from a distance. “If I could prove to you that it is possible for sex to be the most intensely pleasurable thing you’ve ever experienced, would you let me show you?” The voice in my head sounded like Lucian’s asking that question and I gasped at my response.

“Yes.” I froze momentarily. Where had that come from? Was it a dream? Why did it feel real? Why could I hear my voice inside my head saying yes to Lucian? Maybe I was hallucinating because I know we’d never had that kind of discussion. I could barely look at him and yet it seemed so clear to me. Lucian asked me if I’d have sex with him and I said yes. I stared up at him in horror, frozen, unable to move.

“Arissa, are you alright?” Lucian’s voice sounded concerned and when I focused on him, I could see the worry in his eyes.

“I...I don’t know. I felt funny for a moment. I thought that you’d asked me something but it must have been a dream. I don’t know, I...” I stared at him finally noticing he was still standing outside the door. “Why are you outside still?”

He looked uncomfortable. “I…I need you to invite me in.”

I found myself unexpectedly giggling at his words and when my eyes met Lucian’s he was looking at me in surprise, his expression heated. “You have a beautiful laugh agapi mou. You should do it more often.”

I blushed. “I don’t always have a lot to laugh about.”

“I would like to change that Arissa, if you will let me. I am very honoured that you agreed to go out with me on Saturday. Do you want me to bring Dominick and Allegra with us? Would you feel better in a group rather than just you and I?”

“I think I will be ok with just you.” I whispered, suddenly shy and I watched as Lucian’s face lit up in a big smile. God but he looked so handsome.

“I am delighted that you trust me, now please invite me in. I can’t just wander into Mrs Appleby’s home uninvited.”

I found myself smiling at him again. “You sound like a vampire. Don’t they have to be invited into a person’s home first?”

A strange look passed over Lucian’s face at my words. A hint of a smile curved up his lips just before he lowered his head, hiding his expression from me. “Just invite me in please.”

“Very well, please come in.” I said and watched as he stepped inside Daisy’s home.

Leading the way, I headed for the living room where I knew Daisy would be, hearing the quiet tread of Lucian as he followed me.

She looked up when I entered the room, a smile spreading over her face. I saw her eyes shift sideways and widen. Obviously she’d just had her first look at Lucian. I found myself struggling not to giggle at her reaction. I suspected he had that effect on most women when they met him.

“Well, so you’re the young man who is taking my very valuable employee out on Saturday night?” She said.

Lucian smiled at her, extending his hand to her so they could shake hands. I sat down on a single seater chair, tucking my legs up beside me as I watched the interaction between the man who both attracted me and terrified me, and my employer Daisy who had become like a mother to me. When I saw that they were starting to get along, I relaxed and sat back to listen to them, only responding occasionally when needed.

While Lucian talked I watched him, my eyes travelling over his beautiful, strong masculine features, listening to his deep but warm speaking voice. As he spoke, he gestured with his hands and I found myself studying them too. They were quite large hands with long slim fingers and nails that looked be perfectly manicured. I wondered what he did for a living since he never seemed to be around during the day, but then I didn’t know where he went at night when I’d see him leave. Whatever he did, it couldn’t be really manual work since his hands weren’t rough at all and his nails were clean. Still he didn’t strike me as the kind of man to spend his days at a desk in an office either. He was too physically fit looking for that unless he worked out.

Whatever he did, he probably did it well. I got the impression everything Lucian did, he’d do well. I stared at him, finding myself being pulled further and further into whatever it was about him that drew me to him. He was so beautiful and I had no idea why he wanted to go out with me. I just hoped that he wouldn’t demand more of me than a date. As handsome as he was, and despite him stirring unfamiliar feelings in me, just the thought of him trying anything sexual was enough to scare me half to death.

Arissa

“Oh baby girl, just look at you. You look absolutely beautiful.” Daisy said and I turned to her my smile tentative.

“Do you really think so? It’s not too revealing? I’ve never worn anything like this before. So much skin showing, father would be…” I trailed off. I had to stop doing that. I had to stop thinking about what he would think. He was no longer in my life and I hoped it stayed that way, that he never found out where I was.

“Stop bringing your father into everything you do Arissa. I don’t exactly know what’s happened with you, but I suspect that man has hurt you badly. He’s obviously done something to you because he can still affect you even though you don’t live with him anymore. I’m hoping that one day you might share something of the life you had before you came to work for me. In the meantime though, enjoy your evening, enjoy the company of that gorgeous young man who wants to be with you, and stop worrying about how you look. You look stunning. Lucian has excellent taste in clothing and he knew what he was doing when he chose this dress for you. Now you do it credit and wear it, own it and stop worrying.” She grabbed my arms in her hands and shook me gently before making a grab for the crutch she had propped up under one arm.  

I hugged her impulsively and felt tears pricking at the backs of my eyes. I was so lucky, Daisy treated me like her daughter and I’d grown to love her like a daughter.

When I straightened, I turned back to the mirror and studied my reflection again. The dress that Lucian had bought me was so pretty. The colour seemed to make my eyes look an even deeper shade of blue. It had a rounded neckline, but not too low at the front. The back dropped away lower, but fortunately not so low that my scars showed. The shiny type fabric clung to me, shaping my breasts, my narrow waist and the gentle curve of my hips. It actually made me feel like a woman for the first time ever.

I knew I was too thin but I’d never been fed properly by father so my body was like a boy’s to me, with narrow waist and hips. This dress made me look like I had some shape to me. It hugged my buttocks, finishing about mid-thigh and was the shortest dress I’d ever worn. Father would be disgusted if he saw me wearing it. It was shorter than anything I’d ever worn but I had seen shorter.  

I was so relieved that Lucian had bought a dress that not only made me feel feminine; it was also more conservative than a lot of dresses. For the first time ever, I actually felt pretty.

The shoes were also beautiful and went perfectly with the dress, but I was not familiar with walking around in high heels although they weren’t very high. I took a couple of practice walks up and down the hallway with Daisy watching on in amusement.

“You’ll be fine girl. You look like one of those runway models and if you do take a fall off those heels, you have one handsome man with you to catch you.”

I smiled shyly at Daisy. “He is very handsome isn’t he? He scares me though because I don’t know what he wants from me. I’m not like other women, I can’t be what he wants me to be and he’s a man so sooner or later he’s going to want to…you know…?”

“Have sex?” Daisy said the words I couldn’t seem to make myself say. “Girl, you’re right. If you can’t say it, you shouldn’t be having it.” She stared thoughtfully at me for a moment. “Are you still a virgin girl? Do you mind me asking that?”

I blushed at her question, feeling the heat of embarrassment warm my face. “I...well...no.” I finally mumbled.

“Good grief, you must have had an awful time of it to have sworn off sex then.” She said.

“You could say that.” I whispered, lowering my head, unable to meet Daisy’s eyes.

She took my hands in hers and squeezed them which made me look up into her warm, concerned face. “Please Arissa, anytime you want to talk, you can talk to me. I won’t judge, I won’t say anything. I’ve become very fond of you and I want you to be comfortable with me. Just remember I’m here for you, ok?”

I felt tears prick the back of my eyes and I blinked furiously to keep them at bay. “Thank you Daisy. You mean a lot to me too. I…I’m going to miss you when you don’t need me anymore.”

“I want to talk to you about that, but it can wait until after your date. Now let me do something with your face and hair. I might be an old lady now, but I can still put some make up on you. Not too much though, you don’t need it. Now come on, come with me.” She waved a hand to indicate I should follow her and curious as to what she had planned for me, I did.  

Lucian

Lucian stood outside Daisy Appleby’s door and almost laughed at himself. He was nervous. He was fucking nervous. A damn vampire, stronger than any one of these humans that lived all around him; almost indestructible and here he was waiting at the door, about to go on a date and anxious as all hell. This time he did smile. A fucking date, he was going on a date. He didn’t date; he just hunted, fucked, fed and walked away when the women’s minds had been swept clean and their bodies wiped of any traces of him. He didn’t date, and yet here he was standing at the door waiting for someone to answer it.

He knew why he was nervous. It was fear of pushing Arissa too hard and frightening her off that had him so nervous. After hearing what she’d endured so far in her short life, he wanted her to trust him, not fear him and he wanted her to trust him enough to give herself over to him and let him make love to her. God he wanted her, he wanted her…so…fucking…much! He wanted to show her that sex could be a pleasurable thing, not the pain she was used to.

He heard the sound of heels clacking on the tiled hallway floor and he straightened. It had to be Arissa since the old woman was still on crutches. He listened to the rattle of the chain, then the deadlock being turned and finally the door started to open.

When the door swung wide and he got his first glimpse, he struggled not to openly gape at her. Fuck she was stunning. She looked incredible, amazingly beautiful as she stood staring at him nervously. He knew he had to say something because she was starting to look a little worried but he was speechless, momentarily struck dumb by her beauty.

Finally he cleared his throat. “Arissa, my god, you look stunning. You are so beautiful and that dress looks incredible on you.” He stepped towards her, his movements careful and slow so he wouldn’t startle her.

He bent towards her, his nostrils flaring when her subtle fragrance reached him. He could smell her sweet blood, hear her heart beating quickly, too quickly so he knew she was nervous too. Gently, he touched his lips to hers, nothing more than the barest touch. Not even long enough for him to register how soft hers were and certainly not long enough to ruin the pretty pale pink lipstick she wore.