She squeals and claps like her day has just been made. "Okay, shoot."
My face feels hot, and I fidget with my gloves. "Don't laugh at me."
"I'll totally laugh if it's funny."
That's fair. "Is it normal to want to lick abs?"
Kenzie blinks. Then she bursts into the dreaded laughter. "Oh my gods! Maven fucking Oakley, you're so cute. Lick all the abs you want, and I promise they'll love it. Are your other questions about sexy stuff? Are you finally having your sexual awakening? Girl, if you’re asking for a crash course in sex education, I'msodown to help! Keep the questions coming."
I do, and our visit lasts far longer than I expected. But half of the time, I'm distracted by Kenzie's earlier question about whether or not my guys know.
I have a delicately balanced plan for how the rest of my mission is supposed to go. Now that I've decided to stop fighting my quintet and give in to temptation, I should include them in those plans and explain my blood oath.
And then, before all hell breaks loose, even if they can't bind their hearts to mine...we'll find a way to offset their curses together.
28
CRYPT
I've consumed countless dreams,but never have I been so sated.
As daylight dawns outside the drawn curtains, my keeper's room is dim and quiet aside from her soft breathing. In Limbo, I lay on the bed beside her and savor every second I can soak in her aura like it's the only balm for my shredded soul.
Knowing what little I do about her background, peace must have been virtually nonexistent in Maven's life, as evidenced by the night terrors that cling so tightly to her psyche anytime they can. With the totem and my presence, she's finally resting.
Andgods above, she's utterly fucking delectable in her sleep.
I sigh as I adjust my inappropriately hard cock for the hundredth time. If she knew how deviant my desires for her are, I wonder how she would react. She might be disgusted.
But then, my beautifully twisted little darling is always taking me by surprise, so perhaps if she knew…
Maven's dream that's been perfuming Limbo around me for the last couple of hours fades abruptly, and she opens her eyes to squint at the window. She glances in my general direction as if to acknowledge that she can sense me before rolling out of bed and dropping into a set of wide push-ups.
She did this the last time I fed on her dreams all night, too. I admire how driven she is, but I also must assume this is a habit she was taught in the Nether. She's so on edge in the mornings. Decimus gave me an extremely fast rundown of what Maven shared with them about her past while I was away, and if I ever meet the bastards responsible for making her feel like nothing but a weapon, I'll hang them with their own intestines.
I'm also quite petulant that I missed out on seeing her torture a changeling. It must have been quite the sight.
Finally, I slip into the mortal realm, ignoring the familiar flare of pain in my limbs that says I'll need to smoke morereveriumsoon.
But it's far easier to bear than usual, thanks to feeding on my keeper's dreams all night. I grin down at her.
"Hello, love."
She finishes her last reps of lunges and stretches, giving me a mouthwatering glimpse of her lower stomach before she moves toward the large bathroom. "How did my dreams taste?"
"Heavenly."
Not to mention, I spent quite a bit of time gently detangling touch from panic within her dreams. Maven's psyche is irreversibly scarred from trauma. I suspect she will never willingly share a lot of her dark past, but even if I can't see what memories are hurting her, I can try to ease the pain in her dreams.
"Care for a hand in the shower?" I ask, trying to keep my voice light and teasing. Not pushing is difficult, especially when my cock has been achingly hard all night.
My heart flips in on itself when she smirks over her shoulder. "If you're offering."
Gods save her from me.
I'm immediately at her side, enraptured as she strips out of her pajamas and steps under the water. Watching how themoisture flows over her perfect, naked skin, curling over her curves, trailing over her breasts, dripping between her thighs…
It's beautiful, but I envy that water far more than I'm proud to admit.
