“Well, fuck. That was the craziest sex I’d ever had, and that was even before the police showed up.” Vandal grimaced at me apologetically. “It was nice of you to claim all the responsibility, but you shouldn’t have done that. After you’d said it, though, I didn’t want to contradict you and make things seem shiftier.”
“You’re both famous, and I’m no one. I didn’t want the news saying you’re twisted perverts.”
Vandal smiled crookedly. “You never know. It could have helped our sales.”
“Not if they started calling you a predator. That’s the kind of thing that will ruin your career.”
He took another sip of his beer, then laid his head in my lap, blowing out a long breath then chuckling. I stroked my fingers through his sweat-soaked hair, wondering if he was thinking about the scene we’d been doing, the police showing up, or both. I ached in places that were decidedly unpleasant.
“I don’t know about the two of you, but I’m exhausted,” Zero said from behind my ear, making me shiver.
“I could use a shower first. Whose bed are we sleeping in tonight?” Vandal asked.
Zero whistled in amazement. “You’re condescending to share a bed with us for something besides sex? Wonders never cease.”
“I want a shower too,” I said, stretching carefully. “Can all three of us fit in there together?”
“In the master bathroom? Probably,” Vandal replied.
He got up and blew out the few candles that hadn’t guttered out, then came back and helped us to our feet. Once we were inside, he locked the door behind us as though the police might show up again at any minute. Usually he didn’t bother locking them.
He led the way up the stairs, tugging me into his bedroom for the first time since I’d been here. The attached bathroom had obviously been remodeled and was huge and gorgeous.
“You’ve been holding out on us,” I accused.
“It’s hard for me to have people in my space.”
“Try being me,” I teased. “I just had two of you in my space.”
He snorted at my dumb pun, and tolerated me snooping around his room for a few minutes. Apparently he was in a magnanimous mood.
“It wasn’t until I was watching you talk to the police that I realized I really, honestly trust you,” he admitted. “I wasn’t even afraid you’d cause trouble to be funny.”
“You mean like telling them you punish me and lock me in the basement when I misbehave, and make me sleep in a dog kennel?”
“Ha ha. Remind me to punish you when I’m not so tired,” Zero said, grabbing my shoulder and burying his face in my neck. Predictably, he bit me.
“If you wake me up, I’ll help you do it.” Vandal grinned at us and went into the bathroom, then turned on the shower which was definitely big enough for all three of us. There were even two showerheads, the selfish bastard.
I followed him into the bathroom, unbuttoning my nightgown. When I pulled it off, Vandal traced his finger over what I could vaguely see now were his initials written in blood over my heart. It was so oddly romantic that I blushed, getting a good view of my pink cheeks in one of the many mirrors.
The cut he’d made in my skin was superficial, but my feelings definitely weren’t.
He squinted and cocked his head to the side. “I’d never really thought about how hard it would be to read something written in blood.”
Zero patted my ass, then groped it. “To be fair, that did get rubbed against my chest for a while, wrapped in a blanket, examined by emergency personnel, then covered with a nightgown. I’m sure there’s been some sweating in the interim. I know I was sweating when they cuffed me.”
“A lady never sweats,” I declared.
“Interesting. Do we know any ladies?” Vandal pulled me into the shower as Zero crowded in behind me. The water was tepid—not as terrifying as cold water would be, and not as uncomfortable as hot, considering how hot it had been outside.
He and Zero made jokes about what I was if I didn’t qualify as a lady, eventually deciding I was definitely a little monster. When that was settled, Zero nudged Vandal toward me as though prompting him to stop fucking around and say something.
“I…don’t know if you were paying attention to what I was saying before I pulled you off my altar,” Vandal said, laughing self-consciously as he moved under the showerhead’s deluge. He pulled me in with him.
I wiped water from my eyes as I answered him. “Not really. I was busy at the time, but I seem to remember thinking that you weren’t thinking straight.”
“I probably wasn’t, but I also didn’t say anything I didn’t mean.” He looked embarrassed. It was a weird sight. “I don’t think you should move out—at least not yet.”
“No?” I asked as nonchalantly as I could manage, considering how fast my heart was beating and the fact that my legs were feeling rubbery.
“I mean if you want to leave, that’s fine, of course, but I hope you’ll stay with us for a while—give us a chance, you know?” He was looking down at me so earnestly that my heart was in my throat.
“Give you a chance to do what? Kill me with kinky research?”
He huffed. “You know that’s not what I mean, you difficult little bitch.” He took the sting out of the words by kissing me more sweetly than he ever had. His lips lingered on mine without trying to dominate.
“It’s up to you,” I said when he broke the kiss. “I could stay, but I should tell you that I’m in love with you both.”
His hopeful smile became cocky again, and far more familiar. “Of course you’re in love with us. Who wouldn’t love us?”
Zero slapped the back of Vandal’s head with a wet thwap. “Stop being a jerk for two minutes and tell her what you told me.”
They had been talking about me? When?
Vandal sighed and pressed his forehead against mine. “I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you too, and I hope you can put up with my bullshit and stay.”
Holy hell.
A thrill ran through me, making me grin giddily at him.
“You’re pretty sure?” I asked, teasing. “You’re not absolutely sure, though. Should we wait a few days to make sure it’s not indigestion?”
He stood up straight and gazed down at me, looking terribly uncomfortable. “We weren’t big on expressing feelings in my family.”
“I’m shocked,” Zero said, chuckling.
“Shut up. I’m trying to say something here.” He cleared his throat. “Feelings make me uncomfortable—that’s the only reason why I was going to let you leave. Every time you went to look at one of those damned apartments I wanted to drag you back here and lock you in the basement again. To be fair, I haven’t told Zero that I love him either, and he’s been with me for a lot longer and put up with a lot more of my shit.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Zero, who was looking at Vandal, lips parted in surprise.
“But you do love him,” I prompted, almost as excited about that as I was about him admitting he might possibly love me.
He shrugged. “Yes,” he said reluctantly.
“And me?”