Escaping The Beast: A Darkhills Romance (The Darkhills Series Book 2) by Elizabeth Greene (young adult books to read TXT) 📕

some of her calm that she had presented when she had first negotiated the terms of their agreement. Indifference was what she was going for. Detached and unaffected. They both knew she was by no means unaffected by him, but for a change she wanted him to be the one to lose their cool.

She pulled out a form-fitting, lace-sleeved dress in navy blue. It fell to her knees and its simple design was sleek enough to accentuate her curves, but not obviously intended to be anything other than professional. Her sky scrapper heels would give her the inches she needed to be able to almost look him square in the eye and tonight, the red lipstick would be out. She meant business.

She wasn’t going to ask him if she could return to the city to give her presentation in person, not that night anyway, especially after their earlier argument. Lucian was still clearly of the opinion that the terms of their contract couldn’t be wavered for any circumstance. But she would win him round, starting with being her most charming and respectful self. He needed to be reminded that she was a woman with whom he could do business, not just a woman with whom he fought and fucked.

She squeezed herself into the dress and adjusted the tight material so that it sat just right, then set about straightening her hair and applying her make-up. Once the red lipstick was on, she slipped into her heels and stood to inspect her reflection in the full-length mirror. She looked good; like she had it all together. Katherine lifted her head and drew her shoulders back and plastered on a smile. The fierce and confident woman in the mirror smiled back at her.

She was going to own his ass.

She’d keep things polite, show him that she could play nice and, vampire or not, let him know she wasn’t intimidated by him. Katherine twisted in the mirror and checked out her curvaceous silhouette. She smiled smugly. She’d also most likely make him drool. Too bad he wasn’t even going to get a taste.

She let out a deep breath and strode from her room. The great hall below was lit by huge sconces that lined the walls and now hosted a large table with two place settings arranged down one end, but there was no sign of Lucian. All the better for her to sneak into the kitchen and grab something to eat first, so she didn’t feel the need to stay for the duration of their meal if she didn’t want to.

She descended the stairs and followed the basement corridor until she came to the kitchen, her heels making satisfying clicks as she strutted along. Peering inside she found the room empty. She regretted that she wouldn’t get a chance to speak with Mr. Jones. Their interaction earlier in the day had played on her mind and she wanted to have the chance to perhaps bond with him a little, maybe even gain a friend.

Regardless, her stomach was empty and she was determined to satisfy it. She strode into the kitchen and began opening the cupboards, searching for something quick to eat. She’d settle for another peanut butter and jelly sandwich if she had to. She was about to open a large pantry door when something caught her eye. Katherine inwardly cursed when she realised a smart suit jacket was slung over the back of a barstool in the corner. A sound from the walk-in chiller made her spin and turn on her heel. She did not expect him to be there. If she was quick enough she’d be able to avoid being caught.

She wasn’t quick enough.

“Katherine? I wasn’t expecting you so early.”

She spun back to face him, no point trying to run now.

“Lucian, sorry I didn’t realise you’d be in here, I thought the place was empty,” she frowned when she took in his appearance, his arms laden with ingredients, “were you cooking? I thought you didn’t eat anything other than blood.”

He blinked for a moment, his eyes giving her the quickest once over that she’d ever seen, but it was there nonetheless, as was the slight bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed.

“I was about to begin and you’re right, I’ll be sticking with my usual diet this evening,” he replied as he continued on his path and placed the ingredients onto a work surface near the stove.

“I thought Mr. Jones would be preparing dinner,” Katherine had to admit, she was taken aback, she did not in a million years peg Lucian as a home cook. Especially considering he was a vampire.

“Mr. Jones is proficient at a lot of tasks but cooking is not his forte. I was going to prepare balsamic glazed chicken served on a bed of lightly tossed leaves and roasted potatoes. Is that something you would enjoy?” He asked placing his hands on the surface in front of him.

“I, well yes, yes that sounds delicious but that is going to take a while and honestly you are just cooking for me, so you really don’t need to go to so much effort,” she stammered.

She couldn’t remember the last time someone cooked for her, other than when she was a paying customer. Her mother used to sometimes make her ‘hot dog surprise’ when she was little. The surprise being there were no hot dogs or often it was served stone cold as they hadn’t paid the gas bill.

“Not at all, it would be a pleasure. Please, take a seat,” Lucian gestured to the barstool before rolling up his shirt sleeves.

“Erm, OK,” Katherine hopped up onto the barstool and tried not to fidget. It felt awkward to watch someone cook for her. Admittedly Lucian seemed to know his way about the kitchen but she found that she did not enjoy being catered to like some lady of the manor. Especially when the person doing the work was the actual Lord of the Manor.

“OK,” she announced as she jumped