Content To Be Claimed (Beauty And The Beast #1)

Chapter 20

It was Warren's idea.

Not that I blame him or anything, but it was still his idea. See, he decided we needed photos to put in the scrapbook, so we blew off school again and hit the town instead. Warren was playing camera guy on his phone, and it was thrilling to have him focused on me so completely - and Jenny, of course.

When we got to the mall, I spotted a photo booth and suggested that we use it. Jenny went running in while Warren put his phone away. After Jenny had taken a couple, Warren pushed me in with her. Laughing, I dragged him in with us, scooping Jenny into my lap.

"Okay, lunchtime," I said a while later.

Warren made a face at the food court. "Not here, please."

I giggled at his obvious discomfort. "Okay, how about you show Jenny and I how you do lunch?"

He grinned, and it blew me away. His emerald eyes danced as he leaned down to Jenny and said, "Princess, would you like the best pizza in the world?"

"The whole world?" Her eyes rounded. "Are we going to Italy? Mommy says pizza comes from Italy."

"And she is correct," he chuckled, "but I know a place here that makes the best pizza. Want to see?"

"Yes! Yes!" She was bouncing on her feet in excitement.

"Okay, in a minute." He stood and leaned into me. "Await my return." He kissed my cheek and walked away.

"Where is he going?" Jenny asked curiously. "Is he going to get the pizza?"

"Maybe," I smiled, just as curious. "Let's go sit on that bench and wait for him, okay?"

She nodded and I led her to it. A man passed so close to us I caught his cologne. He froze just as I did, my eyes shooting up to his face. He was dressed in black jeans and a scarf over his grey shirt, looking so hot I blinked. His pale skin only accented his tied back blond hair perfectly. It was dirty blond, and the shadow on his jaw added a rugged quality to his appearance that was heart stopping.

In the second it took me to take this all in, he lifted his shades and closed his eyes, breathing in deeply and savouring the air. And in that instant, I knew, and my stomach hollowed out. He turned, and when he opened his eyes they speared into mine. His sensual mouth moved in a slow, devastating grin that was completely wicked. His eyes, a pale grey with just a hint of red, held me immobile.

"Well, hello," he greeted huskily, scorching me with those simple words. "You're the reason Victor's been so jumpy!" He glanced down at Jenny and dropped into a crouch as he cooed, "Aww, even the tiny human's cute! Hey there."

"Wo-yen!" She screamed, letting go of my hand and running back to the mall.

That roused me; I forgot my crippling fear of this vampire for a second and spun round, hissing, "Jenny!"

In that second, he sprang back to his feet behind me, stepping into me. I froze again, my throat drying up. If I so much as breathed, my body would come into contact with his. "We'll meet again," he whispered in my ear, and I shivered from fear....mostly. I cringed, then felt a cool finger on my chin. I spun round to him, stumbling back, only to see his eyes flash bright red for just a second. "Maybe we'll play hide and seek."

The entire exchange had taken less than a minute. He stepped back and melted into the crowd, and I registered that my knees were trembling. So that was Victor's brother? Were all vampires this deadly, and this irresistible? Was Vic like this too? Was he holding back around me, or was Vincent simply much more dangerous?

I put a hand on my pounding heart, blushing as I tried to control my confusing reaction to him.

"Doesn't he know you're a princess?" I heard Warren's voice behind me and struggled to get a grip.