Modern Day (set before Renie and Jason's weddings)

I stood in one of Belle Morte's two art rooms, studying the almost-finished pencil sketch that someone had left on an easel. The sketch was of Ysanne, and whichever donor had drawn it had perfectly captured Ysanne's haughty visage and cool stare. I wondered if I could commission them to make a sketch of Edmond.

My eyes strayed from the sketch and across to the shelves that ran around the room. Carefully positioned on one of those shelves was a small clay bowl, and to anyone else, it would have looked like a pretty poor effort. But to me it was beautiful, because June had made it, back when she was a donor, before Etienne had turned her into a monster.

I couldn't bring myself to keep it in my bedroom, but I couldn't bear to part with it either, so it lived here in the art room, along with all the projects that current donors were busy with.

Jason came into the room, his phone held to his chest, his eyes sparkling. "I need to show you something," he said.

"Okay."

"So, I was looking for some socks with Gideon on them –"

"Wait, what?" I interrupted.

"Socks," Jason repeated.

"You were looking for socks with your fiancé's face on them?"

"Yeah."

We stared at each other.

"Why?" I said.

"To see if they existed," Jason replied.

"But . . . why were you looking in the first place? That's so random."

Jason's face cleared. "Ohhhh, wait, you need context."

"That would be good, yes."

"Okay, so you know how I asked my followers to tag me anytime they found the weirdest, tackiest vampire merchandise, and today someone sent me a link to a U.S website that's selling socks and T-shirts with the most famous vampires on them."

"The most famous American vampires?" I checked.

"Yeah. I wanted to see if there was a UK equivalent."

"Because you need socks with Gideon's face on them," I said, my lips twitching.

"Because I want to see his face when I wear them."

"Did you find any?"

"Not yet," Jason said, practically vibrating with excitement. "But I did find this."

He brandished his phone at my face, and I automatically took a step back. I looked at the screen and my eyes widened. "Is this real?"

"Oh yes. And available for the low price of £39.99. A bargain, if you ask me," Jason said.

My fiancé, Edmond Dantès, stared back at me from the screen. Or rather, a life-size cardboard cut-out of him stared back at me. It looked like it had been taken from a photo of him at some ball or another – he was dressed in black velvet, with his shirt open at the neck to show off a pale triangle of chest, and his inky hair tumbling around his shoulders. His eyes were red, but the colour was slightly off, and I suspected that was a photo effect that someone had added in.

"Why is this a thing?" I asked.

"Because Edmond is hot as hell, and there's a market for people who will buy literally anything vampire-related."

"Did anyone else get a cut-out?" I asked.

"Not that I could find, but that could change." Jason's whole face lit up. "I wonder if they take requests." He turned his phone around. "I'm going to email them."

"Wow." I shook my head. "Knowing that people are buying T-shirts with my fiancé's face on them is weird enough, but this? It's kind of creepy."

"You should buy one," Jason said.

"Are you kidding?"

He gave me a wicked grin. "Nope."

"Why would I do that?" I matched his grin. "I've got the real thing."

"Because it would be really funny," Jason said. "Can you imagine Edmond's face?"

I thought about it. Jason had a point. I'd once teased Edmond about buying one of the T-shirts of him, and he'd looked faintly horrified. How would he react if I brought home a whole cardboard cut-out?

"See, you're warming up to it," Jason said, pointing at me.

"I kind of am," I admitted.

Jason gave a little fist-pump. "That's my girl."

"How long is delivery?" I took Jason's phone.

"Three days. I already checked."

I bit my lip as I studied the cut-out. "Edmond will hate it."

"I know." Jason bounced on the balls of his feet. "That's why you have to buy one."

"Yeah." I started to smile. "I think I do."

Three days later, I sat on my bed, waiting for Edmond. Using my sexiest voice, I'd told him to meet me here in five minutes, and hopefully he was rushing up here now, expecting to find me naked and ready for him.

I stifled a giggle.

My vampire hearing picked up the softest of footfalls outside the door, then Edmond walked in. Heat was already sparking in his eyes, his smile showing off the tips of his fangs, but he stopped dead in the doorway.

"Renie," he said.

"Yes?" I said in my most innocent voice.

Edmond pointed. "What is that?"

I turned my head to the left, where the life-size Edmond cut-out stood, staring at the real Edmond.

"Oh, that?" I shrugged. "I got lonely."

Edmond took another step into the room and let the door swing shut behind him. "Where did you get that?"

"I ordered it online."

"Why?"

I laughed. "Because I wanted to see your face."

Edmond looked slightly pained. "Was it worth it?"

"Every penny."

"And what happens to it now?" Edmond asked.

"Now we decide which corner of the room he's going to live in," I said.

Edmond slowly blinked. There was no red in his eyes now. "You're not actually keeping it, are you?"

I clutched my chest. "You're not asking me to get rid of it?"

"That's exactly what I'm asking." Edmond looked at the cut-out again. "This is really strange."

"I thought you'd like it," I said, pretending to be hurt.

Edmond smiled. "No, you didn't. I know you better than that."

"Fair enough. It was worth a try." I slid off the bed, slow and sensuous, making sure Edmond got a good look at my legs. "Why don't we forget the cut-out and go and take a bath together?"

Heat crept back into his gaze. "I like the sound of that," he said, his voice a low caress.

I took his hand pulled him towards the bathroom, staring straight so he couldn't see how hard I was trying not to laugh.

"Are you serious?" Edmond said, when we went into the bathroom.

Another cut-out stood in the shower, his face turned towards us.

A laugh burst out before I could stop it. "Don't you think it's just what the bathroom needs?"

"How many more of these am I going to find?" Edmond asked.

My eyes slid past him, and Edmond glanced over his shoulder, into our bedroom.

"There's another one in there, isn't there?" he said.

"Maybe."

Edmond walked back into the bedroom and looked around, scanning the space for the third cut-out. There was only one other place it could be, and he quickly realised it. He shot me a wry look before opening our wardrobe.

The third cut-out was inside, nestled among the rows of our clothes.

Edmond pulled it out and scrutinised it. "Are people actually buying these?" His tone of voice suggested he wasn't sure he really wanted to know.

"I don't know, but probably." I sidled up behind Edmond and slid my arms around his waist.

"I don't know how I feel about this."

"Flattered? Disturbed?" I suggested.

"Probably more disturbed," Edmond said.

I grabbed the cut-out standing by the bed and moved it closer, so Edmond was sandwiched between two cardboard versions of himself. "You don't think they add a little something to the décor?"

Edmond spun around and yanked me towards me, then his mouth was on mine, kissing me so fiercely and passionately that my head spun. My body was pressed tight against his, making me very aware of how hard he was, and heat rushed through me in response. I'd tricked him up here with the suggestion of sex, and now I was as eager for it as he was.

Abruptly Edmond let me go and I stumbled a little. "What's wrong?" I said, breathless even though I didn't need to breathe.

Edmond's gaze slowly moved over my body, so intense it felt like he was physically touching me.

"Do you want me to take you to bed, Renie?" he asked, his velvet voice rubbing over me.

"Yes," I whispered.

He took a step closer. "Do you want me to make you scream?"

I could only manage a nod.

Edmond lowered his head until our lips were almost touching. "I think you know what I want you to do first."

I moved like lightning – snatching the two cardboard cut-outs and bundling them out into the hallway, and then rushing back into the bathroom for the third one.

The second they were all out of the room, Edmond lifted me off my feet and carried me over to the bed.

An hour later, as I snuggled against Edmond's chest, feeling very, very satisfied, someone knocked on the door. "Uh, guys?" Roux said. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything, but . . . why are there three cardboard Edmonds out in the hall?"

I muffled a giggle.

Edmond let his head fall back on the pillow.

"It's not what you think," I called to Roux.

"I'm honestly not sure what to think," she called back.

Fair point.

"Knowing you two, you're probably too naked to deal with this right now, so do you want me to put these somewhere?" Roux said.

"Throw them over the garden wall," Edmond said.

I put my hand over his mouth. "Ignore him."

Edmond pulled my hand away. "You're not actually planning to keep them, are you?"

"Hell, yeah."

"Really?"

I sighed. "Unless you don't want me to." I peeked up at him, my eyes big and sad.

I actually saw the exact moment that he caved. It wasn't his expression as such, but the look in his eyes said it all.

"Keep them behind the wardrobe where I don't have to see them," Edmond said.

I grinned and kissed him. "Thank you."

"I still don't understand why you want them."

"Because they're funny."

Edmond smiled and shook his head.

"Guys, I'm still out here," said Roux. She sounded like she was trying not to laugh.

"I'll be out in a minute. Don't touch my cardboard Edmonds," I said.

I scrambled out of bed and pulled on my dressing gown.

"You'd better hurry," Edmond said. "The quicker you deal with those, the quicker you can come back to bed."

I didn't need telling twice.