“What’s this?” Kyla stepped in. It was a large sumptuous apartment. High ceilings, exquisite décor done in mostly black and white with mostly red and silver accessories, expensive architectural details. Everything was gleaming, rich, and, gorgeous.
“This was Adrian’s apartment. I’ve had it cleaned for us. We’ll stay here. We’ll stay in the second bedroom, not his room.” He made a face.
“Why here? It feels eerie.” It was like a palace but she felt like her skin was staticky.
“Because in this building it’s the largest living space so you hopefully won’t feel closed in. All the cottages feel similar to the one we stayed in. Here feels different, doesn’t it? There’s only a small kitchenette as he had things served from down in the main kitchen but it’ll do for snacks and coffee. There’s a big terrace out there. Lots of flowers. Pool. It’s nice. Go look.”
She wandered down a long hallway furnished with a long oriental rug down the centre, marble tile underneath, and opened two arched glass doors to a huge private roof terrace filled with greenery and flowers in every colour of the rainbow.
Tristan was behind her.
His lips touched the top of her head.
“I’ve got to meet with everyone. Here’s your phone. Keep it with you. Go ahead and get comfortable. I’ve asked them to send Kyle in, in half an hour.”
“So, about you lying to me…” she started.
He pulled her back inside and into a bedroom. She barely got a chance to look around when the sundress she was wearing was ripped down her body.
She was about to protest, about to tell him that he was doing a good job of keeping their laundry easy to keep up with, because half of what she wore ended up in the trash due to being decimated, but first she felt the wet flood her panties and then she felt his tongue behind her ear so she decided to save that talking-to.
“Need you.” His teeth were elongating against her throat.
“Need me to be distracted so you can avoid an argument, you mean?” she pulled away and his fangs retracted.
“Is it working?”
“Yeah,” she tugged at his jeans, “But don’t lie to me.”
“Okay. And good.” He helped with his jeans. She put her hands on his shoulders and shoved him backwards. He fell onto his back onto the bed.
He gave her a hot look, catching his bottom lip with his teeth.
She pounced, holding his hands over his head.
He smiled, “Oh no! You’ve got me now, little cherry bomb. What’re you gonna do now?”
“I’m gonna detonate all over you,” she warned, “Don’t patronize me. And no lies.”
“No lies.” He looked her right in the eye.
“I mean it.”
“I know you do.”
“Good. Don’t forget.”
“Not possible,” he smiled, “Everything about you is unforgettable.”
She flopped on top of him, her face buried in the pillow beside his head. His arms wound around her and then he flipped them so she was on the bottom.
She gave him a half a pathetic smile.
“You okay, baby?” he asked.
She shook her head, “No. Not really. I don’t wanna be here.”
He let out a big breath, “I know. If I could help it, I would.”
She nodded, “I know. I’m trying really hard to keep my brat switch turned to off.”
“You’re doing good,” he said, “I have better things to do than spank your sassy ass.”
She gave him an indignant look and then slapped his bum,
“Maybe you’ve got the sassy ass,” she muttered.
He balanced on his palms, hovering over her, “We’ve got about ten minutes until I need to be downstairs. You wanna do this now or save it till I can get back.”
“Do what?” She glared.
“Fuck.”
She scrunched her nose up at him, “A ten-minute fuck. Hmm, let me see?”
She narrowed her eyes and then said “Fuck yeah.”
He was good at the quickie.
“You’re crazy,” he told her and then he bit into his hand.
His phone rang. He answered with his right hand while her mouth attached to the left.
“Yeah?
There was silence. She ran her hand up the ridges of his cock, which was straining against his sexy Calvin Klein underwear.
“Fuck!” he snapped.
She released his hand and his cock.
“Fuck. Be right there.”
Radiating from him was absolute fury.
Kyla’s eyes widened, “What?”
“I’ll be back. Taryn’s at the gate throwing a holy fit because they won’t let her in.”
“Oh shit.”
He got up and did up his jeans.
“Sam and Sasha are on speed dial for you, too. If I’m not back soon, text one of them to get you dinner. Someone will bring Kyle. I’ll be back soon.”
“Tristan, be careful!”
“Will do, baby. Dagger on your belt or under your pillow if I’m not back by bedtime, okay?”
“Okay.”
She kissed him.
She sat on the bed, dazed for a few minutes, trying to reconcile the nightmare Tristan in the boathouse from the Tristan she’d just had. They didn’t seem like the same person. But they were. And she had to find a way to be okay with that. She knew she’d find a way. It wasn’t just that she had no choice but she really wanted to find a way to understand. She knew their experiences were shaping them and with a long life together they would both continue to evolve.