Page 52 of Dissension

Why does she bother wondering?Of course, he is. If she wants space on her terms, he’s going to minimize the space.Control, release, control, release…

Everything he does is a game of wills.

{Now, you’re wearing a collar. He’s holding the leash.}

His grin is terribly wonderful as he bestows it upon them both, stretching out his arms along the back of the couch. “I was in the neighborhood and figured your charming friend needed saving from your apartment.” Bianca seems intrigued, damn her. He lolls his head to look at Kara briefly, muttering out of the side of his mouth, “I guess you can come too, spoilsport.”

“What did you have in mind?” Bianca asks him as she leans around Kara, the traitor. She knows the sort of pull Dieter has inthe city, the places he can take them. Kara can’t entirely blame her for wanting to see what he’s got up his sleeve.

He’s got a lot of fucking aces up there.

Turning on that wretched playboy charm of his, Dieter shifts his entire attention to Bianca and gives her the full blast. Leaning in close, coy, he plays with a strand of Bianca’s red hair while Kara mentally fumes. Why is he like this?!

“What do you feel like doing? I can make it happen.” Even his voice is playful, drawing Bianca in. Not Kara though, she wants to stab him. Something green is sliding around in her guts as he looks at her friend and she doesn’t like that either.

“Kara and I like to dance; can you work with that?” Bianca challenges, knowing a lot of men hate dancing.

“I can get you intoThe Eva,” Dieter says with a careless shrug. “If that suits.”

Bianca’s voice takes on a pitch that nearly makes Kara cringe out of her own body.

“The Eva?!” Bianca parrots shrilly, her eyes near bugging out. “Oh, God. We’re going. Take us there. Lead the way.Immediately.”

Kara barely stifles a groan of dismay.Whydoes he do this to her?The Evais an exclusive nightclub that’s nearly impossible to gain access to. It’s legendary for its difficult bouncers and insane dancefloors, the moody décor, and the splendid drinks.

Dieter grins in response, his pale green eyes on her face. “Don’t be mad. You’ll have fun. We can find you a virgin pina colada or something childish like that. I’ll buy you all the nonalcoholic silly drinks you want. If such a thing as ridiculously overpriced, nonalcoholic champagne existed, it would be yours.”

“So romantic,” Kara drawls with deep sarcasm. “Excuse me while I contain myself.”

Bianca is already on her way to Kara’s bedroom. “I’m using something from your closet. I’ll squeeze in, you’ll see. We aregoing.”

With it just being Kara and Dieter on the couch now,Buffyplaying in the background, Kara gives him her harshest stare. She maintains the most intense eye contact she can manage, trying to convey her absolute displeasure with him. The problem is, he gives her a charming little huff of a laugh before he leans forward and nuzzles her nose. “Don’t be mad, chickadee.Please?”

The way his tone dips and softens, becoming that submissive illusion… well it does hateful things to Kara’s body. She ignores the fluttering of her stupid heart. “You’re out of line now and you were out of linethen. You know it.”

When he brushes the back of her hand with his, she feels her anger at him begin to thaw even further. “You’re right,” he suddenly agrees, eyes dancing. “I’m a horrible human being. I should leave. You two can continue fawning over vampires-”

“Kara, are you getting ready?Get in here!” Bianca calls from the bedroom, not hearing their conversation. “I’m going to wear your hottest dress. You can dress in a sack.”

Ignoring that, Kara replies to Dieter. “You’ve already gotten Bianca’s hopes up. You’re not going anywhere without us tonight.” She’s well aware she’s played directly into his hand. “She would be disappointed.”

Those green eyes glitter like gemstones. “If you insist. You’d best find something to wear. I’m not taking you anywhere looking like a homeless person.”

“Asshole,” she hisses under her breath as she goes to join Bianca in her bedroom, taking in the mess of clothes strewn everywhere. Bianca sure has beenbusyin here.

They spend a few minutes picking through things, comparing, bickering with indecision on what to wear to a club neither of them has ever been able to enter-

A singsong voice interrupts their banter about the little black dress or the hoochie red one. “Do you need help picking your clothes? I’m good at that, you know. I’ve dressed a few top models-”

“We don’t need your perverse help!” Kara shouts from her room. The man has dressed her more times than she cares to count, not just fucking models.

“Speak for yourself. Dee, you can helpme.” Bianca replies slyly, to which Dieter throatily laughs.

Kara tries to ignore the way her stomach flutters, hearing that sound.

Being one of those impossibly exclusive nightclubs, The Evais one of those places where people can expect to wait outside forever, if not for anactualeternity. All so they can get in and stand around some more because all the tables require bottle service and if you aren’t getting bottle service, you are dancing on one of their many levels. Despite all this, Kara and Bianca are both excited to finally enter and take in the sights for themselves. Dieter is the only reason they have a prayer of getting in.

“Doesn’t this sort of remind you of the time we snuck into theDark Mirage?” Bianca giggles in Kara’s ear.

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