The way he said that sent shivers down her spine, and she tried to escape back to her perch, cheeks blazing—but Theo didn’t let her. He grabbed her and held her close, sweeping kisses across her neck and beneath her jaw, his eyes closed and mouth still stretched wide with pleasure. She knew he wasn’t lying. She could feel how much he liked it pressing up against her back.
Fine.
She melted.
And let him bend her to his will this time.
He was very good at it, after all.
Three days shespent, playing with Theo and loving him like this, letting him love her like he did.
Three days they spent, with their phones quiet and dark, their notifications silenced, their focus only on each other.
It was the best weekend she’d ever had.
When the weekendwas over, Theo walked her back to her tiny studio apartment where Violet was waiting anxiously to hear about how everything had gone.
But her roommate didn’t even know the half of it. There was no way Audrey could tell her who else Theo actually was.
Lightm4st3r was a big deal.
He didn’t want the attention.
They’d talked about it, though, and Theo wasn’t actually opposed to letting Violet in on the secret provided she could keep it—perhaps if she signed an NDA—but it was Audrey who wasn’t convinced. Her best friend probably needed time to get to know him separately from the artist identity she idolized, and Theo promised to make friends with Violet. He was shy and nervous, but he’d try.
They reached the top of the stairs in Audrey’s building, and Theo slowed his ascent, stopping just short of the landing. Audrey turned and glanced down at him over her shoulder. He didn’t move, and she couldn’t quite interpret the look he had in his eyes.
“What is it?” she asked, stepping back down to stand with him. “What’s wrong?”
Theo shook his head. “Nothing. I—”
“Tell me.”
He ran a hand through his hair before ripping his mask away from his face while he mounted the last few steps with her to reach the landing. “Audrey, I, uh…” He drew in a deep breath. “I was just thinking about going back to my house.”
“Oh?” She raised an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”
“Yes.” Theo rested his hands on her hips. “I can already tell, especially now that we’re here. It’s a big problem.”
“Why? Your house is incredible. I love it. It’s the nicest place I’ve ever been.”
“That’s just it: it’s a nice place whenyou’rethere. But you won’t be there when I go back.” He shifted on his feet, rolled his jaw, pressed his lips together, all the things he always did when he was anxious or reticent. His fingers twitched and tightened at her waist. “I have to go back there alone, without you. And I know it won’t feellike home anymore if you’re not there. Not now. It’ll be way too empty. Way too quiet.”
Her face fell when Theo was the one to voice the same thought that had been plaguing her the entire walk back to her place.
She hadn’t wanted to leave his.
It was an odd feeling to realize that she’d started thinking of his house as her home.
Before she could say anything, Theo plunged his hand into his pocket and pulled out a familiar key. He set it in her palm and curled her fingers back over it gently.
“I wanted to ask you to move in.” The tips of his ears reddened as he blurted it out. “You don’t ever have to leave my house again.”
She stared down at the key in her hand.
“I know this is a big step.” He took her hands in his. “But I’ve thought a lot about it, and I need to be honest about what I want. And that’syou.” He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers. “You feel like home to me.”
“I know,” she whispered, pocketing the key before burying her hand in the loose waves at the back of his neck. “You feel like home to me too.”
