“Shut it,” Dimitri barked, but his response seemed to lack the usual bite it had to it, while I just stood there blushing furiously.
I wished my face wouldn’t give away my thoughts half the time. Muttering under my breath, I stormed back into the kitchen in search of other dishware. I rifled through the cupboard and came up with a set of ceramic plates - each washed in a different splash of colour. They weren’t ideal, but at least they weren’t the fine china that Dimitri had been about to hand out.
I shut my eyes, annoyed at myself. Why was I even worried about what plates Dimitri used? This wasn’t my home, Dimitri’s plates weren’t my responsibility. I needed to wrap this job up and get home. If I was worried about what cutlery was being used in Dimitri’s home, then I was becoming far too comfortable here.
I sighed, refusing to examine my actions further and marched back into the lounge. Dimitri was now seated next to Ravi, controller in hand, as Ravi and him raced against one another on screen.
Turns out I was entirely wrong about him - he could relax - he could even be nice - just not around me.
The sounds of cars racing washed over me as Ravi and Dimitri seemed to take turns yelling expletives at the television. I curled up on the opposite side of the couch next to Stepen and discovered that he enjoyed collecting comic books - specifically Marvel. He was a sweet kid, and I wondered if I had ever come across as innocent as he was. Twenty-four wasn’t that much older than him, but curled up on this couch, it seemed as if it were a lifetime.
Ravi’s eyes kept darting over me, the heat of his gaze scalding my cheeks. I pulled my legs up closer, causing my shorts to ride up, exposing even more of my thigh.
“You call up Emma yet?” Ravi directed his question to Stepen, his gaze taking in my leg. Shit. Ravi was a good looking guy, but the last thing I needed was him looking at me like that.
“Not yet,” Stepen responded glumly, “Can I have a turn yet?” He asked, gesturing towards the controller.
“Call her,” Ravi slapped the controller into Stepen’s hand, “you’ll regret it, I heard that Emma and Lacey often pair up, and being one of Dimitri’s boys pretty much guarantees you a good time.”
The unmistakable embarrassment of Stepen was not only evident in his blush, but also in the way his body almost curled in on itself.
“Is that so?” I snipe back, wanting to take some of the heat off of Stepen.
“What?” Ravi joked back, “You don’t think Dimitri’s boys can give as good as they get?”
Suddenly it was my turn to blush, but I refused to back down, not after redirecting the conversation to me to save poor Stepen.
“I think that it’s a little fucked up that you are simply given a good time just because you’re part of Dimitri’s business,” I volleyed back.
Ravi pivoted in his seat, squaring his shoulders directly at me - even with Stepen in the way - his gaze never wavering from mine.
“Do you mean to tell me that you have never used your position in this world to get something? Your looks? Your family ties?”
I shifted uncomfortably, refusing to admit to anything.
“Even your Magick is a way of getting what you want,” Ravi went on.
Dimitri’s hands flew across the controller, but I could tell from his posture that he was paying attention to what Ravi and I were saying more than he was paying attention to the game.
“Hell, I’m willing to bet some good money that men throw themselves at you constantly just for being you.”
Ravi winked at me, enjoying my embarrassment. He was right, of course, but I still felt as if it was different - because I had never expected those things, and right now, he was setting Stepen up with some girl with an expected end result.
“I don’t want any of your dirty money,” I spat out, flustered and dizzy with Ravi’s challenge, his argument.
“That’s right,” he smirked, “you don’t want dirty money, you just want to be dirtied.”
My cheeks burnt bright red, but anger took over, swiftly replacing my embarrassment.
“The difference, Ravi,” I seethed, “is that I have never assumed someone would simply go to bed with me because of who I am or what I do. There hasn’t been an expectation - it’s not a simple exchange.”
“Isn’t it, Vedman?” He challenged. “You don’t think that sleeping with a Witch isn’t an exchange of some sort? That bestowing pleasure on a Witch isn’t an exchange when the bestower is then blessed thereafter?” Ravi goaded me, and I understood what he wanted - what he would gladly take if I gave him even the sliver of opportunity.
“I don’t know,” he continued, pretending to sound casual, his eyes blazing with heat, “what do you think, Dimitri?”
Dimitri’s jaw seemed to throb with every word that Ravi spoke. Why was he doing this? Pushing this? And why was he getting Dimitri involved?
“I think you need to keep your dick in your pants, it’s gotten us into enough trouble as it is,” Dimitri’s voice was soft and deceiving, but I knew he was angry, I just wasn’t sure why.