“You don’t have to. I don’t want you to put yourself through that for me. It’s not worth it.”
“I’d do anything for you,” he says seriously.
I respond, “I know,” because I do.
We researchthe house more and make a plan to go there tomorrow evening. Kit promises that if any spirit seems even slightly malevolent, he will get me out of there as soon as possible.
We’re watchingFriendsagain. He might like that show more than I do. As we do, I’m not watching the TV, I’m watching my hand. Carefully, I lift each finger one by one. I pause, make sure Kit is distracted, then try to move my wrist. I do. I try to pick up my arm, but no luck. I huff a small sigh. I’m getting stronger, no denying that. But not strong enough.
Suddenly, Kit pauses the show and says, “Lacy, can we talk?”
Panic races through me. “Sure,” I squeak. “About what?”
“That thing that happened before the poker game.”
Oh. That. My heart rate calms, but not as much as I would like. I gulp and try to keep my voice steady. “The thing with my nipples. Yeah.” I was hoping we would never talk about it again.
“Was that…I mean, was that okay?”
I purse my lips. I want to tell him that it wasn’t okay—that I shouldn’t have let him touch me like that. I want to, but I can’t lie. “I enjoyed it.”
He lets out a relieved huff of air. “Cool. Okay.” He presses play and doesn’t say anything else.
I keep practicing my hand movement.
When this episode ends, he prevents the next episode from playing. “Lacy?”
“Yes?”
“So, when you say you enjoyed it…?”
I cover my face with my hands and groan. Muffled by my palms, I say, “I mean I liked your hands on my body. Okay? I liked that you were touching me. But it can’t happen again. It shouldn’t happen again, because…because…” I have no reason. No reason I believe, anyway. I could say because he’s a demon, or because he’s holding me hostage even if he is doing so to protect me, or anything else regarding any of the bad things he has done. I could say that, but I would be lying through my teeth and he would see right through me.
However, he does not push for a reason. “Understood. It won’t happen again. That is not why I possessed you. I promise.”
He lets the next episode play, and we watch it in silence, neither of us letting out more than a light chuckle throughout. When the episode after goes to start, he stops it again, this time turning off the TV.
“I forgot,” he says. “I got you something.”
“You got me something? When?”
He heads to my bedroom. “This morning. You were asleep for a while.” On my bed sits a few shopping bags. “Some clothes,” Kit explains. “It’s nothing big. I just figured you needed some pieces to refresh your wardrobe. You never buy anything for yourself.” He flips the bags over and dumps an assortment of clothing on my bed. “If you never wear these after you have control of yourself again, I won’t be offended, but you’ll be beautiful in everything I picked out.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “Thanks, Kit. Show me what you got me. Try it all on.”
His hand goes over his heart. “A fashion show? Are you allowing me to give you a fashion show?”
“Oh, good lord.” I laugh. “Yes, please. Give me an after-shopping fashion show.”
I can’t see his face, but I know he’s grinning ear to ear. He practically skips to the light switch to flip it off. He puts on the first outfit then turns on the light again so he can show me in the mirror. It’s not what I was expecting. Kit has been dressing me dark and sexy, so when I see a floral lavender midi skirt paired with a cropped, lightweight white cardigan, I’m surprised.
“I wanted to buy you things I thought you would actually wear on your own,” he explains, understanding my surprise without me having to express it.
“I love it,” I say genuinely.
He tugs at the bottom of the cardigan, so lightly the action feels involuntary. “You look great in it,” he says, gazing in the mirror.
He shakes his head slightly, taking his hands away and turning away from the mirror. He flips the light back off. When it’s back on, he’s wearing a high-neck cropped black tank, still with the same skirt. I like that as well. He turns the light off again, this time coming back in wide-legged black pants and a cream-colored shirt. Next time the light goes off and on, he’s in a dark-purple, silk midi slip dress with a cowl neck, and holyshit?—
