Stone In Love

Chapter 30

It was difficult to think with Vincent so close. His presence commanded my attention, as did his hand where it brushed against mine as we shared dog walking duties. Every time I looked at him, he was looking at me. How was a girl supposed to focus? Was he trying to read my mind? Good luck with that.

We had brought the dogs to a small park, encountering a plethora of other people doing the same with their four-legged friends. Vincent bought us gelato from a vendor, another off-diet treat I chalked up to a stress remedy, and we chatted about our favorite flavors and the memories associated with them. All in all, the experience was enjoyable, and Vincent seemed somewhat relaxed during our adventure. He even chose to ignore his cellphone.

When he finally succumbed to the buzz, he informed me that Amelia and Lucy were home with Colin, although he didn't seem eager to return to meet them. I wasn't sure how I felt about it either. While I looked forward to seeing Colin, I wasn't looking forward to witnessing the clash of the titans. Of course, we had to face reality eventually. Ha! Reality. That was a word I would never take for granted again.

Colin sat on his cherry red couch surrounded by family when Vincent and I arrived, and I stifled my commentary about the stark differences between Colin's decorating style and that of his control freak bother. The theme was definitely Asian, with reds, blacks and golds commanding the color scheme, and I didn't doubt most of the decorative pieces were actual artifacts Colin had purchased while visiting the exotic continent.

Bare chested and well-chiseled, Colin relaxed half nude on the couch, covered only by a pair of acid-washed jeans and a bandage wrapped around his ribcage. I couldn't help staring at his impressive features as he patted the spot next to him. "Reese. Long time no see."

Colin's grin had me grinning back as I sat down, forcing Vincent to stand due to the lack of seating. He responded by skulking off to lean against the sliding glass door while Colin broke into his rendition of the ambush in Baltimore, describing the battle in great detail, which concluded at the climactic moment the blade slid between his rib cage. I grimaced at Colin's grotesque descriptions, glancing now and then at Vincent, who had become interested in his phone and refused to return my gaze. I knew this tactic. Heath behaved the same way, even with his closest friends, and a thought came to me unbidden. Had all of Heath's friends been demons?

Visiting hours ended with Wren shooing everyone away, although Colin tried to talk me into staying to watch Underworld with him, a movie he claimed was riddled with plot holes. Vincent gratefully escorted me next door to his place, closing the door on Colin's pleas.

"You need to get onto a nocturnal schedule, Reese," Vincent said as we were greeted by Bonnie and Clyde's clicking toenails. "I can tell you're feeling the effects of fatigue."

"And what effects might those be?" I asked, kneeling to pet the overenthusiastic canines.

"Being oblivious to the obvious."

He walked further into the apartment, forcing me to chase after him to take issue with his accusation. "Oblivious to what? Am I supposed to placate you every time you're acting pouty? For the record, I'm not oblivious to that."

He stopped in front of the pantry door and rummaged for dog treats as he continued his tirade. "If you weren't so fatigued, you wouldn't be arguing with me right now. I need to take a nap before our date. I suggest you do the same."

Vincent allowed himself to be distracted by his dogs as he forced each of them to sit before giving them their reward. I was still standing in the foyer when he swept past me, unbuttoning his shirt on his way across the living room. I wanted to backhand him. I wanted to pummel his chest until it burned red with my prints. Then I wanted to peel his clothes off and ride him nice and slow.