I was going to fight fire with fire. Or lust with love. The details were fuzzy, but I had the makings of a plan. The pieces, at least. Kind of like when you got a box from Ikea and you had it all laid out but still needed the instructions to help you put it all together.
Hmm. I wonder if they serve Swedish meatballs at this joint...
I supposed the best way to start was with the direct approach. I could seduce her better than anyone, but we already knew that.
Clearing my throat, I swung my legs over the side of my own lounger and faced her. I eyed the banana hammock she’d put me in with a twist of my lips. “You summoned me to this fancy resort. Are you just missing me? Need to breathe the same air as me for a while? Or can I help you with something you need?”
She turned another page and let out a soft, musing sound. “It doesn’t have to be so one-sided, Sin. This can be a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
“It’s never one-sided. You get to feed. I get to come. Although I like it so much better when we feed from each other.”
Putting down the book, she leveled her gaze on me. “That’s what I meant.”
“Does that mean you’re going to unlock that chastity belt of yours?”
“Chastity belt?”
“They told me you’re locked up tighter than the Vatican’s secret archives.”
“If they’re a secret, how would you know?”
I gave her a pointed glance. “Is that really a question?”
She rolled her eyes and resumed her reading. “To answer your original question, I haven’t decided yet.”
My heart skipped a beat. If she hadn’t already ruled out the possibility, it meant there was still a chance. The fact that it was with me when she’d been adamant about the others had me feeling some kind of way.
Then again, it shouldn’t be a surprise. Merri and I had a thing for firsts.
I reached out and ran my fingertips along her leg. “Anything I can do to help you make up your mind?”
Vulnerability flickered in her eyes as she looked at me over the edge of the book. “Say you’re sorry.”
“I di—” I began, but the protest died on my tongue. Had I never actually apologized to her?
Shoulders slumping, I heaved a frustrated sigh. “Merri, I’m so fucking sorry for everything that happened. I’m sorry I hurt you by being silent. I’m sorry I let you down and didn’t defend what we have immediately. I’m sorry I made you feel anything less than what you are: The most important person in my entire world.”
She held my gaze, her eyes searching as her lower lip wobbled. “Do you really mean it?”
I wanted to tell her to check for herself, but I knew it was only natural to question everything after a betrayal like the oneshe’d suffered at our hands. Her gut had her believing one thing, and Grim was trying to gaslight her into something else. It would take a long time to repair the damage he’d caused.
Prick.
“You don’t have to believe me. I know I don’t deserve it, but, Merri, if I could go back in time and change the way everything played out, I would. I’d tell Grim how wrong he was and make sure you knew how proud I am to be your mate. I swear, if you give me the chance, I’ll prove it to you with more than words.”
Silence stretched between us as she weighed my vow. I knew she’d come to a decision when her expression cleared and she set down her book.
“Well, I guess you'd better get started then.”
Okay, well, fuck. How did I go about doing that?
I glanced at the romance novel she’d placed on the table between our chairs. Right. Book boyfriend shit. I could do that. I wasmadefor it.
As soon as I got to my feet, I leaned over her and scooped her into my arms, smirking at the little yelp of surprise she couldn’t contain. I angled away from the loungers and headed for the cabana just a few feet behind them. The white fabric walls blew in the ocean breeze, revealing the two-person daybed within.
It was like she’d planned for this exact scenario. Which meant I was on the right track. Good job, Sin.
She didn’t say a word as I laid her down in the nest of pillows and soft blankets, but her expression was less guarded, less reluctant. And then there was the lust coming off her that hadn’t been there before. She wanted me—not just to feed from, but to connect with—and she couldn’t hide it.
