Cashmere narrows his eyes at me. “You don’townme.”
Yeah, I fucking do, but instead of saying that, I give him a tight smile. “You came to me with a problem. That problem is not resolved yet. You’re not leaving.”
His eyes flit back and forth as he juts his chin out at me. “I can call the police.”
Now it’s my turn to narrow my eyes. I grab his arm, pulling him close to me. His eyes flash with heat and determination. “You don’t want to do that.”
I expect him to challenge me, but understanding sweeps across his features.
“I shouldn’t be here,” he whispers. “I can take care of myself.”
“And like I’ve already told you, you don’t have to anymore.” I cradle his chin in my hand, holding his gaze. “Whether you like it or not, I’m invested. The minute I laid eyes on you I knew that was it. So you can fight me, you can throw tantrums, you can be pissed off all you want. But let me be extremely clear. You’re not leaving.”
“So I’m a hostage?”
“A cherished guest.” My thumb brushes across his smooth cheek. “A most beautiful and elegant addition to my gloomy world. You’re the sunlight, and I’ve been in the dark a very long time. You’ll stay because you know you’re safe here. You know I would burn this city down before I let someone touch a hair on your pretty little head. You know I’m your man.”
His bottom lip quivers before he tears his eyes away from me. “Let go of me, Specter.”
“Never.” I lean in and kiss his cheek. “Come upstairs willingly or by force. Your choice.”
He scoffs, trying to wrench his arm away, but I’ve had enough. I’m cold, my feet are freezing, and this has gone on long enough.
Without another word, I bend my knees and toss Cashmere over my shoulder. He shrieks, pounding his fists on my back as I trudge back inside the house with him. Wraith is there, grinning.
“I’ll get his bag,bror.”
I nod in acknowledgment, marching through the house and back upstairs. Halfway up, Cashmere stops fighting, slumping against me. In my bedroom, I set him down on the love seat, moving back just in time when he takes a swing at me.
I raise an eyebrow. “Really?”
“You’re out of line. How is this different from what my stalker wants to do to me?”
“Dammit, Cashmere.” I scrub my hand over my scruff. “What is your fucking problem? Have you never had a single person give a shit about you?”
He flinches, and I realize I hit a nerve. His parents dying, the upheaval after that… Fuck. I am an asshole.
“I care, alright?” I sit on the floor before him with my hands on his knees. “I fucking care. This isn’t just about sex for me. It’s not just about your beauty or how fucking exquisite you are. Icare. I want to keep you safe. I want to keep you forever. So if that’s too much attention, too much devotion, I don’t know what the fuck to tell you. This is me.”
Cashmere’s eyes turn glossy. “It’s too much,” he whispers. “I don’t want to lose who I am.”
“I don’t want you to lose that either. I want to give you shelter so you can bloom and be free and safe and everything you are and want to be.” I take his hand, noting how soft he is, how he trembles slightly. “You shouldn’t fear me. I’m intense, I know that, but there are benefits to my attention.”
He nods, swiping angrily at his eyes. “It’s not that I don’t like you or appreciate what you’ve done for me. It’s not that.”
“Then what is it? Can you tell me what went wrong? I thought tonight was… awesome.”
He wrings his hands, tucking his knees to his chest. “It’s just stuff I have to work out.”
“You can talk to me, Cashmere. You can tell me anything. You can tell me you hate me, that you think my dick is small, that I suck dick like trash. Whatever you want to say, I can take it.”
A small smile tugs at his lips as he huffs a breath. “What offends you?”
“Don’t know. Haven’t found it yet.”
When he doesn’t speak for a minute, I rise to my feet to walk over and start the electric kettle Whisper lent me. I’ll make him some tea. That seems to soothe him.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
