Alexa ran her hands down her shirt. After tonight, she was never going to see theQuestoror anyone on it ever again. If she didn’t encounter Raul, she wouldn’t have to break things off with him or explain anything. Maybe it was better that way.
She left the bathroom and went to the bed. She straightened the bedding out for the hundredth time. When the sheets couldn’t get any straighter, she stepped back.
It’s time.
She looked around the room. There was nothing left to do, nothing else she could do.
She still searched for an excuse, because after she called Hysterian, he was either going to give her what she wanted, or not. Wistfulness gripped her heart. She was going to miss theQuestor. Even this room. The last few months had been better than she thought they could ever be.
She cared about more than just her revenge now.
In doing so made her fail. She fell in love with the one being she vowed to end. Now it was time to leave before something worse happened. Alexa wouldn’t let anyone else get hurt on her behalf.
Heading to the door, she braced for what was about to come.
“Hysterian,” she said his name, a little hesitant at first. She’d never called out for him before. “I’m ready to talk.”
It was a lie, and he would know it was, but it was the perfect bait.
I love him.There was nothing wrong in pretending for a little while that everything was perfect, right? Tonight was for her, and no one else.
There wasn’t any shame anymore.
She didn’t have to wait long before the door to the room opened.
Hysterian, perfectly handsome, exceedingly dangerous, walked into the room and straight toward her, stopping a foot away.
“You came,” she breathed.
He glared at her, pinning her to where she stood. He was mad. As he should be.
“Not by choice,” he said, his voice low.
She straightened. “I know you’re upset—”
“Why did you call for me, Alexa?” he growled. “Speak.”
“I…” Now that he was here, nervousness stole her courage. He was so beautiful, so overwhelming. Why did he ever want her in the first place? Alexa gritted her teeth and shut the thoughts out. If she failed this time it was going to be because she put her full effort in and he denied her anyway.
She knew he very well may be lying. That he might not actually care about her at all, but whether he cared or not, whether he was manipulating her or not, she was going to do her best to manipulate him right back.
“Why am I here?” he asked again, curiosity now edging his tone.
“I wanted…” She licked her lips. “I, uh…”
“If it’s not to tell me what’s going on in your head, then say it.”
“I wanted”—he swallowed, her cheeks flushing—“to be with you.”
Her heart hammered.
His eyes searched her, and she tried not to wither. She wished she knew what he saw in her. She wished she wasn’t a half-breed and he wasn’t a Cyborg. That they were two normal beings.
She prayed he still wanted her as much as she wanted him.
But as the moments passed, and he continued to stand silently before her, embarrassment wiggled its way into her head. “This was a stupid idea—”
“Strip.”
