Page 191 of Mama Si's Paradise

Except Grey, apparently, had a body made out of steel because his arms were wrapped around me and he didn’t let me move a single inch. And I pretended to try harder, just tosee what he’d do, then pretended to be irritated that he didn’t let me get away.

Secretly, though, I loved it—and, no, I had no clue when I’d becomethisperson.

“The others,” I said bitterly. “I was just wondering if you told your other brides the same things you’re telling me.”

And I was fucking jealousabout it. Not,I hate themjealous, no. More likeI want to tie them up and set them on fire and watch them scream until they diejealous.

It was wrong on so many levels, I knew that. And it still didn’t make me want to watch the light die in their eyes any less.

“I haven’t. I’ve never told anybody what I tell you,” Grey said without missing a beat, and the asshole was smiling. “You’re jealous, baby.”

“Oh, you don’t say,” I deadpanned and pretended to try to move away from him again.

He still didn’t let me.

“I’ve never told anybody what I tell you, Fall, because I never wanted to. I neverthoughtthose things about anybody because nobody else is you.”

“But they’re your brides.” And we both knew what that meant.

He pulled me up and kissed me without a fucking warning, just slammed my lips to his and slipped his tongue in my mouth the moment I tried to argue.

Useless. Completely fucking useless.

“Not fair,” I muttered when he stopped.

“I like you jealous, but you don’t need to be,” he whispered against my lips. “From the moment I laid eyes on you, I’ve only ever been yours.”

His words rang in my ears, and I suddenly remembered Cynthia’s desperation that night during dinner. She’d been upset because Grey had refused to even let her touch himbecause he was busy or tired or he said he wasn’t going to be there for the night. She and Amita had beendevastatedbecause he refused to sleep with them.

Holy shit…

“So, you’re trying to tell me you haven’t been with anyone since I came here?” My voice shook.

“Exactly,” Grey calmly said.

I blinked at him. “Why not?”

“I told you—I didn’t want to. Nobody else is you, baby, andyouare all I wanted.”Kiss, kiss, kiss.“All I want.”

“But you hated me.” The way he’d looked at me in the beginning said he’d hated my guts.

“Never,” Grey said, squeezing me to his chest until I couldn’t breathe. “Not for a single second.”

Well, fuck.

“So…” I shook my head, looking into his eyes that were so familiar now, like I’d known him across lifetimes, at his face that was so achingly beautiful to me I couldn’t stand to be looking at anything else.

“I’m yours now? I’m…I’m yourbride?”

“Youaremine, baby. Undeniably mine,” Grey told me, rising to kiss me again. “But the Blood Call was unusual last night. Your blood chose me…”

“But?” I asked, terrified, because I already knew the answer. I remembered it.

“But it also chose all my brothers.”

My eyes closed. Goose bumps rose on my forearm.

“Hey, look at me,” Grey whispered.

---