slender arm brushing against him. ‘I love the sound of rain. It makes me think of lazy days, just staying inside, lounging around in bed . . .’
Jason’s throat went dry. He knew he should answer her, say something boring and friend-like. But the image of Sienna lounging in bed had driven all other thoughts from his mind. All he could feel was the heat of her body close to his, all he could smell was her perfume, and all he wanted was to press his lips against hers.
‘Jason . . .’ Sienna turned toward him, and then they were kissing. Her arms slid around his neck, and he clutched her waist and pulled her down on top of him as he lay back on the lounge chair.
The sound of the rain pounded in his ears, keeping time with his galloping heart as he tangled his hands in Sienna’s thick hair and deepened their kiss. He felt her fingers slide beneath the waistband of his bathing suit, and his breath caught in his throat. He unzipped her hoodie and eased it down over her shoulders as he kissed his way down her neck and across her collarbone.
We
are
alone in our own world
, Jason thought.
No one can see us here. No one will ever know.
‘Should we stop?’ he murmured, his mouth on Sienna’s throat.
‘No,’ she whispered. ‘I don’t want to stop.’
Jason gave himself up to the feel of her lips, her body, her skin, hot and smooth as he slid his hand over her bare stomach.
There was a quiet
click
and the rain seemed louder suddenly. Jason felt a gust of cold air on his face. He pulled away from Sienna, thinking that the door must have blown open.
‘Jason!’ Sienna hissed, her eyes wide with fear as she stared at the doorway.
Jason turned his head to see somebody standing there, but it wasn’t his parents – or even Dani. It was his Aunt Bianca – a member of the Vampire High Council – and it was horribly clear that she’d seen everything.
Twelve
‘ AUNT BIANCA !’ JASON cried as he and Sienna scrambled to their feet. Sienna moved as far away as possible in the small pool house, but it was no good. Sienna’s hoodie lay in a heap on the floor and Jason was dressed only in a bathing suit. It was obvious what had been happening.
‘Looks like I caught you,’ Bianca said with a small smile. She was holding an umbrella, but rainwater poured off it, landing with little
plinking
sounds on the tile floor.
Jason sighed. Aunt Bianca had seen them. She knew Sienna’s parents. And she was a vampire herself. So even if she wasn’t aware of the Devereuxs’ ban on their romance, she’d find out soon enough. And she would side with them because she was one of their kind.
‘Hello, Sienna,’ Bianca said. She closed her umbrella and propped it near the door. ‘I’m assuming your parents don’t know where you are.’
‘I just came to return a sweater I borrowed,’ Sienna said.
Bianca raised her eyebrows. ‘Is that what you kids are calling it nowadays?’ Her tone was light and teasing, the way it always was. But Jason thought there was a hint of menace underneath, a menace he’d only caught a glimpse of once before – the day Bianca had decided to execute his friend Tyler for stealing from the vampires.
He hadn’t seen Bianca since then. Jason had a feeling he’d never talk to Bianca again without sensing that edge of danger.
‘Let’s not play games,’ she went on briskly. ‘I know you two aren’t supposed to be seeing each other. All I have to do is tell your parents I found you here and they’ll send you straight to France, Sienna.’
Sienna’s dark eyes filled with tears. Jason stood up and reached for her hand. There was no point in pretending now. Sienna’s fingers wrapped around his. Jason felt a little better just touching her. ‘Why would you do that, Aunt Bianca?’ he asked. ‘We love each other. We’re not doing anything wrong.’
‘Love between a vampire and a human is wrong,’ Bianca replied. ‘You both know that.’
Jason couldn’t believe it. She sounded so
Jason’s throat went dry. He knew he should answer her, say something boring and friend-like. But the image of Sienna lounging in bed had driven all other thoughts from his mind. All he could feel was the heat of her body close to his, all he could smell was her perfume, and all he wanted was to press his lips against hers.
‘Jason . . .’ Sienna turned toward him, and then they were kissing. Her arms slid around his neck, and he clutched her waist and pulled her down on top of him as he lay back on the lounge chair.
The sound of the rain pounded in his ears, keeping time with his galloping heart as he tangled his hands in Sienna’s thick hair and deepened their kiss. He felt her fingers slide beneath the waistband of his bathing suit, and his breath caught in his throat. He unzipped her hoodie and eased it down over her shoulders as he kissed his way down her neck and across her collarbone.
We
are
alone in our own world
, Jason thought.
No one can see us here. No one will ever know.
‘Should we stop?’ he murmured, his mouth on Sienna’s throat.
‘No,’ she whispered. ‘I don’t want to stop.’
Jason gave himself up to the feel of her lips, her body, her skin, hot and smooth as he slid his hand over her bare stomach.
There was a quiet
click
and the rain seemed louder suddenly. Jason felt a gust of cold air on his face. He pulled away from Sienna, thinking that the door must have blown open.
‘Jason!’ Sienna hissed, her eyes wide with fear as she stared at the doorway.
Jason turned his head to see somebody standing there, but it wasn’t his parents – or even Dani. It was his Aunt Bianca – a member of the Vampire High Council – and it was horribly clear that she’d seen everything.
Twelve
‘ AUNT BIANCA !’ JASON cried as he and Sienna scrambled to their feet. Sienna moved as far away as possible in the small pool house, but it was no good. Sienna’s hoodie lay in a heap on the floor and Jason was dressed only in a bathing suit. It was obvious what had been happening.
‘Looks like I caught you,’ Bianca said with a small smile. She was holding an umbrella, but rainwater poured off it, landing with little
plinking
sounds on the tile floor.
Jason sighed. Aunt Bianca had seen them. She knew Sienna’s parents. And she was a vampire herself. So even if she wasn’t aware of the Devereuxs’ ban on their romance, she’d find out soon enough. And she would side with them because she was one of their kind.
‘Hello, Sienna,’ Bianca said. She closed her umbrella and propped it near the door. ‘I’m assuming your parents don’t know where you are.’
‘I just came to return a sweater I borrowed,’ Sienna said.
Bianca raised her eyebrows. ‘Is that what you kids are calling it nowadays?’ Her tone was light and teasing, the way it always was. But Jason thought there was a hint of menace underneath, a menace he’d only caught a glimpse of once before – the day Bianca had decided to execute his friend Tyler for stealing from the vampires.
He hadn’t seen Bianca since then. Jason had a feeling he’d never talk to Bianca again without sensing that edge of danger.
‘Let’s not play games,’ she went on briskly. ‘I know you two aren’t supposed to be seeing each other. All I have to do is tell your parents I found you here and they’ll send you straight to France, Sienna.’
Sienna’s dark eyes filled with tears. Jason stood up and reached for her hand. There was no point in pretending now. Sienna’s fingers wrapped around his. Jason felt a little better just touching her. ‘Why would you do that, Aunt Bianca?’ he asked. ‘We love each other. We’re not doing anything wrong.’
‘Love between a vampire and a human is wrong,’ Bianca replied. ‘You both know that.’
Jason couldn’t believe it. She sounded so
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