Page 28 of Vow of Darkness
I frown, not quite sure what she means by that.
Ginevra lets out a sharp, piercing laugh. “You do know what I mean, don’t you? Are you that naïve?”
“Aurora is innocent,” Gabriel explains. “Our marriage wasn’t built out of love.”
“More like possession,” I say.
“Still just as feisty as I remember,” George comments. I ignore him. After what he did to me, I never want to see him again.
“Oh, so you two haven’t fucked yet.” Ginevra’s comment is not a question. It’s a statement. One that makes me blush and fills my stomach with an unusual feeling I can’t explain.
“That is none of your business,” Gabriel says.
“Well, considering we used to fuck, I would say it is my business.”
I stare at the table like I’ll be able to see through it if I just look hard enough. Ginevra confirmed it for me. Gabriel and her have a past relationship. I shouldn’t care. Gabriel has given me no reason to care about him.
And yet… I’m not sure how I feel about his ex-girlfriend here, in his house, eating at his table with me right here.
George looks uncomfortable by Ginevra’s words, clenching his hand around his steak knife.
“Ginevra,” Gabriel warns.
“It’s just a fact. Everyone knows it.” I can feel her looking at me. “Unless… your little wife didn’t know. Did you not tell her about our past, Gabriel?”
“No. I did not. Now, drop it. You and George showed up uninvited. I let you in because I am a good host. But you do not get to come into my home and disrespect me.”
“Fine,” she replies in a clipped tone. “But I have to know. Why haven’t you claimed your wife yet? Is there something deficient about her?”
“No. Aurora is perfect.”
I startle at Gabriel’s compliment and look up at him to find him gazing at me with a hard expression. For once, I have nothing else to say. My tongue is caught in my mouth.
“Mmm.” Ginevra scowls. “Well, I see. You were fine using me and bedding me for your own pleasure and yet you can’t get yourself to corrupt your wife. Why?”
“I said stop,” Gabriel warns again. “So stop, Ginevra. Aurora, get your food from Maria and go eat in your room.”
My body responds to his command on instinct. Besides, I don’t want to be around George longer than I have to. But I have questions for Ginevra and I’ll need to find a moment to get her alone.
I collect my dinner from Maria and go back to my room and wait and wait and wait…
An hour passes by. Surely they’re gone by now.
I poke my head out of the hallway but don’t hear anything. That’s when I go exploring. I check the dining room but none of them are there anymore. It’s then that I hear Ginevra’s laugh come from a room down the hall. Checking it out, I see that she and Gabriel are in a large ballroom. I didn’t even know he had one – that’s how huge this house is.
Gabriel sits at a piano and tickles the keys while Ginevra lounges on the top like she’s a jazz singer. Where is George? I don’t see him anywhere in the room.
To my surprise, Gabriel begins to play a somber, beautiful song. I didn’t know he could play but then again, there’s a lot I don’t know about the man I am married to.
Ginevra gets off the piano and slips her dress off her body, showing that she has no clothes on underneath. I’m so startled by it, my body goes completely still.
Gabriel stops playing. “What are you doing?”
“I want you to fuck me again. We used to have a lot of fun together.”
“We did.” Gabriel resumes playing, keeping his eyes on the piano.
“But now you’ve married that girl. Why? Was I not good enough for you?”
