Page 37 of Three Bites

I immediately went to smack him on the head. He didn’t even try to avoid the swipe, taking his due.

“You look stunning, Vic,” Matthias said with sincerity that disarmed me.

“Yeah, the dress is very pretty,” I agreed.

“I wasn’t talking about the dress. I mean, yes, it’s amazing, but I was talking about your smile. You like dancing? We can go clubbing someday.”

I loved the intimacy of dancing behind closed doors but showing off on the dance floor sounded like fun as well. As long as it wasn’t a gala where I had to dance with Carl wannabees, I was in.

“I will hold you to that,” I nodded resolutely.

“Now that Matthias is here, I’m afraid I have to go,” Tristan sent me an apologetic look. “I have made Jonas wait long enough.”

“You are making the boss wait for you?!” I yelped. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“You were more important,” Tristan shrugged. “Besides, I need to keep him on his left foot. A bit of unpredictability helps with negotiations. We are so close to finishing this, Victoria... Soon,” he promised me.

“Soon,” I responded, entranced by his fiery gaze. All that determination just for me.

Tristan threw Matthias the keys and a look.

“Lock the door when you are done and I will swing by Victoria’s room when I’m finished.”

When the older vampire left, Matthias turned to me with a shit-eating grin.

“Look, we got the key and didn’t even have to steal it! And here you are, dressed so beautifully... You know, we could desecrate Tristan’s bedroom...” Matthias suggested, his voice low and intent as he put a hand on my waist.

“We could,” I said, leaning on my tiptoes until my lips were nearly brushing his. “You could take this dress off and see the lingerie underneath.”

“Fuck,” Matthias swore and reached for the back of my head to pull me into the kiss.

His mouth was left hanging open as I ducked under his arm and planted my hands on my hips.

“We could have had that but you ran like a coward and left me to face Tristan alone! No lingerie for you!”

“But... but!” Matthias whined, not finding a real argument but wanting to protest anyway. He crossed his arms with a sulking expression. “Who said that just because I’m big and beefy I can’t be a coward... Though, I didn’t leave because I feared Tristan’s wrath. I left because I knew he was going to get all mushy on you. And I thought it would do you good... to see how caring he could be. I don’t want you to be scared of him.”

“That’s sweet of you,” I said, placing a hand on his arm. He looked at me hopefully. “Nope, still no sex.”

“Not even a peek?” Matthias practically begged.

“...I will let you see the suspenders if you unlace my back. I have somewhere to be in half an hour and I need to be in my normal clothes for that.”

“Deal!” Matthias said quickly as if he was worried I would take the offer back. “Wait, where do you have to go? I thought you weren’t working today?”

“The only concession my brother was able to negotiate when they took me as insurance for him paying our father’s debts was that I am allowed to speak to him every Sunday,” I said quietly.

“Oh, shit,” Matthias said to himself. “Here. I can give you my phone, you can call your brother, just, please, don’t be sad.”

He offered his phone readily but I shook my head.

“I don’t want to give Carl and his father any excuses. I’m only allowed to talk to him through the phone I’m given. I’m pretty sure it has recording spyware on it but we can deal with that. I want him to see I’m well, that’s all.”

Matthias’s hand tightened on the phone so much I was worried the screen would crack.

“We won’t keep you from your brother like those bastards. I promise,” Matthias said.

I smiled at his fierce protectiveness. Then I bent down to catch the edge of my dress and lifted it slowly, successfully distracting Matthias from the topic at hand.

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