“Yeah.” I turn back to the stove because I can’t look at him anymore without combusting. “We’re having dinner. Together. Like civilised people.”
“Are we?”
“Yes.” I dish up the curry with shaking hands, focusing very intently on not spilling it everywhere. “Because whatever this is, whatever we’re doing, I’m not going to be a situationship or a booty call or friends with benefits or whatever else people call it these days.”
I can feel him watching me. My face is burning so hot I’m surprised the curry isn’t evaporating.
“If you’re going to keep showing up in my flat and feeding on me and protecting me from thugs and calling me ‘My Love’, then we’re going to do this properly.” I carry both plates to the table and set them down with more force than necessary. “We’re going to have dinner. We’re going to talk. We’re going to be civilised.”
Silence.
I risk a glance at him. He’s grinning. A wide, delighted grin that makes him look younger and even more unfairly attractive.
“You find this amusing?” I demand.
“I find you adorable.” He moves to the table with that fluid grace and sits down. “Very well. Let’s be civilised.”
I drop into the chair opposite him, my heart still racing. “I didn’t put any salt in it, but I still don’t know if you can actually eat human food. But if you can’t, you can just sit there and pretend.”
Hex picks up his fork and takes a bite of curry. He chews thoughtfully, his eyes never leaving mine. “It’s delicious.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not.” His smile softens. “It’s very good, Adam. Thank you for cooking for me.”
I don’t know what to do with that sincerity. It makes my chest feel tight and warm and strange. I look down at my own plate and start eating just to have something to do with my hands.
We eat in silence for a few moments. It’s awkward. Painfully awkward. I have no idea what to say. No idea how to do this. I’ve never had dinner with a shadow prince before. There’s no etiquette guide for this situation.
“How was work today?” Hex asks, breaking the silence.
I blink at him. “You already know. You were there. Sort of.”
“I know what happened. I don’t know how you feel about it.”
Oh. That’s surprisingly thoughtful.
“It was terrifying,” I admit. “Those men were going to hurt me. Maybe worse. I’ve never been in a situation like that before.”
“But you stood up to them.” There’s pride in his voice. “You said no.”
“And then you saved me.” I meet his eyes. “Thank you. For that.”
He inclines his head. “Always.”
The word settles over me like a promise. Always. As if this isn’t temporary. As if he’s planning to stick around.
I take another bite of curry, feeling slightly less anxious.
Hex is easy to talk to once you get past the whole otherworldly beauty thing. He asks about my day, about Felix, about the customers. He laughs at my descriptions of the weird orders people make. He listens like he actually cares.
Eventually, I work up the courage to ask what I’ve been wondering. “Are you okay? After feeding last night?”
His eyes gleam. A filthy grin spreads across his face. “I’m much better. Though I’m going to need to feed several more times before I regain my full strength.”
Heat floods through me. Several more times. Right. Of course.
“How many more times?” I hear myself ask.
