She just needed to work out a few details first. And she needed to do that without Ronan listening in on her thoughts and her plans.
Chapter Twenty
Sierra greeted her friends the next afternoon. “Thanks for coming.”
“Is there a reason we’re sitting outside on this chilly February day when there are two perfectly warm and toasty houses in front of us?” Zoe asked as she tried to make herself more comfortable in the plastic resin chair Sierra had set outside. She’d ordered them express from Amazon the other day, before the cemetery stuff.
“We’re out here because this conversation needs to be private.” It was only after Sierra said the words that she realized they were almost the same as those that Ronan had used when he’d told her about his sister. She handed a mug of hot cocoa to Zoe and one to Daniella, who sat beside her.
Sierra hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. No surprise there, given what she’d gone through yesterday. She didn’t feel safe in her own house so she’d taken this meeting outside. She couldn’t hold it in the basement. Ronan was using that space to piece together what he had of the map from Hal’s coffin and the passageway wall. Tomorrow was Valentine’s Day. Time was not just running out, it was freaking racing.
She’d still been unsettled this morning and avoided her bedroom and the rest of the house, including the kitchen. Ronan had actually handed her the hot chocolates in mugs as he escorted her outside before returning to the house. Somehow he’d also dug up an extra mug. A vampire good with a Keurig. Who knew?
“How are you doing today?” Zoe asked. “Was there any more trouble after we left last night? I already filled Daniella in.”
“I’m hanging in there,” Sierra said. “We still aren’t sure what came after me.”
They were interrupted by the arrival of Nick. Sierra hadn’t seen him since her first night in the house. He wore a black leather coat, as did most of the vamps around here, and had a cashmere scarf in his hand. “Ladies.” He nodded to Sierra and Zoe but went right to Daniella, tugging her to her feet before tenderly wrapping the scarf around her neck. “To keep you warm,” he murmured before kissing her with undisguised hot passion. When they finally broke off the embrace, he kissed her cheek and fondled her fanny. “That was to keep you warm.”
Sierra was hot just from watching them. When Nick walked away, she saw the adoration on Daniella’s face. Saying they were a couple was putting it mildly. They were clearly something very special. The same could be said for Damon and Zoe. Which is why they were the perfect ones to share this discussion.
“What did you want to talk about?” Zoe said.
“Sex,” Sierra said. “Or more specifically, sex with a vampire.” After what she’d just witnessed, she suspected she already knew the answer but still she had to ask. “I’m assuming it can be done?”
“Oh yeah,” Zoe said. “It can be done.”
“It can be done incredibly well,” Daniella agreed.
“Um … is it different than other sex?” Sierra asked.
“Absolutely. It’s better than anything I’ve ever experienced,” Zoe said.
“Ditto,” Daniella said with a huge smile on her face.
“Is there pain involved?” Sierra asked.
“You know, I voiced that same question myself,” Daniella admitted. “Nick’s reply was that vampires don’t have fangs on their privates.”
Zoe tried to squelch a snort to no avail. “I can’t believe you asked that!”
“Didn’t you?” Daniella said.
Zoe shook her head.
“Well, you’re a witch,” Daniella said. “You know more about these things than I do.”
“Not where vampires are concerned,” Zoe said, before turning to Sierra. “You are thinking of having sex with Ronan?”
“Yes.”
“Just thinking or planning?”
“Planning.”
“Because of the vampire bond you two share?” Zoe asked. “You want to break it?”
“Yes,” Sierra said. “Wouldn’t you?”
“I can’t answer that,” Zoe said.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t know the answer.”
“It’s a matter of free will, right?” Daniella said. When Sierra nodded, she continued, “I can understand that part. The vampires in our lives find it very aggravating that they can’t compel us to obey them.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Zoe said.
“What about your mind?” Sierra asked.
“As in, are we out of our minds?” Daniella said.