Page 90 of About Love and Revenge

“Why?”

He tugs me higher and speaks in my ear. “Because I won't be able to pull it when I'm taking you from behind.”

“Wanton.”

“Totally. Your wanton.”

Suddenly, the worry that I might never touch him again comes back and my body shudders. I hold his face, giving him a light kiss and then another.

And then my mouth needs to touch more parts of him and I keep distributing kisses over his chin, his eyes, which are now closed, and his forehead.

“I was so scared.”

“I’m here.”

“But you might not always be.”

“Tell me about the phone call you received.”

I totally let my guard down. The fear that the things the sheik told me were true made me give up any protection against the way that Odin makes me feel.

“It was from Naim,” I begin, and he doesn't look surprised. “I don't know how he got my new number.”

“What time was that?”

“He called twice. First, just before I called you. He said I could say goodbye to my role as— I don't want to say it out loud.”

“To your role as what?”

“As yourwhore.”

“Bastard!” he curses and sets me beside him on the bed, though he is still holding me.

“It was no different from what my sisters said.”

I can tell by the way he clenches his jaw that he’s very angry. “You’re my girlfriend. They don't know anything about the two of us.”

“I don't care, Odin. I've spent my entire life worrying about people's judgment. I won't do it anymore.”

He nods. “Go on. What else did Naim say?”

“I was very nervous, so I don't remember everything, but I know he was laughing and saying you wouldn't come back, that he wanted to make me his wife, but now I would be his slave, his toy, until he got tired.”I shudder again as the hateful words slowly come back.

“It won't ever happen, Elina.”

“You can't say that.”Even though I've totally given myself to Odin, I don't want to think about anever after.

“Yes, I can and I have. Nobody will take you. You have my word.”

I don't say what I'm thinking, but he himself said he wasn't after anything long-term, and I'm not going to hold on to promises.

Trying to distract my mind from the treacherous thoughts, I continue, “That's when I called you, and when you told me everything was okay, I calmed down. However, after half an hour, he sent a video to my cell phone.”

“Can you show me?”

“Now?”

“Yeah.”

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