Hunted (Belle Morte Book 3)

Chapter Five

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Ludovic said, warily eyeing the selection of makeup and brushes laid out on Roux's dressing table.

Roux lifted an eyebrow. "Do you doubt me?"

He didn't answer that, which was probably a wise move.

"I promise I'm not going to mess up your pretty face. I'm just going to make you a little less recognisable," Roux said. "We won't get far if you get mobbed by screaming fans the second you set foot outside the gates."

She guided him into a chair, and placed a finger under his chin, turning his head this way and that. Being this close to him, examining every line and angle of his face and looking into his sapphire-blue eyes, made the tiniest flicker of heat stir in her stomach.

She'd noticed him as soon as she arrived at Belle Morte. Of course she'd known about him before then, but online pictures and televised appearances weren't the same as seeing him in the flesh. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't been attracted to him from the moment she walked through the front door and saw him properly for the first time, but that was all it was – an attraction.

And who could blame her? Ludovic was six feet of hard muscle and blond hair and chiselled jaw. His eyes were as deep and blue as the ocean.

But, Roux firmly reminded herself, this was not the time to entertain a little crush. They had a job to do. Nothing else mattered.

"Can vampires grow beards?" she asked, studying the edge of his jaw.

"We can, but it takes a very long time."

"Really? I never imagined vampires shaving."

"We only have to do it very rarely."

"Good to know."

"Why do you ask?" Ludovic said, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"Just curious. Facial hair would change the shape of your face, but we wouldn't have that kind of time even if you were human." She tapped her chin, thinking. "I might not be able to give you a beard, but I reckon I've got enough skills to pencil on some decent-looking stubble. Is that okay with you?"

He silently nodded.

"Great," Roux said, and turned her attention to the array of makeup.

Like most vampires, Ludovic's skin was ivory-pale, and that was the first thing that needed to change. If they'd had more time she'd have pushed him into a tanning booth to see if that made a difference but, like the beard, it wasn't an option, so makeup was the answer.

Ludovic didn't say a word as Roux used a damp sponge to carefully apply a layer of foundation to his face and neck. When she first started, she worried that he was the kind of guy who considered makeup to be only for girls, but Ludovic didn't seem to mind. Then again, if he was anywhere near as old as Edmond he'd have seen the rise and fall of all kinds of fashion. Makeup on men had been commonplace throughout various periods of history, so it was unlikely that Ludovic was unfamiliar with it.

Roux carefully blunted the lines of his cheekbones and the edge of his jaw, and used subtle eye-shadows to alter the shape of his eyes. Then she very carefully pencilled on the stubble. It wasn't perfect, but it would fool anyone who didn't look too closely.

On the list that she'd given Seamus, she had requested a pair of Clark Kent style glasses, and he hadn't disappointed. The thick-framed glasses sitting atop the pile of Ludovic's new clothes probably wouldn't flatter anyone, but in this case they weren't meant to. They were just part of the disguise.

Roux slid them onto Ludovic's face and stepped back to study the effect. Coloured contact lenses would have been even better, hiding his blue eyes, but glasses were quicker and easier.