Page 38 of Soul Food

You,came the honest answer in my head. “Just going to show you something…” I pulled the phone away from my face, and ever so slowly, guided it down my neck where I brought up my free hand and slid a finger underneath my shirt and bra strap and tugged them off my shoulder. I stopped and waited. I made sure not to show my face because although I was feeling bold, I was still embarrassed and filled with nervous energy. I took in a deep breath and knew he could see me do it, but I couldn’t help it. “I want to show you…me.”

Dragging my black manicured nails down one of my breasts, I cupped it from the top and when I started to tug my shirt down, he hung up.

He hung up.

I blinked, letting the mortification set in. Maybe it was wrong of me to come onto him this way, but when your time is ticking and there’s only so much you can do, your brain short-circuits, and all these little things in the back of my head suddenly mattered.

I wouldn’t know love, but I should at least get to experience lust.

I dropped my hand in my lap that held my phone. I wouldn’t cry. I wouldn’t cry. I wouldn’t—

I was on a very loose thread, and Amit was an outlet I was so desperately seeking.

And he didn’t want me.

_______

AMIT

I pushed the phone away, then I picked it up and tossed it even further. It wasn’t easing my pulse at all. No, it still ran rampant even when I didn’t fucking want it to.

“Fuck.”

I didn’t even have to go see Ruth to know her and her soul was going all to hell because of me. Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only one falling apart.

I kept a distance with Ruth for a reason, but now I think there might have been a much deeper reason behind my reluctance for us to meet. Not only was I in too deep for one soul, I was further tangling myself into Ruth’s life when I tried hard not to.

My chest was heavy, and my clothes too fucking tight. My cock twitched insistently in my pants. I had the sudden urge to port to her right that instant and…

Ruth was going to be my downfall if I didn’t control myself.

Lars ported into the room, having come straight from Ruth’s. His green face was tight with apprehension. “What did you do?”

“What was that?” I cocked my head and glared at the lesser being. Lars had grown too comfortable around me. His continued speaking to me in such a disapproving tone was unacceptable.

“It’s barely been a week since she’s met you in human form, and you’ve already worsened her soul one hundred percent.” Lars pointed out.

I strode into the kitchen to keep from hurting him for stating the truth.

“She knows the demon will come for her soon. Right now, she’s crying over that same demon.”

I stopped. “She’s crying?” I knew I’d hurt her, but crying over my hanging up? Deep down, I knew it wasn’t only that. With my looming presence and her soul’s fate, she was becoming increasingly reckless in her search to find something. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it was clear she was tempted to play with fire. She had nothing to lose while I could loseeverything.

He nodded. “Sire, she’s trying awfully hard not to.”

“Fuck,” I yelled, gripping the edges of the counter as I looked out the window. Only darkness reflected back at me. “I can’t…”

“You can and you will if you want to mend her wilting soul,” Lars informed me. “Do you still want her soul?”

“What the fuck, Lars?” I turned around and glared at him. “What do you think? I didn’t do all this for nothing!”

“Then you’re going to eat it when it’s wilted?” He shook his head. “Like I said, you should have eaten it while she was at her peak—living and singing and happy. Before she knew her time was coming to an end.”

“I don’t expect a gremlin to understand the promise I made her as a soul reaper. I have my own moral code—a way of living that I don’t break.”

“She’s hurt, Sire.” He looked up at me with those disgusting flaxen eyes. “You don’t want to bend your ways even a little so that it helps your goal in the end?”

This had nothing to do with her soul and everything to do with me.

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