Danse Macabre

By Christina Quinn

After the curtain closes on a ground breaking performance of Swan Lake by the only all Vampire Ballet Company, timid graduate student Autumn Darling spies a vampire dancing in the rehearsal studios. A mysterious, beautiful and intimidating man who serves as the all Vampire Ballet Company’s star Principal Dansuer, Aleksi. The poised, demure Autumn is shocked to find herself attracted to Aleksi, in spite of all of the warnings she’s received her entire life about vampires. Intrigued by Autumn’s composure and reserve, Aleksi discovers he has a need to make the shy academic his—at all costs.

Neither of them could have guessed the price would be so high, as they embark on their passionate, torrid affair. Aleksi opens Autumn’s eyes to new possibilities, shattering her world, leaving her raw and reborn... and with a new found knowledge that pointe shoes aren’t just for dancing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christina Quinn
• Release date: Aug 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310498183

Christina Quinn

Christina Quinn, avid reader, lover of Ballet, Classical Literature, and all things Vampire. Since childhood, she's been enthralled by vampires and since adulthood has been utterly titillated by them and the play of sexuality and danger that their mythos offers. Now she strives to write dangerous and sexy stories that suck readers in and devour them whole.

Book preview

1

I swallowed and sat up straighter with my chin raised, and knees pressed together

. My fingers fluttered over my skirt smoothing the soft gray fabric over my thighs. My lips slightly parted, but not too far. The lights were dimmed and no one was watching me, but still that idea of perfection lurked in my mind. Dancers pirouetted across the stage below me performing Swan Lake; a tale of love, loss, manipulation, betrayal and longing. I was transfixed by the lithe forms twisting, contorting and swirling about. They seemed creatures of fluid more than flesh.

As the Swan Queen Odette danced her goodbyes and went to her death, the whole world seemed to stop for a moment. A small gasp escaped my lips as I watched her fall to that location off stage. At that moment, I was the Swan Queen shedding my mortal coil. I was falling away from everything around me. Then the crowd erupted as the curtain fell and the moment was over and ruined utterly.

There was an instant of disorientation, and during that those few seconds of hesitation, I could have sworn there was a pair of eyes focused on me from the box above. I was the only other seated patron, and so I stood out in the midst of the standing ovation. Stand, Idiot. I rose to participate standing and clapping along with everyone else. Everyone else except for that lone seated figure in the left box.  After smoothing my skirt back into place I clapped until the lights came on and the noise of praise for the dancers had died down.

Following the flow of the crowd I made my way into the lobby where my friends were waiting for me. Kendra and Leslie had been friends since kindergarten. They had been inseparable to the point of starting to resemble one another. Both were dancers and had that lithe, willowy form which seemed to be in the height of fashion at the moment. Their dark hair was swept into almost identical buns. They even wore the same dress, the satin hugging their torsos only to flow loosely around their legs. The only difference was Leslie wore a flower barrette near her ear, that and Leslie’s dress was gold while Kendra’s dress was cream.

    Autumn! Kendra yelled across the lobby beckoning me over. I came towards them as called and smiled up at my friends, nervously fidgeting with my long, loose, dark curls.

    Sorry about the seats. This was a historic performance, so seats weren’t a guarantee. We weren’t even sitting together and we’re part of the theater’s Ballet Company. Leslie rambled on as Kendra rolled her eyes.

    Anna got amazing seats though, Kendra sighed out loud.

    Anna is fucking Cinderella, of course she and her guests got seats. Leslie sighed out. As you can tell by her whining, our dear, dear Kendra didn’t get the lead.

    I’m sorry, Ken. I patted her on the shoulder and furrowed my brows a little. Just because you sleep with your director doesn’t mean you’re going to get the lead. I know you’ve been killing yourself for the part. But look at it this way, you’ll have more time to spend with us now.

    I guess. Kendra snorted.

    We just saw an entire company of Vampires dance Swan Lake. Cheer up. The tickets were a thousand dollars for L27 and back.

    L27? I raised a brow as I inquired.

    The cheapest and worst seats here. A little further back from where you were. You can just barely see the stage. Kendra answered nodding a little. How was it for a non-dancer?

      It was amazing; I didn’t know the body could move like that. I know I’ve seen you guys a lot now, but… I trailed off and shook my head. Words failed me.

      Most of the vampires there were dancing when it debuted. Their Odette is rumored to be the first Odette. I think… it was somewhat transcendent. Kendra gushed.

      Somewhat? Leslie cocked her head to the side and with that movement I then realized that I had faded into the background.

      She seemed a little rigid to me. The flowerless, cream clad brunette critiqued with a nonchalant shrug of slender shoulders.

      I think you’re blind.

I let them continue their conversation as my attention drifted over the emptying lobby. Only a handful of people milled about now. I recognized a few dancers from Leslie and Kendra’s company. They looked like fairies as they gracefully moved about in their flowing gowns. I smoothed my charcoal gray skirt and then nervously fingered the pearls at my throat. The conversation between my friends continued without me as they argued about the performance as the theater emptied. Ballet words were tossed about, words of which I half remembered from my failed attempt to dance. It was a short phase that lasted until it was clear my breasts would be too large for classical ballet.

    Autumn! Leslie yelled my name to catch my attention. I turned towards her and found them not standing where they had started the conversation. They were both standing heading towards the back doors that lead to the rehearsal studios.

    Oh, sorry. I thought we were going to dinner?  I started to join them.

    Les split her toe this morning in rehearsal, Kendra divulged with a slight smirk. I cringed at the thought of it as we wound through the bowels of the theater.

  Are you okay?

  It happens, I was just an idiot and thought I could handle heels.

  Oh.

  How was class?

  It was fine.

  Ooo, frosty and cordial. Which in Autumn-speak means horrible. Kendra snickered out.

  It wasn’t completely horrible. I was asked to teach an undergraduate class for a few weeks.

  And you agreed because you say yes to everything. Kendra grinned at me smugly. A male figure crossed ahead of us.  Dmitri! Kendra yelled taking off down the hall, leaving Leslie and I alone in the seemingly endless corridor. Dmitri was their director and Kendra’s bedfellow. I knew it was a more than casual but less than formal relationship.

Faint music drifted on the air and I paused listening to the soft tones flowing through the corridor. Leslie stopped too and cocked her head to the side.

    Someone’s actually practicing this late? She raised a brow in confusion.

  I’ve picked you up this late before I commented with a shrug as we started walking again.

  Yeah, but not on the night of a show… She trailed off as she pushed open one of the banal gray doors. I wonder if it’s one of the Vampires.

  Would vampires even need to practice? I couldn’t help but cock an eyebrow as Leslie tore into her locker. She set her bloody high heel on the small bench between the rows of gray lockers.  I looked around for a moment. The room was all gray and white. Cinderblock walls painted pale gray, white floor, gray benches, gray lockers. Being in the dressing room always made me feel like I was in a black and white movie.

My attention drifted back to Leslie as she bandaged her bloody toe and slipped into a pair of dirty, black converse sneakers.

    They have to practice like the rest of us. Granted they probably don’t have to… I dunno. I’m not an expert on them or anything. I’m going to change really quick if you want to see who’s practicing in the room.

    Alright. Are we still going to dinner?

  I’m still hungry. I don’t know about Kendra though.

  Oh, well... I guess that works. I paused at the door. Will they be upset that I’m spying?

  Probably not unless it’s Anna. But if it’s Anna you can always break her ankles or something and make Ken’s year.

  I’ll keep that in mind. I giggled as I pushed through the door and started to follow the music in order to soothe my curiosity.

My heels seemed to echo off of those painted cinderblock walls so loud it was like a jet engine taking off. I pulled the black faux fur stole tighter about me as I opened the door and let the music wash over me. It was a hauntingly remixed pop song, not what I would consider typical ballet music. I closed the door silently behind me and leaned against it, hiding in the shadow of the black painted half wall. While peering around that dark obstruction my attention fixed on the figure dancing.

The way he moved was hypnotic. He had a sort of boneless grace which seemed surreal, flowing from one movement into the next as he danced across the floor. It was like gravity and the other rules of physics didn’t apply to him. His body moved in a way that defied my comprehension of what a human body was capable of—but he wasn’t exactly human. His skin was a bloodless kind of pale, there was no faint pinkish hue lurking under the pearlescent. Also, his bare chest seemed still as he moved.

Watching him made my mouth dry. My breathing grew a bit shallow as I watched him; I was flustered. Those fingers of mine found their way back to finger the pearls at my throat as I watched the sable haired male dance.  My mind wandered as the song repeated and he continued the routine again. I imagined those strong hands on me, his mouth at my neck; those fabled fangs finding that thudding pulse at my throat. I swallowed. Leave. My thoughts got the better of me as I watched him. I shivered as I imagined his hands possessively sliding over my breasts, down my stomach and easing between my thighs. These aren’t very ladylike thoughts, Autumn. Still my toes curled in my heels and I wet my lips.

The door behind me opened, the sound made me gasp and my heart jump into my throat. I could feel my face grow hot with embarrassment. Luckily it was only Leslie, but the damage was done. As I stared at Leslie—who was laughing at me—the look on my face had to have been priceless. It was a cross between panic and complete mortification.

    Oh…holy-fucking-wow, eloquently escaped Leslie’s lips as she joined me in watching the vampire dance.

    We…we should probably—I paused and took a deep breath trying to compose myself—we should probably go. I somehow managed to finish.

    Oh no, no, no, no, Autumn. You do not get to keep this to yourself. Leslie snickered out as she gazed at the dancer with lust darkened eyes. Watching him with someone beside me seemed awkward and so very wrong. Leave. I glanced between Leslie and the dancer. I turned to leave and as I reached for the door… the music ended.

I couldn’t stop myself from glancing over my shoulder at the danseur. Our eyes locked and I felt myself being sucked into a wave of warmth in the depths of that ocean blue gaze. I shook my head to clear it and he wickedly smirked at me; it was like he knew what I had been fantasizing about moments ago. My fingers nervously traveled from my pearls than downwards to smooth my skirt, and then fluttered back upwards to make certain my hair was still in place. Leave. Then, I finally listened to Miss Manners and left.

Once outside of the doors I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and started down the hall. I was terrified. All I could hear in my head were the lectures about vampires that we were given in high school. It had been roughly ten years, but like the images of VD riddled genitalia from sex-ed, the images of bloodless bodies also lingered.

    Autumn! Leslie yelled down the hall. I stopped and glanced back to the door. Beside her stood the danseur, still nude from the waist up with a towel around his neck. Get back here!

I was frozen. I couldn’t bring myself to actually walk back to stand with them. I could feel his eyes on me, and that sent my heart back into my throat again and then elsewhere…lower. I had felt desire before, but this was the strongest I had felt it without being minutes away from sex. You’re being rude. Drawing a shaky breath I turned and headed back to them.

    Autumn, Aleksi. Aleksi, Autumn. Leslie introduced us with a wide smirk.

    A pleasure to meet you. I somehow managed to say with an even voice—though it was slightly higher than normal.

    The pleasure is all mine, Autumn. His voice was softer than velvet and smoother than silk. There was also an accent there, it almost sounded British. He held out his hand and without a word I placed mine in his. He brought my hand to those cold, supple lips and lingered after a gentle kiss on my knuckles. That simple brief contact sent a shiver down my spine that was almost visible.

Are you cold?

    A-a little. I stammered out as I pulled my hand back from his, and pulled the stole tighter around me. As soon as the words left my lips he was offering the towel to me. Thank you, but I’ll be fine.

    I insist. The way he said it made me press my knees together. Refuse it. I nodded in consent and he draped the thick towel over my shoulders. It wasn’t even damp, it smelled of nothing but fabric softener. Did vampires even sweat?

    Aleksi is a Principal Dancer for Danse du Nuit—The Vampire company. Their star male Principal pretty much. Every production of theirs I have seen has him in the male lead. Leslie exposited with a wide sparkling smile as her eyes ate him up, but that Caribbean blue gaze was all for me.

    Oh? That’s…—Say something intelligent for fuck’s sake you’re a graduate student—impressive. Really? That’s all you could come up with?

    I never dance Swan Lake. He spoke, answering the question I wanted to ask.

    He told me the company was asked to stay for the run of another show. They’re doing Le Diable Amoureux after we finish Cinderella. I stared blankly at Leslie. I had read the novel, but I had no clue there was a ballet. The thought of a vampire dance company performing it sent shivers down my spine again and my eyes darted to Aleksi once more.

    Are you Satan or Alvaro? I asked, my voice sure and clear and brimming with interest.

    Satan, but there is no Alvaro. We have changed it slightly to match the music Tristan picked. The seduction is more clearly defined in our interpretation, and Fredric—or as you know him Alvaro—is now Freda. My mind wandered. I could almost see him sliding over some female dancer as he had the space on the floor. I swallowed again.

    They’re even considering a human for the female lead, Leslie energetically interjected. Kendra is going to literally explode when she finds out.

    Oh, that seems like it will be… interesting. You sound like a fucking moron. A-and rather controversial.

    We like to push our limits. After all, art is about pushing one's boundaries. Don’t you agree, Autumn? As he said my name, I shivered again as that amazing voice licked over my body.

    C-certainly, I bit my bottom lip. Stop it, you’re doing it again. That’s very unladylike. I stopped biting my bottom lip.

    Shit! Autumn, we have to go it’s fucking three in the morning. Leslie grumbled checking her watch. 

    It was nice meeting you, Aleksi. Leslie grabbed my hand and started pulling me away.

    It was truly my pleasure. I hope to see you again soon, Autumn. He called down the hall. Don’t look back at him. I kept following Leslie with my attention ahead of me. I didn’t look back, but I could feel that heavy gaze like a ton of bricks.

We were in the back of a cab headed to our apartment building before all that had happened finally sunk in. I smoothed my skirt and tilted my knees to the side as I turned to Leslie.

    What just happened? I asked as I adjusted my stole.

    I don’t know… but I’d like it to happen again. Only with the hot vampire drooling over me instead, Leslie giggled out.

    I don’t know if I’d say he was drooling over me, I murmured out shifting uncomfortably in the seat. And if he was, he was probably just hungry.

    Oh, I bet he was hungry alright, but what he wanted to sink into you wasn’t in his mouth. I could feel the blush rise in my cheeks at the salacious accusation. Nervously I went through that appearance checklist again, skirt, hair, nails.

    Well… you know I don’t do… I trailed off and swallowed.

    Anything, Leslie teased.

    That’s not true.

    When was the last time you had sex? Oh great, the inquisition. Who knew it was Madrid, Spain in the fourteen hundreds and not Florence, Oregon in the early twenty-first century.    Seriously when was it? A year? Two?

    Why does it matter? I smoothed my skirt again. Is it really any of your business?

    Yes, it is and it does. So… three years? Fuck! Three years! Was it Garrett?

    Yes, Torquemada. Yes, it was Garrett. And yes, it was three years ago.

    Franklin and fifth, the cab driver said, interrupting the third degree I was about to get.

While Leslie paid the cab driver, I slipped out of the door and practically ran into the building. I dashed up the stairs, all the way to the seventh floor and stood panting at my door as I fumbled with my keys.

    You forgot I dance for a living, Autumn!  Leslie yelled as she cleared the landing. The three of us had the only apartments on this floor. She advanced on me swiftly, but I still managed to open the door, slip in and lock it before she could get her foot in.

    I don’t want to talk about Garrett. I’m going to bed, you can torture me more tomorrow when I meet you for dinner.

  Garrett’s coming back. I blinked at the door.

  What?

  Oh, you heard me.

  Are you serious?

  As a fucking heart attack.

  When?

  End of the month. He’s our Prince Charming.

  Oh… that’s…. I trailed off. That’s great.

  Not for his career. It could have been worse though, at least he didn’t tumble all the way down. He went from London to Paris, to New York and now he’s back where he started. Dmitri would call it a lateral move. He’s hard to work with now.

  I don’t… I trailed off and sighed. I’m going to bed, Leslie. I enjoyed the Ballet.

  Good night.

I waited by the door until I heard Leslie’s close. Don’t cry about him. I slapped the door and turned away from it. I had cried enough over Garrett. There was however, one good thing about Leslie bringing up Garrett—it distracted me from Aleksi.

The next night I found myself climbing the back steps to the theater. I continued back through the grayscale of the rehearsal studios listening to the faint conflicting melodies drifting through the air. Then I saw something which caused me to stop dead in my tracks. Garrett, all six foot four of him gliding down the hall and beside him the equally tall and blonde Anna. They looked how Cinderella and Prince Charming were supposed to look. He danced around her with a charismatic smile on his lips as he attempted to get her attention. I swallowed hard, remembering how he used to try to get mine.

Those green eyes fell on me and he smirked. The actual acknowledgment of my presence: a wink and a hastily blown kiss.

I was on a mission then as I stormed down the halls, my open red pea coat billowing around me. Leslie and Kendra were coming out of the dressing rooms when I found them. Don’t yell at them this is a very public place.

    Hello, my two lovely, dearest, closest friends. I grinned at them.

  I can see by the deranged Donna Reed meets Stepford smile that you saw Garrett, Kendra quipped.

  He isn’t supposed to be here, but no one is going to tell him to leave. Unfortunately. Leslie sighed.

  Tell who to leave? A very familiar voice said behind me. My stomach sunk as I felt hands on my shoulders, his thumbs trailing over the back of my neck. I shivered and shrugged out of the touch.

  Hi, Garrett. How was Europe? I turned and beamed at him, I actively tried to tone down my smile which by this point bordered on deranged.

  It was very European and yet I found myself missing our little Florence here. And my three best girls, of course. He turned that charming, dimpled smile on all three of us. I too continued to smile, even as my stomach turned. I take it the three of you are heading out for dinner. Be careful out there, there are a lot of vampires out tonight, and you three have the most delicious necks in town. I know this intimately.

    Garrett, go… fuck a mirror or something, Kendra sighed out stepping around him. Leslie followed and I stared at him for a moment.

    I missed you, Angel Face. He purred as he took a step closer. Don’t hit him, you’re in public.

    Autumn! Leslie yelled.

    It was nice to see you again, Garrett. Good night. I stepped around him and went to join my friends. I could almost feel the little voice in my head doing a happy dance.

    So who is pissed Garrett didn’t stay in fucking Europe? Kendra raised her hand followed by Leslie as we made our way down the street. Autumn? Fuck yes.

  I… don’t want to think about it, I said shaking my head.

  Really? Leslie cocked her head to the side and made a bit of a face. He essentially ripped your beating heart out and then served it as tartar to fuel an orgy…almost literally. And you didn’t walk in on him in your bed in a tangle of limbs comprised of most of your fucking Ballet Company.

  I’m actually surprised how close to literal that is, Kendra added.

  We just didn’t mesh. The past is the past. I started buttoning up my coat against the late winter chill.

  If you say so. I don’t know about Leslie, but I remember picking up those pieces. Kendra grumbled out as we reached the diner where we had eaten dinner at every night for the last five years.

We were quiet after that. We ordered our meals and fell back into comfortable silence until the plates arrived. I stared at what Kendra and Leslie had ordered for a moment. There is a myth that Ballerinas starve themselves. They didn’t, they did however eat a very strict diet. Everything organic, GMO and hormone free. The hole in the wall diner catered to the ballet dancers and even had a special menu just for them.

    Oh! Before I forget, we’re celebrating this weekend, Leslie managed to get out between bites of a thick tuna steak.

    I got it! Kendra interjected with a giggle, leaving me to look up from my salad with a rather confused look on my face.

    It?

    The human part they wanted for the performance of Le Diable Amoureux. I danced for Aleksi and their director Tristan, and they were impressed. So impressed that they talked about taking me with them to tour as a guest Principal, Kendra gushed. My mind went directly to Aleksi and the dance from last night. Smile, don’t be petty. I forced myself to smile.

    I’m happy for you! Next thing we know you’ll be off in Britian dancing at Covent Garden.

  The Bolshoi if she plays her cards right. Aleksi has connections in Russia, Leslie nodded out.

  Speaking of Aleksi, I’m inviting the Vampires to the party.

  Isn’t that… dangerous? Kendra shrugged at my question.

The night of Kendra’s party I spent most of the evening in my apartment. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go. Garrett would be there, it was a given, he had a gift for just showing up. On top of the Garrett problem was my reaction and attraction to Aleksi.

It was midnight by the time I decided to stop by the party, and one thirty by the time I left my apartment. I had a problem with perfection. I always wanted to look as perfect as possible. Which meant perfect hair, nails, and clothes. It was an unhealthy obsession, on some level I knew I did it to compete with my friends. They were ballerinas and I was on the road to becoming a college professor. They were perfectly petite with physiques like fashion models, and I was just short. Whereas I was fit, I wasn’t as tiny as they were. I bounced between a three and five while they were both a one to the famed size zero. Next to them and the whole company, I felt like the fat friend. That was what I saw when I stood in front of the mirror, even as I adjusted the lace on the Victorian choker at my throat and straightened the cameo. The dress I wore was simple, and more importantly warm; winter in Oregon could be brutal. The dress looked like an oversized gray off the shoulder sweater that hugged my body. The gray knit fabric stopped tastefully above the knee. For shoes, I went with a blood red pair of stilettos with a black lace overlay and a clutch that matched.

I continued to stare my face in the mirror. I was pretty. My eyes were hazel, wide, and almond shaped. My lips— full and pouty. All of these features were set in a heart-shaped face. I had long, sable hair that when wet reached the small of my back. After curling it was slightly longer than my elbows. My skin was that dark olive that so many spent hours tanning to achieve. The end result was somewhat sultry and exotic. After eyeliner and bright cherry red lipstick, I was a knockout—or at least that’s what people told me.

The doors to both Kendra and Leslie’s apartments were open and music softly drifted between the two. People stood in the hallway. Some faces I recognized, some I didn’t. Mostly it was Kendra and Leslie’s Company, but I noted a few surreally pale faces seated amongst the others. It seemed a little obscene, but everyone knew Vampires flocked to the arts since the beginning of time. I moved through Leslie’s apartment, a few of the dancers nodded at me and the vampires just stared…hungrily. Neither of my friends were in there, but neither was Garrett or Aleksi. I was half tempted to just leave. Leaving now would be impolite. I made my way to Kendra’s much larger apartment. Hers was the two bedroom on the floor, the extra bedroom had once been Garrett’s long ago.

Kendra’s apartment was immaculately decorated, as always. The furniture and electronics were all almost excessively expensive. Everything looked shiny, new and modern. Making my way through the people there I felt like I was moving through Disney’s Tomorrowland. Scanning the crowd, I unfortunately, found Garrett before I found Leslie or Kendra. He was kissing one of the male dancers like he was trying to drink the man’s very soul, while Anna sat in his lap. Her skirt was hiked up, her panties were visible to the whole room and his hand was tucked into that lace. You should have expected this. I stared for a moment and my heart actually hurt. I relived that moment again, coming in with my acceptance letter, and finding him in our bed sandwiched between one of the male soloists and Anna. Was it Anna? Yes, and he asked you to join. It was the day I found out I was accepted into the accelerated program for a Ph.D. in Eighteenth-Century Literature.

Kendra rounded the corner with Aleksi and her face contorted when she saw Garrett, Anna and the other male on her couch. Aleksi’s brilliant blue eyes settled on me. Even as my gaze fell to the floor, I could feel the weight and press of the vampire’s attention. Still, I wanted to attack Garrett. I pretended like it hadn’t played a part in my chosen path of celibacy, but it did. You can’t attack him, you’re in public. I set my jaw and let out a shaky breath that seemed dreadfully close to being on the edge of tears. Congratulate her now and leave. I fumbled with my clutch.

    What the fuck Garrett! Kendra yelled, her voice causing the murmur of the room to fall silent.

    I’m sorry, I’m being rude. Would anyone else like to join? Garrett snickered and Anna and the male beside him joined in. Autumn? He purred my name and I snapped my attention back to him.

    Just get out. I didn’t invite you. I don’t want you here, Kendra continued to shout. Anna stood and pulled down her skirt, covering her panties.

    I came with John and Anna, He snickered darkly at his own double entendre. Oh, c’mon Kendra. We all used to be so close.

    You really should leave, Aleksi spoke causing my eyes to raise. He was still staring at me and for a moment I wasn’t entirely sure if he was talking to me or Garrett. His gaze left me and keened on Garrett. I doubt anyone besides those on the couch want you here.

    Oh, but Autumn does. Can’t you smell it from here? I know you can. It’s time to leave. I blinked at Garrett mortified.

    Congratulations, Kendra. You’ll be spectacular, the sentiment came out in what was a short string of words which blurred together.

    Autumn, don’t. She sighed as I turned to leave.

I practically staggered into the hall. Don’t cry. I drew a shaky breath and paused at my door. Don’t cry, you’ll ruin your makeup. With my keys in hand, I leaned my head against my cool door and shut my eyes for a moment.  I was shaking with frustration. With the tremor in my hands I couldn’t have unlocked my door so I didn’t even try.

A shadow appeared on the painted wood, towering over me, covering me in darkness. I turned around to find Aleksi, and my heart leaped into my throat. The nervous fidgeting returned, my hands went to smooth my skirt, the edge of my bangs and then folded in front of me. I gripped my clutch and keys white knuckled. The keys slipped from my hand and he bent and picked them up before I could register the clink of them hitting the tile.

    Here, he breathed as he slid the key into the lock. My eyes closed for a moment as he moved close and I was greeted with the soft wafting of his scent. Thank him for opening the door and tell him to leave. I didn’t. I just stared as he let himself into my apartment and led me with a hand on the small of my back. The click of the door behind me sounded like a bomb going off. Make him leave. I swallowed and smoothed my skirt again.

  I…I thought vampires couldn’t enter a home without an invitation, I managed to warble out as I set my clutch on the counter.

    A home, yes. An apartment… it gets muddy.

    Oh. Again, you sound like a moron, Autumn. Can I get you a… Nice one, genius. I’m sorry, I don’t know what to do. I would normally offer you a drink but… I trailed off. I felt my face grow hot with blush as my heart beat sped up.

    You don’t know what to with a Vampire guest.  His voice was so dark and intimate it made my shoulders break out in gooseflesh. I grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and turned on the faucet. But part of you wants to offer me that drink. I swallowed again as I fell into stillness with that very true statement. Show him out. Thank him and ask him to leave.

After I had filled the cup, I turned the water off and swallowed again turning around. He had taken a seat at the kitchen island.

    No, that’s not true. I just… I don’t want to be a bad host. I nervously traced my finger over the glass.

    You have such poise, even when flustered. His voice made me shiver again and I sipped my water slowly. You strive for control in your life, but not internal control like most. I’ve watched you. You’re eager to do what others tell you, but you struggle when someone leaves you alone. And if you cannot find a rule in your head to follow for a situation—like with Garrett and the offer of the drink—you freeze and look to others around you to take the lead.

    Y-you’ve been watching me? His answer to my question was a self-satisfied little smirk. I was both terrified and flattered. Terribly flattered?

    Tomorrow, meet me in rehearsal room B at seven. His voice was heavy and dark. My toes curled in my heels.

    Why?

He fell quiet at my question and those amazing eyes darkened. He stood and walked over to me and I turned to face him. His body was inches from mine and I longed to close the space between us. He leaned towards me and I tilted my head to the side expecting a kiss. Instead his hand slid to my neck directing my head to the side, elongating my neck. I could taste my pulse in my throat as felt his breath on my neck. He slid the lace of my choker aside like Garrett had Anna’s panties, but he didn’t bite me. No, he brushed his lips against my pulse, causing my body to quiver almost violently. A small, self-satisfied purr left his lips at my reaction. I offered my throat up to him, standing on my toes, but with every inch I moved forward he moved back. He let his tongue slide

Reviews for Danse Macabre

[Fizza Jafari · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The story line was strong and captivating but the sex was very perverted. Also I didn't like the lack of respect for Autumn by Aleksi. If he loved her, he should have had respect for her. Hated the orgy more so among the main supporting characters. Shows poor moral values. If this book didn't have perverted stuff especially the orgy, it would have been 100 times better.