Page 204 of Anathema

The pleasurable tone of his deep voice certainly didn’t calm the roistering flock of butterflies in my stomach.“No,” I lied.

“Have you lain with a man before?”

The question sent a hot flush to my cheeks, stirring an irritation. “If you must know, no. I have not.”

“Good.”

Frowning, I turned my head. “Good?”

“Yes,” he said, casually, and as he shifted on the bed, his massive leg brushed mine.

I turned back over, puzzling his words for far longer than I should have. Nearly two minutes must’ve passed before curiosity drove me mad enough to ask, “Why is that good?”

He groaned. “Must you always prod for an explanation?”

“Yes. I like to have clarity of thought. Why are you so hesitant to say?”

“I’m not hesitant.”

“Well, you’re not saying.”

A growl rumbled from his chest. “Because I’m a jealous cunt who refuses to entertain thoughts of you lying next to another man. Is that explanation enough?”

I hardly imagined he’d come forth with anything even remotely close to that. Pinching my lips failed to contain the smile tugging at my mouth. Because, as pathetic as I may have been for it, I happened to enjoy the game of push and pull between us. The tension that left me constantly guessing.

I cleared my throat, banishing my amusement. “So jealous, you tried to assassinate me that night you came to my room while I slept.”

He exhaled a forced breath. “I did.”

“And why didn’t you carry through with it?”

“Am I to believe you’re disappointed that I didn’t kill you?”

“I’m simply curious as to why.”

“You want the truth?”

“Always, yes.”

“Your snoring.”

“What?” Heat flared in my cheeks. “I don’t …. I don’t snore.”

“You do. Was awful that night. Scared me shitless.”

I pressed my lips together, half burying my face into the pillow to hide a giggle at the visual of that.

“You’re laughing. I can feel the bed shaking.” His comment made me laugh more, and the more I tried to hide it, the more my body shook with the effort.

“I do … not snore.” My tone refused to be serious, no matter how much I fought to reel in the laughter.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see fire coming out of your nostrils.”

A wheeze of laughter had me turning into the pillow, and tears sprang to my eyes.

“I believe it when you say you see the dead. That racket was enough to wake them for sure.”

Not even the pillow could entirely subdue the howl of laughter that tore out of me.

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