"No." Grayson didn't bat an eye at the accusation. "I'm enjoying your body while trying to get what I want from you."
"You totally are. You can't use sex as a weapon, Darke."
"I'm an incubus. Sex is the best weapon I have, outside of my fists and shadows.”
Anger flared in my chest. I looked to the side, trying to find my clothes, but they were too far to reach easily.
Guess we were having this conversation while I was topless.
"I'm not sealing a bond with you until we've come to an agreement. There needs to be a schedule. Something concrete as far as what we're going to do and be."
"What we’re going to be ismates, Mer."
"I still want a schedule." I slipped off his lap. He didn't stop me, this time, just leaning back against the couch as I sucked in a panicked breath.
Everything hit me at once.
The waistband of my pants, digging in just a little too tight.
The tickle of my hair against my neck, a few inches longer than I liked it thanks to my hatred for going in to get it cut.
The gentle flow of chilled air blowing from a vent nearby.
Those fucking invisible bugs.
Grayson's shadows materialized at my shoulders, wrapping around me like a warm, light blanket.
Slowly, my overwhelm sort of...softened.
It was there, but it was lighter.
Easier to ignore.
"What do you want to schedule?" Grayson asked.
"The time we’re going to spend together, if any. You need to be here. I need to be in my home. The best-case scenario for this mate bond involves both of us returning to our normal lives."
"I don’t know how you could’ve convinced yourself of that. In your normal life, you can barely leave your house."
I resisted the urge to pull his shadows closer, as if they really were a blanket. Obviously, they weren't. If I'd tried to grab them, my hands probably would've gone right through."So?"
"You'd rather go back to hiding at your house alone, while struggling beneath the weight of your magic, than live here with me?"
"Yes." It was a lie. A half-truth, at least.
The thought of staying with him was overwhelming, to say the least.
Plus, his home was a war zone. His people both feared, adored, and despised me.
And my family needed me. Darius, mostly.
"No." Grayson stood. More of his shadows gathered around me, moving and dancing over my skin as they darkened andthickened. "I'm not letting you go. You may have walked in here by choice, but you can consider yourself my prisoner now."
He strode toward the apartment’s front door.
"I could kill everyone in this building if I wanted to," I called after him. "I amnotyour prisoner."
"You only kill abusers, but nice try," he tossed back. "You have my phone number if you need it. Enjoy the apartment, because it'soursnow, mate."
