An Education in Royalty: A Somerset Novel (Somerset Series Book 1) Read online

  Upon hearing the door close, Nikolai turned to examine his library – perfectly neat and orderly, save for the desk Elizabeth currently occupied; that appeared as though a miniature explosion took place, with papers strewn about, multiple cap-less highlighters scattered on papers, and various books opened in different places – before he looked directly at Elizabeth, who was definitely checking him out. The way her eyes skimmed over his peachy skin tone, following the traces of his abdominal muscles, light hair covering his skin until a small patch of it formed underneath his bellybutton and disappeared under the hemline of his black pants.

  Elizabeth cleared her throat and gestured at his chest. "You cold?" she asked, though her voice lacked the teasing tone she normally had.

  Nikolai glanced down at himself, placing his hands on his hips. "I suppose that's one way of explaining it," he said with a mischievous grin.

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "So what's the deal with your fiancée?" she asked with a quirked brow. Nikolai looked at her with a confused expression. "She was walking out of here and bumped into me. Didn't even apologize." She pressed her lips together before tilting her head slightly to the side. "She told me something along the lines of how this was my fault, but I had no idea what she was talking about." She turned her perplexed expression towards Nikolai. "Do you?"

  There was no way in hell Nikolai was going to tell her why Marie blamed Elizabeth for their breakup, but he found that he did want to explain just what happened.

  "We are no longer betrothed," he told her, and held up a hand to stop her from asking the millions of questions he knew she wanted to ask. "And before you ask, no, I don't want to talk about it."

  "Wow," Elizabeth murmured, running her fingers through her hair. "You must have done something undoable in order to piss her off that much. She wanted that crown more than probably anything. I never thought she would willingly leave." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "And to think you know a person…" Another question came to her as she narrowed her eyes in Nikolai's direction. "Wait a minute. How is your breakup my fault? It's not like we hooked up. Even if we did, she said she wouldn't even care."

  Nikolai opened his mouth to say something, and then stopped, realizing what she had said. Another mischievous smile touched his lips. "So you've been thinking about sleeping with me?" he asked her, and though his tone was light, interest was clearly written in his dark blue eyes.

  Elizabeth, again, rolled her eyes. "Please," she said with extra exaggeration.

  Nikolai thought about pushing it, but ultimately decided against it. "So," he said, dropping his hands from his chest into his pant pockets, "if you're not thinking about doing me right now, what are your plans?"

  "Since the All-Hallows’ Eve Masquerade is coming up," Elizabeth began, looking at the floor rather than at him, "I realized that I am in dire need of learning how to dance. And Carl is going to teach me."

  Chapter 21

  "Dance?" Nikolai asked, slightly surprised. His brow perked and his blue eyes locked into hers, wondering if she was being serious or not. "Wait, wait, wait." He shook his head. "You're going to ask Carl to teach you how to dance? Carl? I mean, Carl's wonderfully helpful at many things, but I highly doubt your education in that art would be sufficiently taught by him."

  "Oh?" Elizabeth asked, raising a disbelieving brow as she placed her hand on the swell of her hip. "And who do you think I should ask to help me dance then, since Carl isn't the one?"

  Nikolai looked at her as though Elizabeth had grown a second head. "Really Tinkerbell?" he asked her, throwing out his arms. "You mean to tell me that when you were doing your research on me, you didn't find that I am one hell of a dancer? Now, I am surprised." He took a step forward and allowed his eyes to sweep over her for a moment, wondering if she would actually go along with his plan. "If you want to learn how to dance, look no further than the man in front of you." The arrogant grin was etched out perfectly on his face as he closed his eyes, waiting for her appraisal.

  "Are you kidding me?" Elizabeth asked; her brow completely furrowed as she looked at him with obvious disbelief. "You know how to dance? Actually, that doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is the fact that you're offering to teach me how to dance."

  Nikolai looked at her with an inquiring gaze. "I…" He shook his head before cocking it to the side. "I don't understand why it’s hard to believe what I said."

  "I'm trying to figure out the catch," Elizabeth explained, looking at him now, as though that much was obvious.

  "There's no catch." He took another step forward so he was now only two inches away from her body. He could feel her warmth radiating from her and meshing with his own cool aura. "Actually," he said, dropping his voice so it was low and husky. "The only catch is the fact that you get to dance with me without having to wait in a long, long line of women who want to do the same. If I may say, you are one lucky woman."

  ---

  Lizzie looked at him, trying to read his eyes. She got to know Nikolai well enough to know that behind his smartass comments that were just a smokescreen, there was something far deeper. She didn't know just what he was hiding, though she did try to figure it out. Although, that actually meant looking into his eyes, and she didn't particularly like doing that only because she found she might actually get lost in them with no way of saving herself.

  "And you won't try anything?" she asked him when she finally decided that she couldn't quite figure him out just yet.

  "By anything, do you mean resting my hand just a little too low so my fingertips caress the beginnings of your taut backside?" he asked her, but before she could answer, he quickly continued. "Unfortunately, I cannot promise that. Do not fret, though. I don't bite." And then another smile littered his face, but instead of being arrogant, it was sensual and mysterious and sent shivers down her back. "Unless you really want me to…"

  "Let's just get this over with, okay?" she said, avoiding eye contact with him and taking two safe steps back. She didn't trust herself to be close to him just yet. She needed to get over it quickly because soon, she'd have to dance with him.

  Nikolai led her into the grand ballroom, where the All-Hallows’ Eve Ball was to take place in a few days' time. There was a beautiful grand piano positioned in the corner of the room, and surprisingly enough, Nikolai took a seat and began to play. Lizzie couldn't help but feel drawn to him; she had no idea he could play the piano. The melody was slow and haunting, and after playing it a couple of times, Nikolai snapped his fingers and stood. Though he had disengaged from playing, the music still filled the room, as though someone invisible was sitting there.

  "I didn't know you could play," she said in a hushed tone as she followed him to the middle of the vacant floor.

  "There are many things you don't know about me," he returned, before turning to face her. "Now, let's teach you how to dance, shall we?"

  In the next few moments, Nikolai positioned Lizzie into proper waltz stance. She had yet to learn that vampires add a bout of sensuality to the formal dance, but she would soon learn it, by his hands at that. One hand was resting on the small of her back while the other hand held hers, and her free arm held onto his shoulder. Something inside of her told her that they were too close, but something else reassured her and all but begged her not to say anything. She found that she really didn't want to and listened to the second voice.

  "The most important thing you need to remember is to let the man lead," Nikolai told her, uncharacteristically serious.

  She bit back a retort about the obvious misogyny, but even she knew that was the way the waltz was danced. She nodded her head as Nikolai began, staring at her feet to ensure she wouldn't trip over herself.

  "Tinkerbell," Nikolai said after a moment. Lizzie stopped and looked up at him. "Keep your eyes on mine, okay? No looking at your feet or anything else. Look at me and only at me." He began to move again, and she tried to keep her eyes within his. "In our culture," he began to expla
in, "the waltz, much like the tango to the Latin culture, is the most sensual dance, so it is necessary that when you dance, you convey the sensuality." He threw her another arrogant grin. "With me as your dance partner, I'm sure that won't be too difficult."

  Lizzie rolled her eyes but did as she was told. It took a good twenty minutes, but she finally started to get used to the dance. There was no way in hell she was going to try and be more sensual, but her resolve was hard to keep up especially with the way Nikolai was looking at her currently. His eyes had darkened substantially, and they would drop occasionally to her lips. Upon seeing him do it the last time, Lizzie dabbed her tongue and wet her lips. To be completely honest, she really didn't mean to do something as alluring as that, but she couldn't exactly help herself. Or so she thought.

  Upon seeing that, Nikolai's eyes widened slightly and he instinctively stepped closer, tilting his head slightly to the side. His grip tightened around her waist, holding her securely in his hands.

  …completely naked, in her room on top of those silky sheets, his firm hands running up her sides as her head tilted back in pure ecstasy…

  Lizzie blinked, unsure of where that image came from. She looked up at Nikolai, trying to decipher if he had seen the same thing because the image was so incredibly vivid, almost as though it was happening right in front of her. She had repressed that memory – though it haunted her nearly every night. He continued to look at her as though nothing was wrong, as though he hadn't seen anything. Maybe that was just a one-time thing. Maybe it was the sudden close proximity between the two. But who knew? She just didn't want it to happen again.

  …his thumb gently caressing her hardened nipples as his mouth captured her own, kissing her with as much passion and fervor that rivaled her own…

  That was worse than the first one. She felt her pelvis respond to it too, and she had to bite her lip in order to ensure that she gave nothing away. She wanted him again. Another look at Nikolai told her that he either wasn't affected or he hadn't noticed. Or he hadn't had the same vision as she did. Was she going crazy? She had never seen such imagery, as though it was a movie, happening right in front of her.

  No more. She didn't want to think about it anymore.

  And she was fine for the next few minutes.

  …his body connecting with hers, sliding into her, filling her. Her nails gripping his back, urging him to go deeper, to touch her very soul…

  "Okay," Lizzie whispered, in a shaky voice. She immediately disentangled herself from her dance partner who, if she looked at him more closely, was desperately trying to hide a knowing smirk. "Okay, thank you for your help. Really. I do mean that. But I'm uh… tired. Yes, tired. I am tired." She perked her brow, hoping to emphasize your point.

  "I understand you're feeling tired?" Nikolai said, and this time he didn't bother trying to hide the grin.

  She shot him a look. "I think I need to lie down," she murmured, and without looking back, she walked out of the room, hoping she wouldn't give into her weak knees and fall.

  "Yes you do," Nikolai murmured once he was certain she couldn't hear him, his eyes watching her go with an enigmatic sparkle embedded deeply in them.

  Chapter 22

  Three dusks later – which would be the nocturnals’ morning – Lizzie got up and proceeded to change into her running clothes. Tonight was the All-Hallows’ Eve Masquerade. Initially, after she left Nikolai on the dance floor, she was going to sort out the reason why her desire was clouding her mind with perfectly painted pictures of her making love to the prince of vampires. Her thoughts got a little too deep for her taste, and she refused to dwell deeper into them. But now that her mind was fresh and sharp, she couldn't help but go back to that previous night.

  Her body remembered what her mind wanted nothing more than to forget. The way he held her so close to himself, his chest pressed against her own. She glanced down at her right hand, the one he had held so securely in his own, and was surprised that it was actually relatively warm. It was his eyes; however, she couldn't get out of her head. The way he looked at her penetrated her very soul. It was dark, seductive, and curious, and she couldn't help but feel the same way about him. Idly, she wondered if her own eyes gave her away.

  Lizzie had never denied that she was attracted to him; there was no point because everyone could see how undeniably gorgeous Nikolai was. But there was something deeper brewing in her subconscious that she couldn't exactly get a hold of and she was afraid to broach the subject with herself, scared of what would happen if she did. Terrified to realize that she might actually like the man she was supposed to be protecting, despite trying everything to keep herself from doing so. She hated vampires, but there was always an exception to the rule, wasn't there? Nikolai seemed to be that exception.

  No more, she told herself, throwing her hair up in a ponytail.

  Without another thought, she headed down the stairs, preparing to concentrate on her jog and nothing more. Actually, scratch that, she would focus on her job and hope that she would get a lead, a tip, or anything that would reveal the serious nature of the threat. She knew it was supposed to happen at the All-Hallows’ Eve Masquerade, but she had no idea how it was supposed to unfold or by who. Now that she was getting closer and closer to Nikolai, the thought frightened her. Yes, she fought with him constantly, but that didn't mean she wanted something to happen to him.

  Before she could get to the door, a familiar figure was quickly walking towards Lizzie, and when he came into view, her mouth dropped.

  "Good morning to you, too," Nikolai murmured dryly. He glanced down at his attire. "Do you like my running outfit? Apparently, black is my color, but I can also pull off grey, tan, and red if I'm feeling adventurous."

  Lizzie pressed her lips together to keep herself from laughing. Nikolai might have been an ass, but he was a funny one.

  "I thought I would join you on your little run," he continued, cocking his head to the side.

  "I agree," she said, now walking over to the front door. Her response seemed to surprise Nikolai as he followed her out the door with a curious expression on his face. "You need to lose a few pounds, buddy." She threw him a smile.

  "I'm not the fatty, Tinkerbell," he told her with obvious insinuation laced within his tone. He placed his hands on his hips and stared out at the scenery surrounding his castle. It really was beautiful, especially since the sun had just set and coldness had taken over the night. "So, how far are we going?"

  "I jog five miles," she told him, glancing up at him from the corner of her eyes. "Now listen, you better tell me if I'm going too fast for you or you simply can't handle the run. There's really no shame in it if you can't. Just don't push yourself because you'll be regretting it later."

  Nikolai gave her a look that revealed there was no way he was going to tell her if he couldn't handle it, even if he couldn't, and the mere notion was absolutely ridiculous.

  She started jogging and Nikolai followed behind her until he decided he would rather be beside her, rather than the former. The two talked about different things, and she found herself laughing at a lot of what he was saying, causing an unfamiliar warm sensation to take hold of her senses.

  "Look at you," he said, after hearing her laugh once again. "You enjoy my company." He nudged her shoulder playfully with his own. "Admit it."

  Lizzie avoided his eyes but a smile eclipsed her face. "I'm not going to deny it," she ultimately said, though there was a temptation to do just that.

  ---

  They continued running, and soon fell into a comfortable silence. Nikolai found different things to look at when it concerned the woman next to him as they ran; the way her hair swished back and forth, the way her arm muscle would flex once in a while, and the way her hips swayed as she ran. In fact, he was so distracted by Elizabeth that he didn't noticed a root coming up, and in mere seconds, he tripped over it, falling forward into her. He landed on top of Elizabeth, though he made sure he didn't put any pressure on her in any way, a
nd actually managed to catch her – although awkwardly.

  Nikolai opened his mouth to apologize, but suddenly realized just how close the two were. He was literally on top of her, and her breathing was heavy and ragged, face flushed. And her lips, those full lips that looked so soft and so seducing… He couldn't help but want to kiss them again. Just one little taste; that was all he wanted. To feel her underneath him, kissing him back, to memorize everything about her…

  Without completely realizing it, Nikolai tilted his head and was slowly descending so his lips were just about to touch hers…and she wanted it. That much was clear.

  ---

  At the last second, she turned her head so his lips brushed across her jaw. Even that much was enough to send her senses in a tizzy, goosebumps spreading across her body, her entire face had been enflamed by his mere caress. She didn't know why she pulled away, but her logic rationalized that this was her job, and she couldn't be distracted. She had told William the same thing, and though it had originally been used as an excuse, she meant it, and she would be damned if she was the reason Nikolai got hurt.

  "I have to start getting ready," she murmured, and slid herself out from under him, picking herself up. As she began to walk away, she dusted herself off.

  The first thing she did upon entering her room was set up her computer while simultaneously praying Rachel was online. Her fingers were shaking, her mind completely senseless. She needed advice, and the person who knew so much about this sort of thing was Rachel. Once they were connected, it didn't take long for Lizzie to tell Rachel everything that had happened and how she reacted to those things, the words rapidly rolling off her tongue like gunfire. She hated being vulnerable like this, talking about her questionable feelings when she really shouldn't have any, but she trusted Rachel above everybody else, and she felt like she needed to get the situation under control before she could execute her mission with the utmost success.