Kiss of Crimson by Samantha Coville (best love story novels in english txt) 📕

I was pleased that he wanted to see me again, but also deflated that he had chosen something so dull. I’d hoped he was more exciting than the vampires I’d encountered so far with their boring lunches and tea dates. I resigned myself to the boring cycle of social calls.

“Sure. I mean, I would enjoy that. Where should I find you for tea?”

He groaned and scratched the back of his head. Was he actually shy for once? “I forgot that we can’t meet at my house. Would it be possible to have tea here?”

“You’re inviting me to tea that I have to host?” I raised my eyebrow and laughed. Whether it was an amused laugh or an annoyed laugh, I wasn’t sure.

He rolled his eyes as I giggled and waved me off. “If you don’t want to, then just say so.”

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t have anything else planned tomorrow, so why not?”

A look of relief washed over him. He nodded his head and gave me that signature smile I was sure he’d practiced in the mirror a dozen times before. “It’s a date then.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Master Arden. It’s only tea.” I winked at him and decided to make my grand exit. If I was going to play this game, I was going to play it damn well. I left him hanging in the middle of the ballroom and nodded farewells to a few other guests as I headed out the door.

I took the steps of the staircase two at a time and relaxed as I closed my bedroom door behind me. I had no clue how my mother was able to do a couple of these balls every week. They were so full of emotional highs and lows, backstabbing and romance. Maybe that’s why she tried to disconnect from her clients outside of business. That must be the only way to survive.

I slipped out of my dress with some difficulty and pulled on my pajamas. I was exhausted and my bed felt comfier than ever before.

The next day would be interesting. Would I find it pleasant spending the afternoon with Arden? Would he be the change of pace I was missing? Or would he end up just like the rest of them? I didn’t think I’d ever hope he’d blow me away, but that’s what I wished for as I fell sound asleep.

Eight

Arden

I can’t remember the last time I spent so much time fretting over a woman.

I spent much of that night wondering what the hell we were going to do, where I’d take her, what I wanted to show her… the list of inane things I kept worrying about annoyed the piss out of me.

Because we sure as hell weren’t going to have tea. The droop in her shoulders when I suggested tea was too obvious, and I knew then and there that I’d have to surprise her with something else.

But what?

What did she like?

Exactly what kind of person was she?

Damn it, why the hell didn’t I ask her while we were dancing?

I should’ve.

But I was too busy grinning like an idiot while an angel spun around me, rendering me brainless with her beautiful smile and eyes that were utterly empty of any kind of artifice.

I had spent so much of my life surrounded by half-truths and lies that sometimes I forget what is reality.

With her, though…

Staring up at the darkened ceiling, the incessant tick-tock from the grandfather clock at the other side of the room echoing in my head, I tried to wrack my memories of exactly what the hell I’d done with the women in my life.

Not going to lie. There were a great deal of them.

What can I say? I’m a handsome man. Women find my snark and general assholery-ness to be attractive, strangely enough.

Somehow, I got the feeling a bottle of Bordeaux and hours in bed wasn’t exactly what Eloise had in mind.

I still couldn’t believe I had to ask her to tea at her own home.

Bringing her to Jardin’s would have been… problematic, to say the least.

Not to mention the chance of Eloise running into Evangeline…

I shuddered.

Admittedly, I did have a place in the city, but it was a crappy studio apartment, used mainly for nights when I needed to be alone, to be out from under Jardin’s ever-watchful presence.

The idea of inviting a glowing, beautiful thing like Eloise to that cockroach and rat-infested hovel in a bad part of town where murders and other acts of violence were commonplace was enough to make me break out in hopeless laughter.

Like an idiot who didn’t know any better, I went through my phone and flicked through all the social events that were due to happen the next day.

Like I said, I was desperate for any kind of idea.

Something caught my eye, stilled my thumb.

A grin spread on my lips.

It was kind of crazy, but it just might work.

I gave her a call to let her know the plans I changed and told her to dress for dancing and then hung up before she could ask any questions.

Best to keep the mystery alive, especially if I wanted to keep her interest.

I’d be damned thrice over before I let her think I was anything like that ginger-topped moppet she seemed so damned infatuated with.

Little Miss Perfect, with her perfect hair and perfect dress… I wondered what she would say if she knew exactly where I was planning to take her that night.

My smile turned grim, as I imagined the accolades and the riches Jardin would spill into my lap once I made the girl capitulate to my charms.

The rest of the day was spent discussing business propositions with Jardin, sparring an hour with Evangeline where she almost ripped out my throat on two different occasions (not that that was anything new), and helping Ramon with a few of his new electronic gadgets.

“Jammers?” I asked as he cackled delightedly over a mound of black