Neither of us said a word during the meal, though.
When I was blissfully full and he was leaning back in his chair, staring at me, I cleared my throat.
"We should probably have a conversation about… everything."
He lifted an eyebrow. "Everything what?"
"The heats we spent together. The stalking. The mate bond you want to start. Whatever’s wrong with you and your family."
"Go ahead."
Go ahead?
What the hell?
Fine.
"Liv said you stalked me."
"You’ve been mine since the moment you decided to make a bargain with me. Your magic hadn’t settled yet, so I kept you from afar. Now it’s settled. So you’re here."
I blinked.
Had he really just said hekeptme?
"You’re unhinged," I said.
"Was that a question?"
"I guess not." I reached up to the back of my neck and rubbed it. "Why did you care about the settling?"
"Fae can’t spend much time with anyone whose magic hasn’t settled, unless they were around them enough while they were in the womb. It causes power to spread or infect. Creates hybrids, and fucks with magic. My power is twisted enough as it is. If I’d been closer to you, yours would be twisted as well."
As far as the internet said, he could cause pain without touching anyone, so yeah. I’d say it was twisted enough.
"Why did you risk that to spend heat with me, then?"
"My only other options were to let you suffer or allow you to spend it with someone else. Neither was acceptable."
"And the lingerie?"
His eyes glittered darkly. "Motivation to stop myself from stripping you completely bare."
He’d only taken my top off once. Maybe that was intentional.
"What is it that you want from this?" I gestured between us. "Sex, for the rest of our immortal lives? You don’t even know if we’re compatible, since you never let me touch you, and we’ve never actually fucked."
"Sex has nothing to do with this."
I waited for the rest of the explanation.
It didn’t come.
"Are you hoping we fall in love or something?" I asked.
"No. Love would complicate things. It will not be happening."
"Then why do you want me?" I gestured to myself.
