Dark Choices - I. T. Lucas Page 0,45
Vlad had plenty of money, and since Wendy was his mate, it belonged to her too.
Except, she wasn’t ready to accept it. Perhaps she needed a proper wedding ceremony to convince her that they were mated for life?
She’d freak out if he suggested that.
“Why are you looking at the poor shirt as if it’s the enemy?”
“It’s red.”
“That’s the idea. You need to add some color to your wardrobe. Everything you have is either black or gray.”
“Do you really think it will look good on me?”
“Yes.” She made a face. “Put it on.”
The T-shirt was simple, and it fit him well, but he’d never worn red before, and it felt awkward. The indigo she’d gotten for him would have been better.
“How do I look?”
“Gorgeous. It goes perfectly with your dark hair and pale skin.” Wendy wrapped her arms around his neck. “My beautiful vampire.” She kissed him, going right in with her little tongue and playing with his fangs.
He pulled away. “If you want to make it to Roni’s barbecue, you’d better not start anything.”
“Fine.” Letting go of him, Wendy smiled and waved her new lipstick. “I’m going to try it on.”
As she ducked into the bathroom, Vlad sat on the bed, propping his elbows on his knee, and his head on his fists. The barbecue was a good opportunity to talk to Roni about digging for stuff on Wendy’s mom, but he still wasn’t sure that it was the right thing to do.
Wendy was happy, she loved the village, and was making new friends every day. If he did nothing, it would be best for her. But he wouldn’t have a moment’s peace until he avenged her.
Thoughts of what her father might have done to her and her mother kept sneaking up on him, waking him up at night, and swirling in his head during the early morning hours at the bakery. The work he did was manual, not cerebral, and since his brain had nothing to keep busy, it wandered to dark places it shouldn’t.
So instead of living in mated bliss and smiling twenty-four-seven, he was angry most of the time, and trying to hide his elongated fangs.
Wendy came out of the bathroom and sat next to him. “What’s the matter? If you hate the shirt that much, you don’t have to wear it.”
“The shirt is okay. It’s just an adjustment.” He looked at her. “Nice lipstick.”
She smiled brightly. “I know, right? Amanda recommended it to me. It was pricy, but I figured that I could splurge on one item. Everything else I bought was inexpensive.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “When are you going to get it through your head that you have plenty of money? We might not be rich, but you can afford anything you want.”
Wendy shook her head. “I’m enjoying my independence. I don’t want to have to ask you for money.”
“You don’t. I added you to my bank account, and I ordered credit cards in your name. You don’t need my permission to buy things.”
“What if it’s something really big?”
“Then we talk about it. I won’t buy anything super expensive without discussing it with you first. We are a unit, Wendy.”
“I need more time to internalize that.” She tilted her head and looked at him. “I didn’t grow up in a shared household, so I have no good example of how a couple should handle their money, but you didn’t grow up in one either. How do you know what to do? Maybe we shouldn’t share everything?”
“I did what felt right to me. But if you want to keep separate accounts, that’s fine. I understand your need for independence.”
She cupped his cheek. “You are so good to me, baby. Give me a little more time to get used to this, okay?”
He couldn’t help himself and asked, "If we were married in a traditional human ceremony, would it be easier for you to accept that everything that’s mine is yours, and that everything that’s yours is mine as well?”
She didn’t laugh or freak out as he’d expected. “Maybe. Do you want to get married? Jackson and Tessa aren’t officially married, and neither are Roni and Sylvia.”
“So what? We need to do what feels right for us.”
Wendy smiled shyly. “I wouldn’t mind a wedding. But not yet. Maybe in six months?”
“Why six months?”
She fidgeted with the bottom of her shirt. “I’m joining Kri’s self-defense course, and I hope that it will help me lose some weight. I want my wedding dress to be a size