He released a deep sigh and leaned closer still.
“I know what you are doing, little Inanna,”he whispered, and my breath caught.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
He inhaled deeply then, as if taking in the scent of me and trying to detect the lie.
Which was why I wasn’t surprised when he then muttered a confident and smug sounding,
“I call bullshit.”
The knowing confidence in his voice lingered between us long after the words themselves had settled, and for a moment I simply stared at him. Now painfully aware that my attempt to redirect the conversation had failed before it had even properly begun.
Which, if I were being honest with myself, made me even more nervous. Because Oblivion hadn’t yet stepped away. No, if anything, he had moved closer.
His hand still rested against my waist with that same steady pressure. His thumb occasionally shifted in small, absent circles against the fabric of my skirt, as though he had forgotten it was there. The warmth of it seeped through the material and into my skin, making it far harder than it should have been to focus on anything sensible.
Like the fact that he still believed I was a Siren.
Or the possibility that this entire moment, this closeness, this careful attention he seemed so intent on giving me, might simply be another way to lower my guard. Just another way to get closer to the one thing he actually wanted…
To imprison Bo.
That thought alone was enough to drag my mind back into focus, and before the silence between us could stretch any further, I forced the words out.
“So, what happens to him now?”
Oblivion’s brow shifted slightly, and I wondered if he was going to call me out for trying to change the subject again.
“Ah, back to the demon once again, I see,” he said after sighing.
“I can’t help but be concerned for him,” I replied, prompting the tick in his jawline that was far too distracting. Seriously, why did men need cheekbones like that, and I wasn’t even going to get started on the sweep of his long black lashes that had no right being on a man.
“Yes, I can see that,” he said bitterly, and it was with enough bite that when I took a step back, he didn’t try to stop me.
“Well, I think it’s a fairly reasonable reaction considering he’s the one currently hiding from you.”
The corner of his mouth moved faintly at that, though whether it was amusement or mild irritation I honestly couldn’t tell.
“He is hiding because he believes I intend to punish him,” he stated way too casually for this to be anything but just another average weekday to him. Starting the morning off with a workout, a light breakfast, maybe a business meeting or two, then back home in time for Hellish punishment before lunch. Honestly, the thought made me shiver and, once again, made me question what the hell I had gotten myself into…emphasis on the hell part.
“And do you… intend on punishing him?” The question left my mouth before I could stop it, and the way he looked at me made me wish I could take it back. The intensity of his attention made it impossible to look anywhere else.
“I am undecided.”
The answer came so smoothly that, for a moment, I simply stared at him, the conviction in his voice making it clear he had not offered it lightly. And yet, the ease of it unsettled me all the same. Because men like Oblivion did not strike me as the type to hesitate over something as small as the fate of a single ‘lesser’ demon, as he had so cruelly claimed him to be.
Which meant that the hesitation itself felt deeper.
“Forgive me if I’m struggling to find that comforting,” I said after a moment, studying his expression carefully as though I might somehow uncover the truth hiding behind it.
“I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that demons don’t exactly strike me as the forgiving type, especially when it comes to second chances.”
For a brief moment, something thoughtful moved behind his eyes, although it was gone again almost as quickly as it had appeared.
“Yes, and much like your mortal beliefs about Sirens, I would argue that any assumptions about my kind are rather pointless, considering how often your kind gets it wrong.”
I swallowed hard and muttered,
