In just two days, a new high magister would be crowned, and Vincent's phone had been ringing non-stop as news broke of Magister Hidalgo's arrest. It turned out the Barcelona-based gollum was found guilty of embezzlement and skimming from several of his investment companies. The local authorities didn't care whether or not he was a gollum. He would be tried and punished like any other criminal.
"Well, that narrows the field to two," said Jonathan as he sat in Vincent's office sharing a Cognac with his brother. "It's anybody's race now."
I set a tray of food in front of them, making sure they didn't get lacquered on an empty stomach, and I lingered while they talked.
"I'm still convinced George will get the position," Vincent said as he helped himself to a wedge of brie and paired it with a slice of apple. "He's older than I am, and you know the cronies always equate age with experience."
"But George doesn't have the business savvy you do. He lives off his ancestor's riches and owns a couple of vineyards. Don't get me wrong, I like George, and I'm sure he'd be capable, but everyone knows he's not the hardworking gollum you are."
"Well, he got enough votes to prove there are gollums who think he's perfectly capable. And so do I."
"Where would you host visiting magisters if you won, Vincent?" I tried to keep my tone light as I asked the question. I figured everyone already knew I wasn't eager to see Vincent in that role.
"It's traditional for the high magister to play host in his home, which isn't always convenient. But, in our case, we have the empty apartment Henry was using. And the place right next door will be available soon."
I struggled to hide a scowl. I didn't like his nonchalant attitude about his own brother leaving the domus, and I decided I didn't want to be involved in their little pow-wow. So, I left them to drink their Cognac and speculate.
It also didn't sit well that I still felt responsible for the whole situation. Sure, it was Colin having the strong feelings, but if I wasn't in the picture, everything would be hunky dory, or at least he and Vincent would be enjoying their usual sibling rivalry. Part of me wondered if it was Vincent who suggested Colin move out. Nobody had actually taken responsibility for it.
These thoughts continued to torture me as I cleaned up the kitchen, and by the time I was finished, I had convinced myself that going next door and talking to Colin was a good idea. He and Claudette were home from their hiatus at the cabin, and both seemed to be on board with the move. I started walking back to tell Vincent my intentions when I heard Jonathan talking about Amelia.
"She's complaining we don't do enough as a couple. So, we're thinking about taking a trip, just the two of us. Our sex life has gone into the shitter, and we're hoping to salvage whatever romance might still be left."
After getting an earful, I made a u-turn and headed back to the living room. I wasn't about to disturb that conversation. I tried to leave the apartment in stealth mode, although I figured Vincent heard the door open and close. This gave me a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach, like I was doing something wrong, and I totally blamed Vincent for that.
Before I talked myself out of it, I knocked on Colin's door and waited. If he wasn't at home, there'd be no harm done. I would just talk to him later. The door swung open just as I was convincing myself I should keep my nose out of it, and Colin looked surprised when he saw me.
"Reese, what are you doing here?"
"I live next door, remember? I've been known to stop by on occasion."
"Actually, you don't. I stop by your place on occasion."
"Well, I'm changing it up. I...um, just wanted to talk to you for a minute. It's about you and Claudette moving out... I mean, you moving out with Claudette." I bit my lip as awkwardness creeped in, although I never felt awkward around Colin. Something else I could blame on Vincent.
"Is Vincent at home?" he asked, his surprise turning to confusion.
"Yes. He and Jonathan are talking about high magister stuff and whether we'll have to open our home to a bunch of cronies."
A smirk tweaked the corner of his mouth. "Vincent probably already has blueprints drawn up for my apartment. I suspect he'll turn it into a board room."
"He mentioned the empty apartment next to yours. Mr. Pearlman's old pad." I gestured to the door I hadn't been through since Henry died. I wasn't ready to slog through his stuff quite yet. "Of course, that's only if he's named high magister."
"Let me guess. You're hoping he isn't."
"Is it that obvious?"
"Yes, but nobody blames you for not wanting to contend with that shit. I can already picture his head growing to fit the crown."
My stomach did a little flip at the thought of Vincent becoming even more controlling, and I pressed my hands to my belly.
"Are you alright, Reese? Does your stomach hurt?"
I dropped my arms. "I'm fine. So, are you going to let me in, or should we talk out here in the hall?"
Based on the pinched look Colin gave me, he was either uncomfortable with my suggestion or someone was in his apartment kicking him from behind. "It's obvious Vincent hasn't told you much, which doesn't surprise me. I tell him all the time he doesn't give you enough credit. But does he listen to me?"
"What has Vincent failed to tell me? Wait...let me guess. He doesn't want me inside your apartment."
"Close."
"He doesn't want us talking?"
"You're getting warmer."
"He doesn't want us talking without a chaperone."
He offered a shrug and a nod. "Close enough, so I'll give it to you. His exact words were If I find you and Reese alone together, I'll cut-off your dick with a machete."
Heat flared inside my belly, but I refrained from touching it. I was married to a damned dictator. Or, rather, a dick...tator. Did Vincent even have a machete? Strangely, Colin didn't seem as incensed as I was. "What did you say when he told you that?"
"I agreed. It's not safe for us to be alone together, Reese. I'm a slave to my pheromones. And to yours, it turns out. My will power sucks around you. Just standing here, this close...it's hard."
I made the mistake of looking down at his crotch. It was a knee-jerk reaction, and I noticed he wasn't just referring to his will power. Not to mention, the scent of him was quickly overpowering the hallway. "But this isn't right. You were born into the domus. I'm the intruder. If anyone should go, it should be me."
Colin laughed, and despite the gloomy circumstance, it was nice to hear the sound. "I could easily name ten reasons why that isn't going to happen, and I wouldn't want it to. Vincent is magister and you are his mate. You are family now. You deserve to stay. Besides, this is not your problem. It's mine."
"What about Claudette? How does she feel about all this?"
"She's fine with it. I think she's kind of relieved not to have to live next to Vincent. He can be an ass."
"I can't argue with you there. So, is she the one who suggested the move?"
"Of course, not. She has no authority over what happens in our domus."
"Who did then? You?"
"No." Colin squinted at me with another look of confusion. Then he glanced down the hall as Vincent and Jonathan walked out of the apartment. When Vincent saw us, his entire body hardened like clay in the sun. "I'll give you three more guesses, and the first two don't count."
Colin didn't have to say any more. I told him goodbye and walked back to the apartment, holding Vincent's steely gaze all the way. "Colin did nothing wrong, so there's no need to pull out the machete. You, however, could use a lesson in restraint." I let Vincent loose to nod at Jonathan. "Have a nice day, Jonathan."
I left them standing in the hall as I strode through the open door. I was fuming mad, and my stomach felt like it was on fire. If recent history was any indication, that was not a good sign. I filled a glass with water and started drinking as I looked through the cupboard for antacid tablets. By the time Vincent returned, I was chewing on a Tums.
"Are you not feeling well?" he said, glancing at the bottle on the counter. "Did Colin upset you?"
"No. For your information, you upset me."
"How did I upset you? I've been talking to Jonathan for the past hour."
I didn't want to fight with Vincent, but the guns were already loaded. "He told me you threatened him with bodily harm if you found us alone together."
"Yes, I did. And he agreed it was a good idea. Although, clearly he didn't think I'd make good on my threat." Vincent dragged his fingers through hair as he circled the kitchen. He looked like he was making an effort to stay put and not charge over to Colin's place with his fists loaded.
"He told me that too. So, was it your idea to have Colin move out with Claudette?"
Again, it seemed like Vincent wanted to run, but he remained where he was, taking deep breaths while I probed him with an impatient gaze. "Yes, it was. I'm the magister. It's my responsibility to make difficult decisions for the good of the domus."
I wasn't inclined to question him on the validity of his decision, but I never lowered my eyes as I pressed on. "And how difficult was that decision?"
Now, it was Vincent's turn to probe, and he crossed his arms over his torso. The stance was damned impressive, but I had become somewhat immune. "Are you insinuating that I enjoyed kicking Colin out of the domus?"
"I'm not insinuating anything. I just want to understand why we couldn't give Colin and Claudette a chance to live here first, rather than just assuming it wouldn't work out."
"It isn't working out now."
"What do you mean? I barely see Colin anymore."
"And why do you think that is, Reese?"
I opened my mouth to speak, but Vincent continued before I had the chance. "I'll tell you why. He's purposefully keeping his distance from you."
"That's because you asked him too."
"No, it isn't. He was doing it before I threatened him." Vincent ran another hand through his hair and his eyes scanned the kitchen, although he didn't appear to be searching for anything in particular. "He told me what happened inside his apartment...back in November...before the incident in the rec room. I finally dragged it out of him after he told me what he and Claudette were planning."
Fuck. He was talking about the day I caught Colin coming out of the shower. It had to be. I really didn't want to have this conversation with him, and I felt the fire in my belly blaze up until it was threatening to burn my throat.
"You know what I'm talking about, don't you? I can see it in your eyes." Vincent shook his head, and I watched his skin pale to an ashy gray. This was killing him. The pain was written on his face, and he began to circle the kitchen again. "We rely on our senses. For survival. For safety. For mating. I knew it was him I tasted on your mouth that day. I just didn't know how it got there."
I bit down on my lip as Vincent stopped his pacing to look at me, and I felt the burn scorch my throat as I tried to swallow past it. "Vincent, nothing happened. Please, believe me."
His eyes added to the burn, searing me with their heat as he took in a shuddering breath. "I believe you. Colin said you told him to back off. But that doesn't excuse his behavior. And that's why he needs to keep his distance from you."
"For how long? We're family. We'll have to see each other."
"There will be protocols in place by the time this all comes to fruition."
"Does anyone else know about this, or are they just going along with it because you're the magister?"
"They all know."
I lowered my head, feeling like a total homewrecker. And while I figured Vincent would tell me it wasn't my fault, how could I not carry some of the burden? "Wren is going to hate me for this," I whispered to my chest.
"No, she isn't. She's a gollum. She knows that every one of us has our limitations."
Vincent's hand appeared in my field of vision, and I lifted my head to find him reaching out to me. I stepped into his arms, and he wrapped them around me. Then I felt him stiffen as he inhaled a sharp breath. "Baby, you're burning up."
I wasn't surprised, based on the way my body had been behaving, and I let Vincent escort me to the bathroom where he sat me on the toilet seat and stuck a thermometer in my mouth. When it beeped, he read the screen. Then he let out a string of curses.
"What's my temperature?"
"One hundred and two. We need to get you into a cold shower."
"I don't want a cold shower. Can't I just lie down? I probably brought this on myself. It's stress."
Vincent scowled, and I read the worry in his eyes. "But what if it spikes?"
"Then I'll take the cold shower."
Grudgingly, he ushered me to the bed and laid down next to me. "Maybe you should strip down. That'll cool your skin."
Although he looked serious, I couldn't help smiling at him. "Whatever you want, chief."
I let Vincent remove all my clothing, leaving me completely naked. "Better?" he asked as he brushed his knuckles across my cheek.
"It's always better when you're near me." I leaned up and kissed the tip of his nose. "When you're not behaving like a dick...tator."
Vincent pursed his lips. Then a smile broke through to lift them. "Is that what Colin called me?"
"No." I left my answer there to let him figure it out, and he sighed against my face as he continued to stroke my cheek.
"I'm afraid you're stuck with this dick forever."
"Well, it's a good thing I love the dick I married, then."
A throaty purr erupted from Vincent's chest as he buried his face in my neck, peppering my skin with kisses. Gradually, he worked his way down to my chest and circled a nipple with his tongue. He blew air across it, hardening the peak until the sensation had me moaning. Then he repeated the process on the other side. Again, he made his way downward, leaving a trail of soft pecks along my swollen abdomen, stopping to lavish my belly button with a French kiss.
Moving even lower, he lifted one of my legs and licked the underside of my knee. Then he blew on it, causing a chill to prickle my skin with goosebumps. He spent the next few minutes on the rest of my leg, giving extra attention to my toes. The process continued on the other side, and by the time he began kissing his way back up, I felt so relaxed I was nearly out. Until I felt his warm breath on my sex.
Vincent really took his time there, tasting me with broad strokes of his tongue, parting the sensitive folds and gently blowing on them. I couldn't help wondering if I was burning him, but he didn't stop, giving pleasure a chance to blossom in my belly. Vincent's moan told me he was feeling the pleasure too, and the vibration from his mouth added to the mix.
My thighs clenched against his head as the sensitivity grew. Sensing my impending release, his movements became more urgent, and he extracted my climax like the skilled lover he was. The orgasm swept through me like a brushfire, making me shake violently, but I focused only on Vincent's tongue as it lashed my sex with determined thrusts.
A few labored breaths later, and Vincent was at my side again, wrapping his arms around me and staring into my face with brilliant silver eyes. The glossy sheen made them look like he'd been crying, but I chalked it up to intense emotion. It didn't bother me to see my darling dick...tator choked-up. It reminded me he wasn't made of stone, and I was the only one who could break him.