Possession (10 page)

Chapter 10

Catherine began to relax once the house
lights went down and the music started. There was just enough
indirect light to follow her program, if she tilted it a certain
way. Bach, Brahms, Mozart…lesser known composers…it was surprising
how much of the older stuff was “scary” sounding, or
suspenseful.

She glanced at Julian occasionally, but he
seemed focused on the music.

Intermission seemed to sneak up on her. Had
it been an hour and a half already?

“I’m going to make a trip to the ladies’
room,” she announced to her date.

“Don’t get lost,” he replied with good
humor.

“Ha, ha.”

After successfully negotiating the toilet in
her dress, Catherine stood at the mirror and retouched her
lipstick.

“Those pearls really complement your
complexion, dear,” said one woman.

“Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be out
tonight. It has been a while for me since I’ve enjoyed a full
orchestra,” she replied.

“You’re American!” remarked another. “Have
you been visiting long?”

“A few weeks. It took me a bit to get used
to, as I’m from California.”

“Oh! Is it true that you can see movie stars
just driving down the street?”

“Not so much. Only in a couple places in
L.A.”

“Did an American designer do your dress?”
asked another woman.

“No, I got it here.”

The lights flashed off and on, indicating
they should head back to their seats. The old biddies sighed, their
gossip session cut short.

Catherine was relieved.

“What took you so long?” Julian asked as she
sat down.

“Women, in formal wear, in a bathroom. You do
the math. It’s not easy keeping your dress out of the bowl or not
stepped on. And then, there’s the line.”

“I get the picture, pet,” he said, and
chuckled. “I could get you to the front next time you have to visit
the loo.”

“That’s okay, Julian.”

The lights dimmed once more.

“
For the second part of the evening, there
will be a reading of Edgar Allan Poe’s
A Tell-Tale Heart
,
accompanied by the orchestra.”

“Oh, I love Poe’s stories! I had some in a
set of children’s horror books my father gave me. I read them many
times,” she gushed.

“Wouldn’t have taken you for a fan of Gothic
fiction, love.”

“I don’t know about that…just Poe. And
The
Count of Monte Cristo
. It was very different stuff from the
typical Disney fairytales. I had a book of Grimm’s tales, too.”

“Baby has a dark side,” he teased.

“Oh, hush…”

Julian watched and waited for just the
right…suspenseful…moment, and grabbed her arm. Catherine levitated
off her seat, gasping. She smacked his arm.

“Don’t
do
that!” she whispered.

“But it’s fun.”

“
Evil!
”

“Uh, yeah. Vampire.”

“Jerk,” she said, smiling.

His hand still on her arm, he trailed his
fingers along her skin, goose bumps rising up in their wake. “I’m
sorry for pissing you off earlier.”

“Thought vampires didn’t do apologies.”

He smiled, self-consciously. “Not often. So
take it while it counts. I’d rather see you smile.”

Confessions in the dark?

“Going soft on me now?” she teased.

That smirk again. “Quite the opposite.”

“Naughty.”

Julian looked down at her fingers, tracing
the veins. “I’m glad you took the gloves off.” His finger trailed
from the valley between her ring and middle-finger knuckles up to
her shoulder, his eyes following the course to her neck. “You’ve
been turning every head tonight, you know that? No, I bet you
haven’t even realized…”

“Julian…”

“I don’t want to turn you over to him,” he
added with conviction.

It was said quietly, and he was still looking
over her shoulder, but there was no doubt he was serious about what
he said. There was just a question of
why?

“Then don’t,” she whispered.

His gaze flicked from her eyes to her lips
and back again. She waited, holding her breath. She didn’t know
what he was going to do, or what she wanted him to do. He leaned in
those few inches, pausing just shy of kissing her to give her a
chance to bolt. She was still frozen.

He closed the gap, his kiss gentle and
achingly slow, full of longing. He was holding himself back for her
benefit. She could feel it in the tremor of his hand resting on
that knob of her spine at the base of her neck, resisting pulling
her in and kissing her senseless. It was a short kiss, maybe thirty
seconds, but it left her more aroused than their last session of
practically mauling each other. They were touching foreheads,
breathing in each other’s breath, though only one of them needed
to.

“Wanna get out of here?” he murmured.

“We should see the night through,” she
replied, her voice kind.

Julian nodded and sat up straight, turning
his attention forward. Catherine placed her left hand on his right
where it sat on the armrest, surprising him. He looked at her, but
she was facing the stage. Letting out a breath, he tried to relax
and catch up with the narration below.

***

The performance had been well received and
people were leaving in a good mood. Those without other plans were
heading for the party.

Julian and Catherine walked side-by-side, his
hand on her back, like he was testing how close he could get to
wrapping his arm around her waist. His thumb kept brushing the bare
skin between the laces of her dress, making her tingle.

The meeting space had been transformed into
an elegant ballroom, with champagne fountains and hors d’oeuvres no
one could pronounce. A three-piece band was already playing at one
end of the room. A few couples were swaying to the music.

“Do you actually know anyone here?” she
whispered.

“Don’t know. We just walked in the door,
love,” he replied, teasing.

Julian steered her over to the
refreshments.

“Champagne?”

“I’m underage,” she hissed.

“Not in England, pet. Drinkin’ age is
eighteen.” He handed her a flute. “Sip it slowly. Most birds like
the stuff.”

“I’m more interested in dinner,” Catherine
grumbled.
Not that I can fit anything in this dress.

Julian winked and dropped a strawberry in her
glass. She would’ve stuck her tongue out at him, if they’d been
somewhere less formal.

She followed him around the room as he
surveyed the crowd. People noticed them--the man with the
glow-in-the-dark bleached hair and the girl that had to be at least
ten years his junior. At least, that’s what she assumed they must
have been thinking. She would have fit more appropriately as
someone’s daughter, here, not a handsome man’s date.

Natural predator that he was, Julian both
assessed every being in the room and held their attention. They
couldn’t take their eyes off the
great hunter
and his
trophy
.

“We’ve made a circuit around the room; can we
go now?” she asked.

He looked at her, surprised. “Not enjoying
yourself?”

“Not when everyone keeps staring at us!” she
whispered back.

He sidled closer. “Hottest couple in the
room, love, why wouldn’t they?”

“Hello, ego? More like they’re gossiping that
I’m your trophy date.”

“Really…”

“Julian, even with your immortality, you’re
obviously at least ten years older than me. People say things.”

He took her hand. “Well, let’s
give
‘em something to talk about. Dance with me.”

“Oh, no…” But he was already dragging her
over to the band to request a song. The bandleader nodded and
counted off a Latin mambo beat. “A Dean Martin song?”

“I know it’s not a rhythm you’re used to, but
follow my lead, hmm?”

“Jul--” Catherine didn’t get a chance to say
more before he twirled her into his arms and started dancing.

When marimba rhythms start to play

Dance with me, make me sway…

The crowd parted naturally for them, forming
a circle to watch.

Like a flower bending in the breeze

Bend with me, sway with ease…

Okay, so he was brilliant at this, somehow
managing to make her look good in the process. She lost awareness
of everything but looking into his eyes and obeying the commands of
his body. She hadn’t even stepped on her dress yet.

…
Only you have the magic technique

When we sway I go weak

Others were joining them on the floor, now,
not to be outdone, but they were on the edge of awareness. For a
cold body, Julian was giving off a lot of heat, and she knew his
hands would be wandering right now if they were somewhere else, or
if she’d been wearing less.

…
Make me thrill as only you know
how

Sway me smooth, sway me now

The chorus and refrain repeated as the song
came to a close. He dipped her, quickly, pulling her back up
against him. She was breathing heavily.

Exertion, or lust?

“I think I need a drink,” she said
breathlessly.

Julian turned for the bar. “Can’t have you
wilting, can we?” he purred.

She could still feel eyes on her back, only
now they were daggers of envy. There was a saying about men who
could dance…

“Here you are, kitten.” He handed her a glass
of clear liquid.

“What is it?” she asked suspiciously.

He chuckled. “Spring water. Afraid I’ll get
you drunk?”

She sipped the water. “The thought had
occurred.”

He leaned in to say, “Sweetheart, if I wanted
to, I could seduce you stone cold sober, and you know it.”

Her jaw dropped at his audacity. “As
if
!”

He shrugged, unperturbed by her refusal.
“Protest all you like… I’m going to go grab a smoke.”

Ha! Definitely won’t be kissing you
now!
she thought as he walked away.

At least she could nibble while he was
gone.

Sitting alone, the party was pretty boring.
Catherine checked her lipstick and made sure she didn’t have food
in her teeth. She people-watched. The few couples that looked happy
together made her nostalgic for her family, the days when her
parents and grandfather were still alive, and every holiday meant a
gathering for feasting and love.

Grandma was stuck in the past most of the
time, now, thinking it was ten years ago, or more. That pang for
home hit again.

***

She smiled as soon as she saw him walking
back, but he’d seen her true expression. He’d been watching a
while, unnoticed, and knew she wasn’t happy. But that brave face
was back up.

“Miss me?” he quipped.

She smiled back. “A little. I don’t know
anyone here, so I got bored.”

“We could dance some more, if you like?”

“Okay.”

The band’s repertoire was mainly songs you
could sway to, so they casually joined the rest on the dance
floor.

***

Her chin on his shoulder, their bodies gently
swaying to the music, she could almost pretend that they were two
normal people on a normal date.

“You’ve gone quiet,” he remarked.

“Just being in the moment. Only two weeks
left. This night has been a bit different than I expected.”

“Hm. How so?”

“I expected more testing, I guess. Minding my
P’s and Q’s like Mrs. Crumb taught me.”

“Ah. Not really my kind of scene anymore. I
don’t typically run my business like a tyrant, hard as that may be
to believe,” he said.

“Could’ve fooled me with that whole drill
sergeant routine. So, what…you’re normally a girl’s friend?” she
teased.

“Depends on the girl. That bint that bit you,
for instance--she had her certain charms, but I couldn’t stand her
bloody voice for more than two minutes. Plenty of the demons are
only attractive to their own species. And then, there was
you--little slip of a human with a fire in her eye. No whining or
crying for Mum…spirit of a fighter, despite being more than a bit
bookish.” He waggled his brows and smiled rakishly. “Then you
turned out gorgeous.”

Catherine shook her head. “Can’t take the man
out of the demon,” she sighed.

“’Sum of all our parts’. Isn’t that what you
said?”

“Close enough. What is your demon like?”

“’S not like that. It’s not a voice in my
head. The demon heightens feelings, instincts…your cravings change,
and you have no conscience, but it’s still your head doin’ the
thinkin’…only as a fledge, not so much with the cerebral. You have
to get past the hunger, most of the time. A vampire is just as
unique and complicated as the human they were before. It’s what
makes turning so unpredictable. You get a pansy, or you get Lorcan.
Roll of the soddin’ dice.”

“Have you ever turned someone?”

“Minions, you know, easy labor…mostly just
found ‘em, though, picked up the new ones. They’re easily
controlled, but dumb as blocks. Usually, I had to do practically
everything myself if I wanted it done right. There’s a lesson in
that.”

“Self-reliance. Got it,” she said,
nodding.

“You’re completely bored, aren’t you?”

“No! Well, not with talking to you…”

“But the energy left this dive half an hour
ago. Come on, kitten.” Julian grabbed her hand and led her toward
the exit.

The doors shut, cutting off the music, and
Catherine found herself backed to a pole and being kissed.

“Better?” he asked, once he finally released
her to breathe.

“Uh-huh.”

Holy mama…

He smiled knowingly and took her hand again.
“Let’s get out of here.”

The trek back to the entrance took
considerably longer than it should have, with Julian stopping every
couple minutes to kiss her senseless again. They stopped at the
coatroom to get her cloak. She bundled up while he called their
driver on a cell. The door was opened for her once the limo pulled
up, though Julian stopped to talk to the driver before getting in
next to her.