Page 38 of Heart of the Villain

A win.

One more night. She could have one more night before dealing with what her life was about to become.

The front door opened, and a draft of cold air followed Bridger in. He’d promised to meet with them tonight, but the hours turned late, and none of them expected him to make it with the shitty weather.

But it was becoming obvious that there wasn’t much that would keep Bridger from Vega—not even a nasty snowstorm.

Vega smiled across the room as Bridger shook the fat white flakes of snow out of his dark hair. “Good-fucking-luck with this snow all day, every day. Gods.” He shivered, closing the distance between the door and where everyone sat around the sputtering fire. Khort was the furthest away, using whatever piece of his fire manifested outside of his dragon form to keep warm.

Bridger mussed Marlena’s hair as he walked by, and she swatted at his leg. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

“Then just say them,” Marlena grumbled, trying to fix her hair without a mirror.

Bridger plopped down next to Vega on the floor, where she’d been cuddled close to the fire all night like a lounging house cat.

For someone who had never been allowed around the other Curia children, Bridger had integrated nicely into their small circle. It was like he’d always been there.

Even Khort was starting to warm up to the idea of Bridger being around for the long haul.

Their conversation dragged on for a few more hours. Long enough for Vega to drift off to sleep, her head lying in Bridger’s lap as he stroked her hair gently.

The snowstorm outside hadn’t slowed, making it inconvenient for Khort to fly home tonight. So Khort and Arlet were going to share a room, while Bridger promised he would be fine on the plush rug by the fire.

Vega obviously had no issues sleeping, already snoring lightly in his lap.

Marlena was last to head to bed. She’d sat in the kitchen to finish the rest of her drink, watching the snow come down outside the massive picture window before hauling herself down the hall and to her new bedroom with its creaky door.

She made a mental note to get that fixed tomorrow, but as soon as she turned around from shutting her door with a light click, that mental note flew out of her brain and straight into the crackling fireplace in the middle of the bedroom.

Arlet sat at the end of her bed in her pajamas, anxiously bouncing her leg. Her thigh jiggled, stealing some of Marlena’s attention.

A slow smile spread across Marlena’s lips. “This isn’t the room you and Khort are staying in.”

“I know, I…” Arlet stammered when meeting Marlena’s piercing gaze. She licked her lips, eyes falling to Marlena’s chest for a split second. “I don’t want to stay with Khort.”

She’d said it so quietly, Marlena almost thought she’d imagined the words. “Oh?” She hadn’t moved from her spot by the door, taking a free moment to sip the cup of water she’d brought for her bedside.

“I wanted to—I don’t know. I think I…” Arlet trailed off.

Marlena sensed the nerves radiating off her, and that was when she moved from the doorway. She sat her drink down on the nightstand, now standing within an arm's distance of Arlet, who gazed up at Marlena with a look she couldn’t place.

“I wanted to congratulate you,” Arlet said, letting out a breath.

The hairs on Marlena’s neck stood, and she suppressed a chill at her words. “You already have.” Her voice matched Arlet’s lightness.

“Not the way I want to.”

Marlena couldn’t move an inch, afraid if she did, it would spook Arlet. “And how do you want to congratulate me?”

Arlet’s mouth opened, and then it closed… and then it opened again. And then it closed. It made the corner of Marlena’s mouth stretch into a smile, which made Arlet groan. “Gods, I’m so lame. I came in here to take charge, to be spontaneous, to finally act on what I’m feeling. On what you’re feeling. Er…” She paused. “What I think you’re feeling, and then the longer it took for you to get here, the more I started to think maybe I’m crazy and last night we just got lost in the moment. But then I thought about the way you said goodbye to me this morning, and then I convinced myself that it was a dream… but then the way you were looking at me tonight, it was like, you knew. Ya know?”

Marlena wasn’t sure Arlet had taken a single breath while saying any of that. She didn’t give her a moment to respond before she started again.

“And then this fucking dress.” Arlet ran a hand down her face, exaggerating by biting her knuckle. “All night I was fighting for my fucking life trying to make eye contact with you instead of staring at your tits. Gods!” Arlet flopped back on the bed, her legs bent at the knees, hanging over the bed while she stared at the ceiling. “I can’t even look at you. Please leave… your own room. I’m going to die of embarrassment.”

Marlena knew she was joking, her tone keeping its low intensity. “Arlet.”

She shook her head, arms draped over her face, covering her eyes.