Chapter 11

Audrina

It was a truth generally acknowledged that a vampire king, in possession of a huge dick and bad attitude, must be in want of a Mate.

I grimaced as I looked at the menu some more. Live langoustines, indeed. What in the hell was that, anyway? My attention drifted from the inscrutable menu to the gorgeous vampire who continued to sulk at my side. He’d been playful earlier when he’d caught me drooling over him in the shower. But now his mood had soured. Perhaps it was the dress.

Perhaps it was the fact that he couldn’t touch me in the dress. Hmmm.

I had another sip of my drink. I’d never had a martini before; the liquor went straight to my head.

“Gabriel,” I said sweetly, “I forgot to tell you something.”

“Yes?” He didn’t look up from his menu.

I leaned closer and lowered my voice. “You have my permission to touch me tonight. During dinner, at the party-and afterward.”

Master of self-control that he was, he didn’t bat an eyelash.

“That’s nice.”

I stared at him, waiting for some more of a reaction, but I got nothing. Zero. Zilch. I felt myself mentally curling into a ball of rejection, but Bad Audrina wouldn’t hear of it.

Uh-uh. No way. Game on.

I sat up straight and thrust my chest out. I looked hot in this dress. I would not be denied! I tossed my hair, making sure my scent wafted toward him. He might not blink, but he couldn’t help his nostrils from flaring.

“I’ll be right back.” I stood and he pushed his chair back, but I still had to squeeze by. I made sure my ass brushed against him-and then I felt his screaming-huge hard-on.

Told you, Bad Audrina said.

I smirked and tossed my hair again for good measure, then stalked away. “Bianca, can I steal you for a second?”

She hopped up, her tiny black dress clinging to her killer curves, and zipped to my side.

“How’s it going?” she asked.

“Terrible,” I admitted as we reached the ladies’ room. Even the bathrooms in Vegas were insane-The Iliad was like a hologram filled with mirrors, more statues, and a mesmerizing 3-D waterfall on the wall.

“What’s wrong?” Bianca started fluffing her hair and fixing her already flawless makeup.

I sighed. “He won’t touch me. Or look at me. Or anything.”

She nodded. “Regular men don’t handle rejection well. How do you think a King deals with it?”

“I didn’t reject him.” I frowned at my reflection as I smoothed my hair. “I mean, not exactly.”

“Not exactly being rejected is the same thing as being rejected-at least, to a royal. He’s probably never said no to it before. Hey!” She turned on me, eyes wide. “Why don’t you flip the switch tonight?”

“W-What do you mean?” I liked Bianca, but she seemed full of crazy ideas.

“You know—say yes instead of no?

If he’s not touching you, touch him. Look at him. Let him know that you’re into him.”

“I think it’s pretty obvious I’m into him.” My cheeks heated at the memory of him busting me staring at him naked.

“Listen.” Bianca adjusted her dress. “The King is smart, and he’s immortal, but he’s also a dude. Sometimes they need to be clubbed over the head with these things. So be obvious. Sometimes they need obvious!”

“But…” I blew out a deep breath. “I want to do that, but I don’t want to be unfair to him. I can’t accept his offer to claim me, so maybe… Maybe I should just keep it strictly business?”

She eyed me up and down. “Good luck with that. Especially in that dress. And sometimes, these things have a life of their own.”

“Ugh.” I washed my hands just for something to do. I wasn’t ready to go back to the table yet.

“I know you’re worried about your “N-No.” I swallowed hard. “Nothing about it’s simple.”

“Being happy is a choice, is it not?” Bianca asked. “How about you just try it out for tonight?”

“But that doesn’t mean I can say yes to him-“

“Don’t overthink it, my friend. Just live in the moment.

Everything will work out as it should.”

“Um… That’s not my experience.” I’d always had to worry about the future, about my sister. Since our parents had died, I’d been the mother, father, big sister, CEO, and CFO of our two-unit family. Not to mention constantly guarding both myself and Winnie against our wicked stepmother and wench of a stepsister.

“Can you trust me on this-me, who has lived for hundreds of years?” Bright-blue eyes sparkling, Bianca’s expression turned hopeful.

I nodded.

“Then trust when I say you can give yourself tonight. Your sister would not begrudge you your happiness-in fact, she would celebrate it. Make your king happy and in turn, make yourself happy. Show him how you feel. It will go a long way to healing his bruised ego. Men need help with such things. Even a man as great as the King.”

I blew out a deep breath. “I guess I could let myself relax…for once.”

“Ha! I look forward to seeing you try.” Bianca linked her arm through mine. “Come, we must return to our royals. They will throw tantrums if we leave them alone for too long. Remember what I say-men are babies. They need to be coddled, to know they are secure in our affection. It’s the only way they can grow.”

I nodded at her. “I appreciate your insight, Bianca.

Thank you.”

She grinned at me. “As I said, I’m hundreds of years in the making. I know that of which I speak.”

We strutted back to the table, each in our mini-dresses, and I felt a spark of something in my chest. At first, I didn’t recognize it. But when I saw Gabriel staring at me from across the room, the feeling blazed into recognition. Hope. 

I thanked Bianca again, then made a beeline for my vampire king.

“Hi.” This time he stood as I returned to my chair. I faced him as I passed, my body brushing against his, electric shocks needling me because I was so close to the king. He was as hard as ever, and I hesitated for a moment, making sure that I rubbed against his erection.

It was pretty easy-he was freaking huge!

His eyes widened a bit at my forwardness, and I smiled up at him. “Did you order?” I asked, innocently.

“Yes.” He resumed his composure immediately, pulling my chair for me and settling back into his seat. Gabriel remained quiet as he sipped his cocktail, staring straight ahead.

My nerves frayed again. Steady, girl.

The servers appeared, delivering our meals, and I gaped at the dishes the vampires had ordered: a mountain of caviar, fish with their entire bodies and eyes intact, and purple octopus tentacles springing out of a mountain of ice.

I turned to Gabriel. “Vampires don’t eat, but they’ll eat all that?”

He chuckled. “When we indulge in human food, we tend toward the decadent. This is mostly for show and also because it’s fun.”

I looked at him, eyes wide. “Fun? Did His Highness just say fun?” joked.

“I’m fun.” He spread his napkin across his lap as our server brought him oysters on the half-shell and then deposited a

very familiar-looking cheeseburger with hand-cut truffle fries in front of me.

I peered at my dish, picking up the brioche bun and spying Chef’s signature aioli and crunchy, fried pickles piled on top.

“This looks like the Cheeseburger Deluxe I had at your house!”

Gabriel couldn’t help the small smile ghosting his lips. “That’s because it is.”

“You ordered this for me?” I was touched.

“Yes-I brought Chef with us in case you wanted something special. Or familiar.”

I melted. “That was so thoughtful of you. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” But his voice was still distant.

My stomach snarled; my dinner smelled delicious. “I’m going to eat this whole thing,” I warned Gabriel.

“I should hope so,” Gabriel smirked a bit. “The Iliad’s head the chef was pissed that I wouldn’t let him make you a cheeseburger.”

“Ha.” I dove into my meal, which was hearty and satisfying, the perfect antidote to the alcohol making my head swim. “Oh my God, this is so good.”

I felt Gabriel’s eyes on me, but I didn’t let myself feel self-conscious. He’d brought Chef to Vegas in case I wanted a cheeseburger. He should see how much I enjoyed it.

I polished off the whole thing, including the fries, but Gabriel hadn’t touched his oysters. “You don’t like them?” I asked.

He shrugged. “They do not excite me.”

“Well. Perhaps you need something that will get the job done.” I slid from my chair over to his lap, throwing my arms around his neck. His gigantic cock jutted against my ass—but instead of letting it intimidate me, I backed up against it. I was the one who made him feel this way. I gazed up at my king, batting my eyelashes.

“What are you…” His voice was hoarse. “What are you doing?”

“I’m saying thank you. Is that all right, Your Highness?”

“Yes,” he said, his voice barely controlled. “And you are welcome, Audrina. It’s my pleasure.”

“Mmm, pleasure.” I wiggled my ass against his erection, and he groaned. “The pleasure is mine.”

The other guests at the party noticed me on the king’s lap.

Julian raised his glass at us in a toast; Madam Ives favored me with an approving nod. I still felt self-conscious, but I understood the vampires would not judge me for such behavior. Even our server didn’t bat an eye as he came and cleared our plates; this was Vegas, after all.

Naughty Audrina was in full command. I sank my hands into the thick hair at the nape of Gabriel’s neck, luxuriating in the feel of him. It was a relief to be in his lap, to be so close to him. I relished the sensation of having his desire pressed up against me; it was as though my drug of choice had finally been administered. “I’m excited to go to the party.”

“You are?” His dark eyes shone a bit.

“Yes. I want to…I want to be with you.” I stared up at him, my lips parted. A wicked heat descended between us, and I wondered if he felt what I felt.

His dick throbbed against me. He feels it, girl!

His arousal made me brave. I stroked his cheek and gently pulled his face down to mine. My virgin lips met his strong, experienced ones; I tentatively poked my tongue into his mouth. He moaned against me, stiffening impossibly further.

Our tongues connected and finally, he wrapped his arms around me, hands running down the exposed skin of my back. I shivered under his touch, even as heat licked my skin. I was burning alive. I was burning for him.

He pulled away first, breathing hard, eyes a bit wild. “We should stop.”

“W-Why?” I inched my ass back, so his cock pressed between my cheeks. Ung.

“Because.” His voice was strangled, but his resolve was firm: he lifted me and put me back on my chair.

Regular old Audrina would be crushed, but Naughty Audrina knew the truth: the King wanted me, and he wanted me bad if he chose to be cold if he chose to pull away from me for now…fine.

He was a vampire. Vampires didn’t sleep.

I had all night sister,” Bianca said, her voice laced with sympathy. “But you love her, right?”

“More than anything.”

“Then I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that she loves you more than anything, too. And since that’s the case…” Bianca fluffed her hair one last time. “She probably wants you to be happy.”

“Of course she does.”

Bianca tilted her chin as she inspected me. “Then it’s simple, isn’t it?”


Chosen