“You don’t have to touch me like that.”
“No.” His thumb kept moving. “I don’t.”
I pulled my hand back. “What do you want?”
“You.”
My mouth went slack. He was supposed to smirk. Deflect. Turn this into a game. Instead, he just watched me.
“You don’t mean that.”
“I don’t say things I don’t mean.”
My cheeks burned. “You could at leastpretendto be subtle.”
“I’ve been chained for a century. I’m not spending my freedom being coy.”
“So romantic.”
“Would you prefer I lie?”
I bit back a smile. Gods, the bluntness was almost refreshing.
“Why me?”
“You look like something I shouldn’t touch.” His gaze dragged down my body. “Soft. Fragile.”
My skin began to ache.
He leaned forward. “But you’re not, are you? You can break things that shouldn’t break.”
“So I’m a novelty.”
“You’re a problem. I catch your scent and stop thinking clearly. You plot against me under my own roof, and I let you.” His lips curved. “I like watching you play.”
I brushed hair from my neck, flushing. He was admitting that I affected him?
My attention flicked to the satchel under the table. The corner of my map was sticking out, and with how Kairos was sitting…if he glanced down, he’d see it.
Shit.
I needed to distract him.
I tilted my head. “What if I could be persuaded to change my mind about you?”
“Could you?”
“Maybe,” I breathed, letting myself soften. “If you did a favor for me.”
“Like?”
“Answer my questions honestly.”
He smiled. “Scheming again?”
“Is that a no?”
His eyes gleamed. “Ask away.”
