myself on the back too much, but I am masterful at this, just so long as I’m not nervous. Morgan I was somewhat used to, but the djinn definitely made me nervous.
As I dreaded trying to sit down, I saw D enter from the other hallway. He was wearing the same style skirt as Hud and Morgan, only his was silver trimmed in gold. It accentuated his marble white skin. I smiled at him in greeting and as usual he returned my smile, even though I knew he didn’t really understand why. Poor D. I had never been able to explain to him why people smile. He just sort of played along.
“Please be seated, make yourselves comfortable. Vivian, join me here if you would?”
It didn’t surprise me that Hud knew my real name. I was assuming Morgan told him all that since he knew who I was talking about when I referred to Morgan by name instead of his well-known moniker. Hud gestured toward the cushion to his right. It wasn’t quite as difficult to sit on a big pillow as I’d imagined. However, when I looked up I wondered if I’d done something wrong. All eyes were on me. D was beside me and Morgan was seated on the djinn’s other side.
Hud looked me up and down as a slow smile curled his blue lips.
“You have no objections to the clothing I selected?”
What he really meant was, did I have a problem wearing a thong in public.
“I’ve had a long time to get comfortable in my own skin.” I glanced over at D and smiled at Morgan. “And I kind of like seeing men in skirts.”
Hud laughed and the sound was like a balm to my senses. I hadn’t known I was so stressed until his nearness began to put me at ease.
“It’s called a galabiyah.”
“Yeah, well skirt is easier to pronounce.”
“Isn’t that Egyptian? I thought djinn were Arabian,” D asked.
“The style is Egyptian and djinn became famous due to the beliefs of the Arabians, but we have no nationality.”
I had never heard these races of people discussed except in history books, so this was fascinating to me. It made me wonder, not for the first time, how old Dr. Death really was too. Pity he couldn’t remember.
Hud winked at me and I had the strangest urge to giggle. I hadn’t giggled since I was a child. What was it about his charm that reduced me to a laughing teenager?
“I like the bells,” he teased. Before I could respond he turned his attention back to Morgan and D. “Would you like someone to serve you or do you prefer to serve yourselves?”
Morgan waved off the comment. “I can serve myself.”
“I’ll do the same,” D agreed.
Dr. Death always ate with everyone else. But something told me that if he stopped eating, he wouldn’t die of starvation. The men started to eat and I watched for a moment. It had been so long since I’d tasted food that I couldn’t remember what it was like. Some things stood out, most of it was a blur. Odd, but I didn’t really miss it. I’ve read that some vampires couldn’t stand to watch humans eat because they missed food so much, even after hundreds of years without it. Clearly, I am not one of those vampires.
Morgan started talking about things that needed to be done to the ship and D offered his input. It took me a few minutes to realize that Hud wasn’t speaking. Not only that, he was still smiling at me.
“What?”
He rested his chin on one hand and leaned forward. The effect was strangely adorable. Although that’s a word I wouldn’t have normally used to describe a seven-foot, blue hunk. Even when he leaned over his muscles flexed and caught my attention. My eyes were constantly drawn to his abs, just above his belt. Maybe it’s because I wanted so much to see what was just beneath that belt.
“I have prepared something special for you,” he said.
For a second I thought he was going to get naked. I mean, he couldn’t be talking about food. Then, with a wave of his hand a golden dish appeared in front of me.
“What’s this?”
“Warm Icarum blood. Enjoy.”
I was surprised. “How
As I dreaded trying to sit down, I saw D enter from the other hallway. He was wearing the same style skirt as Hud and Morgan, only his was silver trimmed in gold. It accentuated his marble white skin. I smiled at him in greeting and as usual he returned my smile, even though I knew he didn’t really understand why. Poor D. I had never been able to explain to him why people smile. He just sort of played along.
“Please be seated, make yourselves comfortable. Vivian, join me here if you would?”
It didn’t surprise me that Hud knew my real name. I was assuming Morgan told him all that since he knew who I was talking about when I referred to Morgan by name instead of his well-known moniker. Hud gestured toward the cushion to his right. It wasn’t quite as difficult to sit on a big pillow as I’d imagined. However, when I looked up I wondered if I’d done something wrong. All eyes were on me. D was beside me and Morgan was seated on the djinn’s other side.
Hud looked me up and down as a slow smile curled his blue lips.
“You have no objections to the clothing I selected?”
What he really meant was, did I have a problem wearing a thong in public.
“I’ve had a long time to get comfortable in my own skin.” I glanced over at D and smiled at Morgan. “And I kind of like seeing men in skirts.”
Hud laughed and the sound was like a balm to my senses. I hadn’t known I was so stressed until his nearness began to put me at ease.
“It’s called a galabiyah.”
“Yeah, well skirt is easier to pronounce.”
“Isn’t that Egyptian? I thought djinn were Arabian,” D asked.
“The style is Egyptian and djinn became famous due to the beliefs of the Arabians, but we have no nationality.”
I had never heard these races of people discussed except in history books, so this was fascinating to me. It made me wonder, not for the first time, how old Dr. Death really was too. Pity he couldn’t remember.
Hud winked at me and I had the strangest urge to giggle. I hadn’t giggled since I was a child. What was it about his charm that reduced me to a laughing teenager?
“I like the bells,” he teased. Before I could respond he turned his attention back to Morgan and D. “Would you like someone to serve you or do you prefer to serve yourselves?”
Morgan waved off the comment. “I can serve myself.”
“I’ll do the same,” D agreed.
Dr. Death always ate with everyone else. But something told me that if he stopped eating, he wouldn’t die of starvation. The men started to eat and I watched for a moment. It had been so long since I’d tasted food that I couldn’t remember what it was like. Some things stood out, most of it was a blur. Odd, but I didn’t really miss it. I’ve read that some vampires couldn’t stand to watch humans eat because they missed food so much, even after hundreds of years without it. Clearly, I am not one of those vampires.
Morgan started talking about things that needed to be done to the ship and D offered his input. It took me a few minutes to realize that Hud wasn’t speaking. Not only that, he was still smiling at me.
“What?”
He rested his chin on one hand and leaned forward. The effect was strangely adorable. Although that’s a word I wouldn’t have normally used to describe a seven-foot, blue hunk. Even when he leaned over his muscles flexed and caught my attention. My eyes were constantly drawn to his abs, just above his belt. Maybe it’s because I wanted so much to see what was just beneath that belt.
“I have prepared something special for you,” he said.
For a second I thought he was going to get naked. I mean, he couldn’t be talking about food. Then, with a wave of his hand a golden dish appeared in front of me.
“What’s this?”
“Warm Icarum blood. Enjoy.”
I was surprised. “How
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