Evangelina is impossible to describe with words like beauty or perfection, and there isn't a single taste or preference that could compare to her; none of those expressions were ever meant for a being like her. And she's staring straight at me, one hand on my waist, the other on my chin, gently nudging my lips upward with her thumb.
I part my lips and let her thumb slip inside, then gently bite it, smiling—a smile that isn't forced at all, but the most honest reaction I have: shy awe in the presence of a creature made to be loved. I slip out of her hold, take her hand, and ask her to talk; honestly, I tell her:
—If we keep playing this little game between us, you know what's going to happen? We'll end up in a physical relationship—something erotic, unforgettable for me because… just look at you, my God. But deep down, I don't feel that way about you, so I have to ask you to—
She cut me off:
—It's fine. One kiss. Just give me one kiss. And I don't mean those almost-friendly ones we've shared—I mean a real one. And if you don't feel anything for me, I'll be like a nun to you from now on. I promise.
I said:
—That's cheating. You know I'd feel a lot of things. I wouldn't feel lesbian or bisexual, none of that—you're in a whole different category for me. So the answer is no.
—A kiss is just a kiss—she said—and I know it might seem like I'm everything good wrapped into one, but deep down, I need you to love me. Really love me. Look, Clara, the seer, said it—you're my sign, like my life depends on following you. Annia loves me, I know, and I adore her… but ever since I saw your eyes, all I can think about is kissing you. Not walking you down the aisle—just kissing you.
And then she made that sad, adorable face she knows works on me.
I covered my face with both hands so I wouldn't have to look at her, but her voice—sensual, beautiful—commanded:
—Open your robe for me. Let me see you.
As if my finger had brushed it by accident, I parted the robe slightly, but she said:
—No. Not like that. Open it for me.
I answered:
—Once. That's it, okay?
She stayed silent. I opened it and showed her my breasts, and the way she reacted made me feel beautiful. Then I let her kiss me—deeply, passionately, her tongue, the sweet citrus scent of her breath filling me. It was a long kiss, intense, growing more intimate with every second. To end it without her noticing how turned on I was, I asked her to hold me. She did—but squeezed one of my breasts while still biting at my neck. I gently pulled away and offered her some chocolates. Nothing worked on her. She backed me against the wall and started sliding her hand up my leg—and this time, I let her, gasping as I begged her not to take it any further.
Then she let me go, turned me around, and with her fingers inside me, I heard her whisper in my ear:
—You'll love me. And only then will I make love to you. You'll love me, beautiful.
She turned me back around, kissed me on the mouth, and walked away to pour herself some wine. She handed me a glass, bit into a piece of chocolate, and went to sit on the long couch at the foot of the bed. From there, she asked:
—Tell me everything about your first time with Killian.
But when she saw me, still trembling with desire, she came back and covered me in soft little kisses. I won't lie to you, my friend—and I know you can't judge me because of the oath we made—so I'll say it plainly: in that moment, I realized it's impossible for her not to turn me on. I don't think it would happen with Annia. I'm sure it wouldn't happen with one of the clones. It's just her. And on top of that, she had the intelligence and the skill to bring me back almost to normal with those little kisses and a few playful tickles that pulled me out of the haze she'd left me in.
We sat on the couch, and I told her everything—or almost everything, because I didn't want to spark her again. And if you're wondering why… I don't know. I think I need to be in love. Even though with Lucius I don't need that—he has power over me. Still, I couldn't stop smiling as I talked about what I felt when Killian was inside me, and how disturbing it was that I wanted him to finish without caring about the consequences—without caring if I got pregnant, knowing how easily desire takes over me. Now it just feels insane.
Evangelina asked something almost casually, in the middle of a longer thought:
—I know it's not possible because of the arranged marriage, but… didn't he ask you to be his girlfriend?
And honestly, I hadn't even thought about it. It wouldn't really change much anyway—not until everything with Annia was resolved. And right as I thought her name… she opened the cabin door, came in like a storm of tears, dropped onto the couch between us, and said:
—My father and Mr. Longfield are insisting on this farce. Killian stood his ground and asked them for time to think of an alternative, but they refused. They said they're worried and that they'll speed everything up so it happens as soon as possible—and when I refused, they threatened…
She broke down, crying so hard it took several minutes before she could go on. Then she told us everything had been a disaster, and that both Mr. Longfield and Vanderack had ended up saying:
—We know about Evangelina and Carmilla's influence. If we keep seeing resistance to the wedding, we'll remove them from your life without hesitation. This union between empires will happen no matter what.
We held her, staying like that for a while. My mind drifted to the painful thought of having to walk away from Killian, and at the same time I knew I had to take more responsibility for my actions. Just imagining Annia walking in—broken the way she was—and finding us naked in bed instead of talking on the couch… I would've died of shame for hurting her. Evangelina must have sensed that, because she gently stroked my arm.
Killian walked in, turned on the lights, and raised his fists in celebration… Annia jumped up from the couch and asked:
—What happened? What happened?
And he said:
—I told them about the cross-adoption idea Evangelina came up with, and the whole room went silent. Then your father, Annia, said it wasn't a bad idea—that we should study the scope of it, and that it could keep you from hating him forever. So I need to prepare a report for this week, and they're going to review it with their lawyers. I'm going to call Dr. Pierstein to handle the details and—
Evangelina cut him off:
—No. I'll prepare it. No one has more at stake in this working than I do. Don't worry—there's no point in being modest right now. I don't care how good that lawyer is—I can do it better, and in half the time.
We backed Evangelina, and Killian agreed, asking when she could have it ready. She answered calmly:
—By tomorrow night. I can put together a comparison chart of the advantages and disadvantages of both options—the marriage and the cross-adoption—and you'll see my idea is far more advantageous. Relax—we're going to win this.
Annia kissed Evangelina and hugged Killian, and I threw myself on top of them, shouting with joy. Then I said:
—We have to celebrate tonight. Let's go out—dancing, a party, something.
The three of them exchanged a glance for a second and said:
—What the hell—let's do it!
The plan was simple: dinner for the four of us, then we'd find the best place for fun. Annia and Killian went back and forth on security—whether to alert anyone or not—and that's when I found out we have four bodyguards I've never even seen, but they're out there, blending in, following us everywhere. Two went to the ski slopes with them, and two followed us while we went shopping. They've been here longer than we have, undercover for a week, tracking everything in the area to prevent any kind of attack.
And honestly, it's the perfect chance, my friend, to wear something from all those beautiful things Killian gave me.
I picked a short red dress with one shoulder bare, incredible black heels, and a matching purse. My hair looked amazing, and my ass—small but perfectly lifted—looked better than ever. I almost wanted to kiss myself in the mirror. Of course, Killian came out of the shower, threw on a T-shirt, jeans, and a jacket—and just like that, I knew no one would be looking at me. And it only got worse when Evangelina showed up in a dress even shorter than mine—white, with a pink jacket over it. The weird part? They both showered me with compliments. Why do they like me?
Annia looked stunning too, in a short sleeveless black dress with a stylish casual coat.
They decided to notify the bodyguards with clear instructions to find a place for dinner and another for later. Once the locations came in, we headed out. In the garage, there was a German armored SUV, and Killian chose that one.
On the way to dinner, Evangelina asked:
—How do you get along with your brother, Killian? I need to know the truth.
He said they got along about as well as you'd expect from two very different brothers who happen to like the same woman. And we all laughed.
Evangelina pressed on:
—No, I mean—would he approve the cross-adoption? Because I need to think of a solution. In the division of assets, adding Annia makes things more vulnerable—your father would gain a new heir. You would too, but you'd become a Vanderack heir to balance it. It's complicated, but he'd be forced to marry Sarah to avoid being at a disadvantage compared to you two when your father dies. Can you ask for his approval? If he refuses, it could ruin everything.
Killian answered honestly:
—I think Carmilla has a better shot than I do right now.
I said:
—Okay, I'll text him so we can talk. I don't think he's the kind of man who'd destroy his brother's happiness over money.
When I picked up my phone, I saw a message from him. It read:
"I miss you, little girl. I know you and my brother have probably slept together—and you know what? I'm glad, because he only knows how to make love. In a few days, when I come to you, I'll show you something much better. You and I will have sex—pure, wild, no limits, no hiding behind feelings."