“So…” Reyna said softly. “Where exactly do you live?”
Beckham looked up at her over the top of his cellphone. His eyes were fierce and supremely disinterested. Black as night. He sent her a look that said, Why the fuck are you talking to me?
“You will see soon enough,” he said, his tone dismissive.
She swallowed hard and averted her eyes. It was hard to look at him head-on. His eyes, though black and lifeless, were equally terrifying.
Her first instinct about him was absolutely accurate. He was a very powerful man, and he exuded that power in everything he did. Just turning his head to look at her made her want to shrink in her seat. She didn’t out of pride, but she wanted to. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have seen a vampire like Beckham before the blood type cure had curbed their more gruesome baser instincts.
They drove into the heart of the city, and she plastered herself against the window to look at the tall buildings, masses of people, and strange sights and sounds. After she left with her brothers, she hadn’t set foot in the city again. It wasn’t a safe place for anyone alone, and her brothers would have never allowed it even if she had wanted to go. Which she didn’t.
The next building took up an entire block. Visage was scrawled across the entrance in big, bold red letters. She had never seen their downtown offices. It was all glass and impossibly tall. Even craning her neck, she couldn’t see the top.
“Do you work there? In that?” she asked before she could stop herself.
He sighed rather heavily. “Yes. Now would you please be quiet, sit still, and stop gawking? I have business to attend to, and I can’t concentrate with you breathing on the windows.”
Reyna snapped back into her seat and glared in his direction. What an ass! She was just curious about this new life she was about to lead. The least he could do was answer a few questions. He obviously didn’t know this was her first time in the city in ten years. He obviously didn’t care either.
She let her eyes drift back out the window in frustration. It all looked the same anyway. Dark and bleak. Just like Beckham’s attitude.
A few tense minutes later, they slowed in front of another enormous building. Beckham’s driver pulled up into the circular loading zone, and a valet rushed over to open the door. Beckham exited first without a backward glance in her direction. With another agitated sigh, she scooted across the seat to follow behind him.
Reyna trotted across the empty space to catch up with Beckham. Spotless sliding glass doors zipped open at their approach, and they entered into a colossal lobby entranceway. As she stared around at her lush surroundings, her mouth dropped open, and her eyes were big as saucers. The room went up as far as the eye could see. A clear glass elevator shot quickly up its track to the highest reaches of the building. She trekked across a highly polished marble floor, past furniture so luxurious she couldn’t even name the fabrics they were made out of, and all the people…
She couldn’t even fathom it. They were all beautiful. Beyond beautiful. Wearing expensive clothing, with impeccable skin, and perfect hair.
Her eyes fell down to her outfit, and she picked at the jagged hem of her favorite T-shirt. Her jeans were old, and nearly worn through at the knee. Her sneakers were an old pair of Converse someone else had grown out of. She and her brothers couldn’t afford brand-new shoes. They’d always had to make do with what they had. She clearly didn’t fit in here at all.
As she passed, people blatantly stared at her. She ducked her head to her chin and ignored the stares. It was worse that she couldn’t help staring at the incredible room. She wished for once that she could be as invisible as she was back at home.
Beckham swiped a card over a black box and the elevator door opened. He used another swipe card once they walked into the glass elevator and pressed a button to take them up to the top floor: PENTHOUSE.
Her heart sputtered.
“You live in the penthouse?” she gasped. “Who does that?”
“I do.”
That was it. Nothing more from him. He was clearly a man of few words.
The elevator shot them up so fast Reyna felt like she left her stomach behind on the first floor. Once she had finally righted herself, it slowed to a stop so high up that the people below looked like ants. The door dinged open on the top floor, directly into Beckham’s penthouse. She took one step forward out of the elevator and into an enormous room.
And what a room it was.
Reyna stumbled forward in a daze of luxury she couldn’t process. He owned an expansive living room with a large sectional couch and a television large enough to fill an entire wall. Gorgeous black-and-white photographs on canvas covered the otherwise empty walls. A massive stainless steel kitchen was off to the right. It appeared too clean for her to even walk into let alone anyone to cook in. Her eyes were drawn back to the living room and the panoramic view of the city looking out at Visage’s downtown building. It even had a balcony with an infinity pool and Jacuzzi.
Who would have guessed living with a vampire was like being surrounded by a slice of Heaven?
“Wow,” she breathed. “Your kitchen is bigger than my whole apartment.”
Then she cringed. She hadn’t meant to mention her home. She didn’t want Beckham to know anything about where she came from. Not that he seemed like the type to ask. But if this was her job, then she had no intention of mixing business and pleasure.
She covered her embarrassment by wandering farther into the living room. Her eyes were drawn to the photographs on the walls of the apartment. They showcased dark city landscapes; an up-close shot of a pretty woman drinking coffee at a café; a cloudy skyline; a view of a square block from on high; a collection of people walking down the streets, their faces and movements blurred; and on and on. All of them were mesmerizing. Such a dark and gloomy version of the city…yet still striking in its own way.
“I love these,” she said, her fingers running along the black frames.
When Beckham didn’t say anything, she turned back to him. He was staring down at his phone and completely ignoring her. She waited another minute for him to say something. Anything really.
Finally, he finished whatever he was doing and tucked his phone into the pocket of his suit. She felt his eyes on her and balled her hands into fists at her sides, determined not to look away again. She didn’t want to fear him.
“Well, this is my place. You’ll be staying here…indefinitely. So, get used to it.”
She wanted to laugh. Get used to it? Was he for real?
“I have some ground rules that I would like you to adhere to while you are living here.”
“Okay,” she said apprehensively.
“First, no outside guests of any kind at any time.”
“Wait, what? Really?” she asked in surprise. She couldn’t ever bring anyone to the new place she was living? That seemed unrealistic if she had to live here basically forever.
He glared at her. “Was I unclear?”
“No, but why can’t I bring anyone over?”
“I wasn’t aware that I needed to explain myself to you, Miss Carpenter. As your employer, you will follow my rules or you will leave empty-handed. Am I understood?”
She swallowed down her anger. Not that she had ever intended on bringing anyone else here. The only other people she knew were an hour drive from the city and didn’t have cars. But it would have been nice to have the option in case she made friends. Hopefully she’d make some friends…
Beckham looked up at her over the top of his cellphone. His eyes were fierce and supremely disinterested. Black as night. He sent her a look that said, Why the fuck are you talking to me?
“You will see soon enough,” he said, his tone dismissive.
She swallowed hard and averted her eyes. It was hard to look at him head-on. His eyes, though black and lifeless, were equally terrifying.
Her first instinct about him was absolutely accurate. He was a very powerful man, and he exuded that power in everything he did. Just turning his head to look at her made her want to shrink in her seat. She didn’t out of pride, but she wanted to. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have seen a vampire like Beckham before the blood type cure had curbed their more gruesome baser instincts.
They drove into the heart of the city, and she plastered herself against the window to look at the tall buildings, masses of people, and strange sights and sounds. After she left with her brothers, she hadn’t set foot in the city again. It wasn’t a safe place for anyone alone, and her brothers would have never allowed it even if she had wanted to go. Which she didn’t.
The next building took up an entire block. Visage was scrawled across the entrance in big, bold red letters. She had never seen their downtown offices. It was all glass and impossibly tall. Even craning her neck, she couldn’t see the top.
“Do you work there? In that?” she asked before she could stop herself.
He sighed rather heavily. “Yes. Now would you please be quiet, sit still, and stop gawking? I have business to attend to, and I can’t concentrate with you breathing on the windows.”
Reyna snapped back into her seat and glared in his direction. What an ass! She was just curious about this new life she was about to lead. The least he could do was answer a few questions. He obviously didn’t know this was her first time in the city in ten years. He obviously didn’t care either.
She let her eyes drift back out the window in frustration. It all looked the same anyway. Dark and bleak. Just like Beckham’s attitude.
A few tense minutes later, they slowed in front of another enormous building. Beckham’s driver pulled up into the circular loading zone, and a valet rushed over to open the door. Beckham exited first without a backward glance in her direction. With another agitated sigh, she scooted across the seat to follow behind him.
Reyna trotted across the empty space to catch up with Beckham. Spotless sliding glass doors zipped open at their approach, and they entered into a colossal lobby entranceway. As she stared around at her lush surroundings, her mouth dropped open, and her eyes were big as saucers. The room went up as far as the eye could see. A clear glass elevator shot quickly up its track to the highest reaches of the building. She trekked across a highly polished marble floor, past furniture so luxurious she couldn’t even name the fabrics they were made out of, and all the people…
She couldn’t even fathom it. They were all beautiful. Beyond beautiful. Wearing expensive clothing, with impeccable skin, and perfect hair.
Her eyes fell down to her outfit, and she picked at the jagged hem of her favorite T-shirt. Her jeans were old, and nearly worn through at the knee. Her sneakers were an old pair of Converse someone else had grown out of. She and her brothers couldn’t afford brand-new shoes. They’d always had to make do with what they had. She clearly didn’t fit in here at all.
As she passed, people blatantly stared at her. She ducked her head to her chin and ignored the stares. It was worse that she couldn’t help staring at the incredible room. She wished for once that she could be as invisible as she was back at home.
Beckham swiped a card over a black box and the elevator door opened. He used another swipe card once they walked into the glass elevator and pressed a button to take them up to the top floor: PENTHOUSE.
Her heart sputtered.
“You live in the penthouse?” she gasped. “Who does that?”
“I do.”
That was it. Nothing more from him. He was clearly a man of few words.
The elevator shot them up so fast Reyna felt like she left her stomach behind on the first floor. Once she had finally righted herself, it slowed to a stop so high up that the people below looked like ants. The door dinged open on the top floor, directly into Beckham’s penthouse. She took one step forward out of the elevator and into an enormous room.
And what a room it was.
Reyna stumbled forward in a daze of luxury she couldn’t process. He owned an expansive living room with a large sectional couch and a television large enough to fill an entire wall. Gorgeous black-and-white photographs on canvas covered the otherwise empty walls. A massive stainless steel kitchen was off to the right. It appeared too clean for her to even walk into let alone anyone to cook in. Her eyes were drawn back to the living room and the panoramic view of the city looking out at Visage’s downtown building. It even had a balcony with an infinity pool and Jacuzzi.
Who would have guessed living with a vampire was like being surrounded by a slice of Heaven?
“Wow,” she breathed. “Your kitchen is bigger than my whole apartment.”
Then she cringed. She hadn’t meant to mention her home. She didn’t want Beckham to know anything about where she came from. Not that he seemed like the type to ask. But if this was her job, then she had no intention of mixing business and pleasure.
She covered her embarrassment by wandering farther into the living room. Her eyes were drawn to the photographs on the walls of the apartment. They showcased dark city landscapes; an up-close shot of a pretty woman drinking coffee at a café; a cloudy skyline; a view of a square block from on high; a collection of people walking down the streets, their faces and movements blurred; and on and on. All of them were mesmerizing. Such a dark and gloomy version of the city…yet still striking in its own way.
“I love these,” she said, her fingers running along the black frames.
When Beckham didn’t say anything, she turned back to him. He was staring down at his phone and completely ignoring her. She waited another minute for him to say something. Anything really.
Finally, he finished whatever he was doing and tucked his phone into the pocket of his suit. She felt his eyes on her and balled her hands into fists at her sides, determined not to look away again. She didn’t want to fear him.
“Well, this is my place. You’ll be staying here…indefinitely. So, get used to it.”
She wanted to laugh. Get used to it? Was he for real?
“I have some ground rules that I would like you to adhere to while you are living here.”
“Okay,” she said apprehensively.
“First, no outside guests of any kind at any time.”
“Wait, what? Really?” she asked in surprise. She couldn’t ever bring anyone to the new place she was living? That seemed unrealistic if she had to live here basically forever.
He glared at her. “Was I unclear?”
“No, but why can’t I bring anyone over?”
“I wasn’t aware that I needed to explain myself to you, Miss Carpenter. As your employer, you will follow my rules or you will leave empty-handed. Am I understood?”
She swallowed down her anger. Not that she had ever intended on bringing anyone else here. The only other people she knew were an hour drive from the city and didn’t have cars. But it would have been nice to have the option in case she made friends. Hopefully she’d make some friends…
