Page 72 of Sin

“Act like your needs aren’t important.”

I was pretty sure the needs he and I were thinking of at this moment differed.

I started to roll my eyes, but his hand whipped up to grip my chin, making me freeze. “You’re going to start eating properly,” he said, his voice low and deceptively calm. I didn’t buy it for a second. “That means three meals a day, no exceptions. And you’re going to start working out with Jinx to help regain some muscle and stamina.” When I made an indignant noise, his thumb shifted from my chin to my lips, and he hushed me. His eyes fell to his finger. “I know, I know. You can take care of yourself or whatever. But I call bullshit. So from now on, we’re doing things my way. Which means before we head back on the mission, we’re having Mend check you over again. And I don’t care if I have to take every last drop of his fucking blood. We’re not leaving until you don’t have a single scratch, do you understand?”

My dick sure understood, alert and standing to attention at his commanding tone.

“Yes,” I said, words muffled by his thumb.

He grinned, sliding his thumb down my lips before letting his hand fall to his side. “Good. Now let’s see what I have to eat.”

He stepped away from me, giving me space to move, but I couldn’t. It was like something was blocking the signals from my brain to my limbs, and all I could do was stand there like an idiot. With a boner.

Taking several breaths, I tried to calm myself and finally found myself able to take an unsteady step away from the wall.

London flicked on the kitchen light and froze. I didn’t realize why until I spotted something sitting on his otherwise empty kitchen counters.

“Why is there a cheese grater with a really large bow on your counter?” I asked, leaning down to inspect it.

“It’s a threat,” he said, scowling around the room.

I gave him an odd look. “I think you and I have different definitions of what constitutes a threat.” I tugged on the bright pink, sparkly bow. “This is a gift.”

“Oh, Donny!” a familiar voice sing-songed from somewhere in the house. “I brought you a house warming gift!”

London groaned. “His power is really fucking annoying sometimes.”

Before I could comment, a woman materialized from the ceiling, aiming right for London’s surprised face. The woman crashed into him, knocking London onto his back with a sickening crack.

Every muscle locked in anticipation of attack.

But then the woman’s body began to alter, rearranging until it formed a mirror image of the man pinned beneath, and London's words finally made much more sense.

The tension left me instantly, and I crossed my arms now that the possibility of danger was no longer present.

London kicked and fought against his attacker, spitting colorful curses. “You’ve got to stop doing this!” he cried. “It’s breaking and entering.”

Fake London laughed. “I didn’t break anything!” He hesitated. “Except for your guest bed, but I swear, that wasn’t my fault. And besides! I brought you a housewarming gift. So it’s fine.”

“It’s not a housewarming gift because I've lived here for years!”

“If you’ve lived here for years, then why do you still not own a cheese grater?”

“Because you always threaten me with them!”

I grinned at the shapeshifter, glad that in such an unfamiliar world, at least one thing stayed the same. “Hey, Bennett. Good to see you haven’t changed a bit.”

Bennett, still wearing London’s skin, was currently attempting to give the real London a purple nurple. He beamed at me. “Sin! Hello. Almost didn’t see you there.” He jerked his chin at the cheese grater. “Do you mind handing that to me? I just need it for a second.”

My gaze moved to the cheese grater and then back to him. “Uh, why do you need it?”

London managed to get his leg around Bennett’s knee, and he twisted, causing the two of them to reverse places. “Because my Oreos are missing. So now, London’s nipples must pay the price.”

London grabbed Bennett’s nipples in retaliation, twisting them. Bennett howled and only tightened his grip on London’s nips.

I blinked at the two of them as both refused to be the first to let go.

“You two have problems. You know that right?” I asked. “And why a cheese grater?”

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