Page 17 of The Laughing Game

“Ha! No,” I said, trying to remember. “Wait. Yes. It might be. I don’t know.”

Vihaal’s eyes went wide. “You don’t know if you’ve ever slept with a woman more than once?”

“Oh my God,” Gideon said, gazing at me in awe.

“Now hold on a minute. Maybe I’ve never had a relationship with a woman, but it’s because I enjoy being single.” I gazed at Vihaal. “Unfettered.”

At that word, his eyes widened and he couldn’t stop his smile. “Sleeping with a woman more than once is not a relationship, Angel. It’s a nightcap.”

“Oh, fuck, well of course I’ve gone a few rounds with the same woman in one night.”

“Glad to hear it,” Vihaal said, grinning around his teacup. “Stamina is going to be an important asset if we…”

“If we…” I swallowed my tea and put my cup down. “If we…what exactly?”

“If we are going to explore this strong attraction between the three of us,” Vihaal said. “I’m glad to hear you’ve been a bit of a slut.”

I frowned. “Well…that might be the wrong word for it.”

“Oh no,” Vihaal said. “I think it’s a perfect word for it.”

I gazed at him. “You think I’m going to be slutty with you and Gideon?”

“Well, I certainly hope so. Gideon?”

“Oh, fuck yeah.” He smiled, gazing at me over his teacup.

“Holy shit. I feel like I’m being hunted.”

“Yes, but do you mind?” Vihaal asked.

“Maybe not,” I admitted. “But I am curious about a few things.”

“Only a few?” Vihaal said with an arched eyebrow.

“Okay, fine. About a lot of things.”

“What do you want to know, Angel?” Gideon asked.

I gestured back and forth between them. “How long have you been married?”

“Three and a half years,” Gideon said, leaning in to give Vihaal’s cheek a kiss.

“But…I take it it’s not a traditional marriage.”

They both smiled.

“Nothing about us is traditional,” Vihaal said.

I shrugged. “Fair. Do you…make it a habit of inviting other men in for physical…dalliances?”

Vihaal glanced at Gideon.

“I wouldn’t call it a habit,” Vihaal said. “But we have had the occasional third as a bit of a laugh.”

I frowned. “A bit of a laugh?”

“What Vihaal means is that we’ve occasionally brought someone cute home that we met by chance at an event or something. But we’ve never tried to seduce someone in particular before.”

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