The first thing he noticed about Lilith Morningstar was that she was tall.

Impossibly tall, really, made taller by her heels. He could count on one hand how many of his previous girlfriends had been able to wear something those tall. Lilith did it effortlessly, and the payout were legs that seemed to never end. No wonder her calves looked like they could crush rock. The clearing of her throat brought his gaze from the earthen clay of her toned legs, up to brilliant green eyes.

"Am I boring you, Mr. Fletcher," she asked, one perfect brow raising.

Her was warm and mesmerizing, a low alto with just the slightest nasal quality. Her words passed through rouged full lips, drawled and patient. There was a hint of laughter in her voice, some amusement that was lost on him. Clearing his throat, he shook his head.

"No, not at all," he replied.

"You must have a lot on your mind, then," she surmised, and she wasn't entirely wrong.

Standing in front of a woman in possession of millions of dollars that looked as attractive as she did was something to deter focus. Long limbed with straight dark hair that framed prominent cheekbones on an ovoid face, you'd think that was all you could stare at. Elias, however, was still stuck on the fact that he'd even gotten this job in the first place.

It had long been noted that the Morningstar family were coveted interview subjects. Only one journalist each year would be chosen for an exclusive interview, only for them to turn around and be hired by the family. There wasn't much that could ever be said of these journalists, but if their family bank accounts had anything to say, they told a lot. And here was Elias Fletcher, a journalist for all of four months, being told he would be chosen.

The general reaction of his peers had been outrage at this choice, but the Morningstars had asked for him specifically. That's how all the interviewers had been chosen, he'd heard. Carefully selected by the family to ensure that they had a say in the matter. He wasn't sure what they saw in a gawky, hook nosed kid with little experience under his belt.

Their gaze met for a moment before he averted his brown eyes to the study he'd been directed to by one of the staff. The walls were lined with black bookshelves filled with what he suspected were a whole lot of first editions. The mahogany desk Lilith rested back upon looked like it belonged in an art museum. But, this was, of course factored up by the idea of her presence being a work of art in itself.

She smiled, ducking her head down to catch his eye again. He couldn't get over how much taller than him she was. She truly could look down upon him with her impressive height. He swallowed thickly, unable to look her in the eyes.

"Let me just restate what I've said," she said after a moment. She pushed off of the desk, favoring him with a smile before continuing. "You'll spend the next seven days here with me. A week for this interview everyone has been raving about. Last time was my husband, and now it is me. You can spend today getting acquainted with the house and putting together questions."

Elias nodded, not entirely sure what to say. The idea of this was still fresh in his mind and overwhelming, but she probably the most distracting thing. Her dark hair draped over her shoulder, the paler skin of her neck bared like a treat. Her dress was low cut, a slit running from her ankle up to her thigh—dangerously close to revealing more than skin. Again Elias swallowed thickly, mouth going dry before he could tear his gaze and thoughts away from her dress. Lilith had already turned her attention away from him and onto a paper that had been sitting on her desk, likely his resume or something of that sort.

A moment of silence passed before she looked up again, brows furrowing. "You're free to go," she dismissed, one brow now raised. Elias soon found himself outside of a closed door all in the span of time it took to blink.

--

Dinner was no small affair.

Lilith seemed to like making a great show of it, and the meal was not something to sneeze at. The Cherrywood table was decorated with a parade of dishes that Elias couldn't be sure were of this world. There were fins cooked in gelatin with nuts and berries, stuck in motion. One plate held a large bundle of roses made from prime cuts of meat, drizzled in red wine and Worchester sauce. He could make a full inventory, but he was full already looking at the vast array of foods.

His eyes landed on his host for the evening, widening slightly. Her dress was blood red, similar to the one she wore the first day. The front was short and low-hanging, the neckline a graceful drapery over her chest. Lilith had never been praised for her abundance of cleavage, but she was showing enough of it to make him wonder.

Her dark hair spilled over both her shoulders, gently sliding to cover her left eye. Her skin glowed in the light—strictly candles, according to the woman's orders herself—and her eyes were all the more enchanting. They were haunting green lights hiding behind a black curtain. She brought a glass full of clear white wine to her blood red lips and he couldn't look away as she drained it. That was something else that Elias had noticed; the woman had an appetite for wines that matched her fine dining. Not that that would ever be a bad thing, but he wondered how she managed to remain sober.

Staring at the masterpiece that was the table spread made it hard to notice the room itself. The dining room was lined with numerous paintings and taxidermy pieces that seemed all too real. Elias hadn't thought to ask her about it before after his first time in the room, but the eyes of the many art works bore into him. He figured they would continue to do so as he ate, and his appetite wasn't as it used to be with that thought.

Lips pursed, he sat down at his place, he let out a soft sigh. His hostess, from across the wall of food, chuckled at something he had not heard. Her husband had not thought to grace them yet, much to Elias' dismay. Being alone with the woman had felt like a terrible weight had been placed on his shoulders—and like he'd been sucker punched in the groin.

"So, Elias, have any more interesting questions for me," Lilith inquired. He'd hardly registered that she'd moved to sit beside him.

He stumbled over his words, making her laugh again. "N-no, I don't." Elias would really like to forget the debacle during the early stages of the interview.

"Shame; I found them to be refreshing," she drawled, her voice like the wine in her glass.

"I'm sorry?"

"Nothing to apologize for. Would you like a slice?" She gestured dismissively with her fork to the meat-rose he'd seen before.

He nodded first, lifting his place before affirming with words, "Yes, please."

Her movements were swift and easy, but they left him feeling wary. He'd never asked her about any martial arts training, but he'd noted that she seemed to practice some form of it in the morning. The smile on her lips that came with her catching his eye set his heart to beating just a little faster. She made him nervous, that much he knew.

She handed him his plate back with the same steady smile, fingers brushing against his.

"Thank you," he murmured.

All she did was nod and they went on to eat in silence. Or, rather, he was the silent one. There the occasional hums and sighs of delight from Lilith, her eyes wandering back to him every so often. She'd asked if he'd like something from a dish and retrieve it for him without his answer. He had more food loaded onto his plate with each time she asked, and he could hardly finish it all. She, on the other hand, cleaned her plate perfectly. When the last dish had been finished, he'd watched her drag a finger over her plate and placed it into her mouth.

Lilith watched him as she sucked on the digit for a good minute longer than necessary, her grin growing wider as she gauged his reaction. Which was, yet again, another sucker punch to the groin and maybe a few to the head. He felt light and weightless in his seat like he could take off just from having watched her in that single act. The feeling only increased as she leaned closer, a purr in her voice as asked, "How was the meal?"

"It was fantastic," he replied, just the faintest crack in his voice.

"Marvelous. Are you going to finish what's on your plate?"

Was she still hungry?

"Didn't you know; I'm ravenous."

Perhaps the words would have been taken in a different manner if she hadn't been leaning into him, enough for their lips to brush together. It was a strange sensation, the spark that passed between them. Locked in her gaze, he was a deer in headlights, unable to move. Pinned in place, he watched her as she planted a soft kiss on the corner of his lips.

She left a trail of numbness in her wake as her teeth slid across his skin. Words tumbled out of his mouth, likely protests and pleas for her to stop, but he didn't hear them himself. Her finger pressed against his lips, silencing him for only a moment before he attempted to say something more beyond the restraint.

Perhaps frustrated or distracted with keeping him quiet, he felt her teeth sink in. A yelp shook him from his stupor—seemingly his own—and he forced Lilith away from him.

"This isn't right, Mrs. Morningstar," he began, lifting a hand to his neck. When he drew his fingers away, they were slick with blood.

"Oh, shut the hell up," Lilith cut in, her voice dropping several octaves lower. It was this that had him on his feet, tripping over himself.

Maybe she'd bitten deeper than he'd thought, because it sounded like she'd been speaking around something in her mouth. There was the subtle movement of her jaw that he suspected was chewing, and something warm was sliding down his neck. He blinked, just barely taking in the sight of her pouring more wine into her glass. She took a sip, eyeing him carefully like a predator watching prey. Everything around him felt bigger than it was, like he had shrunken. The light and heady feeling came back, but it wasn't anything to be giddy about.

"You know, I've been doing this for centuries, and it really hasn't gotten any better," she stated, taking another sip before standing. She crossed the room, glass still in hand. "I have to say, you're the tastiest thus far. Maybe it has to do with all those fatty foods you put in yourself, but it works wonders. However, I don't have time for you to soak in a few good meals; I've seen that you're a picky eater and getting you to eat right would be horrible."

His back pressed against a wall, Elias watched her image twist and swirl. Just the edges of his vision were filled with black and his legs felt like the gelatin he'd had only minutes before.

"You look confused. I thought I told you." She leaned in close once more, a wide grin on her lips.

"I'm ravenous."

// this sucks. thanks for reading. cheers, rem

art of lilith made by mootuna