He swallows. “Okay,” he whispers.
I stab my fork into a chunk of roasted potato and shove it into my mouth just to stop myself from saying anything else. Kit stays standing there awkwardly in themiddle of the room. Any other man would’ve been told to piss off by now, but I’m deeply, quietly pleased that he came looking for me.
I lean back in my chair, letting my eyes drag slowly up and down his frame. “Haveyoueaten?”
Kit lets out a tiny sigh. “I thought I might be able to get you to come down…”
So the answer is no, of course he hasn’t eaten.
“Come here.”
He actually listens. No hesitation, no “what” or “why.” He just rounds the desk, takes a shaky breath, and lowers himself into my lap without being told. I growl low in approval and wrap one arm around his waist, pulling him flush against my chest. His breath catches, and he steadies himself with one hand on the edge of the desk.
I reach for my fork, stab a piece of rare steak, and lift it to his mouth. “Eat.”
Kit parts his lips obediently. I watch, with sick, obsessive satisfaction, as his soft mouth closes around the fork. He takes the bite, and I feel every second of it… the way his throat works when he swallows, the small movement of his jaw. It feels strangely intimate, more intimate than fucking him on the pool table.
He came to me, he’s not running.
I pick up a slice of pineapple from the top of the steak and slide it between his lips next. “Good boy,” I murmur, voice rough.
At this point I could feed him the entire plate. I’d rather know he’s eaten than finish it myself. I can always go downstairs later if I’m still hungry. Kit, on the other hand, would be too scared. I watch his throat work to swallow the food, a quiet thought slips through my mind:I wonder if he’s formed any feelings about this weird, fucked-up situation between us.
I keep feeding him in silence, one careful bite after another, my arm staying locked around his waist the whole time. He stays perched in my lap, small and warm, occasionally shifting but never trying to pull away. And for the first time in three days, the tight knot of irritation in my chest loosens just a little.
He came to me… thathasto mean something.
Chapter Ten
~ Monster ~
Kit
I stir slightly at the feeling of being moved, a small frown pulling at my brows even in sleep. I try to roll onto my side, but something’s wrong. I’m not on a bed. I’m lying on warm, solid muscle.
Soren’s amused laugh rumbles deep through his chest and straight into mine. I peek one eye open just in time for him to bounce me gently back into position, pulling me even closer as he continues walking up the stairs.Oh…
It all comes rushing back. Dinner in his study; the way he fed me bite after bite from his own fork while I sat in his lap. Then how he refused to let me slip away afterwards. He’d simply kept working with me still curled against his chest, one arm locked around my waist the whole time. Even when Sam and Luke came up to talk about a missing shipment… something about it possibly being compromised on the ship before it ever reached the docks… Soren hadn’t let me go. I’d been too mortified to listen properly, face planted into my forearms on his desk, hiding from their stares. I kept wondering what they must have thought seeing their boss cradling me like a pet. At some point I must have passed out.
I keep my eyes closed now, pretending to stay asleep. I’m honestly too tired for sex tonight, and I’m hoping that if Soren thinks I’m still contentedly out cold, he’ll just let me sleep.
We push through the doors to his bedroom. He closes them with a soft click, then carefully lowers me onto the mattress and pulls the sheets up over me. I immediately roll onto my side, facing the door, and crack one eye open just enough to see shadows. Soren’s tall silhouette moves around the foot of the bed. I hear the rustle of fabric as he strips out of his clothes, then the quiet pad of bare feet as he rounds the bed and climbs in behind me.
A moment later, his arm slides around me from behind and pulls me backward until my back is flush against his chest. His left arm comes up, curling around me so his hand rests near my face, the height difference letting him easily rest his chin on top of my head. One of his thick legs slips between mine, tangling us together like I’m a puzzle piece that slots perfectly into place.
For once… I actually feel safe in his arms. I don’t let myself look too closely at that feeling. This is still the man who killed my parents. I refuse to get attached… I can’t. But for now, I let myself snuggle a little deeper into his hold, pressing my cheek against his forearm. I know it won’t last. Soren will get bored eventually. He’ll move on to someone else, someone less broken and afraid. Until then… I let my eyes drift shut for real and breathe in the warm, steady scent of him.
Soren
I stir awake the moment Kit starts writhing in my arms. My eyes slowly open, brows furrowed in confusion. I reach over and flick on the bedside lamp. The soft light reveals Kit’s face… pale, slick with sweat, his head thrashing from side to side like he’s trapped in something terrible.
“Kit?” I say, voice still rough from sleep as I sit up.
His eyes fly open and the look on his face is pure terror… wider and rawer than I’veeverseen from him, and that’s saying something because Kit has always been skittish around me. He lets out a sharp, frightened yelp and actually throws himself off the bed. The landing looks painful, but he doesn’t seem to care. He scrambles backward until his back hits the wall, wide green eyes locked on me like I’m about to rip him apart.
I freeze, staring at him in genuine confusion.What the hell is happening right now?
I climb out of bed slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements. “Kit… what’s…?”
