Page 85 of Wreck Me

It took her a moment to absorb my observations.

And then she told me, “Even with that, I wouldn’t do that to you, to anyone.”

I smiled. “I already know that, beautiful. You don’t like drawing attention to yourself, preferring to stick to the shadows and keep to yourself, and you’re big on anonymity and privacy, and people being allowed to express who they are. That last part is actually why I was so pissed and harsh with you, because when you came back here, you weren’t adhering to that. It’s rare for me to meet people like that, outside of my small circle of Cal and Cas, so expecting to encounter that in you and finding it tampered down, it… it bugged me, I guess.”

“You can’t be that yourself, so you find it in others. But being who you are, they can only be a trusted few.”

“Something like that.”

She took my words in and then she noticed the breakfast that I’d prepared.

Zucchini frittatas, Belgian waffles adorned with fresh raspberries and blueberries, along with yogurt parfaits. And, of course, some freshly-squeezed orange juice and coffee.

Sure enough, as I’d hoped for, her eyes lit up beautifully and she stared at me open-mouthed. “I… you actually did all of this?”

“Yeah, I mean, I meant to bring it up to you in bed, but I couldn’t find a tray or anything like that.”

“Caleb said King’s people had all your meals prepared and sent over weekly.”

“That’s him being overprotective. Maybe a little controlling too. But I can still muster up something on my own here and there.” I shook my head to myself. “Unlike Cal. He’s got no clue whatsoever. He’s actually banned from cooking after one too many fires and even cutting and peeling himself instead of the vegetables and what-not he’d been trying to prep.”

She burst out laughing. “Peeling himself? Seriously?”

“Yeah, he likes pain and he’s well acclimated to it more than anybody I’ve ever known, so he didn’t even notice at first. By the time I walked in, the back of his hand was dripping blood and more peeled than the potato he’d been trying to work on.”

“Jeez.” She frowned. “He likes pain?”

“Yeah, way beyond a little erotic pain. He’s even been talking about getting his dick inked, all the way down too.” I screwed up my face. “No fucking thanks. It’s part of all that dark he’s been teaching you about. For him, anyway.”

“I can understand it from a sexual standpoint and even in a fight when you’re all amped up and that thrill takes you over, but beyond that, I’m not a fan either.” She thought on it for a moment, then moved on, asking me, “Does he know you’re here right now?”

“No. Neither him or Cas.”

“Is that a good idea?”

“You tell me.”

She grinned. “I… well, yeah. I mean, what happened went over really well with me, extraordinarily so actually. But that’s not… it’s… well, it’s not the point.”

“Shit, woman, you’re blushing.”

She held her hand up in front of her face, her now very flushed face. “I am not.”

I stepped closer. “Hold up, you said extraordinary?”

“Stop,” she said, with a little giggle.

“I can’t believe a feisty and tough-as-nails thing like you is actually embarrassed.”

She brought her hand down. “I’m not exactly used to the whole morning-after thing. After the deed is done, I don’t have to face them. And even with you, there was time in between for me to get over that part the last couple of times before I saw you again.”

“The deed? Fuck me, that’s adorable.”

“You’re being a shit. And you’re not making it better.” She stared at me for a moment. “Right, because you want an answer to the extraordinary thing.” She gave me a withering look. “You can be a relentless bastard at times, you know that?”

“About certain things, absolutely.”

She blew out a breath. “Fine. It was that, okay?”

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