Page 58 of Under Her Protection

Isabella laughed. "Vivienne."

"The tights went too."

"The tights?”

"She tore them off me with her bare hands. Along with tearing the side seam of the grey dress from Elisabetta, which I will be having repaired under a diplomatic pretext by a woman in the Marais who has repaired three dresses for me under three worse pretexts. I bent over the desk at Elisabetta's expense. I will not be telling Elisabetta."

"My love."

"Mm."

"Who was on top?”

Vivienne thought for a second. "Both."

“I mean physically, her. She is the one fucking me. But, I am the one asking for it and taking the pleasure for myself. So, I would say the power lies in both sets of hands. There is a certain delicious power clash between us.”

"I am going to need you to draw me a diagram on Friday." Isabella laughed.

"I am not going to draw you a diagram on Friday." Vivienne was firm.

"My love."

"Mm."

"What is she like?”

"Competent." Vivienne replied. It was the first word that came to mind when thinking of Leo.

"Vivienne."

"Extremely competent."

"That is not the answer I want."

"It is the one you are getting tonight."

"Fine."

Isabella lifted her glass and took a mouthful and put it back down without tasting it, which was the last line of defence of a woman preparing to say a true sentence, and Vivienne, who had watched her do this over other people's problems for two decades, took her own glass and waited.

"This is going to get messy." Isabella looked at her seriously now.

"I know."

"You do not do this. This fucking the staff thing.”

"I know." Vivienne nodded.

“And I have never seen you this sexually excited by someone since⁠— "

"I know, Isabella." Vivienne did know. Better than anyone.

"Fine."

"Tell me it is stupid."

"I wouldn’t say stupid." Isabella paused.