“Youcould.”
I punch my fists together. “I swear on your balls I’m going to lose it. Because you’re right. I could. And it would be spectacular.”
He smiles again, the green specks in his eyes growing with the warmth he lets into them. I stare at the scar on his jaw instead. I don’t want to think of Kelter when I look at him.
“That reminds me, I have something for you.” He rifles through his pack and retrieves the small sack he stowed away earlier. It drips.
“Is that blood?”
“Maybe.” He drops it between us.
Curiosity prevails. I take the red-soaked sack and stick my fingers in between the scratchy fabric, pushing it open. I peer inside. At wrinkled flesh and hair and blood.
I gag. “What the fuck is this?”
“Thoseare the balls of the man that threw a knife at your back.”
Something goes awry in my brain. The part that’s supposed to be appalled. “Elivander Merinson Hux the Second—you brought me another man’s balls?”
“I can’t tell anymore if you’re obsessed or hate them.”
I don’t know either.I eye the blood splattered on his clothes with new appreciation. “You did something nice for me.”
“I’m making sure you know the fucker is dead.”
Right.“These should be on ice so I can enjoy them longer.” I hand the bloody sack of balls back with a coy smile. “And this doesn’t change anything.”
“I’m done waiting. Pants. Off. Now.”
But that voice might.
The way he crowds over me with his dark aura wrapped around my throat, the sway he has on my desire—it does things to me. And makes me do things. Like wiggle out of my pants. He gives me room to extend my legs and kick the fabric loose from my ankles, then looks down at my bare thighs, a hungry groan escaping his throat.
I let my legs fall wide open. “I don’t see how this is going to work. I have no control. I’ll suck your magic and torture you.”
“Sucking and torturing doesn’t sound too bad.” He leans in, planting an arm on either side of my shoulders against the wall.
“You can’t be serious.”
“It’ll be worth it.” He nods to convince himself.
“Why can’t you block the magic? That’s your thing since the beginning of time, right? You did it when the Centress first attacked me.”
“I tried when she put her hands on you again. I couldn’t do it.” His face lowers to kissing range, his eyes darkening. “I couldn’t block her from taking your memories either. And I can’t block you.”
“Why not?”
“Nothing about you makes sense.” His tone shifts, rousing the knots low in my stomach to unravel. “But maybe torturing me will motivate you to control yourself.”
“What if I like watching you writhe in pain on top of me?”
“Then we’ll both be sore tomorrow instead of only you.” And with that, he pushes away from the wall and seizes my neck. In the samesecond, his entire body tenses, hands tight around my throat. His head twists to the side, jaw clenched, eyes blown wide.
And fuck… it’s beautiful.
He releases me, collapsing on the floor.
I push my back flat to the wall, breathing heavily. A silky, dark peace trickles over me, the satisfaction of seeing him twitching before me too strong to deny. I’m tempted to grab him while he’s down. Not to hurt him. It’s the exhilaration of the darkness I seek. But I can’t let this part of me take root. “You’re insane.”
