I Like Your Dress

"I could just kiss you into submission… bend you back over the buffet table and have my way with you."

Lust surged through me. "I think that's the last thing you want to do."

His lips were suddenly grazing my ear. "Then you don't know me very well."

"Whose fault is that?" My fingers clenched the champagne glass harder as I fought for control over my own body.

"Let's blame Alex." Ethan wrapped his muscled arm around my shoulders. "Now I'm sure in your studies you were told to respect immortals, that you were… nothing compared to us."

"Yes," I croaked.

"Good. So your first lesson is this… humans don't disrespect their mates, regardless of the circumstances. If I asked you to bend over and tie my shoe, I'd expect you to do it with a damn smile on your face."

"You're a jackass," I hissed, trying to pull away from him.

"I'm not asking you to tie my shoe, Genesis. I'm just telling you how it is. At a Gathering, there is a certain expectation. We talk, we show off our shiny treasures, and at the end of the night, we part ways, each of us comparing ourselves to one another. Every type of immortal is in attendance tonight. It would be good of you to stay by me, lest one of them trap you in a corner and try to take advantage."

"They'd do that? To you? Someone so old?"

His mouth pressed into a firm line. "I'm not that old."

"You are."

His arm tightened around my shoulder. "Great, then that makes you a child?"

"No, but—"

"They'd challenge me still, yes. And if Cassius approaches, try not to touch him, any part of him."

"What about breathing?" I tilted my head mockingly. "Am I allowed to do that?"

"Ethan!" Gushed a high-pitched female voice from my right.

I turned and had the sudden urge to hide behind a potted plant, or maybe just Mason, wherever he'd gone. The woman was at least six feet tall and had long ebony hair, crystal green eyes, and a smile that seemed completely unreal.

"Where have you been?" She pushed me slightly out of the way, as if I didn't exist, and kissed him on both cheeks then pulled back.

"Busy," Ethan answered, tugging me yet again close to himself.

The woman's eyes squinted in my direction. "Oh…" She smirked. "Sorry. I didn't see you there."

Right.

Because I was ugly.

Nonexistent.

Worthless.

I tried to appear meek, but it seemed the longer I was in the immortal world the more anger issues I was developing. A week ago, I would have blushed and shrugged it off.

Now? I wanted to find a fork and stab her with it.

I clenched my fists together and offered a pathetic smile.

"She's the one then?" The woman kept talking. "I don't see it. I don't. I heard Cassius is on a rampage."

"Cassius is always on a rampage." Ethan shrugged. "Delora, this is my mate, Genesis."

"Already?" Delora gasped. "Ethan, I thought—"

"It was great seeing you." Ethan dismissed her as if she were nothing but a tiny bug beneath his shoe. "I promised my love a dance though. Excuse us."

I fought the urge to snort. His love? Right.

Without asking me, Ethan set the champagne glass down on a nearby table and pulled me onto a small dance floor.

"She was lovely," I said once the music started.

A smile teased the corners of Ethan's mouth. "She's horrible, but at least you didn't throw your champagne in her face."

"I was tempted."

"Me too." His voice caressed my body. I tried to keep my distance from him, but he wasn't having it. Instead, he pulled me as close as physically possible so we were chest to chest. "I like your dress."

"It's red." Lame. Someone put me out of my misery.

His warm chuckle had my knees shaking together. "Like blood."

"Yeah."

"About as damn tempting too."

I was desperate to hear him say it wasn't just the dress that was tempting, but me, even though I knew it was stupid, and I was just setting myself up to get hurt all over again.

"You look… nice."

Nice. He said I looked nice. Not pretty, not even cute, or beautiful, just nice. Like a dog.

Or a plant.

"Thanks." I swallowed the lump in my throat.