Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Lancelin’s P.O.V

“A red lipstick from my luxury line deluxe edition?” Amber Rose Verborg, the CEO of one of the famous luxury make-up brands in the UA, Esteem Amber, a part-time supermodel and a Succubus, a female Incubus, raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at me from the opposite side of the table.

“Is there a problem?” I asked her, trying to give away anything that would raise unwanted interests in my personal life.

“Absolutely not.” Amber Rose smiled widely and tilted her head to the side making her auburn curls brush her exposed shoulders. “However, I will need specifics.”

I was currently at the La Donna Deluxe Hotel in Queens, New York, on a dinner date discussing business and family matters.  To outsiders, it may look like we were on date but we weren’t actually. Amber Rose was my cousin, my maternal uncle’s daughter and she was currently running a very successful make-up company. She was also a big gossip and the main source of information for my extended family.

“What kind of specifics?” I eyed her suspiciously as she picked up her wine glass with slender fingers and took a sip while studying me with open interest.

My mother’s side of the family was full of natural red-heads, a trait that did not pass over to any of her sons. Instead, both Acelin and I were mirror images of our fathers. Amber Rose however, had inherited the family’s auburn hair, their honey gold skin tone and the slightly short stature that was common amongst the women in the family. My mother was five feet two and Amber Rose had barely touched the five feet three mark. But thanks to the six inch golden heels on her feet, she almost managed to reach my shoulder.

Tonight, she was dressed in a black satin bodycon dress that reached to her knees and threw her bright hair into sharp focus. The dress was off shoulder with the sleeves reaching her elbows. A golden Rolex watch sat on her wrist and she wore two diamond danglers on her ears. Every male attention in the room was fixated on her, but Amber Rose seemed not to notice any of it. It was only a facade however, because I knew extremely well that she was already searching for her next meal amongst the crowd, much like I would.

“Hair colour, skin colour…eyes, etcetera.” Amber Rose waved her hand dismissively. “All the basic stuff.”

“Dark hair, midnight black to be precise.” I listed off the answers to the questions she had asked for. “Golden olive complexion and deep-set chocolate brown eyes.”

 When I finished, Amber Rose was looking at me in open surprise. “Wow! I’ve never seen Lancelin Eustein be this descriptive about a woman in my five hundred and forty three years on this earth. Who is she? Now I’m desperate to meet her.”

“Hold your horses, Amber Rose!” I scolded her, even though she was a grown woman in her own right. She was still twenty nine years younger than me, so it was natural for me to feel protective of her. “She is just my new secretary and the lipstick is a way of repaying her for her help in a recent project. Don’t go looking for unnecessary trouble.”

“Amber Rose makes me sound like a grandma.” She sighed. “Why can’t you just call me Amy or Rose like everyone else does?”

“Amber Rose is a perfectly elegant name,” I told her. “I find it more suitable for you. Now, tell me, can you get me one of your red lipsticks from the deluxe edition?”

“Can you get me one of your red lipsticks from the deluxe edition?” Amber Rose repeated my words in a mocking baby voice. “Do you think the red deluxe line has only one shade? My company has over one hundred shades of red and twelve in the deluxe line. I’ll have to select a proper colour based on the skin tone you just described.”

“That’s fine.” I told her. “How fast can you get me the lipstick?”

“I’ll have it delivered to your office by tomorrow morning.” Amber Rose smiled. “Now, tell me dear cousin, how is Acelin? And aunt? I haven’t been able to contact her in a while.”

“They’re fine,” I sighed. “Nosy as usual, just like the rest of you bunch.”

“You can’t blame us for being curious,” Amber Rose twirled a strand of her hair around her fingertips. “Everyone wants to know what the future King is up to. When will he be crowned? Who is he currently dating? Will he get married before taking the throne or after?”

“Then you better tell them to forget about such ridiculous thoughts.” I paused as a waiter came to deliver our dinner and spoke only when we were out of earshot. “Because I don’t plan on getting married anytime soon. Besides, if they wanted a wedding, they could’ve just attended the Vampire Prince’s wedding last year.”

“That was a different scenario. Erick’s wedding and yours are two completely different things.” Amber Rose waved her hand dismissively. “And you never know…I never thought that my brooding, uptight older cousin will ever ask me for a favor, that too for buying a red lipstick for his new secretary! I mean…you’ve never even asked for a lipstick for any of your mistresses! Now I really feel like anything is possible!”

“Let’s just get dinner over with.” I told her irritably as I picked up my spoon and dug into my soup.

Amber Rose’s words stayed with me long after I bed farewell to my cousin and got into my car to head back home. I had several real estate’s around New York but I could call none of them my home. I have been staying in the ReefWood HQ for the last two decades, ever since I built my company.

My ancestral home was in Prague in the Czech Republic. My parents rule from the Avalanche Palace that I had called my home when I was younger. Soon, after my coronation, I’ll have to return to Prague as well, but honestly, I don’t want to. New York holds a special place in my heart and I find it difficult to let go of a city that hasn’t even seen as many sunrises as I have.

“Sire, isn’t that Mr. Billard’s car?”Martin asked as we were crossing Madison Avenue.

I looked out the window at the direction Martin had pointed out and sure enough, Acelin’s Bombay Blue Audi Q8 was parked outside a small Italian restaurant.

“What should I do, Sire?” Martin asked as he stopped the car at a red light.

I was about to tell him to ignore it and move on, that was until I noticed who he was with. Sanaya Johnson was in Acelin’s arms and both of them had big smiles on their faces as Acelin picked her up and spun her around.

I leaned forward in my seat to have a better look at the duo with my eyebrows furrowed. “Follow them.” I instructed Martin when Acelin held the door open for Sanaya and she got into the passenger’s seat of his car.

“Sire?” Martin looked back at me in surprise but nodded and did as told when he saw my expression.

It’s been a while since I saw Acelin smile like this…so carefree and happy. As for Sanaya, I didn’t know that she could smile at all. She always came across as too serious and a workaholic. The smiles she gave me at work all seemed too professional and polite, as if I’d swallow her whole if she didn’t smile.

Watching her now, in this carefree avatar, I wondered what it would feel like to watch her go wild. To see her with her hair down so I could run my fingers through those luscious silken strands of midnight. To see her in normal clothing rather than the professional shirts and skirts. To watch her cheeks flush in excitement or a blush. To hear her laughter echo throughout my house as I kissed those gorgeous full lips, drinking in her laughter, absorbing her happiness into my soul.

We followed Acelin’s car to a residential area in Manhattan Avenue where a bunch of old buildings stood proudly, upholding the tests of time. Sanaya got off the car and waved goodnight to Acelin and walked into the gated community. The security guard gave her a wave and they exchanged a few words before Sanaya walked inside and Acelin’s car drove away, but not before flashing the back lights twice.

I smirked. Bastard had known all along that I had followed them. Of course he did, he was nosy as hell and prone to noticing everything that even the most skilled detective would have missed.

“Sire, should I wait or head back?” Martin asked a bit unsurely, trying his best to keep the amusement off his voice and failing miserably.

It was only then that I noticed the irrationality of my behavior.

I was Lancelin Eustein, the CEO of ReefWood Inc. and the future King of all Incubi. I did not stalk my secretaries and worry about them mixing with brother.

“Let’s go.” I told Martin as I leaned back in my seat.

As for Sanaya Johnson, I had something else planned.