Page 74 of Spit

“I’m cursed, remember?” I bit out harshly.

Sev exhaled. “As my brother proved, many things can be done with a woman that doesn’t involve kissing.”

I rolled my eyes to the ceiling as if seeking guidance from a god that had long since abandoned me. “Are you jealous or something?” I had meant it as a joke, but when Sev didn’t speak, my feet slowed, and my brow furrowed. “You’re jealous?”

Sev waved his hand, dismissing the notion. “How can I be jealous ofTrey?”

I stared at him.

Sev scoffed. “Trey is afacet.”

“I feel like I’m missing something.”

“If Legion hasn’t explained it to you, he doesn’t want you to know.” Sev shrugged, his golden eyes burning into mine. “Let’s just say that I am not jealous of my kin. If I wanted to touch you, I could. I have Trey’s thoughts and his memories through the bond.”

“Very sure of yourself. Aren’t you?” My smile held no heat.

His eyes hooded as the incubus stepped into my space. I refused to back down but craned my neck to maintain eye contact.

“Lexi,” the way he said my name felt like a caress. I didn’t know how he did it, but I felt his touch against my wrist, the side of my neck, and my lips, though his hands reminded in his pockets as he studied me. “Did you just challenge me?”

“Sev.” I shook my head. “You only want what you can’t have.”

“I can—”

“Sev. You’re a lust demon.” I sighed. “Your Sin is desire, unfettered and unrestrained. I am the antithesis of that. Whenever a person gets too close to me, I worry that something will happen. Blood, saliva, sweat. Something will trigger my curse, and I’ll have a mindless obsessive person that would die for another taste. You can’t have a relationship with someone like that. That isn’t love. Do you know what happens when you walk away from someone with that kind of obsession?”

Sev cocked his head to the side to indicate that he was listening.

“You have someone that would rip out a lock of hair to taste, to hold. Just to be close to you. You have someone that will break into your house and steal your shit. You have someone who will kill any man who looks at you because you’re no longer a person. You’re an addiction.” I closed my eyes, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth as I struggled to get my emotions under control. “My first boyfriend's name was Dylan, and our kiss lasted ten seconds. Beelzebub saved me from Dylan—but he told me he wouldn’t do it twice. I had my shadow. I had his power, and I needed that balance. You can’t be that powerful without something else in the universe balancing it out. That’s what Mr. Bub told me.”

“He’s right.” Sev’s voice was quiet, almost inaudible.

“I can’t risk it,” I told the demon. “I let Trey touch me because he promised he wouldn’t kiss me. I trusted him to do that. I don’t know if you could touch me and not want more. You’re calculated, Sev. I’ve only known you for a few days, and I know that about you. Do you know what Dylan did after we kissed? He stalked me for months, and the moment he had the chance, he broke into my home and attacked me. How can I trust anyone when I know how bad it could get?”

“You don’t think I would stop if you asked me to?” He was angry.

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

“I see.” His fists were clenched.

I hated that I had insulted him, but I wouldn’t risk my safety because of a man’s feelings. Never.

Sev took a deep calming breath. “May I visit you, Alexis Boudaire? When you sleep, may I come and call on you?”

The question was so left field it took me a moment to respond. “What do you mean?”

“I will prove to you that you can trust me.” He nodded staunchly.

“Sev—”

Before I could finish that thought, he had disappeared into thin air, as I had seen Mr. Bub do countless times. My arms flailed helplessly by my side in exasperation.

I guessed that I would be eating dinner alone after all.

I was halfway through a medium rare steak slathered in A1 when Arlo found me in the dining room.

“Legion is awake.” He’d said before rushing away. Based on his tone, I sensed that Arlo wanted me to follow him, but he was too much in his head to realize that I couldn’t read his mind like the others could.

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