The Feelings in the Blood

6 Change of Plans

Lord Verlice’s expression doesn’t seem friendly in the least, but Dylan isn’t discouraged as he starts fawning over the man.

“I never thought I would be eating at the same restaurant as the lord of our district. This place must be pretty good if you eat here too. My name is Dylan Leer. I own 365 Fitness. We have several locations around the district.” He stands and leans over the table to offer Lord Verlice his hand.

Lord Verlice looks at it with distaste for several seconds, just long enough for an awkwardness to settle in the air, then a sly smile spreads on his face. He pushes out from his table, standing to his full height, forcing Dylan to do the same before he takes his hand in his. Dylan was impressive when I first laid eyes on him, but next to Lord Verlice, he doesn't seem impressive at all. Jerkface must be aware of that, because he has a cocky smirk on his annoyingly handsome face now.

“Hello, Dylan Leer. Pleasure to meet you.” He then turns that smile on me, making my belly tighten and uneasiness weigh on me. “My Mariana, dear. It is always a pleasure to run into you. What a coincidence this is to be meeting the night you were supposed to be visiting my home.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, refusing to take his offered hand. Why would he word it like that?

Dylan’s excited smile slips away as he looks between the two of us. “You, uh, know each other?”

“He’s a client at the gallery,” I quickly said, so Lord Verlice couldn’t say anything misleading again. “He just bought one of your brother’s paintings and wanted a personal delivery tonight but I had plans,” I smiled sweetly at Dylan, ignoring the brooding Lord’s disgruntled gaze. “Plans with you.”

The deep, guttural noise, low and lethal that comes out of Lord Verlice can only be described as a growl. The jerk is growling at us. I don’t know why he is growling and imposing on my date like this, but it’s making me angry. I can put up with his unnerving behavior while working because I have to, but I don’t have to right now. His behavior is unprofessional and crossing the line. When Dylan starts to shift uncomfortably, not sure what to say or how to act because of Lord Jerkface’s hostile demeanor, I can’t just let this continue.

“It was good to see a client outside of the gallery, but we are on a first date, Lord Verlice."

“I don’t mind,” he smirks, pulling a chair from his table and sitting between us. “I would love to hear more about the business of owning a small gym in this economy, when home gyms are on the rise and more accessible than ever.”

I groan, pinching the bridge of my nose, and Dylan looks flustered. Is he trying to insult my date?

“He owns several gyms, Lord Jer-, I mean, Lord Verlice. Not one small one. And getting a home gym for regular people like me isn’t an attainable venture. Especially when I have no idea how to work out or use the equipment. I actually was thinking of starting a gym membership to start getting in shape.”

Both men’s eyes rake down my body, making me squirm. I can almost feel Lord Verlice’s eyes on me, examining every inch of my body. I was stammering to try and defend Dylan. I don’t actually want to start working out, but under his scrutiny I feel like I might need to. Why is he looking at my body like that?

“You can come in anytime,” Dylan smiles. “I’ll give you the family discount,” he winks, “I would love to help you get a good workout in.”

Lord Verlice scoffs, “Well, I have a pretty elaborate set-up at home. Before you spend needless money on a gym membership, I could just let you use my home gym for free. I’d be more than able to work you out better than anyone else too.”

“No thanks,” I muttered, making his face fall slightly with disappointment.

At that moment, a waitress came to take our drink orders. “Hello, um,” her eyes went wide when she saw Lord Verlice and Dylan, both men being impressive specimens. I would be the same if I wasn’t in such an awkward situation with a client and a blind date. “Um, my name is Penny. Can I, uh, start you guys off with some drinks?”

I pointed to Lord Verlice with my thumb. “He’s not-”

“How about a bottle of….” Lord Verlice orders an expensive cabernet sauvignon for the table, surprising both Dylan and myself. When the Waitress walks back, a bit flustered by the Lord’s charm, I’m almost fuming. I had already told him we were on a date. Is he planning on staying at our table the whole time?

“Lord Verlice,” I muttered through clenched teeth. “I already said this was a first date. Why don’t you go back to-”

“Eating alone is never any fun,” he grins, cutting me off. “And first dates can be so awkward. I don’t mind sharing a table with you at all.”

“I mind,” I glared at him. “I think you are being rather rude right now.”

He sits back in his chair, a teasing glint in his eyes. “You have yet to see rude, Mariana. I plan on showing you thoroughly one day. Soon.”

What does that even mean? “I’ve seen enough of your rudeness for the time being,” I muttered, then squared my shoulders, deciding I was done with this whole situation. “I would hate to disturb your dinner, Lord Verlice. Why don’t Dylan and I get out of your hair and find another place to dine and leave you here in peace? I can have the painting delivered by courier on Monday morning.”

“You want to leave?” Dylan looked out at the view, then back at me. “We might not be able to get another reservation in the city at the last minute.”

“That’s fine,” I smiled, ignoring Lord Verlice’s glare. “We can just get something to-go and take it back to your place?”

A knowing grin starts to spread on his face, but before it can reach its full potential, Lord Jerkface growls loudly, shaking the glasses and flatware on the table.

“You will be doing no such thing. Sit, Mariana,” his voice is full of command, making me unable to resist. Like an obedient dog, I’m forced to do as he says. I sit, but glare menacingly at him the whole way down, and continue doing so as he turns his dominant and commanding expression on Dylan. “I think it is time you left, Dylan. Good luck next time.”

Dylan’s brows furrow, and he looks at me in question before sighing deeply and turning to leave.

Lord Verlice runs his hands through his hair, pushing it back, the action drawing my attention to his strong, tense jaw and his unique eyes. They’re not red like a normal vampire. They’re orange, a mixture of werewolf and vampire DNA. His hybrid blood makes him unique and stronger than normal lords. No one can win against this man in this city. If you go up against a man like him, you likely won’t come out on the winning side.

I don’t give a s**t right now. He crossed the f*****g line and I’m pissed.

When he turns those orange eyes on me, his beast shining through them, I know a normal person would start cowering in fear, but I just narrow my eyes more, wanting a fight.

“Why the hell would you do that? What gives you the right?”

“Oh, I have every right, Mariana,” he purrs darkly. “You are the one that had no right to try and go home with that man.”

“Why is that? I couldn’t get your painting delivered tonight so you wanted to f**k up my date? My personal life is none of your business.”

“That’s what you think,” he smirks.

“Oh, I know it. Hell, I actually liked him and now he probably won’t want to see me again thanks to all your weird growling and jerkiness.”

“Good,” his smile grew. “I would hate to crash another date for the poor man. He looks quite crestfallen.”

“You are unbelievable,” I scoffed. What is this to him? A game? “Why? Why couldn’t you just ignore us like a normal person would do?”

“I could never ignore you, Mariana. It’s not possible.”

“Make it possible,” I snapped. “You may be, well, you, but that doesn’t give you the right to f**k up people’s personal lives. I had enough of that in my last….” I pressed my lips together, wincing at the thought of Sebastian. Even after a year, it still hurts to think about how my childhood friend changed and was able to hurt me the way he did.

“Mariana?” Lord Verlice reaches a hand out, resting it on my arm like he is trying to comfort me. Weird electrical sparks move across my skin. It’s like he shocked me, but that’s not exactly right. It was more pleasurable than being shocked.

I move my arm from his touch, feeling unnerved and not liking it in the current situation. I want to be able to think clearly, and I’m having a hard enough time doing that with his sweet breath mixing in the air around me, the strong scent of his cologne making my head feel airy and light.

“Don’t. If you are done ruining my night, can I go home now?”

A pensive look covers his face. “I wasn’t trying to ruin your night. I was trying to…trying to save that man from getting hurt, really. I can still make sure you have a good evening.”

“Getting hurt? You think I was going to hurt him?” I scoffed in disbelief.

“Not intentionally,” he smiled meekly. “You and him would never have worked and I sure as hell wasn’t going to let you go home with the man.”

“Whatever.” I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. “Dismiss me so I can go home and salvage my night with my vibrator at least.” I was so looking forward to ending my dry streak. My v****a has probably closed back up from disuse.

“Your what?” Lord Verlice’s eyes glow weirdly, making my thighs press together, even though I’m pissed.

“Too personal for you?” I scoffed. “I’m sorry. I thought you were all for invading my personal life.” I leaned forward in my chair, damning myself by getting dangerously close to the man, but I’m pissed right now and don’t care. “You see, I’ve not had s*x for a really, really long time. I listen to it more than I should, thanks to my horny roommates, but I haven’t gotten any myself in I don’t even know how long. I thought I might finally get to dust the cobwebs out of there, but you had to send away my first date in months before I got the chance. Now, I’m going to head home with a bottle of wine and spend the evening reading a dirty book and getting myself off until I feel better about being single as f**k. If that is okay with you, dismiss me from your command so I can get going.”

His eyes are dancing with his beast, the intensity in his face making my stomach curl in a pleasurable way. I said I was going to be reading a dirty book, but honestly, I’ll probably be imagining this man’s eyes and the way I felt when they were moving over my body while I worked to get myself off. It wouldn’t be the first time. I won’t cross that line in real life, but I have plenty of times in my fantasies. I tried not to read into it too much. I used to do the same while thinking about Sebastian, even though I hate him. If a guy is hot, it’s hard not to let my mind go there. Not that it goes there for any other guys. I guess Sebastian and Lord Verlice are just the cream of the crop when you compare them to normal men.

Lord Verlice cleared his throat, making my eyes move to the bobbing of the adam’s apple on his neck. I lick my lips at the sexy way his neck flexes and the tightness of his jaw. I must be horny as hell because I’m imagining what it would feel like to run my tongue over the stubble on his chin now.

“Let’s go,” he husked, standing at his feet and offering me his hand.

I blinked in surprise, making no movement to take his hand. “Where?”

He sighs, bending down and taking my reluctant hand and pulling me to my feet.

“To go dust those cobwebs out,” he growls.

“What?!” I tried to pull my hand from his. His grip is like a vice, I don’t even jolt him with my attempts to get free. He lifts a hand and snaps his fingers. 2 men who were sitting in the corner of the room get up and walk over to him.

“Pay for the wine and have them prepare two specials to-go. Drop them off in the penthouse afterward.”

“Yes, alpha,” one of the men bows, then moves to take Lord Verlice’s spot at the table. The other man nods politely at me as I'm still struggling to get out of the jerk’s grip, then looks at the jerk himself. Do you wish to drive, sir, or should I retrieve the car?”

“Go get it,” he turned to look at me with amusement. “I have a feeling I’ll have my hands full with her and don’t want to wreck.”

“Sir,” he bows, then looks at me and adds, “Luna,” confusing me. Who does he calling Luna?

~~

“Just take me home,” I groaned, watching my apartment pass by. I thought maybe he was taking me home despite his words when the driver started driving in this direction, but his penthouse or wherever it is he’s taking me must just be in the same part of town. I thought he would live in an exclusive part of the city for elites. Maybe he has a lot of penthouses and houses? Sebastian’s family did, though they chose to mainly live in the mansion.

“I’m taking you to my home,” Lord Verlice chuckled.

“That’s not what I meant, jerk,” I scoffed, making him laugh more.

“I thought you needed your cobwebs cleaned out?” he husked, running his hand on the back of my seat and leaning over me, making my breath catch and my stomach tighten. Oh, I bet he could really get me good and clean, or really really dirty, but that doesn’t mean he should. No matter how much I might find him attractive or how willing he is, sleeping with a client is not a good idea. I don’t want my livelihood to suffer because I gave in to temptation and had a one-night stand.

Plus, he’s a Lord. It would just end badly for me.

“I’m not going to sleep with a client, Lord Verlice. And I have a bad experience with knowing Lords on a personal level. I'd rather you just took me home.”

He made a face when I mentioned other lords, his eyes tightening slightly, but then he grins crookedly and moves his free hand to rest on my knee over the thick fabric of my boot, making those weird sparks shoot up my leg and my p***y to leak involuntarily.

“I’m not just your client, Mariana,” he leans in to whisper in my ear, his breath tickling the tiny hairs on my neck. “And I’m not just your Lord. I’m so, so much more to you. I will be the only one to do your cobweb dusting in the future,” he slides his hand up my bare thigh, the sparks and tingles making me pant. He is only touching my thigh, but it's like he is touching me everywhere. My stomach is curling deliciously again, and I let out an involuntary airy moan. “You are mine, Mariana. I will not be holding back from now on.”

“What do you mean?” I asked in a daze. He sounds like Alex when he talks about Tara.

He chuckles deeply, pressing his lips to my neck, making me whimper. “You’ll find out soon enough, my dear.”

His hand gripping and kneading my inner thigh is making me squirm, wishing his touch was just a little further up. His nose skims up and down my neck, making my breath hitch. “You smell divine, Mariana. So sweet.” His tongue flicks out, tasting my skin behind my ear. An embarrassing moan leaves my lips, and I swear I feel him shiver beside me.

Fuck, I want him. I shouldn’t, but I do. I want to feel these tingles and sparks everywhere. I’m ready to combust right now. I can only imagine how it would feel to go all the way with this powerful and sexy man.

“Won’t you come home with me, Mariana? Don’t you want to make me yours too?” He lifts one of my hands, resting it on his impressive, powerful thigh, then moving my hand up to feel his thick, firm bulge pressing tightly against the fabric of his pants. “Don’t you want to make this, and every other part of me yours?”

Yes. Yes, I want that. I shouldn’t, but I do. I want to claim his d**k, and every other part of his powerful body. I want to taste it, making him squirm like he is making me. I want to taste his skin and see if it tastes as good as he smells. I want to bury him inside me, watching his face contort in pleasure while I ride him, driving every moan and sexy grunt from him that I can. My hand starts to move against him willingly, massaging and squeezing him over his pants, his pleasure becoming my own when he lulls his head back and moans hungrily.

“That’s all yours, baby. Every inch of it. Do you want it?” he moans deeply, lifting his hips to make me squeeze him tighter. “It wants you. It wants to thrust inside you all night long. Say yes, baby. Say you want me too.” He rolls his head to the side, kissing my neck teasingly, his tongue flicking softly against my skin. His hand moves from my neck to my shoulder, then slides down to my chest, massaging my breast over my dress, his fingers teasing my erect n****e. “I want you, Mariana. I want all of you. Say yes. Say yes to this.”

“Yes,” I whispered, lost in the sensation of him. Every inch of me, every sense I have is consumed by this man, and all I want is to lose myself in him.

“Good girl,” he whispers, then bows his head to kiss me, finalizing my decision with the passion in it.

~~~~~

Dion POV

“She said yes. Mate said yes,” Conall, my beast, purrs in satisfaction, feeling the sensations from the bond as much as I am. We were holding back for her sake for so long, trying to get close to her first, so she knew she could trust us. After smelling her on Alex, one of my elite guards, I knew I had found my mate. I knew she was mine.

He told me what she had endured in the third district under that child who is now running it. I knew she would be wary of accepting another Lord after the last one abused her so, so I had decided to bide my time, making her feel safe with me and trust I wouldn’t hurt her. I would never hurt her. I wanted to give her the world.

I acquired the gallery she thinks she owns with Alex and his mate, when she really owns it with me. I had Alex act as the middleman to keep her safe, as I do with everything that concerns her, but when I heard about her date tonight, I couldn’t hold back any longer.

She’s mine. I won’t sit back and wait for her to take another man to bed. Conall would not have stood for it. I meant it when I said we intervened on her date for the other guy's sake. Conall wanted to put him six feet under the moment we saw them turn the corner and he checked out her perfect ass. His intentions were clear. He wanted what was mine, and I wasn’t going to stand for it.

She fought her desire for me before, but she’s not fighting it at all now. She is killing me with this dress, the way it hugs her body. Her long legs in these boots make my mouth water, imagining them wrapped around my neck, driving screams of pleasure from her. Her scent…. Hell, I get hard just smelling her. Her normal invigorating scent of citrusy flowers and overripe fruit, combined with the smell of her arousal, is making it painful, her hand caressing me through my pants, doing little to help. It just makes me want her more. I want to bury my d**k in her. I want to slam my body into hers over and over again, hitting every part of her inner walls at punishing speeds, making her go crazy. I want to treat her so rudely that she can’t walk in her killer heels on steady feet afterward, then do it all over again.

She is mine. She is my mate, my future Luna, and the woman who will consume every part of my life. I want to be the same for her.

“We’re here, sir,” Leo mind linked to me, knowing better than to lower the divider between us with my mate back here with me.

Mariana has her leg over mine as we continue to kiss sloppily, and if this ride took just a few more minutes, I know my self-control would have shattered and I would be taking her in the back seat.

“No. Upstairs. I want our first time to be special for her. Not in the backseat of a car,” Conall groans, feeling it with me when Mariana shifts her weight to press against my d**k.

I have a feeling Mariana wouldn’t care much either way, if it was in the car or in the penthouse I purchased just to share with her when she was ready to accept me. She wants me. I can taste it on her. She wants to dominate me, but she’s in for a rude awakening soon.

I’m about to be the one to dominate her and show her more pleasure than she could ever imagine. She can toss that vibrator she mentioned in the trash because I am all she needs.