Author's note: this is from Seraphina's point of view

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My eyes darted from my phone to Duke, as I waited in anticipation for Duke or Calista to talk. I didn't know what to expect.

"Hellooooo Drago!", Calista called cheerfully.

"Hi Calista.", Duke responded, "It's nice to meet you, even if it's over the phone. Serina mentions you often, and based on what she said, I admire you greatly."

Calista stifled a laugh and spoke in a singing voice, "A deep seductive voice and a good way with words, a deadly combination for maiden's heart, just how Serina described you. I can't wait to meet you in person..."

I frowned.

I knew that Duke and Calista never met and that Calista will never make a move on Duke, but when I heard their exchange, I wanted to break my phone in two so that they stop talking.

What's wrong with me?

Calista's voice was frustrating even though she was talking about me. "Serina told me all good things about you and based on what I read online, I see that you took good care of her last night."

Duke looked at me slyly. "I'm not sure what you saw online, but I promised Serina that I will make her happy, and I hope that I accomplished that last night."

I realized that he was talking about last night in this bedroom. My frown faded. Well, he made me happy.

Calista snorted. "You rascal! Not only last night, but every day you need to make her happy."

Duke's smile widened and his heated gaze traveled over my body, like he can see through my bathrobe. "I will do my best."

"Alright.", Calista said. "I don't want to take too much of your time, as I'm not sure if you are decent, but I'm confident that I'm interrupting. I would like to meet you in person."

Rage swelled inside me, why does she want to meet Duke? My temper simmered down when I noticed Duke looking at me questionably.

"I will see with Serina.", he said.

Calista was not willing to give up just like that. "No matter how busy you guys are, weekends are free, right? How about next weekend? Paris? I can intrude on your dinner and maybe we go to a club or something and we can part ways from there…"

"Cali…", I interrupted her. "We didn't…"

"Are you about to ditch me?", Calista asked impatiently. "Let me see. How about I tell Drago about that leather bracelet he gave you in the second year of high school?"

I paused. "What about it?"

"Should I tell him how happy it made you feel, how much you treasured it, or how much you cried when those girls broke it and flushed…"

"Enough!", I screamed in horror while regretting every little thing I told Calista.

I didn't know that she will use our cozy chats of sharing (and oversharing) to blackmail me when she feels like it.

Vampires really are despicable and have no code of honor. They will do anything to achieve their goal.

"Oh, so you agree?", Calista asked victoriously.

What are my options? Who knows what else she will blurt out if I refuse?

"Fine.", I gave up. "Next weekend. Paris. You get to plan one evening, and it will be your treat!"

"Alright.", Calista agreed. "It's right for me to treat my juniors. Plan for dinner and then some dancing. Next Saturday, from 6 PM to midnight you are mine unless I tell you otherwise. I will send you the time and place. See you! Mwah!"

She ended the call with a big smoochy kiss like we are besties and like she didn't blackmail me one minute ago. Shameless.

I looked at Duke who had a mix of emotions painted on his face.

"What happened with the bracelet? You told me you lost it."

I couldn't believe that Calista brought it up. And even more unbelievable was that Duke remembered it. Well, he said that he remembers every little thing about me.

I shook my head, indicating that it doesn't matter. "It's lost. It was a long time ago. Let's not talk about it."

Duke wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his embrace. He pressed my head against his chest and held me like that in silence.

The steady sound of his heartbeat brought me peace and the intoxicating scent of pine trees mixed with the ocean made me bury my face in his chest and take deep breaths.

"I'm so sorry, Serina…", Duke said after some time.

"What are you sorry about?"

"You went through so much, and I didn't know. Why didn't you tell me? What else are you hiding from me?"

I thought how he was silly. If anyone went through a lot and suffered in silence, that would be him. He lost his family, his lifestyle, everything, yet I was clueless. Compared to that, a few bullies pale like insignificant specs of dust.

"It's OK, Duke…", I said. "What matters is that now we are together, and our future will be wonderful."

He hummed in agreement and kissed the top of my head.

I melted into him while enjoying the moment of the two of us and no one else. But I knew that we can't stay like that forever.

"Do you want us to do something today?", I asked.

"Do you have any plans?", Duke responded with a question.

I shrugged. "Not really. But we have the whole afternoon and evening, and I thought that maybe you need to do something. I'm game for anything as long as we can be together."

"If I can do whatever I want…", Duke drawled. "That would be the two of us spending the rest of our lives in this room. I don't need anything else other than food and an occasional shower."

I stifled a laugh. "We will need to get out eventually or you will get bored of me."

"I will never get bored of you, Serina.", he said with a very serious expression. "How can I get bored of the person who is my reason to live?"

My brain melted into a mush of emotions.

He is such a sweet talker.

What I truly admire about Duke is his courage to speak his mind. I want to tell him so many things, yet I easily get tongue-tied.

Duke said that I'm his reason to live. Well, he is mine also. The whole world is better because he is in it, and I have difficulty believing that such an exceptional man would fall for me.

I lifted my head to look into his eyes that smiled at me.

"Do you really love me?", I asked.

"With all that I am.", Duke responded without missing a beat.

He kissed me on the lips once, twice, and then he deepened the kiss while pushing me backward on the sofa.

Duke undid my bathrobe and his hands sneaked under it, caressing my body, and setting me ablaze. His every touch felt just right, and I was lost in passion and Duke.

Two orgasms later (one for him), Duke carried me to bed.

We laid on our sides, facing each other, completely naked, and smiling like idiots.

"So… did you decide what are we going to do today?", he asked, and I couldn't believe that he remembered our talk before we got frisky.

"Uhm… let's spend the day in bed."

Duke's lips stretched into a grin in slow motion. "You will hear no objections from my side…", and then he kissed me.

His body inched closer to mine until he pushed me on my back, and got on top of me… initiating another crazy ride, one of many more for that day.

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