Heidi"s mind was reeling when Nicholas pulled back after kissing her. She felt utterly breathless as she breathed through her mouth, chest heaving and her vision which was in the midst of returning back to her. Her lips felt sore and alive, the aftertaste and the feel of his lips still lingering on the surface of her lips. Her eyes focussed back to the lit room with Lord Nicholas who held her in his steady arms around her waist. The smile on his lips stole her heart, the mischievous smile she had been trying to avoid knowing the trouble she had fallen into. His red eyes gauged her expression, waiting for her to respond.

Feeling her moving back, the Lord didn"t hold her still and instead set her free from his arms as she looked here and there on the ground, standing speechless in front of him. He had kissed her, the thought pa.s.sed through her mind. On her lips. And those words repeated over and over her mind until she felt heat creeping up her neck, reaching her cheeks to make it feel hot.

"W-what did you do?" she whispered realizing what had just transpired between them. She had kissed her fiance cousin when not even a day had pa.s.sed since the engagement.

"I kissed the woman I have been meaning to," his straightforwardness was something to be applauded for. Heidi looked back at him to see if there was any indication of humor because this was no joking matter. She felt worry creep in, with the thought if he was teasing her again only because he had got to know she was in love with him now.

"Please don"t tease me-"

"I am not," he interrupted her.

"I am serious, milord," Heidi said to get a quick reply from him.

"I am serious. Was the kiss not enough to prove it? Perhaps a different approach would be believable," he suggested to see her eyes widen at his underlying meaning.

"I should remind you that I am Warren"s fiance. You cannot go kissing people for your amus.e.m.e.nt and pa.s.s time. You"re the kind who will have anyone in your bed, married or not," the words slipped out of her mouth but she didn"t regret saying it.

"Jealous are we," he chuckled unoffended, "Jealousy is the best driving emotion, don"t you agree? You see, I am a vampire who needs to suffice my thirst and hunger, you cannot expect me to celibate when people are getting married and engaged. I survive on blood."

"n.o.body is expecting you to celibate, milord. My bad, I am no one to interfere in your matter and neither are you," she spoke sharply.

"Do you really believe that?" he asked her, his eyes s.h.i.+ning with mirth while she gulped, "You are in love with me, aren"t you Heidi, why lie?" he whispered softly, coaxing her feelings out and trying to sway her.

"What are your intentions?" Heidi asked warily. Was he using her emotions for his amus.e.m.e.nt? She wanted to know why he kissed her, why he was teasing her more than necessary. She asked, "Why? Haven"t you thought of how Warren would feel?"

"Warren can go to h.e.l.l," was his simple answer.

"You are a rude person," she stated looking down at the scattered pearls on the carpeted floor, "You broke the necklace which he gave me as a present!" she heard him sigh.

He ran his fingers over his bronze like brown hair like he was thinking about something before he pulled her back with one of his hand. His eyes peered down at her dauntingly.

"You might have been offered as a truce before but now things have changed. Your finger might have been occupied by Warren but," his finger traveled her throat to her chest where her heart was beating, "This one belongs to me..." it was enough to get her heart beat rapidly to make him smile, bringing the dimple back on his cheek. His even temper unnerved her, "I want you, is it that hard to understand?"

"You can"t!" she whispered fl.u.s.tered, ears turning red.

"Why not? Don"t you want me, darling?" his velvet like voice reached her ears which seemed sweet.

How could she answer to that, she thought to herself. Lord Nicholas was a man who killed birds for enjoyment. A few days ago he killed a man without remorse or second thought. She was aware of the fact that the lord had frequent female visitors whom he bedded and drank blood from. It was something that had slipped from Warren unintentionally before he covered it up with another matter quickly. Heidi was no one to judge the man, she loved him but that didn"t mean she had the right to criticize the way he lived his life. And as gleeful his words sounded right now, she knew it wasn"t right.

"What"s the matter?" He was being unfair by using that gentle tone of his! He spoke to her as if, if he raised a tone higher she would shatter like a delicate vase, "Is it not what you want?"

"Is this what you want?" she questioned him back, her eyes not blinking for a second as she stared back at him with the same intensity. Before he could answer her, she continued, "Pardon me milord but your words are hard to believe," she waited for him to laugh it off like before when he had asked her to marry him, to tell he was joking but he didn"t.

"Alright," he said letting go of her waist with a smile. Giving her the s.p.a.ce she had been needing since he had kissed her, "I don"t think I will get my answer while you are so intent in dodging my questions," if she wanted to play cat and mouse, he was all for it, "Shall we call it a night then?"

"Yes," she murmured and she began walking towards the door. Placing her hand on the door handle, she went to turn it around when two swift knocks were heard on the other side of the door.

"Master."

It was one of the maids of the mansion.