Page 28 of Little Wing
He pressed his lips against my forehead, letting his hands slide down to my hips. Giving them one firm squeeze, I shuddered. “When I fuck you for the first time, it’s not going to be here, understand? I intend on taking my time with you. I want to taste every inch of you.”
I fought the urge to pull his face down to mine again when the tingle of my well-kissed lips finally settled. The hunger I saw in his eyes was still there, but the primal pull I felt toward him had dulled into a longing that didn’t feel as immediate. It felt… safe. Like what we were both craving was not just a moment that would soon escape us. What Silas wanted to do with me, to me, was yet to come.
“I did actually have something I wanted to ask you before we,” he chuckled as he trailed off and cleared his throat. “Tomorrow—we’rehaving a small pre-launch get together. I was hoping you’d maybe want to come with me.” He rubbed the back of his head and shrugged, like what he asked was something so incredibly casual instead of one of the most exciting things I’d ever been asked. “You know, not something you have to do, but I just thought that maybe…”
“Yes,” I quickly responded with more enthusiasm than I anticipated.
“Good, good,” he inhaled deeply and pulled me against him with his arm around my waist. “Would you like for me to pick you up? Send a car?”
“I could meet you there,” I said, looking up at him. “Just send me the details.”
Silas’s eyes looked me over once again, darting around my face and landing on my still-swollen lips. He traced his finger along my cheek and smiled, settled and calm. “I didn’t even know you had such cute freckles on your cheeks. I hope I’ll see them all one day.”
His attention on me had me feeling more naked than I had ever felt, even with clothes and makeup still on—if just barely. Silas saw right through me. His fascination wasn’t hostile or demeaning, and for the first time since Luca threw that makeup at my feet, I truly considered the possibility of tossing it aside.
The Night Owl, a bar downtown, was already noisy with the sound of upbeat music and the chatter of the crowd. Vampire bars were open only in the evenings, unlike the rest of the businesses that catered to the twenty-four-hour crowd. Red and purple lights lit up the room, setting the moody ambiance that people often associated with vampires. It was the sex appeal behind our being personified into a club and, frankly, it was just one more instance that had me recalling the last time I tasted Lotus on my tongue.
“You look more on edge than I do in between my visits with Quinn,” Mateo declared. He looked more smug than I’d ever seen him. Granted, he was standing with Quinn within arms-reach while I was looking out into the crowd for any sign of Lotus. She still reminded me of a feral cat who wanted to be invited inside a warm home, yet she would only do so on her own terms. I told Lotus where to meet us, but I allowed her to arrive at her own time, which meant that the chances of her not showing up at all were still high.
I was a fucking masochist to give her that power over me, but I couldn’t resist.
“Silas,” Mateo laughed and grabbed my shoulder, giving me a quick shake. “You there?”
I finally tore my eyes away from the path to the entrance. Mateo was standing next to me wearing a black button-down shirt with three buttons left undone to create a deep V. His black slacks were expertly fitted—that new tailor he found definitely did the trick in making us look presentable. After all, we were the proud partners who owned Little Wing. With the grand opening only days away, we were buzzing. So much so that Quinn actually put her own projects in New York on pause to help support her partner. She hadn’t changed since the last time I saw her a few months back. Her copper-colored hair was cut into a short curly bob and the green dress that she wore with a plunging neckline kept most of Mateo’s attention.
Quinn slithered her hand over Mateo’s shoulder and let her lips spread into a questioning smile. “Mattie tells me you are expecting a human?”
“No—a vampire who dresses up like a human,” Mateo quickly corrected her, planting a quick kiss on her hand at her use of his nickname.
“That’s not right either,” I cut in.
“No? What about the makeup?” my brother asked. It was a legitimate question as I might have left out some details around my last trip to see Lotus at the bookstore. “Something change?”
Before I could answer, I looked past them to the door that welcomed in another group of people. Among them was the woman who had infected my mind. Her jet-black hair was down and draped over her exposed shoulders. My eyes fought to stay on her face, but the curve of her body begged me to admire the black dress that she wore. It hugged her body exactly where it needed to be hugged. The high neckline hid her scarred collarbone, but in return kept my attention on her full breasts. I was a dog, salivating at how little her outfit left to the imagination.
I watched her scan the crowd for us. Her expression was stoic, unchanging, until our eyes met, and her demeanor immediately softened.
Giving her a quick wave, I patted Mateo on the forearm and stepped outside our small group to meet Lotus halfway in the crowd. When I did approach her, my lips parted into a toothy grin. The dull blue of her eyes was nowhere in sight. She looked at me with ruby eyes so brilliant, I couldn’t take my eyes off them. Her history was on display just by revealing her eyes’ true color. “Wow,” I chuckled in disbelief that what I was seeing was real. “I was right…”
Lotus slanted her head to the side and crossed her arms loosely at her wrist. “Right about what?”
“Blue is definitely not the color for you,” I smirked, reaching to rest my hand on the small of her back. “Come—let me introduce you to my brother and Quinn.”
We walked back to where I could already see Mateo and Quinn whispering back and forth. Their studious eyes were taking in Lotus for the first time, and I couldn’t wait to introduce her to them. When we made it to our small cluster, I felt Lotus stiffen beneath my touch. Quinn was staring intently like a viper assessing prey.
“Lotus, this is Mateo Clark and his—”
“Wife,” Quinn finished, holding out her hand for Lotus to shake, which she did with little hesitation. “Quinn.”
She looked up from their joined hands and bobbed her head. Quinn was a bold woman, but in public situations she and Mateo certainly didn’t flaunt their monogamous relationship with those who didn’t need to know about it. Something I might have hinted at to Lotus in one of our many long text chains. I stepped in front of Lotus and raised my arms, presenting her. “And this is Lotus Evans.”
“Your… lover?” Quinn mused and nudged Mateo to grab the champagne flutes already filled with crimson for a toast.
“Hey—hey, I don’t pry so much into your relationship with my brother. At least try to ease Lo into your debauchery, okay?”
Quinn rolled her eyes and handed Lotus the glass. “I’m just trying to be friendly, Silas. It’s not every day you bring someone here. At least not someone who doesn’t look like they’re about to pass out after being sucked from like a juice box.”
While that got zero reaction from Lotus, I figured it would be best to keep Quinn from opening her mouth. Maybe getting her more buzzed on crimson would do the trick. Thankfully, Lotus didn’t seem bothered, or at least she wasn’t showing it.
