"Yeah.” I sighed. “A vampire. Food is still fun to eat, but we don't really need it to survive so it kind of puts a damper on the whole fun of it."
She nodded in understanding as she drank from her soda can. "I get it. Kind of like baking cookies when you're on a diet." I gave her a confused look. She waved her fork in the air as she tried to explain. "You know. Just the action and smell of it is enjoyable, but you know you don't really need it, but you put yourself through the motions of it anyway just because a part of you wants it." Piper gave me a shy smile before shoving a forkful of noodles into her mouth.
I couldn't stop smiling at her. She was just that amusing. "I wouldn't know. I've never been on a diet before."
With her mouth half full, Piper rolled her eyes and picked at her plate. "Of course not, you guys are chiseled out of granite. You need a diet like I need a..." She caught herself with a sheepish grin. "What I mean to say is, you look good."
"Thank you.” I chuckled. “I'm pleased to know you feel that way."
She nodded absently, slowly chewing.
We sat there together in silence for a few moments. It wasn't an awkward one anymore, and neither one of us was in a rush to fill it. I only hoped one of my other brothers didn't ruin it by showing up for food. They didn't usually care for eating other things than blood, but if they knew Piper was here, they'd make some excuse. I was about to ask her if she wanted more but then she asked something else instead.
"You know, Wynn said something to me earlier or rather yesterday." Piper shifted in her seat, her fingers playing with her can of soda. "I was wondering if you could confirm what he said for me?"
My brows lifted. All manner of scenarios went through my head. It was Wynn after all. He could have said anything from bad-mouthing one of us to outing himself and, in part, the rest of us about the club. However, I didn't want to jump to conclusions or put ideas in her head, so I simply said, "Yes?"
Piper wouldn't meet my eyes, and a faint blush crossed her cheeks as she struggled to speak. "Well, I had concerns about letting him kiss me seeing as I'd already kissed Rayne." Her head dipped and her shoulders bunched up around her ears.
My lips ticked up at the sides already having an idea of where she was going with this, but I wanted to hear her say it. "Go on."
"Well," she cleared her throat and then met my gaze, "he implied, Wynn that is, that you guys have..." She stopped and slapped herself on the face with a distraught sound. "Sorry. Forget it. Forget everything I just said. It's stupid. I'm stupid."
Piper jumped out of her seat, but I was there before she could make her escape. She gasped and stepped back a step. I took that moment to capture her hand in mine and pull her back toward me.
"You want to know if we're okay with you kissing more than one of us? Is that what you're trying to ask?" I brushed a bit of her hair back from her face, enjoying the feel of her soft skin beneath my fingers.
Her mouth dropped open, and her breathing quickened. As she licked her lips, she bobbed her head. "Yeah. I mean, yes. He said you guys were into..." She seemed to struggle with her next word before she finally got it out. "... sharing."
I gave her a small smile as I tried not to laugh at her embarrassment. "Piper." Her brown eyes lit up as I said her name, her gaze meeting mine with a mixture of shyness and perhaps a hint of desire. "We've been with each other for a long time. Our definition of monogamy isn't the same as a human."
Her eyes widened substantially, and I quickly worked to explain further.
"Not to say that we wouldn't each be faithful to you, but we also have a fragile dynamic. Having more than one woman in the mix would complicate that even more than it already is with us all being crazy about you."
Piper let out a choked sound. "You... you are?"
I lowered my face close to hers and murmured, "Haven't you noticed, little maid? You have thoroughly captured the vampires of this house... or at least this one."
Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest, and her eyes fluttered closed as I moved in to finally capture those lips with mine... and I would have had the doorbell not just sounded through the house. The sudden sound jolted Piper, and she pushed me away with her small hands as she took a large step back.
With a shaky breath and a little laugh, she scrambled toward the kitchen door. "I better get that."
I scrubbed a hand over my face, cursing at her retreating figure when a hand clamped down on my shoulder. I knew it was my twin without having to look.
"Well, that's the breaks. My turn now."