Page 113 of A Dusk Of Stars

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“Hey, Novak,” Bane calls out as he rushes to catch up with me.

I don’t stop, I throw a look over my shoulder. “Just follow my lead, please?”

I can tell he’s confused, but he just keeps following me until we’re slowing to a stop in front of the vampire. I’m smiling a wide, silly smile as I try to catch his eye, asking, “Mind if we rest here for a bit?”

It’s only then that the vampire pays us attention. But only for a second. “Sure, but just until my wife gets back.”

So she’s thewife. A thrill rushes down my spine when I realize I’m right about the best course of action here.

I nudge Bane to take a seat and as soon as he does, I come to nestle myself next to him, squirming softly as I put his arm over my shoulder. He doesn’t protest, but when I look up at him, he’s staring at me with his eyebrows pulled down. I lean to whisper in his ear, “Tell him you think his wife is gorgeous.”

“I don’t.”

“Just say it.”

He lets out a sigh and then turns to the target, locking eyes with him. “That your wife?” he says as he motions at the girl. “She’s gorgeous.”

“Hey,” I protest in a hurt voice, making him throw another confused look at me. “If I catch you looking at heronemore time…”

I see him frown just before his gaze darts to a waiter walking by. “Hey, why don’t you freshen these two up?” the vampire demands as he points at two fancy cocktails in front of him. “That’s my wife over there. She likes ‘em a certain temperature.”

I look up at Bane, catching him staring at the guy before turning his focus back onto me. “You know,” he leans to whisper, “it’s kind of unsettling, how quickly you’re catching on.”

I give him a smug smile. He lets out a sigh, but he’s smiling. “You never want to give me any space, huh, babe?” he asks, loudly and with a smirk. Then he turns back to the vampire, who’s now staring at him. “Women, am I right?”

“Yeah, women,” the guy echoes, a spark of interest appearing in his eyes. “So what brings you two here?” he leans to ask.

Bingo. Moving his arm so it’s wrapped tightly around my waist, Bane engages in a conversation with the vampire. I settle in, nestling even more comfortably against his chest and leaning the back of my head on his shoulder.

The conversation keeps drifting to me, but I stay silent, lifting my hand to trace my fingers along his forearm. It makes heat wash over me, when I see his skin prick and he starts slowly stroking my waist with his thumb.

He seems to already have the guy enthralled.

I let out a soft scoff. Peopleareall the same, aren’t they? Always have been and always will be.

Put them in a dark room and they’ll want light.

Give them a neighbor and they’ll start a war.

Try to teach them something and somehow they’ll find a way to makeyouout to be the enemy.

I throw a sneaky glance up at Bane. Maybe he was right all along, saying the world can’t besaved. It’s simply because people are and always will be petty, selfish little animals.

So why bother.

There’s a lull in the conversation when the vampire turns his focus ontome, motioning at Bane before he asks me with a knowing smile, “You like ‘em handsome, don’t you?”

I give him a wide, lazy smile. “Oh he’s not just handsome,” I reply as I squirm a little in his arms. “He’s the kind of guy who takes what he wants, no matter the risk. Just yesterday, he invested in this private island thing—”

“We don’t talk about that, babe,” he cuts me off with an awkward laugh, squeezing me tighter.

Oh he’s good. He’s making me believe our lie.

“Don’t worry, I won’t say too much,” I protest, pretending to bethatstupid. I turn my focus back onto the vampire. “Anyway,he got involved with these really sketchy types, butnow, whenever I feel like soaking in the sun, he can just whisk me away to our private island.” I look up to grin at Bane and I crane my neck a little, catching his eyebrows pull down just before I give him a kiss on the mouth.

It knocks the air out of my lungs, when he tugs me closer and I feel his tongue part my lips. He keeps kissing me and before I even realize what’s going on, I’m putting my hand on his thigh, reveling in the way he groans into my mouth when I start to stroke it.

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