It's a weird flex to own a bathtub the size of my former apartment's living room, but I'm not complaining. The water's hot enough to turn my skin lobster-red, steam rising in lazy curls around me as I sink deeper into the marble monstrosity. This has to be the most luxurious thing I've experienced since waking up in a vampire's castle.
I found this bathroom by accident, just another wrong turn in my endless exploration of Maeve's labyrinthine home. When I stumbled across this Roman bath fantasy, complete with gold fixtures and actual columns, I couldn't resist.
The jets pulse against my lower back, working out knots I didn't even know I had. I close my eyes, letting my head rest against the marble edge, wondering if this is what life is supposed to feel like. If so, getting hit by that truck was the best thing that ever happened to me.
A mechanical whirr startles me from my half-doze. The blinds are rising by themselves, revealing floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the dying sun bleeding across the horizon. Oranges and purples paint the sky as darkness creeps in from the east.
"Fancy," I mutter, watching the automated show. Must be on some kind of sunset timer.
A woman's voice screams from somewhere in the distance, the sound echoing through stone corridors. I tense for a moment, then force myself to relax back into the water. Not my chair, not my problem. Whatever shit that goes on here is none of my business.
I sink lower, letting the water lap at my chin. The jets switch direction, massaging my calves now. I could get used to this life of luxury. Being a "blood bag" with benefits has its perks.
Ten minutes pass with more angry shouting echoing through the castle. I'm determinedly ignoring it all when the bathroom door flies open with enough force to crack the marble wall behind it.
Maeve stands in the doorway, a vision of fury in a black silk robe. It's shorter than the one I borrowed this morning, ending mid-thigh to reveal legs that seem to go on for miles. Her hair is wild around her face, those red eyes burning with an intensity that makes my heart skip several beats.
"YOU!" she snarls, stalking toward the bath like a predator. "I THOUGHT YOU TRIED TO RUN."
One second she's at the doorway, the next she's lunging at me through the water. It happens so fast I barely have time to gasp before she's on top of me, water splashing everywhere as her robe gets soaked. Her weight pins me against the marble as she straddles my hips, those red eyes blazing with an intensity that makes my heart race.
"How dare you leave me," she hisses, her face inches from mine.
"What?" I sputter, water dripping down my face as I try to process what's happening.
Her fingers tangle in my hair, yanking my head back to expose my throat. The sharp pain makes me gasp, but I can't deny the thrill that shoots through me at her touch.
"When I woke up, you were gone," she snarls, tightening her grip. "You think you have freedom here?"
I should be terrified. This woman could snap my neck without breaking a sweat. But instead, I feel excitement bubbling up inside me. There's something intoxicating about the attention she's giving me.
"WHY ARE YOU SMILING?" she demands, her voice echoing off the bathroom walls.
I can't help it. My lips curve upward even more as I meet her furious gaze. "I missed you too."
Her expression freezes, those perfect features caught between livid rage and utter bewilderment. She clearly wasn't expecting that response. For a moment, she looks almost human in her confusion, like someone who prepared for a fight only to be offered a hug instead.
"You..." she starts, then stops, seemingly at a loss for words.
I reach up, ignoring the water cascading down my arms, and gently touch her cheek. "I just found a bathtub. I wasn't running away."
The tension in her body doesn't fully dissipate, but something shifts in her expression. The fury dims slightly, replaced by a different kind of intensity.
"You belong to me now," she says, her voice lower but no less commanding. "You don't get to disappear whenever you feel like it."
"Look," I say, holding my hands up in surrender, "when I woke up, you were asleep. I was bored and hungry. What was I supposed to do, just lie there watching you ?"
Her eyes narrow, annoyance flashing across her perfect features. The water sloshes around us as she adjusts her position on top of me, her silk robe now completely soaked and clinging to her curves in a way that makes it hard to focus on her anger.
"You stay by my side," she says, her voice leaving no room for argument. "Or else."
I can't help the little thrill that runs through me at those words. There's something about her possessiveness that hits different than anything I've ever experienced.
"I tried to wake you up," I protest, "but you were like a log."
Maeve's fingers tighten in my hair. "From now on, you sleep when I sleep."
I make a face before I can stop myself. "That's a tall order. It's going to take some serious effort on my part. I'm not exactly nocturnal by nature."
"Pets don't make the rules," she says, her voice dropping to a dangerous purr.
Something about that word ends a complicated mix of emotions through me. Part of me wants to object on principle, but another part kind of likes it.
"So I'm your pet?" I ask, my hands finding her waist beneath the water. My fingers slide up along her sides, tracing the curve of her ribs through the wet silk.
She leans in closer, but there's frustration in her expression now, like she's fighting against herself. Her chest rises and falls rapidly as her face hovers inches from mine, those crimson eyes growing darker by the second.
"Vampires need to breathe?" I say, watching her with fascination.
"No..." she whispers, her voice hoarse. "This is just a response to whatever freak shit you have going on in your body."
"So," I say, letting the water swirl around us, "does this make us, like, boyfriend and girlfriend now?"
Maeve's expression transforms from predatory to completely stunned. Her mouth opens slightly, those perfect lips parting in shock.
"You are..." she starts, her crimson eyes wide with disbelief, "absolutely insufferable."
Before I can respond, she strikes. Her fangs pierce my neck, and the world explodes into sensation. It's even better than I remembered. A rush of pleasure so intense it makes my vision blur at the edges. My fingers dig into her waist as my back arches involuntarily.
"Fuck," I gasp, my voice barely recognizable to my own ears.
Unlike last night's feeding frenzy, she's gentle now, almost delicate. I can feel her against my throat, but she's not drinking deeply. Just... tasting. Testing. Like she's savoring a fine wine rather than gulping it down.
Water sloshes around us as I pull her closer, my hands sliding up her back, feeling the strength coiled beneath her skin. The contrast between her power and her restraint makes my head spin. Either way, I don't care.
"Take whatever you want from me, Maeve," I whisper, surrendering completely to the sensation. "I just want you."
She pulls away from my neck, her lips stained crimson with my blood. The loss of contact leaves me gasping, my body still humming with pleasure that slowly ebbs like a receding tide. Maeve's eyes are glowing bright.
"You couldn't handle all of me, Vincent," she says, her voice husky as she watches a droplet of my blood slide down her finger. She catches it with her tongue, eyes never leaving mine.
My heart is pounding so hard I swear the water ripples with each beat.
"Bring it on."
Maeve's lips curl into a smile that's equal parts seductive and dangerous. She runs her tongue slowly across her teeth, lingering on one sharp fang in a way that makes my stomach flip.
"Okay," she purrs, leaning in until her lips brush against my ear. "But don't blame me when I wring you dry."