Page 53 of Psycho Sinners

He cocked his head at me, scoffing when I stretched my legs out and rested them on the coffee table.

I was tired of hiding away, being a shell of myself.

“You like Harry Potter?” I noted as I nodded at the book spread on his lap.

“Loved it as a kid, like to reread it every once in a while,” he said with a shrug, still watching me curiously as he stroked Kenny.

The little tabby was now watching me with lazy eyes, his tail flicking.

“Huh.” I hadn’t expected that, then again, even I’d read them, and they were nostalgic. “So, can I do stuff around here?” I asked as I glanced around.

“Like what?”

“Maybe bake something.” Honestly, I’d been craving something sweet, and I wondered if my monthlies were coming up. They were never on time, even with the Mirena inserted. Something to do with the damned PCOS I’d wound up with. I’d switched to the IUD to relieve the hellish cramps and murderous bleeding whenever they did hit.

“If we’ve got the stuff there, go nuts,” he said with a shrug as he looked back down at his book. “But if you get any ideas with a knife or some shit, you’ll regret it, I promise you that.” He didn’t even look up as he dropped the threat, and I just rolled my eyes.

I was almost halfway through my month, and I wasn’t about to screw it up.

It didn’t take long before I was in the kitchen, working on a batch of cupcakes. I was applying the decorative icing now, finding some calm in the task, something Noms and I had taken up doing. We’d taught ourselves how to decorate them nicely, nothing too fancy, and I’d even started making them to sell on the side at the diner with the owner’s permission. It gave me a few extra bucks each week at least.

I finished off the icing on the last cupcake just as Julian joined me on the opposite side of the counter.

“Cute,” he stated as he helped himself to one.

“Hey, thanks again for patching me up,” I stated as I glanced at my bandaged wrist. I’d gone ahead and redone it myself today, although it hadn’t been as easy with one hand. Pride had stopped me from going to him for assistance.

He arched a brow at me as he took the second and final bite of his cupcake and dropped the paper on the counter.

“Don’t think it means anything, pyro.”

I stiffened as he rounded the island and pinned me to the counter, his arms on either side of me.

“Got that?”

“Yes, I know that, got it,” I hissed, wishing I’d not said a thing. I’d gotten comfortable for just a moment, and he’d moved in to remind me of why that was a mistake.

“Good, because you’re just a pet, nothing more until this month is done.”

I swallowed, hating how those words oddly stung. They shouldn’t have affected me. I shouldn’t have thought anything of his odd kindness. Stupid.

I glanced to Kenny, who was waltzing over to join us silently.

“You know, I had an idea of what I wanted to do to you today,” Julian breathed as he brought his face up alongside mine, pressing his body against mine.

My heart sank as he ground against me. I shouldn’t have left my damn room.

His hand moved up my body, sliding between my breasts and right up to my neck, where those recently gentle fingers wound around it.

He pulled me forward, his lips claiming mine and stealing my breath away. In all our encounters, he’d not once tried to kiss me. He either did me doggy or I gave him head, it was what I’d come to expect.

It shocked me enough that I let my lips part, and his tongue swept in, tasting me as he moaned.

The sound made a shiver course through me, and then those warm, devilish lips left mine just as quickly.

He jerked my shirt over my head, and I didn’t fight him, knowing the consequences if I did.

“Take your pants off, pyro,” he commanded, and I slid them off.

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