Bleeding Ink

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

As soon as Corliss opened her apartment door, she was met with the narrowed eyes of her sister, looking more like their mother than she ever had before.

"You do know Mother and Father were expecting us an hour ago, right?" Bridget told her, glancing back at the clock that hung on the wall by her bookcases. She was stunning in an emerald green dress to match her eyes, one that clung to her figure in all the right places. "But no, you said you'd catch up. This is not catching up, Cor."

"Sorry?" she apologized not so convincingly. She swept her hands down herself, gesturing to the cosmetics on her face, the glittering black dress that seemed modest from the front and yet swooped down in the back all the way to her waist, exposing the length of her spine. "I can't just go out like you can. I have to fix myself up to be presentable."

"Oh, please," she snorted as Corliss closed and locked her door behind her. "You're just stalling because you don't like these dinners."

"Because they're boring, that's why," Corliss complained. "It's just the king and queen and the lords and ladies of Dalcaine. None of the royal children are ever required to come, so why should we?"

"It'll make Mother and Father happy? And I'm Lady of Asturia, so I have to. Gaven's going for moral support on your behalf. Plus, you're the future Lady of Eld, so you have to go."

"And yet I'm just going for the food."

A small smile appeared on Bridget's lips as she looked over at Corliss. "And I'm just going so I can watch you meet Meron for the first time."

Corliss slapped a hand to her forehead. She'd forgotten about that and yet instantly knew the dress she'd chosen was perfect. With her sass and attitude, plus the way her dress hugged every part of her flawlessly...well, she was going to eat him alive. No male ever knew how to handle her.

Her answering grin made Bridget raise a brow. "What are you thinking?"

"That I'm going to be on my best behavior."

"I will say again, oh, please. I know that look. You're planning something."

"Me?" she asked, batting her eyelashes innocently.

"I know you are. But when it comes to Meron...well, I have a feeling you're about to meet your match."

"I look forward to it, then."

As they walked out of the building, Alberich and Gaven were there, waiting for the two of them. Bridget practically skipped to her mate's side, leaning up on her toes to give him a quick kiss. Gaven, though, narrowed his eyes at Corliss, noting the dress she was wearing, especially when she spun around to give him the full effect.

"Oh, no. I'm not letting my baby sister prance around in that," he told her, arms crossing in the same way their father did when he was being stern and intimidating.

"Of course, I am, Gav. I'm apparently meeting my match at this dinner, so I want to be presentable."

"Yeah, and he's going to get an eyeful of you, too."

"It is what is it," she shrugged, and then laughed.

Just like Bridget, Alberich was grinning at the mention of his best friend. "I'm sure Bridget's already said this, but I think you're not going to know how to handle Meron just like he's not going to know how to handle you."

Corliss narrowed her eyes, looking between her sister and her mate. "Do you two share a brain or something?"

The two of them look at one another...and, of course, went in for a kiss a second later. "Of course," they said together after breaking apart.