Page 38 of High Stakes and Soulmates (Fanged Mistakes #3)

He chokes out a laugh. “How?”

“Because I didn’t realize how much I needed this,” I say as I hug him. “I didn’t realize how much I needed to be told that it was okay to need someone… to want someone… to be selfish. I don’t think I’ve ever felt better.”

“I’m pretty sure you have. You’ve been mauled .”

“Physical wounds heal… it’s the wounds you can’t see that hurt the most.”

He kisses my hand again, and I don’t know if it’s because I feel so at ease or the drugs or the adrenaline washing off me, but I drift off to sleep in almost an instant.

When I wake up, I believe it’s the smell of food that does it.

“Why does it smell like heaven in here?” I murmur as I open my eyes.

Judging by the light outside the window that’s safe for vampires, I haven’t been asleep overly long, but the spot in front of me is empty and I find myself strangely upset that Ezio is gone.

My hand stretches out to the spot that’s grown cold.

“Oh! Good… uh… evening there,” Ezio says, startling me. I hadn’t even realized he was in the room. And did he get to watch me over here forlornly patting down his spot?

I eye him, a bit confused.

“I… was just wandering along and saw the most handsome man fast asleep,” he continues.

My eyebrow rises at this weird tale that seems to be happening. “You’re feeling better,” I realize. My eyes drift down from his face, taking him all in. “Are you wearing a suit?”

“I wanted to look the part when I asked you on a date.”

Then my eyes wander to what is definitely important here. “Is that steak?” I ask. “And do I only get it if I say yes?”

“Sure is. And sure will. I told Gustov he can have it if you say no. Julian cried that he wanted it, but I think it makes more of a point if I feed it to the dog.” Gustov, who must have followed the smell of food, sits by his side and wags his tail in agreement.

He also has a bow tie on for some odd reason.

I snort as I slowly roll off my side and onto my back so I can ease myself into a sit. “So… if I agree to a date, I get the handsome yet ridiculous man in front of me and a steak?”

“You sure do.”

“Oh wow… I mean… I definitely can’t say no, then.”

“I didn’t think you could,” he says. “But I brought a box of tissues to swipe up my tears if you did.” He waves to the tissues.

“I was thinking those were for something else, but this is probably more appropriate.”

Ezio pauses and stares at me. “They… can… be… for something— noooo, you are a wounded man.”

I grin as I realize how exhausting it sounds to even get up. “Do I have to get out of this bed?”

“Absolutely not,” he says, reaching over and picking me up before setting me down on my side of the bed with the headboard against my back.

This is something I’m positive I could have done myself, but he’s over here holding me like I’m glass and I feel like reminding him that I’m not breakable won’t do much.

Then he tucks the blanket around my waist before he hurries over to the dish.

“I was going to put on that maid outfit I got Julian, but I was afraid of what… stains might be on it,” Ezio informs me.

My face scrunches up. “Ew… let’s not ruin the mood.”

“I’m positive they got some use out of that present, if you know what I mean .”

“I wish I didn’t.”

“But… if you want me dressed as a maid, all you have to do is ask.”

“How did our date come to this?” I ask. “Where did this idea that I’d rather you be dressed like a maid come from? Is this a job a maid would do?”

“Depends on whether you paid them enough. I want to impress you, and for some reason, impressing you just went right to me being naked. Like if my words won’t work, surely my physique will… hopefully, I think… have you seen me naked? I can show you to make sure you’re impressed.”

“You could show me that steak and then sit next to me like a normal date,” I suggest while Gustov jumps up onto the bed to stare at me.

“I mean… I haven’t been on many dates, but I’m positive asking the person if they want you to deliver them steak in a maid outfit generally isn’t the first thing people do. ”

“You’re right, you’re right,” he says as he brings the tray over with a plate on top. He sets the tray over my lap and then climbs onto the bed with me. But instead of sitting next to me, he’s sitting at my feet and staring at me.

“This is… oddly sexy,” I assure him. “My favorite part is how the dog and my date are sitting in the exact same position.”

“It’s not my fault the dog stole my pose.”

“Strangely enough, you stole the dog’s pose. He was there first.” I pat the bed next to me. “Sit up here so you don’t look like a dog begging for a bite.”

“I’d like a bite of you,” Ezio purrs.

“You’re not eating me,” I say as I pick up my fork, but before I can even reach for the knife, he quickly grabs it.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think about your shoulder. You can’t just be sawing at a steak.”

“I hope it’s not so tough I have to saw it hard enough that I’m going to hurt my shoulder.”

“No, don’t put pressure on it,” he says, looking far too concerned as he cuts off a piece of the steak, and then when I assume he’s handing me the fork, he instead heads toward my mouth with it.

“I can feed—” And the steak goes in midsentence. It’s delicious enough that I forgive him for treating me like I’m made of glass.

“Do you want mushroom with the next bite?” he asks as he rapidly cuts off another piece and stabs a mushroom along with it.

“Once it’s cut, I can definitely feed myself.

I know one arm got mauled, but the other is doing pretty fine.

Look,” I say as I lift both hands to show how they work.

I even slide one behind the other before revealing my middle finger.

“Weirdly, this finger is the only one that works well, but that’s all I need to feed myself. ”

Ezio laughs. “Clearly, it’s quite broken, then.”

“Is it? Because I think it looks like a very nice finger.”

“It is a very nice finger,” he says as he pushes it down to try to feed me some more.

“Didn’t I just show you how well it worked?”

“Well, it doesn’t.” He happily puts more food in my mouth. “Good, yeah?”

“It’s delicious,” I say. “Cut up the rest and I’ll eat it with my fancy hands.”

“Here comes the next bite.”

Evidently, my words are meaningless to his ears. “Look. Fingers definitely work. Want me to prove it to you?” I ask before I make a circle with one hand and stick my finger through the hole with the other. “If that doesn’t prove it to you, I don’t know what will.”

He’s eyeing my fingers with renewed interest. “I missed that. Can I see it again?”

“No, it was a one-time thing,” I say as I try to pry the fork out of his hand. To make sure I avoid getting the fork, he ends up bending it like a taco shell.

“Oh no… now you can’t use the fork at all.”

I stare at it in disbelief. Honestly. There are no words to deal with this man. “Now how will I eat?”

“I will feed you with my fingers.”

“Or you could just bend the fork back.”

“I don’t know how,” he says as I watch him bend it into a pretzel. “See?”

“My steak is getting cold.”

Ezio picks up a piece with his fingers. “Open wide!”

I’m not sure my eyebrow could be raised any higher.

But here I am, opening my mouth, and when he goes to simply put the piece in, I use my hand to guide his fingers into my mouth, sliding my tongue over his fingers while I stare him right in the eyes, proving that this hand apparently works just fine .

“Yum,” I say after I draw his fingers out.

He’s frozen where he sits. “Why are you doing this to me?”

“Doing what?” I ask, the definition of innocent.

“Making turmoil happen in my pants. And I can’t because you were mauled and I have to be a strong man.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes! Very much! Very strong! Look how strong. Have you ever seen anyone stronger?”

“Probably,” I say.

Ezio growls at me as he dutifully unpretzels the fork. Then he cuts the rest of the steak into pieces and slides the fork into my hand while he stares at me.

I don’t know why it makes me laugh. He’s trying so hard to pretend he’s not fighting whatever is “going on in his pants,” and I’m not yet sure if he’s winning.

“I don’t know how to handle this new side of you,” he tells me.

“Yeah? I’m really not any different.”

“You sure?”

“I’m just fucking happy. Ridiculously happy.”

“I don’t know how!”

“You don’t need to,” I say as I take another bite. “This is really good.”

“It was really expensive. I made Casimir pay for it, but I want you to pretend I paid for it. I only ordered one for you and then Julian stared at me in disbelief and told me that he let me rub my face all over his belly, so how dare I not get him a steak? And Casimir ordered him like three.”

“Just now?” I ask.

“Just now what?”

“You rubbed all over his fluffy ass?”

He hesitates before grinning at me. “Are you jealous?”

“Answer the question. Did you leave the bed where I was spooning you to maul your best friend’s partner?”

Ezio’s grin widens. “Hmm… good question. But a better question is… would you be jealous? When you turn into a floof, can I rub my face all over you?”

“Sounds strange and weird,” I comment.

“A good weird?”

“I… my mind doesn’t comprehend any part of it. Like… there’s no way I’m just poofing into a freaking wolf.”

“Are you going to poof into a cat or something instead? A cat does seem to suit you better.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to turn into, but I don’t feel like I’m going to turn into anything. The whole concept just… like I’ve seen wolves… I’ve been mauled by wolves… and I still can’t… it just… I don’t know. Maybe I’ll understand it better when it happens.”

“Whatever you do, don’t try until you’re healed. You don’t need to rip your wounds open.”

“I won’t,” I say, unsure about trying even after I’m healed. The whole idea… freaks me out a bit. I keep eating while I think about that. “My fluffy balls are going to be on display for everyone to see.”

Ezio starts laughing. “That’s your concern?”

“Can I wear pants? Can you get me pants?”