Shadow's Kiss (Monstrous Hearts: Fleur's Story)

Chapter Seventeen

Fleur tried not to slouch while she and Dario approached the house. Like most lakefront homes, it was huge, flamboyant, and emphasized windows in its design. The second-story rooms had their curtains drawn, suggesting they were closed off to guests, but the entire first floor shone brightly. A bead of sweat ran down Fleur's neck at the sight of all the people inside, and she inched closer to Dario when the first rush of conversations washed over them.

Voices and laughter merged into a constant hum of noise, reducing the music to a slow bass beat. Some guests could be seen with a plate of appetizers, but most kept a mere cocktail in hand. Perfume and cologne thickened the already humid evening air. Jewelry, cufflinks, and dresses glittered brightly.

Fleur recognized a few family friends but still gripped Dario's arm like a vice every time a head swiveled in their direction. Luckily, he received all the attention. Fleur didn't have to be good at social cues to read the instant interest from many of the women. There were other men his age, but none that looked like him or had his presence. His every movement smoldered with confidence and virility, and Fleur knew her aunt's friends well enough to guess that most checked his hand for a wedding ring as soon as they saw him.

When he murmured in her ear, she barely heard his voice over her pounding pulse. "Do you want to stay together or split up?"

"I don't care." It would be hell either way.

By this point, they had passed through the crowded rooms and had reached sliding glass doors that opened to a large deck. Strings of lights lit the dark wood and glimmered off the surrounding lake. The sun shone over the horizon, giving the evening air a final blast of heat, but people still milled around—mostly groups of men. Fleur could hear their conversations clearly enough to recognize they were talking about sports, sailing, and other innocuous topics. She relaxed a little, realizing they were unlikely to notice her.

Dario scanned the deck and then the swathes of lawn that flanked the house, looking thoughtful. "This is a big property. I'll need an order to walk throughout it alone."

The reminder of his curse and its cruelty broke through her spiraling nerves. She bit her lip while turning to face him. "Then you really would turn into a tree if we're too far apart?"

He shrugged. "If it's a risk, it's easy to avoid."

"Maybe, but the solution feels as disturbing as the problem."

Despite her anxiety, his teasing smile made her heart skip a beat. "Don't you like being in control?"

She glanced away, searching for a place to hide once she was alone. "No. If my fantasies are anything to go by, I'm an antagonistic sub by nature."

His laugh startled her attention back to him. Then she wished it hadn't, because the way he looked at her left her breathless. Her heart skipped again, feeling very strange.

"What?" she said, trying not to sound defensive.

Beneath the glittering strings of light that illuminated the deck, his eyes had warmed to a dark amber. "I never know what you'll say next, only that you'll mean every word."

His attention wasn't helping her nerves. Neither was the fact that someone so smoldering and inhuman thought she was the fascinating one. Maybe it was better not to continue the conversation. "Then I guess I'm fucked. All people want is predictability and pleasant lies. Anyway... I order you to go wherever you want and talk to whoever you want at this party. Does that cover it?"

When he only nodded, still watching her, she rubbed her bare arms, trying to hold back a shiver of revulsion despite the evening heat. There were hours to go before they could leave. A sudden round of laughter made her flinch.