Luce couldn't stand the sound of chewing.
"Misophonia," he said with a shrug. "Crunching, slurping, smacking lips...drives me up the wall."
I snorted and took a long sip. "Good to know. I'll be sure to chew with my mouth open from now on."
"You're a real peach, you know that?"
"Part of my charm. Are there any new annoying habits I should be aware of, seeing as we're stuck in this bottle together for at least a few more hours?"
Luce took a sip of his cognac, considering. "I've been told I snore. Loudly."
I raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like I'm in for a sleepless night then."
"Hey, I can't help it! Not all of us can be perfect, ..."
"If you say kitten you’ll regret it. Me, perfect? Hardly. You want to know my pet peeve? People who talk during movies. It’s recent, but it’s real."
Luce laughed, a warm, rich sound that seemed to fill the space between us. "Noted. I promise to keep my trap shut during our inevitable movie marathons."
Despite myself, I found my lips twitching into a small smile. Maybe being stuck with Luce wouldn't be complete torture after all. At least the conversation wasn't half bad.
And the mudslide...I took another sip, savoring the decadent flavors. The mudslide was pretty damn perfect.
After draining the last of my drink, I stifled a yawn. The exhaustion of the day rolled over me like a truck.
Luce noticed, setting his empty glass aside. "Looks like it's time to hit the hay. Big day of trying to bust out of this joint tomorrow."
The thought of sharing a bed with Luce made my pulse quicken and my palms turn clammy. Damn daemon and his stupid, perfect face.
"You’d better stick to your side," I grumbled, claiming the left half of the bed and burrowing under the silky sheets. They were cool against my skin, a small comfort in this bizarre situation.
Luce slid in beside me, the mattress dipping under his weight. Heat radiated off his body, mere inches from mine. It took every ounce of self-control not to inch closer, to soak in his warmth.
Lovely. Why my subconscious had decided it wanted him I’d never know, but being this close to Luce, breathing in his spicy, masculine scent, was doing things to me.
Rolling over so my back was to him, I screwed my eyes shut and willed sleep to come. But it was futile. I was turned on and not happy about it. The source of my frustration was lying right beside me, tantalizingly out of reach.
It was going to be a long night. Exhaustion would claim me before I did something stupid like give in to temptation and jump Luce's bones.
Damn daemon. Damn bottle. Damn it all to hell.
With a quiet, frustrated huff, I buried my face in the pillow. My dreams, when they finally came, were filled with heated caresses and sinful whispers in a deep velvet voice.
4
RISSA
Sitting in the comfy chair,my legs tucked under me, I flicked my wrist, sending the playing card spinning through the air. The bathroom had been stocked with clothes, so we’d both changed. Whoever had stocked it had a sense of humor, since everything in my size was incredibly girly. I was wearing the longest skirt available, and it still only came to midthigh.
The card sailed in a perfect arc before landing with a soft thwap in the metal bowl.
"Damn it, Halo. That's what, ten in a row now?" Luce grumbled as he lined up his own shot. His frown of concentration made me want to snicker.
"Eleven, actually," I replied, a satisfied smile trying to fight its way out. "Guess I'm just better at handling small objects than you are."
Luce snorted. "Is that what kids are calling it these days?" His card went wide, plopping against the curved glass wall of our prison. He muttered a curse under his breath.
I laughed, grabbing another card from the stack between us. "Going to admit I win before we run out of cards?"
