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the highway for all she cared she just wantedout .
It wasn t just the weird and horrifying things she d witnessed at Simon s banquet last night either, that
made her so anxious to leave. It was the way Kris touched her, the sound of his voice, low and
commanding in her ear, the way he made her melt when she felt his hands on her body, his mouth on
hers.
Could it have something to do with the bond that must be forming between them as a result of his
essence and plasma in her bloodstream? But to Lauren, that felt like a cop-out, an excuse. She was too
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honest to lie to herself about this the way she felt around Kris frightened the hell out of her. She might
dream of submission to a stern and loving Master, but that didn t mean Lauren ever wanted those dreams
to become a reality. She was walking much too close to the line here and it was time to leave while she
was still her own person.
Making a final sweeping glance of the opulent bedroom, she slipped out the heavy wooden door and
found herself in a long corridor made of gray stone. Trying to remember the way she and Kris had taken
the night before, she walked confidently forward, glad that the place seemed to be deserted. The click of
her heels echoed against the stones, bouncing the sound back to her and making her feel more like she
was in a catacomb under some ancient city instead of in the back of a Houston sex club.
Soon Lauren found herself at an intersection she didn t remember from the night before. Choosing
arbitrarily, she took a right and found herself at yet another crossway in barely a minute. Frowning, she
took another right and kept going. The hallway had to lead somewhere& it did, to another hallway. After
making several more turns, she decided maybe she should go back. But there were no landmarks to go
by, no doors or windows, not even a painting she could remember to help her find her way back.
Impossible as it might seem, she was lost.
Well, well, my dear. And how lovely to see you this fine day.
Lauren whirled around, looking for the source of the soft, oily voice. She would have sworn she was
perfectly alone. The long echoing corridor stretched out ahead of her and behind her like an empty stone
throat.
And what might you be looking for,ma chérie ? You appear to be most distressingly lost.
Lauren turned again and found herself suddenly face to face with Simon, their host. Oh! Y-you startled
me. She put a hand to her chest and took a step back.
Ah, but such was not my intention, my dear. My most sincere apologies. Smiling, he took a step
forward to fill in the gap she had put between them. Lauren wondered if all vampires were so pushy
about invading your personal space or if it was just because both Simon and Kris were European. At
least the tall vampire wasn t referring to himself in the third person today, a trait she found intensely
annoying.
Simon was dressed in plain black jeans, a black silk shirt open to the waist that showed a smooth
expanse of muscled, hairless chest, and a magnificent jeweled collar that appeared to be solid gold and
was a good three inches thick. There was a diamond at the center of the collar that was too huge and
vulgar to be anything but real. For a moment, Lauren wondered how he could possibly be up at this hour
and then remembered that Kris had told her that while vampires preferred to sleep during the daytime, it
wasn t a necessity.
Might I inquire again exactly what you were seeking? Youwant to tell me, no? The soft, oily voice
held just a hint of menace and there was a coldness to his deep brown eyes. Lauren realized she d been
just standing there, staring at him for the past minute without saying a word.
I& uh& she fumbled. Just then her stomach rumbled loudly, saving her the trouble.
Ah, but you are hungry. Simon s face softened a little. He flicked his heavy mane of black curls over
one broad shoulder and offered her his arm. Let us go to the kitchen,ma chérie , and see what we can
find for you to dine on.
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Completely against her will, Lauren found herself taking his arm and heading down the long stone
corridor again. Only this time, instead of being an impenetrable maze, the moment they turned the next
corner, they found themselves walking into a wide, airy kitchen. It was spacious and well-appointed, but
the kitchen had no windows or doors other than the one they had just come through and Lauren would
have sworn that it hadn t been there before.
It s like the looking glass house, she murmured to herself, feeling confused.
Pardon? Simon raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow at her in a polite question.
Lauren cleared her throat, feeling silly. Your club reminds me of a book I read when I was a little girl
Through The Looking Glass.
Oh yes, I know the book well. Simon nodded for her to continue, leading her to a large butcher block
table with several chairs placed around its clean wooden surface.
Well, you know the part where Alice is trying to get to the little hill at the top of the garden but she
keeps getting sent back inside the house every time she tries? And the harder she tries, the less success
she has in getting where she wants to go. That s the way it was when I was trying to get& when I was
trying to find your kitchen, Lauren finished rather lamely.
Indeed. Simon smiled politely. A most fascinating concept. Lewis Carroll had quite the most vivid
imagination of anyone I was ever privileged to meet.
Lauren felt her mouth go dry. Y-you knew Lewis Carroll?
Simon laughed, a rich sound that was almost tangible. Lauren felt like she should have been able to
break pieces of that laugh off and stuff them in her mouth like chocolate. Her stomach rumbled again.
I cannot claim to have known him intimately,ma chérie , but I did meet him on several occasions after
his books became popular. Remind me to tell you sometime of how he came up with the idea for his
poem,The Jabberwocky . A most amusing anecdote. Simon nodded and turned to the stove. Now,
what might you be craving for your lunch, my dear?
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