“Because I want to find out if your skin is as soft as it looks.”
“Why?”
He releases a long breath. “Because it would feel good. Stop asking why and get in bed.”
“Which side do you sleep on?” I ask him.
“The middle, usually,” he admits.
I nod. “Alright. I’ll take the very edge. The bed’s big enough that we don’t need to touch. Can I build a pillow fort?”
“No.” When I open my lips to ask why, he preempts my question with a response. “Because I don’t want to. Because I look forward to seeing if you’ll wrap around me in the night. Because I want to feel you, and a few fucking pillows aren’t going to get in the way of that. Let’s sleep, Mira, it’s late and we have an early morning.”
Chapter Seven
Unsurprisingly, Idon’tcuddle up to Dorian through the night. I’m not a particularly touchy-feely person when it comes to humans. I like to keep to myself, both when I’m asleep and when I’m awake. I awaken teetering on the very edge of the bed when my phone alarm goes off. I pop my headphones out of my ears, return them to their case, and yawn as I sit up. Beside me, Dorian scowls, his eyes half-lidded.
“It’s too early,” he says grumpily. “What time is it?”
“7:30,” I tell him. “Enough time for me to get stuff from my dorm room, talk to my roommates, and make it to my first class on time.”
He lets out a long sigh. “Fine.” He rolls out of bed, stretching his arms above his head, and squints at me through the early morning sunlight. “You didn’t touch me at all last night.”
I nod. “Yeah, I’m not big on physical contact with people.” I shrug. “I can sense them from afar, but up close it gets much worse. Looking into someone’s eyes can be like staring into their soul, but skin to skin contact amplifies everything tenfold. I’ve already seen all I need to in your eyes, I don’t want to overwhelm myself more.”
“And what is it that you’ve seen?” Dorian asks, seeming more alert now.
I gaze at him. “That your morals are as dark grey as it gets, and your soul is even darker. That you’ve been hurt in thepast, so you hurt people in the present. That you,” I shake my head, “are a stone-cold killer who will not lose even a wink of sleep over taking someone’s life. I’ve seen that you’re very dangerous, and that you don’t discriminate much when you kill.”
I stand, offering a wan smile. “On the plus side, I have negative zero desire to sleep with you, and I’m pretty sure you’re not one to force girls—could still be wrong on that account, but I don’t think I am—which means I’m probably safe from you. So you’re not as bad as some of the people I’ve come across.” I yawn. “Can we go to Greywood now?”
Dorian’s brows are furrowed as he stares at me, his eyes shining with a mixture of confusion and vague discomfort. As if he doesn’t like how well I read him.
Trust me, buddy, I don’t like reading people, either.
He clears his throat. “Yeah. Breakfast, then we can go.”
A knock sounds on the door. Dorian straightens to his full height, instantly going on alert. He glances at me, motioning at the bed. “Sit there and stay.”
My brows knit. “I’m not a dog.”
“But you are currently in a house with three people you already know are dangerous. You heard more than you should, and you saw more than you should,” Dorian says, gesturing to the bed again.
I don’t want him to think I’m going to be an obedient girl he can order around; that would not be a good way to kick off my captivity. Last night, I was scared. I’m still scared, but I’m also pretty sure that Dorian doesn’t have any interest in hurting me, and that he won’t force me to do anything sexual. In fact, he seems unreasonably invested in protecting me.
I fold my arms over my chest. “I haven’t seen anything.”
Another knock sounds, this time accompanied by a muffled voice. Dorian walks up to me with a sigh. My breath hitches as he grips my arms and walks me backward until my legs hit the edge of the bed. I fall into a sitting position, bouncing on the mattress. He leans over me, and I becomeacutelyaware of just how much bigger he is than me, how much stronger, how easily he could break me in half if he wanted to.
But the realization isn’t accompanied by fear. It creates another feeling, something far more dangerous that sparks in my belly and begins to travel lower until it reaches my core. I swallow hard, planting my palms on the mattress and leaning back.
“You see more than you should. You might not have witnessed something that could be construed as a crime, but you haveseenus. Usually, people who know as much about me and my legion as you do are considered dangerous. You’ve pinned all of us to an insane degree, which could make Connor and Seamus see you as a problem. You’ve already heard Connor’s opinion on loose ends. When I tell you to sit or stay, it’s not because I’m being a prick, it is because I’m thinking of how to keep you safe when you present as a threat to guys who are used to killing threats."
That douses the warmth traveling through me, replacing it with chilling cold. “I’m not a threat,” I assure him. “I have no evidence of anything. Even if I wanted to tell someone—which I don’t, I value my life—what would I say? That I have afeeling?” I shake my head. “I learned to keep shit to myself when I was a kid.”
“Good, then we won’t have any problems. Nevertheless, when I tell you to sit and stay, you should do it for your own sake. Clear?”
I nod silently. Dorian releases me, stalking over to the door. He opens it, revealing Seamus, who’s wide awake and well-dressed in awhite button-up and black slacks. Seamus looks at Dorian, glances at me, and smirks. “I see you two have gotten cozy.”
