Stone Cold: The Vampires of New Baltimore by Provencher Misty

Author:Provencher, Misty
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Corner Stone Publishing
Published: 2023-10-13T00:00:00+00:00

The vampire settles back against the couch and laughs, shaking his head. "Damn, but you're good," he purrs. "You're right. A deal is a deal and I'm a gentleman, if nothing else."

"I appreciate that," I say, even though I don't appreciate him at all. He's nothing, and there's not one speck of a gentleman in him.

"I desire you, Wish," he drawls, his words soft and specific. "I want every bite of you—your mind, your body, your soul, and all of the little crumbs left behind. You are exciting to me. You don’t fit the patterns I’m used to. It’s not what you do or say, it’s what you are. Why am I both wildly attracted and wildly repelled by you? I have no idea! You don't understand...I haven't felt this blend of desire and repulsion even once during my entire existence! Please don’t be insulted or ashamed—you are simply exhilarating! So, my toy…yes, I will abide by your rules. I know I will win this challenge and when I do, the reward will be all the more worthwhile for both of us."

His gaze slides down my body.

What a narcissist.

I'm sure he believes I'm having trouble gulping down the drool of my desire, while I'm struggling to keep the bile from spewing out onto his shoes.

"I have rules," I say.

He quirks an eyebrow and snuffs a smug chuckle. "Of course you do."

"As I said, I want my own suite," I tell him evenly.

To my surprise, he stands, adjusting his shirt sleeves as he strides across the room. He presses a very modern button on the wall beside the door and the familiar, nondescript voice of Isaac's butler answers. It pours into the room, surrounding us from every direction by multiple, hidden speakers.

"How may I serve you, sir?" Hoomstid asks. A strange surge of warmth races through me, as if the butler's familiarity will somehow protect me.

Careful.

Hoomstid might have been helpful to me when I wore Ruth's skin, but his motives may have changed. Who knows? He might have taken a stronger liking to Isaac.

If revenancy has taught me nothing else, it's taught me this: none of us are who we appear to be. Trust isn't a luxury I possess anymore. It's a weapon of strategy. I must remember that. Just because I know the butler's secret — that beneath his male skin hides Lucy's female lover, Tilde — it's no guarantee that Lucy, Tilde, or Hoomstid will remain loyal to me under the ever-changing circumstances on the estate.

All it would take is one bite from Isaac to change everything.

"I'd like you to prepare the suite adjacent to mine for my precious guest, Wish," Isaac says. His eyes never stray from me.

"Oh no," I wave my hand at him. "I don't want an adjacent room. I'll have no privacy. How can I trust you if you can't trust me? Privacy is what builds trust."

Isaac, finger still on the intercom button, rolls his tongue in his cheek. "My respect for your privacy is what will build your trust in me," he counters.

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