“What are you thinking about?” He asks.
“You,” I admit. Soren nods and looks back at his perfect tree. Snow is collecting in his hair. The lines of Christmas lights that are strung up above the tree park make everything glow softly.
“Doctor Moore, I’m going to have to insist that you marry me.” He pets the tree’s branches with gloved hands as my mouth drops open.
4
SOPHIE
“Married?”
“Who knew I’d get remarried so fast? Guess your therapy works miracles.” Soren’s eyes twinkle as he keeps stroking the tree’s branch.
“I’m not marrying you.”
“Unfortunately, I’m going to insist.” He sighs. “Perhaps a practical marriage is what I needed all along.”
“Practical?” This has to be the most impractical suggestion I’ve been given.
“Because of spousal privileges. You won’t be able to testify in court.”
“I certainly can. That’s if I don’twantto testify,” I groan. I rub my forehead, trying to work the fresh headache out of my skull.
“That’s right. Which is why I need to convince you that you don’t want to testify or turn me in. I have something to offer you. I’m doing this for you.”
“Killing people?” I ask loudly. His eyes dart around to see if anyone’s close.
“No, that’s entirely selfish. But becoming my wife is a way to protect you, not me.”
“God,” I mumble under my breath, my face heating. There’s a certain Hell for people who blush when a killer calls them their wife.
“What do you plan to offer me?” I imagine him offering to kill my enemies. Put their heads on pikes. It would be very tempting if this was 15th-century Romania, but I don’t need Soren to kill minimum wage workers who fuck up my Taco Bell order. That’s about as close to an enemy as I have. Well, there was the bad date, but he already covered that one pro bono.
“Me, of course,” he says slyly. My eyes shoot to him. I watch the way his lips spread as my brain works on rewiring itself.Him.
“You?”
“Don’t you find me intriguing, Doctor Moore?” His words are lighthearted, but the subtext is deep. Oh my God…
I look back at the trees. I’d rather be killed. Was I that obvious? Of course, I was. He saw it from the start. He even noticed my date looked like him. He knows I’m obsessed and plans to use it against me.
I look back at him, feeling watery and pathetic. He raises an eyebrow as tears well in my eyes. The night has officially broken me. I could handle a bad date and a murder, apparently. But being proposed to while my perversion is revealed? Too much. God, please pick another soldier; this one has had enough battles for one night. Ugh.
“There’s no reason to be ashamed. It’s natural,” he says. Soren’s thumb brushes away a tear.
“Natural.” I feel delirious and more fragile than ever as he tries to comfort me for wanting him.
“Of course,” he says softly. His arm wraps around my middle, dragging me in. He smells warm—like woods, spice, and amber.Is this the start of it then? His slow seduction as a means to keep me quiet?
It’s so ridiculous and embarrassing that he saw my level of attraction and thoughtthiscould work on me. That moan when he kissed me is coming back to haunt me, but come on. Does he really think having sex with me will convince me not to tattle that hemurdered someone?
However ridiculous, I’ll play along for now. The only other option is the dark forest, where my chance of survival is minimal.
His hands rub my arms, warming me up to him. I jerk away, but he grips my arms and drags me back into his warm chest.
“Now, doctor, no running. We’re still talking. I think we can come to an agreement, right? This could be beneficial to you.”
“Beneficial.” I start laughing, and he frowns.
