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

I drew myself up imperiously. It was easy to do; I’d seen Jardin do it a thousand times. “I’m no common burglar, Madame. I had brought your daughter back from a late night at a friend’s library. Perhaps you have heard of Lady Beatrix Houlihan? Anyway, I brought your daughter back, and just as I was leaving, I thought I’d heard a noise. Naturally, I went to investigate.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Yes. Investigate. How very gallant of you.”

I clenched my jaw. “Are you accusing me of something?”

She took a step forward and stabbed a finger into my chest.

Her eyes were like chips of ice, cold and sharp enough to cut flesh.

“Leave, Mister de Charpentier. And stay the hell away from my daughter.”

Her emphasis on the word “Mister,” made my hackles rise. “Yes, well, I’m sorry I’m not one of the glittering throng that you seem so hellbent to satisfy. Too bad your daughter’s into a common-as-muck bloodsucker like me, huh?”

She recoiled visibly, a be-ringed, impeccably manicured hand resting against her expansive bosom.

“I beg your pardon?” Her voice rose as she looked at me as though I was a cockroach quivering its last seconds on the bottom of her expensive heels. “You think this is about your status in the vampire world?”

I blinked, feeling as though someone had just punched me in the gut. “It… isn’t?”

“Don’t play fucking dumb.” Coming from her perfectly made-up lips, the curse sounded doubly vulgar. “This has nothing to do with your status. I don’t give two craps about that. What I do care about is your association with my literal rival, Benedict Jardin.”

“Ah.”

For a moment, I considered lying, but one look into her narrowed eyes told me it would have been a futile attempt at best.

I settled with a shrug, because what else could I do without making the matter worse?

“There are times when one cannot choose their owners.”

She leaned in close enough for me to smell her heady perfume. “Yes, well, I would suggest you look into another line of work, Mister de Charpentier. And even if you do, don’t you ever think of coming back. Not if you want to keep your head. When Lady Yeats told me that the vampire who had been courting my daughter right under my nose was working on behalf of my biggest competition, I thought surely no one would have the gall to try such a thing.”

Damn that Lady Yeats for ratting on me, though I supposed I should have expected it, eventually. And what an annoying woman Madame Hart was being.

And yet, I couldn’t help but feel a tiny prick of admiration for this tiger of a woman.

Eloise was a lot like her mother, maybe more than she cared to admit.

I bowed low at the waist. “Very well, Madame Hart. Never again shall I darken your doorstep.”

And that was not a lie. I had the information Jardin would need to cripple her operations.

But Eloise.

I ached as I realized I didn’t want the charade to end.

Eleven

Eloise

I sat in front of my vanity mirror and hummed to myself as I combed out my hair. It was frizzy from all the running around Lady Houlihan’s home I had done all evening. I stifled a giggle as I realized my cheeks were flushed. I'd already changed out of my jeans and t-shirt and into a pink silk robe. A band of fabric tied it snugly against my body. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

Was there anything Arden couldn't do? I had been wary of him at first, but he had more than proven me wrong at this point. The way he could read my mind and take me on the adventures that everyone else turned their noses up at. The way we could talk for hours on end without running out of things to say. The way he kissed me like I was a delicate rose…

My daydreaming was interrupted as my door swung open violently, hitting the wall and bouncing back. I jumped and dropped my comb on the floor, turning to face my mother. Her face was just as rosy as mine, but I could gather it was not for a similar reason. She looked even angrier than when she had burst in a few weeks earlier to harp on me about sneaking into that first ball.

She paused and took a deep breath; her hand going up to her forehead as she visibly tried to calm herself. She leaned against my dresser for support and looked at me with a pained expression.

"Eloise... this is why I didn't want you involved in any of this..."

I shook my head, confused by what she meant. I hadn't done anything wrong this time. Or, at least, not that I was aware of. "Mother, what's wrong?"

Her eyes turned to daggers, but I didn't think they were pointed at me. She was enraged, thinking of someone else. "Arden is not who you have been led to believe he is."

I rolled my eyes. "Mother, we've talked about this. You have to trust me now to decide who I want to date. I know he’s just some investor, but-"

She stormed forward and grabbed both of my arms, shaking me like a rag doll. "An investor? I wish he were! And I would trust you to make those choices if everyone else was honest."

I pushed her off of me and stood so that she couldn't look down at me. We were going to be equals in this discussion. But I was intrigued by what she was saying. How could she have found fault with Arden? He had been nothing but a gentleman on our outings. Was there a rumor going around that she was going to try and use against him? And what did she mean about him not being an investor for a wealthy client?

"Explain, mother."

She didn't like being ordered, but she took the chance to speak, anyway. "He had always looked