Page 64 of Grave Obsession

Mallory

We’re tearing down the highway after loading up at the antique shop and hitting a fast food place for the fries I was craving.

“I’m sorry I have to go,” Nox says softly. Letting his unsaid words hang in the air between us. He doesn’t want to go, but someone else has died. Probably while we were snuggled up on the couch watching a movie last night. I can’t help but feel that this wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t call him yesterday. He most definitely feels the same, it’s written all over his face. I know it isn’t our fault but the guilt still resides. I hope this piece of shit is caught this time around. Especially since the city PD is now involved. I’m not saying that the police department here is inept, but they don’t have the resources that the big city does.

“It’s really okay, Nox. It’s just heavy, you know?” The whole situation has put a dark cloud over the day. I just want to slink down with a good book and get lost in its pages until work tomorrow.

“Yeah.” He rubs his chin, deep in thought. The need to pull him from his dark place and back to the present with me has my mouth moving before my brain can keep up.

“What’s your favourite animal?”

He huffs out a laugh, “Why on earth would you ask me that?”

“So we can get to know each other… Duh.”

“You think I don’t know you?” he smirks.

“No.”

“Really?”

“How well can you know me in a month of seeing each other?” I inquire.

“Better than you think I do.”

Rolling my eyes, “Sure,” I reply.

“Want to bet, baby?” The challenge gleams in his eyes and even if he doesn’t know me at all, I know I’d let him win whatever wager he places on this.

“Fine. What are the stakes?” I say, turning my body in the seat so I can face him while I shove more fries into my pie hole, in a very unladylike fashion.

“There may come a time in the future where I ask for your forgiveness… I want you to promise me now that you’ll give it to me.” I’m about to laugh until I can read the seriousness of his statement etched into every inch of his taught body. A nervous laugh escapes me as his pleading look pulls on my heart strings.

“Not going to lie, that sounds ominous as fuck, but sure… How well can you really know me?” Whatever had him strung so tight dissipates immediately at my agreement. “What do I get if I win?”

“You won’t, but I’ll humour you. What do you want?” His eyes twinkle in the bright afternoon light and I take a beat of time to think it over. He is so sinfully handsome, like a clean-cut bad boy. I know what I want, it’s him, naked and writhing beneath me. Restrained to my bed like my own delicious sex slave. But, I can’t just say that, so instead I ask for something else.

“I want to be pampered one night. You’ll cook dinner, and since you know me so well you can make my favourite meal. Then you’ll draw us a bubble bath and you’ll wash my hair, complete with a scalp massage. Then I want a full body massage. The rest to be determined as the night progresses.”

“An open ended bet? That’s risky, you could ask me to do anything.” His tone is seductive and you better believe I’d ask him to do every nasty thing I wanted in the moment.

“Mhmm.”

“And I’d have to do it.”

“I promise you’d enjoy every minute of it.” I try to be cute but I doubt it comes across that way.

“Well…when you put it that way, how can I say no?”

“So we have a deal?” I almost squeal with glee.

“Sure, babe.” So much confidence seeps out of him, it’s hard not to be momentarily intimidated.

“How do you want to do this?” I ask.

“I’ll just list off everything I know until you concede?”

“You’re so fucking cocky,” I joke.

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