8. Bianca

"You got what you asked for, didn"t you? Hastings sure is devoted to you now. A bit too much for my taste, I might add." Vlad lounges in his chair across from me, an amused expression on his face.

After the attack, Theo hadn"t left my side — not even for one moment. Not that I"m complaining, if I"m being honest, since it"s all I"ve ever wanted, but it"s made doing my job a little hard. I"ve had to refuse two assignments in that time, and I"d had to limit my coke intake to once a week — if I was lucky. I"d noticed the signs of withdrawal immediately. I"d find myself restless and increasingly irascible.

Even though I"d wished for nothing more than to have Theo tied to me twenty-four seven, it"s simply not possible with me leading a double life.

So, I"d had to gently nudge him toward considering his career. He"d been quite receptive, so that issue was easily solved.

"I"m itching to land a kill." I ignore his jibe, taking out my precious baby — my Glock — and cleaning it.

"I might just have something." His smile grows and I have to narrow my eyes at him.

"Really?" I tilt my head, watching him suspiciously. After the last time, I don"t think I"ll trust him for a while. "You sent a fucking meth-head to attack us, so forgive me for not trusting your judgment." He could have sent anyone, not an unreliable, volcanic meth head that almost slit my throat.

"What are you talking about?" He furrows his brows, leaning forward. "Meth-head? That I sent?" he asks incredulously.

"You don"t have to pretend you don"t know what I"m talking about." I roll my eyes. "You could have sent someone less unpredictable."

"I didn"t send anyone." He purses his lips. "At first I forgot and then Hastings seemed to come around so I didn"t think it was necessary anymore."

"Are you fucking kidding me? You didn"t send that guy?" Great! Simply great! I could have easily gotten killed because I"d been sure the guy would have never actually harmed me.

Fucking hell!

I don"t even think as I lift my gun and shoot, the bullet whizzing past Vlad"s ear close enough to draw a droplet of blood.

He doesn"t flinch.

Raising an eyebrow at me, he lifts his hand to pick up the blood with his fingers before bringing it to his mouth, licking it off.

"Is that war you"re waging right now, little goddess?" He watches me intently, like a big cat on a prowl, ready to jump on its prey at any second.

"You fucking asshole. Do you realize I would have let that motherfucker slit my throat because I thought you hired him?" I stand up, pacing around and trying to calm myself.

Fuck!

"You suddenly care whether you live or die?" He smirks. "That"s new."

"Asshole," I mutter under my breath.

He reclines in his chair, making himself more comfortable and seeming entirely unbothered.

"I may not have sent him, but it got you what you wanted, didn"t it?" He shrugs.

"That"s not the point," I grumble, but the annoyance is wearing off already.

"Just friendly advice. You should lock your suit down fast, before he finds out he"s been awfully deceived. How long have you been dating now? A year? More?"

"It"s not that easy," I mumble. Does he think I haven"t thought of that? I"ve been trying to give suggestions now and then, but Theo seems dense to all my attempts. I can"t get the man to sleep with me, let alone propose.

I release a big sigh and plop myself back in my seat.

"He won"t even go further than kissing. He sees me as this frail woman that he"s afraid to offend if he"s too forward."

"But isn"t that what you wanted? Attract him by seeming innocent and shy? He already seems quite taken with you, though," Vlad suggests.

"Enough of that." I wave my hand dismissively, since I"ve done plenty of thinking on the subject myself, and it always leaves me frustrated. "Tell me about that kill. I need to blow off some steam."

***

More months of sitting around in the hell of sexual frustration, with Theo so close and yet so far. The most we"d done had been a heavy make-out session that had left both of us wanting. Damn him and his fucking misplaced honor. I"ve even tried to slyly make my way down his pants, but he"d stopped me, saying he doesn"t think I"m ready for it.

I. Am. Fucking. Ready.

I am dying, that"s how ready I am. It"s been what, almost two years since he fucked me as Pink? I can"t believe I"ve made it this long, but my breaking point is nearing.

I may just snap and tear his clothes off, but that would undo years of pretending to be sweet, innocent Bianca.

Fucking hell!

"It says here to add more rose oil," I say to myself as I follow the instructions for the love spell. When the natural cannot yield results, you have to reorient yourself towards the supernatural. Not that I"m a great believer, but at this point, I"m willing to try anything.

If I can"t seduce him with my body, I doubt a dozen candles, some rose oil, and an incantation is going to do the job.

But alas, I will try it.

I place the candles in a circle and add some rose oil clock-wise as I recite the verses I"d found on the web.

"So mote it be," I end the chant, closing my eyes and willing it to happen. I imagine Theo on one knee, asking me to marry him, after which, he"d whisk me to bed and make love to me in a thousand ways.

A smile spreads on my face as I imagine it.

The spell done, I await the results.

Days pass, and then weeks, and I"m starting to believe that either magic isn"t real, or I must have offended those love fairies somehow.

But just as I feel hopelessness settle deep in my bones, I am regaled with the best of news — from my father, nonetheless.

One afternoon he calls me in his study to inform me that Theo"s asked for my hand in marriage and that he will soon propose.

"You"ll do better to accept, Bianca. You can"t do better than him. He has a bright future ahead of him." My father lists all of Theo"s qualities in an attempt to convince me that indeed, he is the best choice of husband.

On the surface, I nod like the obedient daughter that I am, but on the inside, I"m so giddy I high five all the love deities out there for making this happen.

I smile to myself. Now I just have to wait.