“You okay?” He hovers over me, looking concerned. There are red marks on his face from the gas mask straps.
“I’m awesome.” I touch myself, checking for blood. “I thought I tore.”
“No blood.”
“Next time.”
He hums, swiping the washcloth over me.
I reach for him, and he stills when I touch his wrist. He doesn’t like me touching him, I’ve noticed that, but he’s letting me do it now. “I’m serious. I want it. I want you to make me bleed.”
His face is as stern as ever, but he has a smile in his eyes. “All in good time, sweetheart.”
Sweetheart?
“We have time. Remember? You’re going to be my wife.” I’m stunned, still caught up on the soft way he said sweetheart.
“We’re going to have years together. Years of me learning every part of your body.”
He touches my lips, and I realize my mouth is hanging open. What he’s saying is too much to imagine.
“Really?”
“Really.”
I can’t believe it. The picture he’s painting is… very attractive. Dinner and then a chase through the house.
It can be like this.
“Would you like that?” He leaves the question hanging while he returns the washcloth to the bathroom.
I’m still braindead, but a yes is on the tip of my tongue.
Then I notice he’s taken all the candelabras out of the room. The air still has a slight skunky flavor, but it’s a lot fresher in here.
“Did you figure out how I was drugging you?” I ask.
He gives me a flat look. “The candles.”
“What about them? I love candles. Lots of people have a candle obsession.”
“Especially when they smell like hashish.”
I knew I went too hard on the opioid compounds in the most recent batch.
“You even decorated the table with poppy flowers,” he says.
I giggle. “You noticed.”
“And you put on the episode of Vampire Varsity where the chess club gets high and gets possessed by the spirit of a succubus.”
“Season five, episode twenty-one. It’s a good one.”
He shakes his head. “You left so many clues.”
“It’s only fair. Supervillain code of honor. Make sure a worthy adversary has a chance to beat you.” I twist one of his curls around my finger.
“You think you’re a supervillain?”
