Echo Book 2

12. Dinner

"f**k woman, I'm going to stare at you through dinner."

The 3 of us laugh. Nadine and Thora used the outfit box and found me a really sexy dress. It's barely past my ass and is low cut to my boobs. My back only has straps on it. Then I put some heels on. I feel sexy. They're sexy too. Thora's dress has slits in the sides that go up to her belly button. Nadine's is so low in the front it goes to her belly button.

Tye walks by staring and trips over something. He jumps up. "I have eyes. I'll use them." Then he goes in.

"Tim will be in the top row somewhere."

"For dinner?"

"Yea, the kings are higher so they can keep an eye on everything. Kehlani did it. I don't know. But I have a good view for dinner. So, that's nice."

"OH SHIT."

"WHAT?"

"They can have dates."

Nadine stares at Thora. "That'll be awkward."

"Yea, I didn't think about it until now."

"He's never brought a date. I'm sure he hasn't started now."

"True."

We walk in and it's a huge room. The ground level is round tables. It seems like each planet or 2 gets a table. Then there are platforms around the walls. I try to sort it out quickly. The 1st row on the platform would be workers for them, I guess. 2nd row kings. I see Victor in that row. The 3rd and highest row of tables would be the high kings and the 3 of us.

Malax puts his arm around me and Tre takes Nadine. Thora goes with a man to the 2nd row on Nadine's side. Kahlani and Nadine each have a side. This doesn't surprise me.

Malax leads me to a table on the top row. It's right above Thora and her mates table. "You are beautiful and sexy as hell tonight, baby."

"They may have overdone it. I feel like my ass is out. At least I'm wearing underwear."

"I'm a little sad you're wearing underwear. It would give me something to play with for the speeches."

"Not sure everyone wants to watch that, sir."

"I sure as hell do. Your plan worked. He's staring at you." He points and lays his hand on my leg.

Tim is on the 2nd row of Kehlani's people. I catch him staring at me and he winks. He's got dark eyes. I can tell from here. They are dark, dark.

Malax leans in front of me and shakes his head. Tim puts his head down and rubs his eyes.

"What? He's allowed to look at me."

"He doesn't need to have black eyes in here, woman. Work meeting."

I push his hand up my thigh. "I bet I can make your eyes black in a work meeting."

He smiles and his eyes darken. "I will carry you out of here and eat p***y for dinner."

I push his hand back down. "Fine. But why is he on the 2nd row? He's a high king, right?"

"He's not a high king without being accepted by you. Right now, he works for Kehlani's throne. Not yours."

"Dumb bitch."

"Easy, baby. Nobody knew this was coming."

I glare at the b***h. She went after my mate of all people. He was supposed to be mine. She made herself out to be a w***e. I lost a mate. She's lucky she kept hers. I wonder if that's why she only has 1. Maybe she had more and they left.

She glances at me then looks away fast and says something to Alden.

He stands up. "Thank you all for coming to the annual planet leaders' meeting. We'll be here for 5 days this year. We have a lot to go over. Meetings will start at 9AM tomorrow. They run daily from 9 to 5. Except the day after the ball, it will last from 1 to 5. Anyway, enjoy your evening. Take some time to see this stunning planet or pool. There is plenty to do."

"I don't think I could have done anything in that amount of time, baby. I expected an hour of speeches."

"If they lasted an hour, I would have snuck my underwear in your pocket. Would have made sure they were wet too."

"How were you gonna do that?"

Dipak stands up and starts talking.

I lean close and whisper, "I would imagine your d**k between my legs. How much I want to sit on your lap and slide it inside me. Go up and down nice and slow on you." I drag my fingertips over it. I made him hard.

I sit back and smile. Then I crack up laughing. Tim is sitting there shaking his head.

Malax looks at him. "UGH. Woman, you nearly killed me with that."

I kiss his ear and whisper, "Remember my wet panties from last time."

"Woman, I'm about to go make you sit with him."

I giggle and kiss his marking spot.

"Go over there. I can't have a hard on all of dinner."

"Challenge accepted, sir." I wiggle close.

"Woman. I'll go over there and make him come sit with you."

"No you won't." I laugh so hard.

He kisses my head. "That's a good idea anyway, baby. You 2 can have some time to talk. Then I'll make you scream tonight." He stands up and walks down the platform.

Thora loses it. Dipak watches them switch places, then continues with his speech.

Tim sits beside me. "What's going on?"

"He was done being teased."

"Why are you teasing him?"

"I'm sexy tonight."

"You are that."

I pull my skirt up a little. He stares at my legs. I scoot closer to him, and he puts his arm around me. "So, why did you say mine when you saw me? Everyone says I can't feel the bond."

His thumb rubs my shoulder and I get tingles from it. "Something was different. I felt something I hadn't felt since Zarina. I can't explain it. I knew what it was though."

I rub my legs against his and push my boobs towards him.

He stares at my boobs and swallows hard. "I don't know if I can sit beside you when you're this sexy, baby. I can't pull my eyes off you."

Then he puts his hand on my leg. He rubs it lightly. "You're so soft."

I reach up and drag my nail over his marking spot.

He grabs my hand and looks into my eyes. His eyes are so black. "If you do that again, I will put you on this table and own it." I shiver, and my face must do something. He smirks and leans closer. "You liked that idea. You want me to claim it here and now?"

I run over to Malax and make him go back to our table. This is fine. The stupid b***h rolls her eyes at me. So, I flip her off. Then Nadine loses it.

Dipak shakes his head. "Let's eat. Meeting tomorrow at 9. Don't be late."

The boys come over to me after dinner. Tim gives me a hug. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Then Dipak walks over. "If only someone had warned you about teasing grown men."

"Say what you want." Malax turns to Dipak. "I looked sexy enough to get Tims' attention. We had dinner together."

The 3 of them laugh so hard.

Thora puts her arm around me. "We'll do better tomorrow. We went to sexy today."

I agree. "We'll dial it back a bit."

"I'm interested in seeing this dialed back."

Tim puts his arm around me. "Me too." He walks me out to the beach. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry."

"You've been alive for a long time, and I've only been alive for a little." I don't even know where the hell I'm going with this.

He nods. "You haven't been with many people, have you?"

"Malax."

"How long have you been with him?"

"3 weeks."

"You seem so close."

"We are. He's mine. We got the house right before the invasion. We spent a couple of nights in it. Then all hell broke loose."

"Did he wait for s*x? Did you know you were mates? I'm confused here."

"No. We're human. We don't do the soulmate thing. We don't wait either. He had a few relationships. I was getting ready to go to college. I wasn't planning on waiting. I took a summer job for him. Then we fell in love."

He smiles. "You found your soulmate as a human. That's rare."

"Yea, I was told we don't feel the bond at all. I knew he was mine. I loved him so much."

"He loves you too. It's easy to see that."

"Did you wait?"

"Yea, I did. I was almost 500 when I met Zarina. That was long enough. I don't think I would have made it much longer. Most people don't make it that long."

"I made it for 17 years. I have no idea how you made it 500. I still can't wrap my head around the age thing though."

"It's different. It takes vampires 400 years to be able to find their mate. Most do within 100 years. Some take longer."

"So, if I get pregnant, will my baby take 400 years to grow up?"

"A vampire can't get you pregnant. Once you turn into a vampire, then yes. 400 years for the baby to grow up."

"Did you sleep with everyone after she was gone?"

"I hid for a long time. When I had s*x, I felt like I was cheating on her. I was a horrible monster for even looking at anyone else. My body would get to needing it so badly. I would give in and be convinced I was a monster. It was like that for a long time. I eventually got over it. s*x is something the human body needs. Not a lot, but sometimes. I got over it slowly. I would have s*x with some random girl and put it behind me. It was never that good. I was never in love with anyone. It was just something, so my body would stop craving it."

"It wasn't good?"

"No. I was only using someone to make my body stop needing it."

"Did you know I would be coming?"

"No. Most people don't get a 2nd mate. I have no idea what is going on here. I've never heard of this."

"Does it scare you?"

"Only that you're refusing it." I shrug my shoulders, and he pulls me against him. He hugs me so tight. "I know, baby. It's a lot. But I'm happy to get to know you. Get teased a little. Learn about you. I know I'm not perfect. I'll never pretend I am. I know you deserve more than me. I understand."

I pull his lips to mine. Tingles flow through me as we kiss. His kiss is gentle and sweet. His hands are needy as he grabs my back. I kiss him again and again. Each time more needy than the last. I love being in his arms.

"Go to bed. It's midnight."

We look at Alden. He's got his arms crossed. "Ok."

"I really expected you to be Victor or Tobias. This was different. Have you seen those 2 idiots anywhere?"

"I haven't seen anything but this pretty girl."

"Yes, you proved that at dinner. Go to bed."

Tim kisses my head. "I'll walk you over there, baby."

"Do not kiss her at the door for 45 minutes. And if you see one of the idiots, tell them to go to bed."

"Alright."