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The kitchen was enormous, easily twice the size of Marcus’s with a double oven and huge stove with at least eight burners. It was what he assumed a professional kitchen would look like at a five-star restaurant. The counters were dark marble, and everything shone like it was polished within an inch of its life. He was afraid to touch anything for fear of smudging it.
Victoria had no such fear. She moved about the house as if she owned it rather than being a possession herself.
“So, you’ve met Marcus before?” Ethan asked, even though he already knew the answer. He was curious as to how she’d reply, how reliable she’d be.
“Not personally. But I saw him a couple of times when my master took me to The Bank.” She twisted partially around to look at him over her shoulder while still holding the fridge doors open. “Has he taken you to The Bank yet?”
“No. Not yet. I’ve only been his pet for a week.”
“Oh! You must get him to take you soon! Beg him.” She smiled slyly at him. “Or use other means to convince him.”
“What’s The Bank?”
She released the doors and leaned both of her forearms on the counter separating them. “It’s this special meeting place only for vampires and their pets. It’s the one place they can be out in public and totally be themselves. The first floor is the nightclub, and it’s so much fun.” She made a little face in displeasure. “The second floor is this stuffy rich man’s club, even though women are allowed in. They just sit around drinking, talking, or reading the freaking newspaper. The only music is like harp music. Winslow prefers to hang out there. I’ve only ever seen Marcus on that floor, but his brother Rafe is at the nightclub occasionally.” She gave a dreamy sigh. “Have you met that brother?”
“Yes. I’ve met all his brothers.”
“Rafe’s the sexy one. I bet you wish you got that one.”
Ethan tried not to sound too pissed when he said, “I adore Marcus. I have no regrets.”
Victoria shrugged and turned to the fridge as if his opinion didn’t matter. “Is there anything you’re in the mood for? I could call the chef to make something for you, but most meetings with my master don’t last long. I’d hate for you to leave before it’s done. Personally, if I eat one more salad, I might just throw a radish at his head.”
“I’d love something sweet.”
Victoria giggled and closed the fridge but kept the freezer section open. When she turned back to Ethan, she was holding two gallon containers of ice cream. The fancy, expensive kind too.
“Oh, yes!” Ethan said. He had to admit that this was going to be an expected perk of the job. He hadn’t had ice cream in a while.
Victoria put both containers on the counter and grabbed two more out of the freezer. She then quickly snagged two spoons out the drawer and handed one to Ethan.
“Thank you,” he said as he pulled the container of triple chocolate fudge closer to him. He broke the plastic seal, stunned no one had opened it yet. If it had been his, he would have cracked that bad boy open the moment he returned home from the grocery.
“This is so much better than listening to them talk politics,” Victoria said before shoveling a spoonful of rocky road into her mouth. She moaned around the chocolatey goodness and Ethan couldn’t blame her. This was the best ice cream he’d ever tasted.
“Have you been a pet long?”
Victoria straightened, her closed-lipped smile growing as she swallowed another bite. “I’ve been with Winslow for almost four years. That’s three times longer than any of his past pets.”
“Is that longer than most pets?”
She shrugged. “It depends. I’ve heard that most don’t last more than a couple of years. But I’ve heard there are a few out there that have been with their master for over a decade. Those are rare, though.”
“What happens to them? Do they just leave?”
Victoria paused, ice cream halfway to her mouth. “There’s no leaving. I mean, there’s supposedly some vamps that can wipe your mind, but humans can’t know about vampires. Most pets die while in service. A few are given away to other vamps as gifts.” Victoria lowered her spoon and leaned closer to Ethan. “Winslow has mentioned that he might one day turn me. No vamp ever does that with a pet, but he can’t live without me. He wants me this pretty for always.” She was practically bouncing with her excitement, and it was a struggle for Ethan to smile at her.
This was not what he was supposed to be talking about with her, but he had to admit that it was good information to have. He’d never given much thought to what his future would look like. He’d just been lost in the glow of their new love and the idea of living with him in Connecticut. But in Marcus’s mind, was that only for a year or two? Would Marcus hand him over to another vampire when he lost interest?
