Then I quickened my pace, my steps carrying me fast towards the house, the air cooling against my cheeks as the shadows deepened. By the time I reached the door, the clock had just hit seven.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
SANORA
I pushed the door shut behind me, exhaling a breath, only for it to catch in my throat when my eyes locked on him.
Thrax stood against the counter just outside the kitchen, arms folded, waiting. His long dark hair fell loosely around his face, never tied back, and those black eyes dragged over me from head to toe—from my hair, to my pink top, to the white shorts clinging to my legs, down to my feet. Then his gaze returned to my face.
He pushed off the counter, rounding into the kitchen with slow steps, before stopping in his usual place—the same place he always stood to watch me eat. His palm tapped idly on the counter, the soft sound echoing louder than it should.
Come.
Heat shot straight through me at the simple gesture, blood rushing to my ears, a pulse flaring insistently between my legs.
Instead of flying into his arms the way my reckless heart begged me to, I shifted my weight onto one leg, clearing my throat. “Then you’ll answer any question I have.”
His eyes darkened. “Get on here,Nher.”
Nher.
He’d called me that yesterday, but I’d been too high on adrenaline to notice. Was that some kind of nickname? I tilted myhead, feigning calm. “That isn’t so polite. Besides, I asked you a question. Will you answer anything I ask? Outside our daily question and answer?”
The muscle in his jaw ticked as his stare grew heavier. I would have understood the heated look he was sending my way if I knew the reason behind it, so going near him didn’t feel like a safe option. And besides, he was yet to agree to my deal.
So I turned towards the stairs, feigning nonchalance, ignoring the way his stare burned into my side. I’d only taken four steps before his voice cracked the silence.
“You know you aren’t getting on that stairs, Sanora. Might as well sit here obediently,” he said, and the urge to disobey him invaded my bloodstream, taking my legs further near the first step. Then he added, reluctantly so, “Please.”
The single word sent victory sparking through me. My lips twitched, and I tucked a smile away before it could betray me. Turning, I swept my hair behind my ear, aware my attitude was riling him further. His fingers were drumming impatiently against the counter.
“And do you agree to answering my questions?” I pressed.
“Depends on the questions.” He tilted his head. “I don’t have all day. Get on here.”
My chest fluttered as I walked, trying not to skip my way to him. I placed the book I carried onto the counter, rounding it. I stopped in front of him, needing him to move back so I could get on the counter.
But then, his arms suddenly came down on my body, catching my waist and lifting me off the floor. He planted me on the counter with ease.
Butterflies rioted inside me, especially when he stepped in, parting my thighs and tugging me closer until the firm plane of his lower stomach pressed against my core. I left my legs at his sides,resisting the urge to wrap them around his waist and pull him flush completely.
When his eyes came up to mine, I was painfully reminded that I was now at his mercy.
“Hey,” I breathed, desperate to ease the crackling tension.
But instead of answering, his head dipped slowly, his mouth tracing the line of my jaw, feather-light, before dragging lower to my neck, sending shivers down my spine. I felt his jaw clench against my skin. “I smell a boy on you.”
My eyes widened, surprised at how he’d known that I’d spoken to someone, even though Merton hadn’t touched me. “Did you leave the house?”
His dark chuckle vibrated against my skin as his lips trailed upward, grazing from the curve of my neck to my ear. “I don’t need to see you to know,” he murmured. “I know because it’s you.”
I had no time to puzzle out what that meant. His hand slid under my top, palm hot and calloused against my skin. My breath caught as his touch swept over my stomach, circling my waist, skimming my back but never moving upward where I ached for it most, where my nipples were straining against my bra.
“Stop letting me have you. I’m going to be very selfish,” he muttered, like it pained and thrilled him that we were like this. He continued to speak against my neck, giving my ear a soft bite. “I’ll take,Nher.And I don’t know how to stop. So stop me. Please.”
“Can’t you?”I didn’t want him to.
A dry laugh escaped him. “Yes, I can’t. The little control I’m hanging onto right now is the only thing preventing me from bending you over this very counter and pounding into you until we both don’t know where we stand in this world. If I let that slip through my grasp, we’re fucked. So no, I can’t. Stop me yourself.”
