Page 50 of High Stakes and Soulmates
“Ezio, release the fucking leash!” Julian cries.
“I’m sorry! I forgot I was holding it!” he says, hurriedly dropping it.
“I left the tip,” Casimir tells the woman as Julian chooses to use Ezio’s body as a shield. I eye him while wondering why he’d pick Ezio out of all of us. Not… that I wanted him to pick me… I mean… what the hell does that even mean? Why would I care if he chose Ezio’s body to lie flush against with his whole naked… self…
Ezio’s eyes flicker over and catch mine and then we’re just locked in a fucking stare-off while Julian is straight up pressed against Ezio trying to get the collar off.
“The direct eye contact you two have going on is making even me uncomfortable,” Yorick says.
“If someone gave me some freaking clothes, this wouldn’t be so uncomfortable,” Julian hisses.
“You seemed pretty comfortable when I walked in,” the woman says. “I mean… would you like me to deliver some clothes? I’m available.”
“Ha… ha ha. No. Thank you. You are very sweet. You are very… ummm… discreet, hopefully. Yes… please. Bye. Casimir… tip her extra.”
“She already got a tip by getting to see your naked body,” Casimir assures him as the woman slowly exits the room. I think a part of her wants to stay… for science.
“That is true. It’s tip enough for me,” Yorick says before getting a look at Casimir. “Why the fuck is it okay for others to be like, ‘Oh, yes, Julian’s body is the best, but if I joke about it, you want to murder me? I thought we were friends.”
“Friends get me clothes so I can stop wearing Ezio,” Julian mutters.
“On it!” Yorick says as he rushes off and starts yanking out clothes that he hands to Julian.
“Are you going to stay?” Ezio asks me.
“Am I going to stay and watch this strange orgy that’s supposedly leading up to a dog show? I mean… I don’t have to work tomorrow… I’m not sure I could possibly say no. Like… when one thinks of vampires, they think of… prestigious and scary men and women who hunt in the night and not…” I glance over at Casimir fixing the hair on Gustov’s head. He fluffs it into a magnificent poof on his head before banding it so it’s out of the dog’s eyes. “…that. How can I miss that?”
Ezio grins. “Understandable.”
“We should probably get some sleep so we can be up before the dog show starts. There are three kings and a sofa bed,” Julian says.
“Yorick can sleep on the balcony,” Casimir says.
“We are practicing kindness this evening,” Julian announces. “Do you think leaving a vampire on a balcony is kind?”
Casimir thinks long and hard about this. “Can I get help from the audience on this one?”
Julian gives him a look. “NO! Stop being evil.”
“It’s his love language,” Yorick assures Julian. “Boy oh boy, that pull-out couch looks quite uncomfortable… I guess I could share with sweet Cyrus.”
Ezio slides in front of me. “Why would you share with Cyrus? Go take a bed for yourself.”
Yorick just grins, pleased with himself as he wanders off, and I’m stuck looking at the man who body blocked Yorick from even thinking about climbing in a bed with me.
Ezio gives me a smile. “I will sleep on the pull-out couch. You can have the bed to yourself.”
I take a deep breath. “I will not melt if you share a king-sized bed with me. Hands to yourself. Pillow fort between us. Understood?”
“Of course. Of course. Hands to myself,” he agrees as he walks into the bedroom we’ll be sharing. There’s a bathroom offit that’s shared with Yorick’s room, but Yorick doesn’t seem to need it, so it’s empty at the moment.
“Go ahead. I’ll be ready in a second,” I say as I shoot Joaquin a text.
Me: Guess I’m staying at some hotel and going to a dog show with the vamps tomorrow. Don’t ask.
Joaquin: Come on… how the fuck do I not ask? I mean… Cyrus… let’s rewind to you making fun of me for hanging out with TotallyRealWoman6969, and you’re over here going to a dog show with some vampires? You kill me.
Me: I love how the only part of her username that stays the same each time is the 69s.
