Page 27 of The Librarian of Souls
To a mortal man, that would probably sound logical enough. But I am not mortal. I have more money than I could ever possibly spend lying around in accounts across the globe. It would be nothing for me to replace any material thing Joanna owned.
“I will buy you new things.”
Her soft cheeks puff out as she blows air into them. She wants to argue but is holding herself back from me. Already I can see her deflating. Well, that just will not do.
“Strip,” I command.
“What? No.”
“This is not a request, Joanna. You know what to say if you do not feel comfortable.”
I take a sip of my tea and study my mate. Her fingers slowly trace the handle of her teacup. The blunt, bitten nails curling around the decorative design of the porcelain taunt me. She has not picked it up yet, but I am trying not to be offended. There is still time to learn her preferences. We have eternity.
Once my cup is empty, I set the saucer down on the table and relax deeper into my chair. Beneath the hem of my trousers, my sands begin to wind their way to Joanna. The black tendrils creep across the floor until they reach the thick sweatpants she wears. Her eyes meet mine just as two of them grip her ankles, spreading her legs apart.
“Augustine.” She says my name like a warning. Her cheeks are red with a tinge of embarrassment, and I can taste her arousal in the air again.
“Joanna.” I simply state. “You agreed to be mine in this realm, or have you forgotten.”
“No,” she says. “But this isn’t what I agreed to.”
“Is it not? You are my queen, but you are also my pet. And good little pets do as they are told.” The sands slip up her legs until they meet the warmth of her inner thighs, not touching just yet.
“Augustine,” she breathes. “I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t? Because I would joyously undress you if you allowed me.”
“I won’t. I know the moment I am naked in front of you, three things will happen.”
“Tell me,mon abeille.”
She swallows hard, fingers fidgeting with the ties of her sweatshirt while she stares holes into her teacup. I bring one hand to the table, teasing the wood with a clawed finger. My sands wrap tightly around her thick thighs, and I let them tease her core, applying hints of pressure over the cotton material. Apprehension and arousal battle for dominance in her taste.
“I will be freezing.”
“Fixable.”
“I will feel self-conscious.”
“A preposterous feeling to have when it comes to us.”
“I will want to complete the bond.”
My sands tighten around my mate and my claw scars the wood. Joanna’s gaze flicks from her cup to my hand.
“Do you not want to complete the bond?”
“Not until we talk,” she explains. “I need to think, to process what the fuck is going on with my life.”
“Language, Joanna.” I hum.
My skin itches with the need to disagree. There should not be a need to process anything, for it is all very clear to me. She is mine, and she will always be mine. I will do anything to keep her. At this moment, that means pulling back the beast and showing her the gentleman I have spent centuries creating.
“Come, I will show you some of your new home, and we can have our discussion in a more comfortable space.” I stand and hold out my hand for her.
To my delight, she grabs her tea and my hand. The warmth of her skin against mine, of my sands coiling around her fingers, brings me a small amount of ease. I take her on a short tour of the ground floor, showing her the drawing room and some of my less rare prints and paintings, before taking her to the first floor. There is a smoking room I rarely use any more. It is mostly for when Deg’Doriel and Kragnash visit since I no longer host parties like I used to. But more importantly, this floor holds my decorative library.
As I open the door for Joanna, she gasps. Her gaze darts towards the large fireplace, to floor-to-ceiling bookcases that cover three of the walls, to the statues, to the settee and chairs placed around the room. This library is set up for entertaining, with a heavy curtain separating it from the smoking room. The books in this room are valuable, but nothing priceless or not worth the risk of cigar smoke.
