“Oh, my love. This has been quite the shit day, hasn’t i
t? Again,” I add in disgust.
“It hasn’t all been shit,” he says shyly. I look at the shower and grin.
“I want to do it again. I just don’t want it ending up like it did today.”
“With CK, you mean?” I ask.
He nods and laughs. “Sorry, but three guys all vying for your attention. It’s too much. Devon, I can handle.”
“Of course, baby. Thank you,” I kiss him softly.
“I feel I need to point out something though,” he says. I raise my eyebrow at him as I wait for him to continue.
“I have had four-ways before, you know. I’m not completely naïve.” I giggle at him and he glares at me, “However,” he emphasizes, “it has always been with three girls, it’s different.”
“I know it is, baby. You don’t need to explain anything to me. I was ridiculously innocent when Constantine turned me. The first time he suggested a three-way, I nearly died! And I had been turned for well over fifty years by then. I suppose I’m lucky in that he didn’t have a sire and his charges were scattered about.” His turn to laugh at me.
“Who was it with?”
“No one. I refused. I only wanted him, and no way was I sitting there watching him fuck someone else. I do know how you feel about this. I just have to remember as it was such a long time ago for me. I have been around centuries-old Vampires for, well, centuries,” I say wryly. “It is difficult for me to have someone so new to consider.”
“So your first one was after you left him? It wasn’t with him?”
“Correct on both accounts.”
“Huh. Well, what do you know. I bet that pissed him off!”
“You could say that,” I say to his delight. “Come now. We need to get ready for this bash.” I stand and pull him up with me. Exiting the bathroom, we find Devon and CK already dressed and much to my annoyance, not wearing earphones or any other eavesdropping blocking devices at all.
Neither of them says anything, nor gives any indication that they heard any of our conversation, which I sincerely hope they didn’t.
“Lizzie, what are you planning on wearing?” Devon asks. “You’d better summon something quickly, it’s nearly nine.”
“Check this out.” I let go of Cole and spin in a circle, arms outstretched and in a swirl of black, I complete the circle fully dressed, hair, nails, jewelry, the works. “What do you have to say about that?” I say with pride as I smooth down the flowing skirt of my strapless black satin dress, not concerned with the tattoo due to the company.
“Wow. That is some trick,” Devon says in delight with Cole agreeing wholeheartedly. Even CK looks impressed.
“You look ravishing as always, my sweet,” he says with a frown. “Maybe too much. You are not to leave my side tonight. I don’t trust him not to try something and if he gets you behind the wards, there won’t be much we can do to get you back.”
Cole looks terrified on my behalf.
“Gee, think you might want to ease up on the doom and gloom there, Granddad,” Devon says using a familial term that makes me snicker into my hand and makes CK look like he is about to blow a gasket, or two.
“Call me that again and you will find yourself without a head, my boy. Aefre, we have to be aware of what he might try.”
I nod, still struggling to keep the smile off my face. He sends me a scathing look that could tear strips off a lesser Vampire.
“What is with him and these family terms anyway? I mean, nephews? I thought I was going to puke,” Cole says briskly, buttoning up his shirt and pulling on a jacket. I note that the other two are equally well dressed. Did they expect to be asked to a smart dinner or what? Vain fools.
“It is very creepy,” I agree. “It’s all very incestuous and gross.”
“I think that is part of the reason he does it,” Constantine says with distaste. “Please do not ever call me… that,” he says to me in earnest.
I grin at him. “No worries, as long as you never call me… that.”
“Agreed.”