Bianka glances around the room and nods. “Okay, that’s fair. You do have some good ideas. So, what’s your plan?”
“Well, obviously, Ellie will be at the masquerade since she’s a theater major, and you two haven’t stopped gushing about it–”
Bianka gives me a playfully reprimanding slap on the chest but lets me continue.
“And since she and Lucca can’t seem to survive for more than ten minutes apart from each other, he’ll obviously be there too….”
“Right,” Bianka presses when I pause for dramatic effect.
“Well, wewillall be in masks,” I point out, beating around the bush.
“Cass, just say it already,” Bianka demands. “You’re taking a century to get to the point.”
“If Lucca and I went dressed in the same outfit and you and Ellie happened to show up in the same outfit, we could pull a bait and switch. It would require Lucca and Ellie agreeing to spend part of their night alone, but I get we could persuade them to trade out so you and I can share a few dances at least.”
Bianka blinks up at me for several moments, surprise and doubt converging on her face. “Won’t people be suspicious if Ellie and I show up in the same dress? Besides, we aren’t twins.”
“No, but if you did your hair similarly, I bet you would be okay. Then we just have Ellie reveal her face early in the night to show which mask is hers. And if we have you swap in the girl’s bathroom, no one will think twice about it. I’ll play the buzz kill who can’t dance in the corner, and Lucca can take up my role while I pretend to be dancing with Ellie–but really, it’ll be you! We can trade off who’s spending time together without raising too much suspicion.”
Bianka releases a girlish giggle and presses an enthusiastic kiss to my lips. “Cassio, it sounds positively Shakespearean. I love it. Let’s ask them at dinner tonight.”
“Deal,” I agree, gripping Bianka’s hips and pulling her the rest of the way on top of me.
She straddles me, the folds of her robe opening slightly to reveal a hint of cleavage and inner thigh, and I slide my hands up her legs, admiring her soft skin.
“I have to say, as fun as it sounds–and believe me, I think pulling an identity switch in the middle of a masquerade is about as fun as it gets–it’s kind of frustrating to be putting so much energy into lying. I just wish that sometimes we could act like a normal couple and go do normal things together without having to worry about getting caught.” Her eyes fall to my chest as she traces a swirling pattern across my bare flesh.
“As soon as you graduate, nothing will stop that from happening,” I promise her adamantly. “You can find a job on Broadway, and I’ll follow you. I don’t need to be near my family as long as I have you.”
I rise up onto my elbows, bringing myself closer to her face as she continues to draw images on my skin.
Bianka meets my eyes with a sweet smile. “That sounds wonderful,” she assures me. “You know, I’d always envisioned finding a job in Chicago, so I could stay near Ilya, at least while growing my career. But if Ilya won’t see reason and be okay with us together, then we can just make a family of our own.”
Her conviction warms my chest, and I love hearing her think about our future together. Though I would hate to take her away from her brother if that’s what she wanted in life, I’m glad to know she’s as determined to stay with me as I am with her. But more than that, I’m struck by her mention of making a family together.
“Is that what you want?” I ask, my heart fluttering at the thought of having children with her. Fuck, just the mention of it, and unexpectedly I’m imagining what our kids might look like. I’d never put much thought into raising a family before, but with Bianka, suddenly, that sounds like a grand adventure.
“Someday,” she says warmly, a soft light glowing in her eyes that is new and profound to me. “I want to succeed in my career first, make a name for myself so I will always have opportunities on stage.”
Her eyes flick up to meet mine, excitement crackling in them like a flame. “But I’ve always envisioned having a big family full of love. I never had that growing up and always thought I would love to provide that for my children.”
I chuckle, sitting the rest of the way up so I can wrap my arms around her waist, holding her close. “It’s good that you’re open to a big family because with me being a twin, our odds of having twins of our own go up significantly.”
Bianka laughs heartily, her head tipping back as she slings her arms over my shoulders. “And what makes you so confident that I’ll be having this very large family with you?” she teases warmly, her eyes dancing as her lips hover mere inches from mine.
“Because I won’t ever let something come between us–not our families andcertainlynot some other man,” I assure her passionately.
Humming contentedly, Bianka leans into my chest as she brings her lips just a hair’s width from mine. “Good,” she breathes and then kisses me deeply.
My cock hardens in response.
“Mmm,” she moans, her hips rocking into me.
“Fuck it. We can be late to dinner.” I lean forward, spilling her onto her back as I slide into her easily, her legs wrapping around my hips. I’ve never been so glad to not need a condom–there’s no fumbling, no waiting. Just her and I and our need for each other.
This is a new kind of hunger that has overcome me after we successfully managed to navigate through our first conversation about what our future might look like and even having kids. We’ve only been dating for a few months, but somehow, this just feels right.
I’ve never wanted anyone the way I crave Bianka, and talking about bigger plans with her excites me in a way I never would have anticipated. She brings hope to my world, an anticipation for the future that I hadn’t known before.