60
I pour another drink while Vasiliki continues to look into her little compact and study her reflection.
We’ve been on the jet for two hours and this is the fourth or fifth time she’s done this.
‘It’s going to be the world’s longest six-hour flight if this goes on.’
“You look beautiful, Vasiliki,” I murmur, trying to draw her attention for no other reason than because the camera demands some conversation.
She looks up, smiling, as she snaps shut the compact.
“Thank you, Viscount, so do you.”
I groan inwardly and look at the director. He’s signalling to get her attention and holding up a sign prompting her to ask questions or tell me something. I imagine she needs all the prompting she can get. I haven’t heard anything sensible come out of her mouth yet.
“Ah, I hear you like to cook,” she says, her vacant dark eyes turning, once more, to mine.
“I do; it’s a hobby of mine. Are you a keen cook?”
“Oh, yes. I mean, being Greek I love my food. Not cook, though, ah, but I like to eat. Although I have to watch my figure, you know.”
“Surely not,” I murmur, wishing the plane would crash and put me out of my misery.
“You know, Viscount,” she goes on, the director nodding like a madman behind the camera, “you being so open allows me to be vulnerable with you. I feel like I need to tell you, I mean, we’ve had so little time together, I should tell you that I can’t fight my feelings for you any longer.”
‘Christ, please, surely I don’t deserve this torture?’
She undoes her seatbelt and moves to sit on my lap.
Clearing my throat, I reluctantly put my arms around her.
“We have twenty-four hours,” she breathes into my ear. “I’ve waited twenty-four years to find my man — this is the sign I’ve been waiting for. Let’s not waste another minute.”
Sighing heavily, I flick my eyes to the back of the plane where a bedroom awaits, doors open.
‘At least if I’m fucking her it’ll keep her mouth shut, or not…at the very least it’ll make the time fly. It’s what she wants...if it will make her happy, why not?’
The director, seeing where I’m looking, shakes his head and mouths the word, ‘no.’
‘Yes, that would be breaking the rules.’
The thought cheers me a little, and I rise carrying her just as my phone rings.
“One moment,” I murmur, placing her back into her seat and moving to the bedroom to speak privately, closing the door behind me.
“Wolf, thank fuck,” I groan as I hear his welcome, “you’ve literally saved me from myself.”
“Just a quick call,” he says, chuckling at my tone. “After our last conversation I wanted to make sure you weren’t thinking of topping yourself or anything crazy.”
“Would that I could,” I mutter. “No, I’m embracing your philosophy. I’m showing them all a good time.”
“Well, you’ve always been surrounded by pussy, more than any vampire I’ve ever known; you should be in your element — unless you took on a vow of chastity while you were away on your sabbatical.”
“You know that would never happen,” I snort.
“Atta boy,” he laughs, “they’re there for a good time, not a long time. Make it worthwhile for all concerned. After all, you know what they say; the nicest way to kill a cat is stuffing it with cream.”
“Jesus, no. I think you made that up.”
We both laugh.
“Anyway, Wolf, while I’ve got you, have you heard from Falcon? I sent him a blood sample from one of the competitors and I haven’t heard anything back.”
“The one with the freaky blood?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll ask him about it. We’re visiting tomorrow night.”
“As part of your plan to keep the princess in love with him?”
“Ah, something like that,” he answers evasively.
“Wolf,” I sigh. “You can’t tell me half information and expect me not to notice.”
“I’m helping him with Suzume,” he says quietly. “Some boyfriend of hers is concerning him. I offered to rough him up a little to encourage him to set his sights in another direction.”
“Sounds just like a Falcon plan,” I chuckle. “And not in a good way.”
“That’s what Angie said. She got wind of the proposal and has summoned me. I expect I’m going to be right royally reamed. She has a temper, that one.”
I laugh quietly.
“Yes, she does. I feared that might be dulled somewhat after…”
“Don’t go there, Jag.”
I look at the ceiling, all thoughts of screwing the Greek now wiped from my mind. I’ve slept with hundreds in the past thirty years, maybe thousands. But the image of one woman’s molten hair spilling over the pillows, her purple-blue eyes on mine as we’d made love, is the one that haunts me.
‘No, not made love. Fucked. Raped essentially. She was forced. She never loved me. Christ, why can’t I let her live her life and accept that it was never me, it was always him?’
“You’re right, Wolf. I apologise.”
“No need for that, man, it’s me you’re talking to.
Look…we both know you fucked up in shagging Angie.
There’s no two ways about it. But we also both know you’re a man of honour and you’ve done your penance.
No one does self-flagellation as well as you.
You stepped away, you accepted she chose him, and you accepted he wanted her — wanted her so badly he would have given up his seat for her. ”
“Yes,” I murmur. “They belong together.”
“Falcon’s temper is legion,” he sighs. “When he gave the ultimatum for you to enter the Games he did it to punish you and probably regretted it instantly, but his pride wouldn’t allow him to back down.”
“No,” I shake my head. “He knows what it is to love her, and he knows my temperament. He won’t let me back into the fold until I can prove my interest lies elsewhere. It doesn’t matter that I stepped back; I’ll always love her. He knows that.”
“Yes,” Wolf snorts, “but you need to prove to him that your love is just devotion, not a longing to get her back in the sack. Your decision to enter the Games was a good one. Get through it, bring back some slut, and re-enter our lives. Falcon’s coming up with all sorts of unhinged strategies to protect his house at the moment, and no one can talk sense into him like you can. ”
“I would have thought the more unhinged the better for you, Wolf.”
He laughs.
“My plan was to cement Suzume’s boyfriend into a block in the shape of a giant cock and cast him into the sea.”
“Shit,” I shake my head, “you two can’t be trusted to be left alone. I seriously do need to get back into that house and bring the voice of reason.”
“You do,” he laughs, “so don’t go flinging yourself into a vat of melted silver or anything dramatic.”
“No chance of that. Oh, and by the way, Asumpta paid me a visit, or rather, she paid some of the competitors a visit.”
“Jesus Christ, be careful, Jag, she’s mental as fuck. And that’s saying something coming from me.”
I chuckle quietly.
“I don’t fear her, brother. When I catch her, and I will, I’ll escort her back to the Queen’s dungeons. This time I don’t think there’ll be such a delay in delivering her sentence.”
‘And if she lays a finger on my contestants, I’ll dispense that justice myself.’
“I’ll let Falcon know,” Wolf snorts, “at least if she’s stalking her obsession she’s away from his door for a while. He’ll be relieved one less enemy is focusing on his house.”
“I’ll be back soon to shore up his battlements,” I sigh.
“Good. Meanwhile, just screw your way through this game and get the fuck back here before Lord Dragonspur raises an army to defend his daughter’s honour.”
“Bastard daughter,” I remind him gently, looking up as Vasiliki peers in through the doors, her eyes hot with lust.
Sighing, I accept his cat analogy might have some merit.
“Don’t give him any more ideas until I get there, Wolf. I’m coming.”