Free Eyes of Ice (Eyes of Ice Erotica Series) by Emily Rose Page B

Cecelia, still panicked, wondered if it mattered. Surely everyone could hear him trying to calm her. Maybe they can even smell my fear.
    Cecelia shot a glance up at Andrew’s face, and saw the resolved expression there. Beneath the crisp lines of his suit, his shoulders were resolutely squared. As tall and thin as he was, he was solid, and steady beside her. His eyes were sky blue. The best night of my life , she reminded herself faintly.
    Devon stood before them all too soon, and Cecelia dedicated herself to hating his attractiveness with all her might. She tried to imagine how ugly he would be if outer beauty reflected inner traits, and the more realistic she made that image of Devon, the more her other fears faded.
    “Good evening, Cecelia,” he said, performing a slight bow. “May I introduce Alexandra Orwell?”
    The exquisite being on Devon’s arm extended a near-white hand to Andrew, and Cecelia – now knowing nothing about Alexandra but her name – was determined to hate this woman as well. She, like Devon, was unacceptably attractive, and appeared to be well aware of this fact. Her black hair shone against her white skin, and fell in an undisturbed wave over her shoulders, brushing the bodice of her rose-colored gown. Her cheeks glowed with the same rose color, and Cecelia thought that she looked almost doll-like. Vampire Barbie.
    Cecelia watched as Andrew inclined his head to kiss Alexandra’s hand. She felt a ripple of jealousy, and then surprise, as Alexandra extended her hand to Cecelia, turning her wrist to indicate that Cecelia should merely shake it.
    “Cecelia Hardwicke?” she inquired, in a mellow, lilting voice. “Devon’s told me about you.”
    “Pleased to meet you,” Cecelia replied automatically, wondering what on earth Devon could had told this exquisite creature. Eighteen-year-old human, contents perishable? Her confusion must have shown on her face, because Alexandra laughed, quietly and kindly.
    “He thinks well of you, don’t worry,” she said, full lips curling into an easy smile as she laid a hand affectionately upon Devon’s chest. She’s teasing him , Cecelia realized with incredulity, as Alexandra concluded: “Our kind admires bravery.”
    Devon shifted slightly in annoyance, but Alexandra pretended to ignore him, her smile still fixed upon Cecelia in encouragement. Even her smile was flawless, her teeth white and gleaming.
    “I’m not brave,” Cecelia protested, her blood pounding in her ears from the pressure she felt resurfacing. Devon was looking at her with eyes like jet blue lasers, as if determined to cut her to her core. Alexandra opened her mouth to clarify, but astonishingly, it was Andrew who beat her to speech.
    “You are,” he said, and leaned in closer to Cecelia; his lips brushed her cheek lightly, compassionately. If Devon truly was the kind of predator he seems , Cecelia thought, daring to glance at him, his hackles would be raised in fury right now . Even so, she saw a muscle in his neck clenching and unclenching with restrained emotion.
    “ I think well of Devon, also,” Cecelia said, though she could not deliver this line to Devon’s face. She found herself staring at her reflection in the gleaming marble floor. She swallowed, hard, then made herself raise her head. “My kind admires loyalty.”
    Something in Devon’s hard appearance seemed to thaw, very slightly. He unlocked his jaw and said, his voice sharp: “What loyalty have you observed in me, Miss Hardwicke?”
    “To your family,” said Cecelia. “Andrew is your family, isn’t he?”
    Alexandra’s hand fluttered to her mouth like a pale bird, her perfect countenance softening in an instantaneous reaction. Devon’s lips parted as if there was some response that he wished to make, but words failed him. His eyes shifted away, to some distant spot at the far end of the room, and he clamped his lips shut once more. His features were stony, purposefully devoid of expression and feeling.