The Immortal Compromise (The Mortal One Series Book 3) (19 page)

I reached over to pull at his sweater, but he placed his hand over mine.

“No,” he whispered as I looked up to him, questioning why he would stop me. “Tonight is about you, not me.”

Nico moved in a blur, straddling me. I smiled up at him in adoration. He grabbed the corners of my top and pulled up. I leaned forward to let him slide it all the way up. His mouth bent down to take a nipple in his mouth. Fangs grazed the sensitive side of my breast and my hips instinctively rose as he caused every nerve ending in my body to come alive.

He hadn’t fed, so he wouldn’t be able to perform. But that didn’t mean it had to stay that way. I slid my hands over his head and leaned forward so that my lips were right against his ear lobe. “Feed,” I whispered.

“No,
mia mortale
,” he paused, licking over my curves.

“Feed,” I whispered again and slid one of my hands down further, “so I can feel you become hard in my mouth.”

He growled a low and manly sound against my skin and slid down the length of my body. My panties were pulled down the length of my legs and he spread me open like a book in front of him. His tongue licked from my pulsing need down to mid-thigh and then his fangs sunk into me. He held one thigh firm with his hand while fingers from the other hand slid into me. His thumb stayed firmly planted on my clit while his other two fingers moved in rhythm inside me, causing me to quiver.

It was my undoing. Between the pressure from his fangs and the working of his fingers, I came. Fireworks exploded in front of me and I rode the waves of pleasure over and over again.

He let out a strong groan and pulled back. He licked my thigh and went higher, allowing his tongue to linger. My legs were shaking. I reached down and grabbed handfuls of his hair, guiding his head and the rest of his body up the length of me. He gave me a devilish grin and got off the bed. He took his time sliding his sweater over his abs. My mouth salivated while he unbuttoned his jeans and slid them down his muscular legs that were covered with just enough dark hair to make him absolutely perfect.

I slid across the bed and bent my head back so that it was hanging over the edge. I slid my fingers underneath the waistband of his boxer briefs and pulled down, releasing his cock that was just beginning to spring to life. He took a step closer and pushed the briefs the rest of the way down. My tongue licked eagerly from right behind his balls all the way to the tip of his length. He moaned softly and it deepened when I took his entirety in my mouth.

As he hardened, I slowly slid my lips over him and allowed him to fuck my mouth as he stood there at the edge of the bed. He thrusted carefully in and out and reached forward, taking full advantage of me as I laid across the bed, open to him. His hands roamed down the sides of my body and came to rest at my hips.

I moved my hands around so that they grabbed at his backside. The muscles in his ass clenched as I palmed them. My head raised slightly to avoid the rush of blood from being upside down too long. He took the opportunity to step back. I watched him walk around the other side of the bed and I rolled over so I was on my stomach. He crawled onto the bed and grabbed me around the hips, pulling me to my knees and so that my ass was against him.

“I love you from this angle,” he said and licked the full length of me.

I didn’t trust my voice to speak. My body was quivering with a need that came from everywhere. I braced myself on my elbows as he slid into me, claiming me.

Chapter 24

IT HAD BEEN two days since I had seen Jen. She hadn’t called and I didn’t want to be the one to call her because she needed to take the time to own her life and figure things out. That didn’t stop me from asking Nico to find out if she was okay from Olivier.

Nico and I sat at the counter in the kitchen. I sipped some of the Chianti that Antonio had given to me as a moving present. Nico was talking to me about some of the plans Olivier had shared about turning Jen.

“It’s really going to happen this soon?” I asked.

Nico nodded. “Yes. I know you’re not thrilled about it happening this quickly, but it is something that is happening with more frequency. I spoke to Costin about it last night.”

“What do you mean?”

“Vampires are choosing to turn their pets faster. The rest of the grooming is done within the first year. It avoids certain complications.”

“Are there a lot of vampires turning people?”

Nico shook his head. “No. A sovereign has to approve all turns because the new vampire also has to pledge to the sovereign.”

Oh
. “Costin had given permission for you to turn me?”

Nico nodded. That made me like Costin a little more.

“And Jen has to take the oath to you?”

“Yes, and they are here,” he said, standing up. That always amazed me. He could hear someone approaching long before I did. Maybe Olivier had made a mental announcement or maybe his hearing was just that good.

Jen and Olivier walked through the front door that Nico held open for them. They were arm in arm and she looked happy.

She came and gave me a hug.

“Hey,” I said, wrapping my arms around her. “Are you okay?” I whispered in her ear.

She nodded. “I am now. I’ve learned a lot. It wasn’t all easy to hear, but yeah, I’m okay.”

“Good.”

“We have news,” Olivier said as he walked the rest of the way into the house.

“You’re pregnant?” I smiled.

Jen pointed at me. “Not funny.”

I laughed. “It’s kind of funny.” It would have been particularly amusing because she never wanted kids and it wouldn’t have been Olivier’s, making everything a whole lot of awkward.

“I’m being turned tonight,” Jen said and jumped up and down a little.

“What? Tonight?” I asked, turning to Nico. He looked at me and shrugged.

“Congratulations,” Nico said.

“I needed to talk to you,” Olivier said.

Nico nodded and the two of them stepped outside.

“Are you nervous?” I asked Jen.

She shook her head. “Not really. Ollie has told me what I should expect with it all.”

“Everything?”

“I don’t know. I’ve watched him hunt, which wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. He told me about how it would take twenty-four hours for the transition to take place and how to anyone who saw me during that time would think I’m dead.”

She continued to tell me some of the details that Olivier had shared with her, and they were similar to what Nico had told me. He hadn’t shared with her how vampires were made, which was something I was still in the dark about.

“Where is this happening?” I asked.

Jen looked to the front door where the men were. “That’s what Ollie is talking to Nico about now. We were hoping to do it here. That way, you would be able to keep an eye on me during the transition.”

“Me?” I asked, not sure if it was something I could do or even wanted to do.

“Well, I mean it’s not like there’s anything you can actually do, but I would feel better about being here.”

I nodded. “We will see what Nico says.”

Nico and Olivier walked back into the house as if on cue. Olivier gave Jen a thumb’s up and she smiled. That answered that question.

“It is not something that Dylan should watch,” Nico said.

“Wait, what?” I demanded, looking back and forth between everyone. “Why do I get excluded?”

“Would you like to be turned tonight as well?” Nico asked.

I scowled at him because he knew damn well I didn’t.

“Then you are not to be present when the ceremony is performed.”

“This is bullshit,” I said, my hands instinctively going on my hips.

Jen rested her head on my shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not mad at you,” I said and stared at the men.

“Dylan,” Nico said. “It has always been this way.”

I shook my head. “Fine. I’m calling Adrien to come pick me up. If I can’t watch, then I don’t even want to be in the house.” Call me childish, whatever. This was fucking ridiculous that I was being excluded from it all just because I wasn’t ready to be turned at the same time. Some of the vampire rules bullshit got on my nerves sometimes and this was one of those times. I reached for my phone and stepped out to make the call.

Nico went to follow me out.

“Don’t,” I said and closed the door.

Adrien was more than willing to pick me up and take me anywhere I wanted in Paris. It was still early in the night and I asked if he had some recommendations. He asked if I wanted to dance, drink or sightsee. Considering I was being excluded out of the biggest event in my best friend’s life, I opted to drink. He was leaving Paris as we hung up and I went back in the house to change.

“Adrien is picking me up so I won’t be here. Just tell me when I’m allowed to come back into my house,” I announced and walked upstairs. After standing in the center of my closet for a few moments, I let out the breath that I was holding. I was so pissed that my legs were shaking. After all I had been through, it seemed natural to let me watch the ceremony. It would be performed on me at some point, too, so I didn’t see the big deal.

I changed into tan dress pants, a bulky brown sweater, and zipped up my brown heeled boots. It was comfortable, would keep me warm, and Nico couldn’t complain that I was showing off too much skin. I stepped into the bathroom for a few minutes to dab on some makeup and apply mascara.

They were all talking when I came into the room. The conversation stopped abruptly.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

Olivier shook his head. “Nothing.”

“Bull,” I said. “What’s going on?”

“They’re just going over the details of what will happen,” Jen explained, but that was all she could say.

“Say your goodbye now,” Nico said.

“What?”

“When she is awake again, she will be vampire.”

I knew that, I did. But the way he said it caught me off guard.

Jen smiled.

I gave her a hug. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow night, when you rise,” I said, and it sounded strange to me.

“Adrien is here,” Nico said. “You will behave yourself?”

I nodded. “How long is the ceremony?”

“It will take about two hours.” I could tell he was uncomfortable, but didn’t know what to do. I didn’t care at this point. It could take four hours as far as I cared, it would be a while before I made it back to the house.

“Fine. I will be back after that,” I said, not committing to any specific time.

Nico looked at his watch. “It is only eight.”

“And I’ll be back after ten,” I said and walked out the front door. I didn’t bother to kiss him or say anything else to anyone. My feelings were hurt and it felt better to make sure they understood that.

Adrien had the car running. I opened the door and we said our formalities. One thing I liked about him was that he didn’t ask a lot of questions. He knew he worked for me just as much as he worked for Nico. If I wanted to go somewhere, he wouldn’t intervene. He would simply keep me safe because that is what he was paid to do.

“Where are we going?” He asked.

“Into Paris. I’m feeling like a drink or two.”

He nodded and backed the car out of the driveway.

As we were making our way into the city, he asked, “Do you have anywhere in particular in mind?”

I shook my head.

“Would you like to go to a few of my favorite places?” He asked, turning down one of the major roads.

“Like a crawl?” I asked.

He hesitated. “I don’t know if I know what you mean.”

“A pub crawl,” I explained. “You have a drink in one place and then move to the next down the line of bars or clubs.”

He nodded. “Yes. It is called a crawl because that is all you can do by the end?”

I laughed, “Pretty much.”

“I understand. Does Nico know that this is what you are doing for the evening?”

He should
, I thought. I hadn’t even realized it was at the front of my mind, but his reaction told me he heard it all.

“Rough night?” He asked, looking over at me.

I waved my hand to dismiss it. “Vampire politics.”

“Ohhh,” he said and knew enough not to ask any more questions.

We pulled up along the street on
Rue des Capucines
.

“We are within walking distance of quite a few places,” Adrien said, turning off the ignition.

“Okay,” I said, trusting his judgment to choose the locations we walked into.

The first place we went into had pop music blaring as soon as you walked through the door. While I wasn’t a fan of the music, I did appreciate the modern décor with the glass bars lining the walls. He stood at my side while I ordered a cosmopolitan. When the bill came, Adrien reached for his wallet.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Nico will compensate me later,” he explained.

While I understood, I also didn’t see the point when I had money, too.

“It is all about appearances.”

“I don’t follow,” I said. The bartender took the card that Adrien extended.

“It isn’t proper. If you pay, it doesn’t look right that I allowed it.”

“You allowed it?”

He paused and rested his hand on mine. “I hope you know what I mean.”

It was all about bruised egos. Rather than vocalizing it, I nodded and finished the remaining vodka sitting at the bottom of my martini glass. “Where next?”

He shook his head. “You’re going to get us both in trouble tonight, aren’t you?”

I smiled. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

By the end of the third bar, I had to take my time to talk because I felt like my tongue had lost all feeling. My mind was sharper than my body and I knew if I started to slur, Adrien would take me back to the house and to Nico. If I was slurring in any way, Adrien didn’t call me out on it or suggest we leave, so we went into the fourth bar.

This place was a little more sophisticated, with the interior lined in red velvet. The bars were a gorgeous cherry wood and the bartenders were dressed in tuxedo jackets. They spoke in French and fast. I turned to Adrien for help and he smiled. “Are you struggling because they are talking too fast or because you have had too much?”

I bumped his shoulder with mine. “Obviously they are speaking too fast,” I said carefully.

“What do you want to drink?”

“Hmmm,” I thought about it. “What do you drink?” I started laughing, probably a little too loud because I realized what he
does
drink and it wouldn’t be behind the bar. “What did you drink?” I asked, dropping my voice a little.

He shook his head. “This is our last stop,” he whispered, “so enjoy it.” The bartender stood waiting for the order. “
Soixante quinze
.”

“What did you just order me?”

“It’s called a Seventy-five,” he said.

I watched the bartender make the drink. It had champagne and gin, but I didn’t catch what the third bottle was that was poured in. I hadn’t seen a drink like it before and coming from a bartender, it impressed me.

The bartender placed the drink in front of me. “
Jouir
.”