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

"Actually, that's a bad idea," she told him. "You shouldn't be away from your home, especially if Dimitri is the person we're looking for. Plus, I know how to handle myself and I don't want to waste any time worrying about whether or not you're okay."

  Before Nikolai could argue, she was already on her way out the door.

  Chapter 15

  Nikolai's mouth dropped open the minute he heard the front door shut. It wasn't necessarily due to the fact that this woman had just told him he couldn't accompany her to a bar, leaving before he could argue with her, and letting her get away with telling him what to do. It was because she was going to some bar in that particular dress. Though Nikolai had only known Miss Grant a week at the most, he had only seen her in pants – nice slacks if she decided to dress up – and shorts. He had never seen her the way she had just portrayed herself, and something unfamiliar started to paw on the inside of his stomach.

  What if she wasn't as strong as she seemed? Sure, she was tough. Nikolai had personally handpicked her to be his bodyguard due to her track record, file, and reputation, but could she really fight at her best in that dress? What about the fact that she was going to the bar alone? No doubt this man had protection, especially if he was the orchestrator of the plot to kill Nikolai. Elizabeth might be the best assassin, but she probably couldn't hold her own against whatever defenses he had. And surely he had a lot. Nikolai couldn’t say if he had other humans backing him up, or if he was working with vampires for a mutual cause. All he knew was that Elizabeth was terribly naïve to choose to walk into a bar without more research done on her suspect and any organization he might be working with or for.

  At least, Nikolai didn't think so.

  Because of this, Nikolai did something he thought was best; he decided to go – incognito.

  He quickly headed up the stairs and changed into something he thought was appropriate for the bar but didn't reflect his royalty; a nice white collared long sleeved shirt, a black skinny tie, and dark blue Levi jeans. On his feet were a pair of new sneakers, and over his outfit was a black blazer. Besides that, he didn't do much else to change the way he looked. He knew that if people looked close enough, he would surely be recognized, but he wasn't too worried about it and hoped that people would assume a prince would never dress down and walk into a bar without some kind of guards.

  Nikolai liked to take advantage of people's ignorance.

  When he parked his black Ferrari at the bar – the only real bar located in the town, and one Lewis would frequent occasionally - any worries about blending in were completely diminished. He had on black aviators as a precautionary measure, but he realized that he probably didn't need them anyway. The environment was hazy – probably due to the fact that people were smoking cigars next to the bar – and nobody even looked Nikolai's way upon his entrance. After a few moments, he started to relax, pushing his glasses to the top of his head to enhance his sharp eyes as they tried to find Elizabeth.

  It actually didn't take that long to find her. Once Nikolai caught that familiar head of hair, he was absolutely certain that it was her. Although he finally found her, he didn't want to be spotted – lest he distract her or be the cause of a mission gone awry because of his presence, so he decided to hang in the corner where he could see her clearly while remaining hidden at the same time.

  Goodness, she was beautiful, wasn't she? Currently, Elizabeth was flirting with a man – Nikolai assumed it was Dimitri Coran – by using her assets. A long strand of hair was coiled around her long finger, and her deep eyes were looking at him with a husk tainted to them. Her smile was open but coy – Nikolai wondered how he would feel if she used that particular smile on him. Actually – scratch that; he didn't have to wonder. He would simply give her whatever it was she wanted. And that was all there was to it.

  Don't get distracted, Dragulia, he thought to himself as he closed his eyes.

  In order to focus himself, Nikolai turned his attention on the man who he assumed was Dimitri Coran. The man was tall – even taller than Nikolai was; which was interesting because vampires were usually six foot at the most, and Nikolai always felt he was one of the tallest vampires. But Coran had him beat. However, Coran was not as built as Nikolai was; he was leaner, almost scrawny due to his sallow skin color. He was dressed in name brand clothing – Armani, no doubt – and was looking at Elizabeth like a hungry dog might look at a piece of meat. Instantly, Nikolai felt himself clench his teeth, and forced himself once again to push his thoughts that concerned this particular woman to the side. Dimitri also had long brown hair that tumbled down until the tresses reached his shoulders. From where he was standing, Nikolai couldn't tell if Dimitri's eyes were black or a very dark brown, but it didn't exactly matter.

  "Have you been here long?" he heard Elizabeth ask him, though she murmured the question.

  Nikolai wasn't really paying attention to the questions. If he was being honest, his eyes were sculpting her face, trying to read her reactions, and see if she had Coran figured out. Was he or wasn't he a viable suspect?

  One of the questions must have offended Coran because without warning, the man reached out and grabbed Elizabeth's wrist before leading her into a secluded hallway. Nikolai felt his entire body tense up because he was torn about what to do. If she said she could handle herself, then she could handle herself. But what if she couldn't? He refused to leave her helpless, but he didn't want to break her cover, and he sure as hell didn't want to break his. After another moment thinking it over, he decided to head over to the hallway as subtly as possible, hoping nobody would notice him. That way, he could make an educated decision about whether or not he was going to intervene.

  Once he got into a position that was safe to determine Elizabeth’s well-being, Nikolai tilted his head, an unexpected small smile glazing over his features. If he had any inkling of doubt about whether or not Miss Grant could handle herself, they were suddenly washed all away. The man, Dimitri, was up against the wall, and though he was taller than Elizabeth by nearly a foot, he was being held captive by her. Her heel was stretched up and placed squarely on his neck, and she was asking him different questions in English, but he was only answering in Romanian.

  "You're telling me you can't speak English?" Elizabeth asked in utter disbelief.

  "I can translate," Nikolai said, stepping out from the shadows in order to gain her attention.

  ---

  When she heard his voice, Lizzie turned to look at him, a glare sketched out over her features. She clenched her teeth, realizing it was probably a good idea. It was highly unlikely Dimitri would willingly call one of his translators over for a nice chat, after all. With one nod, her eyes flashed over at Dimitri and Nikolai stood next to her. "Tell me about the assassination attempt," she said, narrowing her eyes at the captive.

  Dimitri started talking, and after a moment, Nikolai glanced over at Lizzie. "He says he doesn't know," he told her in a quiet voice.

  Lizzie wasn’t too pleased with the answer and applied more pressure to his throat. Dimitri growled at the pain; there was a reason why women wore high heeled boots besides the fact that it enhanced their assets. "Tell me," she said through gritted teeth. "Or I'll be the one poking a hole in your neck."

  He said something quickly in Romanian, looking at Nikolai with wide eyes.

  "He says that he truly doesn't know," Nikolai told her once Dimitri had finished speaking. "All he does know is that the attempt itself will take place at the All-Hallows’ Eve Masquerade."

  Lizzie looked at Dimitri with extreme scrutiny, as though she was trying to read his face, and ensure that he wasn't lying to her. After careful consideration, she slowly let down her foot before grabbing and leading him to the back of the bar. It was then that Nikolai noticed a couple of Nocturnal Defense Society agents waiting, and once she had transferred custody of the subject to an agent, she threw an annoyed stare up at him.

  "I'm upset with you," she stated as the two began to walk out of the bar. "I don't care that you helped
me out, I'm still upset that you can't even trust me to do my job."

  Nikolai said nothing for a moment, but he slipped off his blazer and placed it around Lizzie's shoulders without asking her if she was cold or not. Though she made no move to thank him, she also didn't take off the jacket and throw it at him.

  "I wanted to make sure my investment wouldn't disappoint," he finally said, opening the car door for her.

  A genuine look of hurt flashed across her features but she quickly masked it. "You're an ass," she told him as he shut the door.

  "But what a fine ass I am," Nikolai said, and though Lizzie didn't want to, a small smile touched her face.

  Chapter 16

  Things were tense for Lizzie. Her first suspect had been a bust, and she actually had help from Nikolai. The kind of help she needed – though she would never admit it. She was a damn good assassin, but even she knew she needed to think more before she acted. Something about being here, at this place, caused adrenaline to course through her blood, caused her fingers to twitch, like she had to move.

  She wanted to run, but couldn’t. Not yet. It was still dark, and as much as she trusted her skills, she knew that the vampires fed on humans at night. She didn’t want to put herself in any unwarranted danger. Not after last night.

  God, she could be so stupid sometimes.

  Her eyes looked up at the tall ceiling from her bed. She was currently in her stifling pajamas – even though October was ending, she felt hot and sweaty under the cool silky covers. Before she could stop herself, she stripped the clothing from her person and dropped them carelessly to the stone floor.

  That felt much better. And nice. She had never felt silk sheets against her bare skin before.

  Her head relaxed on the pillow and her eyes gently closed. How to get rid of this tension, if she couldn’t run?

  This was all Nikolai’s fault. His presence threw off her game. She didn’t know how to react to him. He was tall and commanding and sensual and arrogant and mysterious and brooding and… sexy.

  Without thinking, Lizzie took her hand and outlined her curves, her long fingers caressing her nipples, leaving hard rubbles in their wake as they descended further and further until they reached the middle of her thighs. She wasn’t surprised to find herself moist at the thought of the vampire prince. He exuded something that caused her to clench her teeth and her pelvis to pulsate. She didn’t know it was possible to loathe someone and at the very same time be turned on by him.

  Her thoughts came freely now – she was alone, in the safety of her room. There was no way Nikolai would even know what she was doing, and, if anything, he was probably doing the same thing.

  How could he look like that and not take advantage of it?

  Her fingers started to flutter against her pink nub and her legs opened wider, welcoming the activity. She hadn’t had sex in a while, but she always kept herself satisfied when the occasion called for it. Truth be told, she hadn’t expected to do it here, now, but she needed it. God, she needed it.

  Her other hand cupped her breast and started tugging at her nipple – the sensation only enhanced the pulsating and made her fingers even wetter. Her thoughts took off with Nikolai and how he might touch her. He would move with grace as he climbed on top of her, but his eyes would hold a power over her, never taking them off of her nude form. He would eat her up – both literally and figuratively. He would want to taste her with his tongue and his teeth and everything.

  He would touch her, suck on her nipples as though they spewed the blood he was known for lusting after. His fingers would dance in her wet folds, making her twitch and shudder and beg. And she never begged.

  Her fingers started moving faster and her breathing increased. Sound was muted; she could only hear the pounding of her heart as it beat throughout her head.

  When he was finally ready to fill her, he took her without asking for it in such a way that she couldn’t fault him for it. He knew exactly what he was doing and didn’t need any reassurance. He had hundreds of years of practice.

  And she was thankful for it.

  He stretched her until it hurt, but even that elicited pleasure from her body, and she clung to his back with her fingernails, so tight she didn’t think it would be possible to let go of him. Surely they would leave crescent moons in his taut, pale skin.

  But he didn’t seem to care and neither did she, as he sucked and nipped her skin – everywhere from her neck to her collarbone to the tops of her breasts. Enough to cause her to tremble, but not to leave a mark.

  Each thrust was willful and firm, but as he kept up the pace, she noticed he couldn’t keep put-together forever. Not when she felt this way.

  The buildup was quick, unexpected, and she knew she was close. So close.

  A knock interrupted her fantasy of having sex with the vampire prince but she pressed on, needing this. God, she needed this.

  Her fingers were flying, her back arched up.

  “Elizabeth?”

  It was him. How dare he speak to her? How dare he say her name in such a way that caused her to get lightheaded?

  There it was. The end of the tunnel. She just had a few more moments to go before she reached it…

  “Elizabeth?”

  And just as she toppled off, felt her body release all the tension it had been carrying, the door flung open and Nikolai stood there, dressed in his usual black, looking as god-like as ever. But Lizzie didn’t care. She would ride this out, and Nikolai had no choice but to watch her finish. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes hooded.

  He knew what she was doing. She didn’t particularly care.

  When she felt her body relax, she arched a brow at him, watched as he took in her spread legs, covered by the sheets, her messy hair, her red face, the clothes on the floor. Waited for some kind of comment. She could see his eyes darken, his nostrils flare as if he could smell it on her…

  And then he was shedding his clothes and climbing on top of her and taking her in the exact way she had just fantasized about. He was perfect; his arms, his torso. He started muttering to her in both English and Russian, how she had transfixed him, cast a spell on him, how he couldn’t get her out of his head.

  God, she smelled good. Her sex smelled better than blood.

  And then he was inside of her and she was moaning and clinging to his back before messing up his hair, and she matched every thrust with one of her own. And God, she never felt this sort of pleasure invading her body. Already she could feel another orgasm start to build, and she gave into it just as easily as before.

  Nikolai followed just after, letting out a helpless moan. The sound made her twitch.

  He clung to her desperately, holding onto her petite frame. She felt her eyelids get heavy and she wondered if this was the best dream she had ever had. It certainly felt that way. It wasn’t long before she was asleep.

  ---

  He wasn’t there when she woke up, which was just as well. She didn’t regret what happened, but she didn’t want to dwell on it either. It never happened. That was what she would tell herself. Despite the throbbing between her thighs, that could not happen again. She was a human assassin, and he was a vampire prince. Nothing would ever happen between them.

  And honestly, that was fine with Lizzie. She was satisfied. She was content. And she had a job to do.

  ---

  "This is kind of weird," Rachel said as Lizzie slid into her best friend's beaten up sky blue Chevy. Her almond-shaped eyes glanced around at the dark sky before finally resting on the castle. "You know, when I go shopping – like serious shopping – I have to map everything out, have a list of exactly what I want, and the greatest likelihood of any particular store having any item on my list."

  "Yes, yes," Lizzie said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. After everything that had happened two nights before, Lizzie had been prone to sleep fully both days. In fact, she nearly forgot that she had called Rachel in hopes that she would help her find the perfect dress for the upcoming
masquerade. Thankfully, Rachel had the decency to call before she left, and by six thirty that night, Rachel had pulled up and was waiting outside the entrance of the castle, just like Lizzie had instructed her to.

  "So tell me," Rachel said, her eyes glancing over to the looming castle, a familiar mischievous smile touching her dark eyes, "why am I not allowed to go into your new home?"

  "My temporary new home," Lizzie corrected as she felt her body relax against the car seat. She had been in this car numerous times before and knew how much Rachel adored it. Rachel wouldn't even consider buying a new car, despite the fact that she could easily afford one. "And the reason why I don't want you in that castle is because there are more occupants in there than just Nikolai and his servants. I don't want the vampires to hear another beating heart in the vicinity and then jump and eat you."

  "Obviously, you would protect me," Rachel pointed out as she started to drive away. She threw a glance over at her friend. "Right Lizzie?"

  "Of course," Lizzie said, nodding her head a couple of times. "But vampires are fast. I just don't want you getting hurt at all, Rachel."

  "I know, I know," Rachel said with a teasing smile, rolling her eyes. "Okay, but you're going to have to tell me how, exactly, to get to this dress shop because, honey, I have no idea where I'm going and I've never heard of the town you mentioned before in my entire life."

  "Apusul Soarelui?" Lizzie asked, pushing her brow up and tilting her head so she could get a good look at her friend. "Yeah, me neither, but I stumbled across it while I was out jogging. I got my dress that I wore on the Coran mission there. Did you know that the woman who owns the shop sews everything in there by hand? Even the modern stuff. Hell, even the old-fashioned stuff with the corsets and thick material…" She let her voice trail off, shaking her head in disbelief.

  "So, is this place even going to be open?" Rachel asked, resting her elbow on her car's window frame after Lizzie had directed her to head south on the highway. "I mean, it's nearly seven, Lizzie. Stores close sometimes at six. And that's not even when it's a Sunday." She shook her head. Rachel hated when stores closed early. "But today is not Sunday." She looked over at her friend expectantly.