Enemy Mine

Chapter 8

Vincent's lasagna tasted divine, although the fact that he prepared it in the nude may have enhanced the flavor. I especially enjoyed holding the dishtowel over his family jewels while he browned the ground beef. Despite his uncharacteristically playful mood during dinner, when the dishes were washed and put away, he backed me into the cabinets, caught me up in his arms, and I watched his gray gaze cloud over. Mr. Pragmatic was back.

"I'd like to do some flight training tonight," he said. "Your wings provide a vital means of escape from predators. You need to learn how to use them."

Damn.

"I suppose the fact that it's pitch black outside has something to do with it?" I asked.

"It does."

"And the shore on the lake will act as a landing strip?"

"It will."

I kept Vincent focused on my eyes as I made my inquiries, using whatever resources I had to delay the inevitable bone-crushing pain that he claimed was intangible. Intangible, my fanny. A smirk had developed at one corner of Vincent's mouth as he indulged me, and while I knew I had a choice in the matter, I'd learned that Mr. Pragmatic usually got his way. He had a direct line to Mrs. Surrender.

"Do you expect me to put on the black bikini I found in my duffel bag?" I went on "It's Amelia's bikini, isn't it?"

"Yes to both."

"You know I'm going to bust right out of that."

Vincent lifted his brows, showing off those mercurial eyes as he leaned in to whisper at my temple. "Yes." When he pulled back, his jaw was set. "You are fighting the change, Reese. I understand it's painful for you, and that's why I want to help you. Gollums versus demons is your life now. The sooner you're able to protect yourself, the less strain it puts on the domus."

"Oh, right. The domus. The place I may or may not be calling home."

"Don't go there, Reese. You are my life now. I want you with me, and if you can't be with me, I want you safe. Everything else is just a necessary distraction."

I took that opportunity to hug him tight. Clearly, Vincent had made the commitment to pollute the gene pool. So, if the Valentinos tossed me out, they'd be tossing him out too. We were partners in this thing, and hopefully our story would play out like Beauty and the Beast rather than Romeo and Juliet.

"I love you too, Vincent. And, I'm ready to embrace this crazy life I've been sucked into. Baptism by fire and all that."

My enthusiasm dragged a smile from him, and he lifted me to kiss my mouth, a swift and fierce possession that left me reeling when he pulled away. "Humoring me is my favorite tack of yours, but I'm not above throwing you over my shoulder. In fact..."

I watched Vincent's eyes glint with mischief, and I slapped my hand against his chest to stop him before he did something rash. "I just ate two helpings of lasagna and a salad. Think twice before you start throwing things."

He nodded. "Fair point. Would you settle for a nap? You won't be keeping your dinner down if we start flight training now."

I did a subtle fist pump at my side as I grinned up at him. "Taking a nap with the man of my dreams? That sounds as good as cooking in the nude." I grabbed his hand and led him into the bedroom, ignoring the chafing between my legs.

~ ~ ~

Sex had always been my exercise of choice when metabolizing those pesky carbs, and I felt zero guilt for getting no sleep during my nap with Vincent. Once our food had been properly digested, he suggested we meditate before training. That's when I fell asleep, and an hour later, he was tossing the black bikini onto my fetal form to wake me up.