Page 78 of Fated to the Vampire Prince
Working only in a pair of dark trousers and tall boots. His blond hair had been gathered at the nape of his neck, and messy strands fell around his face as he worked.
Bastien was a painfully beautiful creature, that much was true, but there was something different about him out here among the plants. He seemed more alive. More free. He stabbed the earth with a spade, muscles flexing, and I accidentally let the door slam shut behind me. Our eyes locked. My breath stilled. I had so much I wanted to say, but I found I couldn’t speak. Not with him looking at me like a rare gem he’d found while digging in the soil.
“I thought you were with your consorts,” he said, breaking the silence.
So, he’d known exactly where I was and who I was with, yet hadn’t barged in on us. I wasn’t sure if this knowledge made me more or less angry with him. I was stuck between wanting to rage at him for leaving me alone last night after telling me I was his mate, and wanting to seem unaffected by his absence.
“I was,” I replied, clasping my hands together and glancing around the greenhouse.
I could feel the warmth of his attention even when my back was turned. It made me hot beneath my dress, and sweat prickled on my skin. I tried to focus on the plants in order to keep my composure. The greenhouse shelves filled with potted herbs and flowers, which lined the glass walls. Small, well-manicured trees bearing citrus fruits grew in the corner, the leaves teeming with ripe lemons, limes, and oranges.
Alec was right: despite the frigid temperatures there was no ice on the windows, only a heavy layer of condensation that hid the view from anyone outside. I turned back to the vampire, who had begun adding fresh soil to a garden bed.
“What are you doing?” I asked, still trying to sound casual.
“Presently?” he said. A rare smirk tipped up his lips. “I’m clearing out space in these beds so you can plant what you like.”
My mouth hung open for a full second before I had the wherewithal to close it. He was taking the time to do something…for me.
If he had the time in his busy schedule to do this, why didn’t he return to my bedchamber after everything he’d said and done last night? I pulled a blood orange from the nearest citrus tree, bringing the fruit to my nose and inhaling the deliciously sweet aroma.
“I could tend to these plants,” I said. I dug my nail into the peel of the fruit, and cherry red juice welled up. “You don’t need to go to the trouble of clearing space for me.”
“The best part of gardening is watching the seeds sprout from beneath the dirt.” His voice was tender and low, and it caused all the fine hairs on the back of my neck to rise. “That’s what you told me.”
My attention shifted back to him. I hadn’t expected him to remember such a fleeting comment. He cleaned his hands, then stalked toward me, eyes trained on mine. “This greenhouse is yours to do whatever you like with.”
“Thewholegreenhouse?”
He nodded. “Unless you prefer another.”
It was an absolutely massive space. Narrower than the ballroom, but perhaps just as long.
“No. This is perfect,” I said breathily, meeting his gaze.
He plucked the fruit from my hand, then carefully peeled it with a dagger and handed me a slice. Juice ran down my fingers as I lifted it to my mouth. “Where will these plants go?” I asked, slipping the slice between my lips and savoring the deliciously tart flavor.
He watched me as I ate, his attention on my lips. I swallowed, feeling the weight of his gaze. “I’m sending them to Roselyn.”
He cut another slice from the orange; red juice dripped down his hand. Sudden desire rose in my core. I knew what else he could do with his hands. “We’ve finished constructing a new greenhouse for the public that could use more plants.”
He lifted the slice of orange to my lips. Instinctively, I opened my mouth. Slowly, he fed it to me. My lips closed around the tip of his finger before he drew it away. I moaned, savoring the taste as it slid over my tongue.
His lips parted as he watched me.
I was drawn to him in a way I couldn’t explain, but I felt in the deepest recesses of my soul. “That is very thoughtful of you.”
“Caring for my people is my responsibility.”
Just like Seraphina was mine to care for. To protect. Alec’s story had unsettled me. I was worried about my little sister, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong.
“You’re upset,” Bastien said.
I met his gaze, not wanting to look affected, but I was. “Why didn’t you come to see me?” He tilted his head, waiting for more. I closed my eyes hard, trying to force the words out. “Last night. You left a lot unsaid. You told me you’d be back to answer my questions, and Istupidlyexpected you to return. But you didn’t.”
“Donotcall yourself stupid,” he said flatly. Then, softening, “It was not stupid to expect me to return. I said I’d answer your questions, and I didn’t.”
Bastien expelled a long breath, and as he did, he undid the ties on my fur stole, carefully peeling it off and revealing the bloodstone. He took the small gem between his fingers, regarding it for a moment before his eyes found mine.
