Page 53 of The Female

Grimacing, I turn and look out of my bedroom window. It’s hotter than usual today, and I’ve already decided I’m not going outside. I fear I might melt if I do.

Gray snorts, his smile wide as he darts forward and steals a piece of my candy.

I scoff and yank my hand out of his reach. He’s already eaten enough, and these are my favorites. Wanting to keep them and myself away from Gray is the entire reason I ran and hid up here in the first place.

“You’ve grown quite an attitude these past few days,” Gray says.

I stiffen, my annoyance shifting into worry.

My confidence around him has grown drastically since arriving, and I haven’t been holding back from snapping and arguing with Gray when he bothers me. Have I pushed too far? I should’ve known better than to get so comfortable. I’ve been warned of the dangers of males, yet here I am acting as if I’m equal to one after only a few days of knowing him.

Gray sighs, his smile falling as he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me into his chest. Despite my worry, I find myself relaxing into his touch, comforted as he rubs his hand down the center of my spine.

I allow him to hold me for a moment longer before pulling back. My lips flatten into a thin line as I realize how eagerly I accept his touch. I’ve been purchased to be a sex doll for him, yet I continue to let my longing for intimacy cloud my vision.

Even without Gray’s lust, I find myself wanting him. A small part of me wishes he’d use it more. At least then I could have something to blame my feelings on.

Mom and Dad ingrained in me not to give in to a man before he’s proved he genuinely cares, but they never told me what it looks like when a man does. Gray seems like he cares. He’s kind and makes efforts to bring me comfort, but I can’t tell how honest that is.

Is he only doing this so I give in and agree to be a lust source for him? It would make sense, but sometimes it doesn’t seem that way. Why train me to resist his lure if that’s all he wants?

“Get out of your head, Charlie.”

Gray locks his arms around my back and lifts me a few inches. My toes graze the ground as he waddles us to my closet. I’m sure he can hear my heart pounding as he pulls open the door and steps inside.

“I like your attitude, and there’s no need to be ashamed for being happy to be around me,” he assures me. “I’m sexy and kind. There’s no better combination.” Gray laughs at his self-preening.

He sure thinks highly of himself.

I can’t hold back a slight scoff, but I try to turn it into a cough last minute. There’s a lot to be ashamed of, but that’s not an argument I want to have with him right now.

Gray politely ignores my slipup, his nose wrinkling as he looks over my clothing rack. Despite the large closet size, all my items fit comfortably on a tiny rod in the back.

It makes the closet look sad and empty, but I don’t mind. I’m just happy to have my things.

“What’re you doing?” I ask as he begins to finger through the clothing.

Gray takes a moment to answer, a quiet hum emerging from his throat as he searches through my items. He pauses and grabs the fabric of one of my dresses, his eyebrows rising as he pulls it out and looks it over.

It’s not one of my favorite items, the brown material long and poorly fitting, but Gray seems to like it as he pulls it from the hanger.

“We’re going on a date. I want to hear all about your day,” he explains, looking between me and the dress.

I flush. A date? What does a date even consist of?

They frequently occurred in my romance books, but they were all written before the female decline when it was normal for women to be out and about in society. I imagine they’ve evolved since then.

Is it common for demon males to take their females on dates? Thoughts continue to swirl inside my mind as Gray sticks my head through the neck hole of the dress.

I hold back a laugh as he grabs my arms and shoves them inside, finding an odd sense of humor in the sight of him trying to dress me. Luckily, the dress is high-necked and long-sleeved, easily covering the clothing I already have on.

Would he have tried to undress me if I weren’t lounging around in a sports bra and short spandex shorts? I shiver at the thought.

The laughter I attempt to hold back bursts out of my mouth as Gray pulls the loose dress over my body. He then reaches under the hem of it and yanks down my shorts. My knees buckle at the force he uses, and I grab his shoulders to steady myself.

“Aren’t you supposed to be good at undressing women?” I joke.

Gray’s attention snaps to my face, his eyes narrowing.

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