“It did to me. You guys have history.”
He rolls his eyes. “You’re in no position to talk.”
Furi snorts.
“Excuse me?”
“The way we found the two of you—” A muscle in his jaw flutters. “Not exactly the portrait of innocence.”
He’s not wrong. Furi agrees.
You. Bed. Now,I order.
She grumbles something that sounds like,fine,and then gives us some privacy.
“He was just trying to get me to stay. To give up this plan with Kylian.”
“Yeah, and he needed your leg hooked over his shoulder for that?” He scoffs, shaking his head. My cheeks heat. I glance from the disgusted smirk on his mouth down to his clenched fists.
“I don’t—I don’t know what to say. Everybody thinks I’m this big whore, guess I just keep rising to the occasion?—”
Zadyn pivots toward me, tugging me to a stop.
“Don’t say that. You’re not a whore. You know that. I know that. I don’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks.” My breath hitches. “And neither should you.”
Regrettably, he releases me and forces himself to step back. I hadn’t realized we’d stopped outside my room. I’m not quite ready to say goodnight.
“You want a nightcap?”
His eyes are on my door as he responds. Like he’s forcing himself not to look at me. “I don’t think so. Not tonight.”
Leaning against the wall, I say, “Does Cece need a night nurse?”
I’m onlyhalfkidding.
He, however, is not when he moves closer and braces his arms oneither side of my head so that I’m sandwiched between him and the wall. His head dips down.
“I’ve made my feelings for you very clear. And you should know that everything that came before is inconsequential. There will be no going backward for me. And no going forward. I’m here. I’m here until you make your decision or order me away.”
My heart stutters. He sighs, dropping his voice. “Jace isn’t engaged anymore.”
“And your point is?”
“This doesn’t change things?”
“You think because he’s not engaged I’m just going to run straight back?”
“I don’t know, are you? Based on what I saw under that tree? Can you honestly say you aren’t relieved Sorscha married Eaton? That it doesn’t matter? I know it does. I know exactly how you’re feeling.”
My body strains toward him, hyperaware of his presence looming over me. I bite down on my lip to keep from driving them into his. But I allow myself to stare at them.
Like a dog looking at a bag of bones.
“You don’t know what I’m thinking,” I whisper.
“Yes, I do. Your shield is down.”
“Then what am I thinking now? Because I can promise you it has nothing to do with him.”
