Free Once Burned: A Night Prince Novel by Jeaniene Frost Page A

this kind of luxury because I was going back to my borderline-poverty life as soon as this was over, but in the meantime . . . life was too short not to enjoy a windfall.
    “This is amazing,” I told Maximus, who seemed to be waiting to see if the room met with my approval.
    “I’m glad you’re pleased,” he replied. His formal manner seemed at odds with his formidable appearance and direct gaze. Maximus was a foot taller than my five-six height, and his thick muscles and rugged features made me think “scary bodyguard” more than “mild-mannered butler,” but who was I to judge?
    “You will find a change of clothes in the wardrobe,” he went on. “Also, the electricity in this room was rewired to be voice activated. Lights on,” he commanded, and sure enough, the bedside lamps and wall sconces flared to life.
    I was stunned. “How did you—?” Then I stopped. Vlad .
    He’d not only made good on his promise to provide me with clothes, he’d also managed to have his guest room rewired since without my glove, I couldn’t touch a light switch without frying it.
    Maximus waited to see if I would complete my sentence. When I didn’t, he continued on as if I hadn’t spoken. “You can also say ‘dim’ or ‘lights off’ when you want to retire. Dinner is served at nine in the main dining room on the first floor. Will you need me to show you where it is?”
    “No, I think I remember seeing it,” I said, still taken aback by this unexpected kindness from Vlad.
    “Then I will leave you. Your lunch will be delivered shortly, but if you have need of anything in the meantime, pull this cord.”
    He illustrated the statement by pulling on a long tassel that hung near the door. I didn’t hear anything, but I took him at his word that it worked.
    “Thank you,” I said, feeling like I should tip him. Not that I could. My wallet was back in Florida.
    He inclined his head. “My pleasure.”
    I waited until he closed the door behind him before going into the bathroom to check it out. It had a glass shower big enough for two and a sunken garden tub I could almost swim in, plus various other amenities.
    I’d longed for a shower, but the thought of soaking my aches away in that tub changed my mind. “Lights on,” I said, and then used my left hand to turn on the water.

Chapter 10
     
    S everal covered dishes were on a tray in the sitting area when I came out of the bathroom. Good thing I’d closed the door or I’d have given whoever brought it a free show. I flipped the lids off to find a four-course meal spread before me. I glanced around, almost expecting people to pop out of woodwork and join me. I have ample food , Vlad had said. No shit. If his blood donors ate like this at every meal, they must weigh three hundred pounds each.
    My stomach yowled, a warning to stop staring and start eating. I sat down and dug in without bothering to get dressed.
    By the time I was finished, I was so full that all I wanted to do was nap, but Vlad had said he’d send Marty up after I’d showered and eaten. The antique wardrobe turned out to be filled with clothes that were new or rarely worn from the pristine look of them. They were all my size, too, as were the shoes at the bottom of the solid wood piece. I began opening drawers in the nearby dresser and found more of the same. Even the cup size on the bras was correct. Either Vlad had been staring real hard at me while I slept, or he had a lot of experience guessing women’s sizes—and a lot of chick’s clothes stockpiled at his house.
    The latter was no doubt true, but the thought of him checking out my breasts made things stir in me that I normally kept locked down. Then I reminded myself that Vlad might as well have a “Hazardous to Your Health!” label stamped on him and chose a sweater, slacks, and thick socks. The fireplace was lit, making this room cozily warm, but the rest of the mansion might not be as comfortable. As soon as I was dressed, I tugged on