“Are you serious?”
“We’re waiting until our wedding night.”
“Holy…I knew she was Catholic but that’s…that’s too Catholic is what that is.”
Cyrus dropped his chin to his chest and shook his head.
“You are telling me, Mistress.”
“Oh God, poor you.”
“No, no.” He raised his head and exhaled. “It was my suggestion.”
“Were you on drugs?”
“Love,” he said. “Dumb stupid love.”
“That was my other guess.”
“I wanted her to know that I was in this for her, not using her for sex. You know, like I had with every other woman in my life since I was sixteen years old.”
“So offering to wait until you were married was a romantic gesture?”
“Right.”
“And you and Paulina have been dating how long?”
“Two years.”
“So you haven’t had sex in…”
“Over two years.”
Nora put the fingers of both hands on her temples, like her head was about to explode and she needed to contain the blast.
“I’ve never wanted to slap a man so hard in my life. I mean, a man who wasn’t Søren.”
Cyrus tilted his head to the side, offering her his cheek.
“Do it,” he said. “I deserve it.”
Nora rose off her throne and walked over to him. There was a damn good chance the woman really was going to slap him. She raised her hand and patted his shoulder.
“My sympathies, my friend.” She patted his shoulder again. “Been there.”
“Thank you. I needed that.”
Nora shook her head.
“Not even oral?”
“No.”
“Oh my Jesus,” Nora said.
Cyrus laughed hard enough he fell back on the bed. Then remembered this was a medical bed in a dungeon, and God only knew what went on there. He sat up very quickly.
Nora returned to her throne. She looked like a woman who wanted to smile but was trying very hard to keep it to herself.
“You think I’m a sucker, right?” he asked.
“You’re a very good man, and Paulina is very lucky to have you.”
“I appreciate that.”
“But you should probably eat her pussy anyway.”
“Nora, come on.”
“I’m serious. You want to, right?”
“Is that a real question? Really? A real question? You’re asking me that like it’s a real question you don’t know the answer to?”
“So do it.”
“We said we’d wait.”
“You made the rules. You can break the rules. Or bend them.”
“We are not bending anything.”
“Go to her house, pick her up, carry her to bed, put her down and say, ‘I’m going to go down on you until you come on me and you’re going to like it. That’s an order.’”
“She would not go for that.”
“Hmm…good point. We don’t know if she’s kinky yet or not. Better just ask nicely. ‘May I please eat your pussy?’ Try it. Dare you.”
“Dare me? You just dared me? Are we in the seventh grade now?”
Who was this woman and, better question, why did he like hanging out with her so much? Poor judgment. He owned that.
“Double-dare you.”
“Why do I talk to you?”
“Bet you’re good at it.”
“Hell yes I am.”
“Because if you aren’t, you can ask Søren for tips. For a priest, he’s surprisingly good at eating pussy.”
“I hope that witch hexes you.”
“You go to her and tell her you want to make her feel as good as she makes you feel…no way would she say ‘no’ to that. And if she does, I’ll give you a hundred dollars. Cash. Today.”
“I’m going out there.” He pointed at the door to her fancy waiting room. “And you’re staying in here. And I am never talking to you again.”
“Does that mean I don’t get to come to the wedding?”
Cyrus jumped off the med bed and onto the floor. He held out his hand, finger pointed at Nora’s face.
“Yes?” she said.
“You’re ten kinds of crazy.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Only ten?”
Nora reached out and grabbed his finger.
“Thanks for keeping me company,” she said. “I feel a lot less freaked out now.”
“That makes one of us.”
Laughing, she released his finger.
“Goodnight, Mistress. Please call your demon dog in here. I am not sleeping—”
Cyrus heard the sound of an organ playing terrifyingly eerie music.
“What the hell?” Cyrus glanced around looking for the Phantom of the Dungeon.
“Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor,” she said. “Søren calling.”
“You gonna answer it?”
The strange, but oddly familiar organ music continued.
“I’m considering not answering it,” she said.
“Nora.”
“Fine.”
The organ music stopped and the phone buzzed. “Text,” she said. “Shit. He says he stopped by the house to check on me, wants to know why I’m not home.”
“You have to tell him.”
“Do I though? I mean…do I?” Her voice went up an octave on the last do I?
He stared at her, hard. “Do not get me on the bad side of a Viking. If he belts his own girlfriend, no telling what he’ll do to me.”
“That’s a good point,” she said. “And yet, I’m still not calling him.” She stared at her phone like she wasn’t sure what it was or where it had come from.
He cleared his throat pointedly. She got the message.
“Fine. I’m calling him.” She called him. “Hello, Sir.”
He waited, curious enough to eavesdrop.
“Ah…long story,” Nora said. “I’m at my dungeon right now. I had something weird happen tonight. I didn’t feel like staying at home.” Pause. “No, Kingsley wasn’t involved this time.” Pause again. “Please. Cyrus would probably appreciate that.” Pause. “Yeah, he’s here. Keeping me company. Although I think he regrets it.”
Cyrus nodded to make her smile. He was glad to see it worked.
“Okay, love you, too, Sir. See you soon.”
Nora hung up the call.
“You’re off the hook,” Nora said. “He’s coming over.”
“Ah, that’s good. I’ll stay until he gets here.”
“I appreciate that,” she said and smiled. “But he’s probably going to tell me I have to stop working on the case with you.”
“It’s all right. I’ll miss your help, but I’ll figure it out. When I know something, I’ll let you know.”
“Fun while it lasted. Pleasure working with you, Mr. Tremont.” She held out her hand and they shook.
“Yeah, same, Mistress Nora.”
He left her alone in her dungeon and sat in the armchair, waiting for the Viking to arrive. He closed his eyes, thinking of dozing off. While his body was bone tired, his mind wouldn’t let him rest.