-Arabella-When I wake up, Ronan is no longer in bed. I felt him come in last night, and at some point, I woke up with my body nestled against his chest. I panicked and moved away quickly, but he never even stirred.A black dress is laid out for me on his side of the bed, and I chuckle when I see that the brand tag is cut off. I don't know if Ronan meant this as a joke, or if he's trying not to upset me on a day like this one.I don't think anyone I know has ever seen a vampire attend a human funeral, and I know most of my mother's phony socialite friends will be there. It's certainly going to be...interesting.When I go downstairs to the kitchen, I find Ronan there. And he's...cooking?I stop at the doorway and stare at him, and he slowly looks up from the sizzling pan."I don't think I got this right," he says casually, lifting the pan and showing me a burnt, yellow mess of goo. "How do you know when it's supposed to be ready? It

-Arabella-I've messed up.Big time.Ronan can't believe that his asshole of a brother really only meant to pass by me. He squeezed my ass!Everyone stares at him, waiting for him to answer for me. I take a few steps back, meaning to go back to the kitchen, when Stella's head snaps toward me."Why didn't you accept the glamor?" she asks me."I...""You don't have to respond," Ronan says. "Go get something to clean that up.""Yes, sir," I say obediently, but Stella walks up to me and slaps me in the face. Her palm strikes me with such force that I almost fall to the side."Stella!" Ronan yells at her, but she only glares at me."Grab a napkin and wipe off my feet," she says, her voice breaking. "NOW."I look at Ronan, hoping he rescues me from having to do that for this nasty woman, but he only lowers his eyes."Do as she says, Arabella." His voice is cold and demanding.It takes all of my self control not to slap the grin off Stella's

-Arabella-Ronan is not in the house when I wake up, so I eat and wander around the house for a bit until I see a van stopping in the driveway through the window.Blanca walks down the path right in time to greet the driver, and he goes to the back of the truck and lets two more guys out. They start lowering enormous boxes and hauling them toward the library.I realize it's what Ronan had me order for the room behind the bookcase. They don't even look at me as they keep hauling boxes, until they finally bring in the polished wooden desk and set it down behind the couch, which is pretty much the only place it fit.Blanca thanks them and lets them out, and turns to me once she closes the door."I'm not going to unpack all of that. I came here to escape the attendants from the other house, and suddenly there's more work to do here! And where are all of those things going to fit, anyway?!" She keeps on complaining as she disappears into the kitchen, making me chuckle.

-Arabella-It's late in the evening when we arrive in London, and the ten-hour flight was made infinitely better because Jay and his master happened to be there.Ronan's friend holed himself up in one of the bedrooms at the back of the plane, and Jay and I were able to talk freely. His relationship with Gabriel, however, only makes me sad. They get along so well that it's hard to picture them as a master-attendant relationship. It's not that I can presume to want something similar with Ronan, but at the same time, it gives me…nostalgia? Even though that's not possible, given that I never met Ronan before he picked me, I feel this yearning that I can't quite explain. A limo is already waiting for us outside the airport after we get off the plane, and Alexandros seems even less pleased when Ronan tells him that he invited Gabriel to stay over at his manor. Everything seems like an affront to the plans he has made for Ronan's bachelor party."I planned for a night at

-Arabella-When I wake up Ronan isn't in the bedroom, every inch of my body is sore and the skin on my bottom burns. Memories flow back to me and I immediately blush with embarrassment at the thought of what we did last night. It wasn't the first time we had sex, but this time…was more than exhilarating. I was so turned on by him that he could have tied me up and played with every inch of my skin and I would have loved it.It was like I was possessed by my desire for him. For his body, for all of him.I realize he must have moved me at some point in the night, because the last thing I remember is collapsing on the bed, spent. As mind-blowing as last night was, it left me exhausted.This is so messed up, and I feel terrible for attacking him the way I did. If we didn't end up having sex, I would have committed the worst mistake of my life. I can't admit it to him or to anyone, but now I know for sure that I've fallen in love with Ronan, and there's nothing I c