Page 28 of Once Bitten, Twice Mine

Valeria’s eyes flashed and her jaw set in a hard line. Caroline had expected a variety of reactions from Valeria at this news, but anger hadn’t been one of them.

“I suppose I’m only surprised they left without even mentioning a pending trip. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing one would forget.”

Caroline’s heart stuttered. “I wasn’t aware you spoke with them that much.”

“Not often,” Valeria said as she stalked into the room. Caroline felt pinned by her gaze. “Though your mother was kind enough to sit with me a few times. She enjoyed hearing my stories about my time with The Count.”

“She never mentioned it.” Though it wasn’t terribly surprising because it sounded like something she would do and neglect to tell Caroline. “I didn’t realize you were so close.”

“Jealous, cara?” She asked with a wicked smile as she lowered herself onto the couch beside her, so close her breasts nearly brushed her arm.

Her mouth was dry and her cheeks burned as her eyes snapped back up to the safety of Valeria’s smirking face. “No, I’m only surprised because you haven’t spoken of The Count to me at all.”

The other woman placed her arm against the back of the couch, her hand propping up her head. A waterfall of dark brown waves cascaded over her other shoulder. Caroline longed to run her hands through the silky-looking strands to see if her hair was as soft as it looked, but she gripped her needle tighter.

“You only need to ask, and I’ll tell you whatever you wish to know.”

She had a million questions for her, but they all seemed to escape her at the moment. Valeria had always been beautiful, but over their separation she had truly grown into her beauty. It was part of blossoming into adulthood, but it also seemed like something more. Though she didn’t know how to quantify it without sounding covetous. Of either her beauty or the woman herself, she wasn’t sure.

“How did you come to be with The Count?” Even his title tasted sour on her tongue.

Valeria’s eyes flicked down as a small smile bloomed on her face. “After my parents passed, I spent a lot of time at parties, operas, anywhere that was loud with plenty of drinks. I first saw The Count at a gala following the first opera of the season. He looked so dashing in his black tuxedo. I had never seen anyone like him before.”

Caroline frowned, remembering what Edgar told her at their engagement party. “I thought he was a distant relative and you became his ward after your parents passed?”

“Ah.” Valeria looked sheepish as her eyes flicked away once again. Caroline swore she looked as if she was blushing even though her face never changed color. “That is the story we’ve told people, but it isn’t quite the truth. Didn’t you think I’m a little old to be someone’s ward?”

“Why is that the story you’ve gone with?”

Her mouth curled in a slow smile. “People can be rather old-fashioned once they learn the truth.”

Caroline felt an ugly twist of emotion stab at her heart. Valeria’s relationship shouldn’t matter to her, not when she was going to marry Edgar. Even if it hadn’t been many years since they had seen one another, it wouldn’t have been of any use to wait for one another.

“But he’s married; how can you be with him?” She wasn’t naive enough to think men didn’t take mistresses, but she didn’t like the idea of Valeria being one to a powerful man. She deserved more than that.

Her wicked smile widened. “Who says his wife isn’t also involved?”

Oh. Oh.

Heat flooded Caroline’s face as she thought through what Valeria said. She certainly understood why they had a cover story. Even in her small village she had heard the whispers of same-sex liaisons, but she had never heard of a relationship pairing like that.

“Have I shocked you?” Valeria continued with a raised brow.

“No,” she said, probably too quickly, “I only wasn’t aware such relationships existed.”

“Really?” Valeria tilted her head. “I find it hard to believe you’ve never thought women could love one another.”

Caroline made an undignified sound as her face burned with embarrassment. “I meant more the three of you.”

“There’s a whole wide world out there if you’re only curious enough to look.”

Caroline snorted. “I’m not sure if any of the places I frequent would have relationships like that.”

“How do you feel knowing I’m involved with such things?”

Her tongue was heavy because there was a small part of her that was thrilled by the news. It was a small part because she was engaged to Edgar and it wasn’t proper, but even all of these years later she would never, ever forget that single kiss they shared. It was a kiss she could never forget, but she had secretly feared that her romantic pinnacle had been achieved when she was barely sixteen.

If she were a bold woman, perhaps she could tell Valeria the truth. She would take her hand and tell her how she had dreamed of her and her lips. How it felt like she had summoned her with her mind when she first saw her at her engagement party. That Valeria didn’t have to work nearly as hard to seduce her because Caroline wanted her more than anything on Earth.