Page 57 of Captive Heart

“We need to talk,” I say. I lean over, planning on pulling her other earbud from her ear. But she rears up, catching my hand and pushing it away.

She takes a big step back. “I’m working. Can it wait?”

Tensing my jaw, I shake my head. “No.”

Persephone finally gives me the eye roll I’ve been expecting and turns off her music.

“What’s so important that it can’t wait a few hours?”

I don’t like this side of Persephone. She crosses her arms, hiding beneath another oversized sweater, and looks at her nails. She seems… disinterested in hearing what I have to say.

Clenching my fists, I pin her with my gaze.

“I think we can both agree that what happened earlier was a mistake.”

Her nostrils flare. She sucks her teeth, pissed off. “Yep.”

“I think it would be better if we kept our distance. I’ll move my bed over to the other side of the room?— “

She waves a dismissive hand at me. “Whatever you say.”

I dart my tongue out, running it slowly along my upper lip. Persephone is intentionally looking anywhere but at me, which is driving me fucking nuts.

I don’t dare touch her to get her full attention, though. There’s something between us, some spark, that threatens to ignite every time I get close to this woman.

“Look. It was bound to happen. Two very attractive people. Close quarters. A volatile situation.” I shrug, my chest tight.

She sends me a defiant, haughty look. “It’s not as if I had a choice, is it?”

I glare at her. “Ye have never come so hard in yer fucking life. Don’t pretend that ye didn’t love every fucking second of it.”

She crosses her arms, her face going red. She pushes her cheek out with her tongue and doesn’t respond.

I wave a hand. “All I’m saying is, I don’t want to repeat it.”

Persephone licks her lips, something fiery passing through her gaze. She looks directly at me, almost sneering.

“Are we done?” She swallows, as if she is trying to stay unemotional. “I agree with you. Okay? Now let me get to fucking work. The sooner I start, the sooner I can get the fuck away from you. Permanently.”

I grit my teeth. Hearing her say that is an awful lot like hearing the wordsI want to leave you.

“Go, then.” I jerk my head toward her worktable, piled high with ink, paper and paintbrushes. “Let me know?— “

She immediately starts cramming her earbuds back in her ears and gives me the cold shoulder. She’s telling me to back the fuck off.

In that moment, I understand her completely.

It’s the reaction that I hoped to provoke, after all. So why the hell do I hate it so much?

Clenching my teeth, I keep my reaction to myself. Instead, I turn and walk back to the beds, beginning to move the untouched one toward the work area.

Chapter21

Persephone

Squinting down at the crimson wax seal on a piece of intricately lined paper that I am attempting to replicate, I purse my lips. Spread around the delicate slip of parchment are a number of blocks of wax, a cluster of long handled metal seal markers, and a whole box full of tiny metal instruments with scoops and dull blades. Feeling stiff, I sit up and set one of the blades aside. Lacing my fingers together, I push my hands high over my head.

I’ve been working on this seal for hours now and my back throbs, angry that I have been bent over the worktable for so long. Pushing myself to my feet, I sigh. Staring at the glob, I try to figure out what is off. Something about the seal is wrong but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

---