She asked when she stepped back from the hug.
"Eternity since seeing you love." Bri walked past him and headed up the stairs and he lost train of thought as she passed because she was still the most beautiful woman in the world. He wanted to strike himself for thinking that. It didn’t matter that she wanted him in bed again, but what mattered was that she didn’t want him.
"She had a long day today so lay off. I understand you’re upset but lay off." Maybe Winter did have a mean bone in her body where Fangs was concerned, a small one, but a mean one none the less. Didn’t matter though, he wouldn’t fight against Winter.
"I bet. It’s a hard day at the office when a Casper comes calling."
"The man she killed was one of the worst Fangs. He had killed twelve others prior to the one that found her today. Trust me, her calling isn’t a cake walk." He didn’t want to admit it but she was right. The darker the deed the harder Bri felt it. She was the most unique human he had ever met, perhaps it was the reason he fell so hard for her.
"Listen Winter...I didn’t come to fight. I came to see you and wish you yet another happy birthday. I don’t know why you bother but maybe it’s in the spirit." He kissed her on the cheek and made small talk, small being the diamond on her finger and the very public proposal that took place just seconds before he arrived. He found his way to the date he sent off in a hurry. He wanted out of here, of the confines of this party and the fact she was only a floor away from him.
He was wound tight and needed to feed before he bothered with the altercation that was bound to come from his next meeting with Bri. He had expected anything from her but what he got. She had been so wound tight he felt her emotions clearer than ever before. She had never been an open book he could read. He had to dig for pieces and scraps of what went on in her head. It had always intrigued him until tonight. Tonight she was willing to lay it out on the table in hopes he would come running.
He wanted to, but he was scared he would end up hurting her with the shit storming through his head. When he motioned for his date to come, like a lap dog she did and they made their way to the door.
"Leaving so soon?" Bri asked from the staircase behind him. He spun and was almost face to face with her as she descended the final three stairs.
"Dinner date." He replied in clipped tones. He was seething, wanting nothing more right now than to unravel the connection between them, snap it in half and walk away because he wasn’t a toy she could play with. Like all things he too could break.
Bri looked over his shoulder and seemed unfazed by his comment. "She looks yummy." Her tone was unemotional as she leaned into the rail.
Snap
"Sorry, need something?"
"I guess to say goodbye. Unless of course you’re coming back?" Was
Terry Pratchett, Stephen Baxter
The Courtship Wars 2 To Bed a Beauty