Page 1 of Vicious Little Vows
ONE
“You’re both being oddly calm about this.”
We were in Mistral’s bedroom, leaving Crispin and Ringo in the sitting room for a little privacy. The plan for the day was to take a closer look at the old goblin portal, but there was something I needed to do first. It was no easy task telling your two boyfriends you had slept with a devil, even if they had technically given permission. We weren’t necessarily exclusive—I hadn’t done anything wrong—but I didn’t want any secrets. Especially a secret Sebastian might let slip just to piss one of the goblins off.
Gabriel crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. His eyes were stormy, but he hadn’t seemed surprised by the admission. His tight black shirt and jeans looked out of place against stone walls and glass sconces, but he dressed in modern street clothes more often than not these days. Mostly because he had to spend so much of his time chasing me around the city.
Mistral, of course, appeared thoughtful. Thoughts I was trying to mentally prompt him to say out loud. Instead, he leaned back on the cushions of his bed, tilting his chin to drape his long white hair over the shoulder of his cream-colored linenshirt. His gray pants ended at his bare feet a few shades darker, if not a similar hue.
“It definitely wasn’t planned,” I continued, fidgeting where I stood. “The magic just kind of took over.”
“We have already discussed this, Eva. You are connected to him as much as to either of us.” Mistral shrugged. “I’m surprised it took this long.”
I looked around for something to throw at him, but Gabriel shifted away from the wall. “We should get to the pool. It’s a long walk.”
Before I could say anything, he let himself out the door.
I turned, ready to go after him.
“He’ll need time, Eva.”
I looked over at Mistral, still resting serenely against the pillows. His shirt had a thin tie at the collar, left dangling to showcase the smooth gray skin of his chest. “He’s obviously pissed.”
“He’s not—” he pursed his lips like the next word tasted bad, “pissed. At least not at you. Sebastian, however…”
My brows lifted, I walked toward him then sat down on the bed, facing him. “Do I need to be worried about violence?”
Mistral lowered his chin, a soft smile gracing his lips. “I would not invite Gabriel to the apartment for a few days. And I would ask Sebastian to refrain from any…taunting.”
“You and I both know that’s a lost cause.”
Mistral simply smiled, seemingly unworried, though he had plenty of worries beyond Gabriel’s temper. Worries like the magic of the Bogs unraveling, threatening to take him along with it.
“Right. I’ll keep them apart until Gabriel chills out.” I looked him up and down. “What about you?”
“We have already discussed this, Eva.”
“So you’re totally fine with me sleeping with whomever, whenever.” He was honestly being great about everything, but for some reason, it bothered me. Maybe because it made me feel like he not only didn’t care about who I slept with, but aboutme.
Probably noticing the change in my expression, he stood. Taking my hand, he guided me to my feet. Normal touches had become easier. Skin on skin didn’t always summon my magic now, as long as I stayed calm. I was getting better at controlling it, though I rarely gave myself the credit.
Once I was up, Mistral remained close, one hand snaking around my waist. His other hand tilted my chin up toward him, and a spark of magic finally flared. The main issue with controlling things was that all hints of calmness fled me when any of the guys touched me a certain way.
“Eva,” he began, his eyes darting down to my lips then back to my eyes, “I have lived many human lifetimes. In my realm I was a prince. I courted. I fell in love. I lost love.”
I gazed up into his gray eyes, relaxing, but still wondering where he was going with this.
He stroked my cheek. “You are young, Eva. You deserve to have experiences, and to learn from them. I would never rob you of that.” His fingers trailed down my neck, combing back into my hair, making more magic prickle between us. “Perhaps I feel a twinge of jealousy from time to time, but then I remember.”
I frowned. “Remember what?”
His lips grazed mine. He spoke against my mouth, lowering his voice to a whisper. “You came to me willingly. You came to me first, before any bonds had been formed.” He kissed me again, smiling against my lips. “Sebastian cannot say the same.”
I pulled back enough to meet his eyes. “It’s not a competition.”
“Perhaps not to you or I, but I take pleasure in the fact that you could have chosen anyone to confide in, and you chose me.”
Damn, how was I supposed to be mad at him when he was looking at me like that? His fingers traced light lines at the nape of my neck as he kissed me again, his hand at my back lightly kneading.
