Forty-One
Bianca
W hen I woke, my body was wrapped around Vincent’s. I snuggled closer, feeling a little better about my shitty situation. He gave me a squeeze.
“Morning, baby B,” he mumbled sleepily. “You’re quite a welcome treat to wake up to.”
“You’ve been sleeping in the chair in my room for weeks,” I said, hugging him back tightly.
He chuckled. “Definitely not the same. Trust me.”
We were quiet for a moment.
“We need to get ready for class. Half day today. Then the dance.” He tilted my chin up and placed a kiss on my lips.
Fallon’s warning to stay away from the dance pounded a beat in my head.
I envisioned Vincent holding me. Dancing with me. Protecting me. Levin and Dominic nearby.
I’d be safe. I knew I would be.
“I don’t have a dress,” I said, sighing.
Aubrey had wanted me to go shopping with her and Emy, but I’d been in such a funk I’d told them no.
“I’m sure we can figure out something,” he said, kissing my forehead.
I let out a contented sigh that made him tuck my hair behind my ear.
“You OK?”
“Feels like I’m dreaming.” I licked my lips and gazed at him.
He gave me a smirk. “Consider it a beautiful nightmare. Come on. Let’s get to class so we can come back and pick up where we left off last night.”
I kissed him again, definitely eager to participate in whatever he had in mind. When he got out of bed, I followed, watching as he walked to the bathroom.
“I need to go get changed,” I called out. “I’ll run to my dorm real quick then meet you back here—”
Before I could finish my sentence, there was a knock on his door.
Vincent moved back in my direction, giving my hand a squeeze as he passed by, before opening his door a crack.
He must have been fine with what he saw because a moment later, he stepped back, and Dominic entered room, looking every bit of delicious and dangerous that he was.
“I was just going to grab a shower,” Vincent said. “B needs to go get changed.”
Dominic’s steely gaze moved from Vincent to me, like he was assessing the situation. I swallowed, knowing what he was looking for. Signs that Vincent and I had sex the night before.
After a moment, he gave a curt nod, still wordless. Vincent seemed happy with that because he moved back to me and pressed his lips to mine, his hands on my waist, the kiss doing dirty things to my lady bits.
If Vincent was concerned about Dominic seeing, he certainly didn’t act like it. I was breathless when we broke apart, fully aware Dominic was watching us.
“I’ll see you in a bit. Go put a smile on Dom’s face, would you? We’re all in for a shit day if he’s moody.”
“He’s always moody,” I muttered, to which Vincent flashed me a grin before backing away.
“Courtyard?” Vincent asked, the question directed at Dominic.
Dominic nodded. Vincent left us then, and I turned to Dominic, waiting for instruction.
“Come,” was all he said as he turned and strode to the door. He was silent until we made it outside.
“I didn’t sleep with Vincent.”
“I know.”
I frowned. “How do you know?”
“Because I know Vincent after he fucks. That wasn’t a post-coital Vincent.”
I wrinkled my nose at the information.
Dominic tugged me to a stop and turned to face me. “You’re free to fuck any of the kings. Never the court. Never an outsider. And never a lord. To do so would end in both your deaths.”
“You’d kill me for being with a lord? Hail made me do things—”
“Doesn’t count. You belonged to him then, not us. Once you came to me, everything changed. For your sake, I hope you didn’t fuck up.”
The way he looked at me like he knew what I’d done made my guts twist into knots.
He stepped closer and tucked a blonde wave behind my ear before dragging his knuckles along my cheek.
“You didn’t fuck up, did you, wasp?” His green eyes flashed with something that sent chills down my spine.
Truth.
Dominic De Santis wasn’t messing with me. He was serious. He’d kill me and Fallon if he found out.
“I-I didn’t,” I whispered, trying to keep my voice even.
“Good,” he murmured. “I wouldn’t want to have to hurt anyone. Especially you. Never you.”
His words took me by surprise considering he’d let me know I’d answered wrong the night I’d confessed my love to him.
I reached for him and wrapped him in a hug. The move took him by surprise because he was stiff in my arms and didn’t hug me back right away. But once he did, his embrace was warm and tight, his cheek resting on the top of my head.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Bianca,” he whispered. “I’d do anything not to. You. . .matter to me.”
My heart fluttered at his words. I mattered.
But given the circumstances surrounding things with Fallon, I wondered how far those feelings of Dom’s would extend.
And what I’d do if they didn’t.