Page 121 of Married to the Devil

There’s a moment of silence, and my heart beats hard against my ribs until Ben narrows his eyes, deciding something. He turns to Stoneheart. “I won’t leave based on the rumors in exchange for you to stop holding back.”

Stoneheart’s brow arches. “I rather think you appreciated me holding back tonight.”

Ben’s cheeks pinken. “I mean, you’ll be with us fully. Stella deserves more than what you’ve given her. If I’m going to consider staying, it won’t be for you to be halfway in the relationship.”

I pull my arms away from his neck, but Ben’s hand grips my waist, keeping me on his lap. Is he demanding that Stoneheart give me his love?

“You won’t leave her needy,” Ben says.

His knot. Ben is bartering for Stoneheart to knot me. Really daring him to. I clench on nothing at the idea of finally giving my body what it craves.

Stoneheart’s eyes narrow at the two of us like I’m to blame for this turn of events. “And is that your final decree?”

The hope falters. He won’t do it. He said that it will get emotions involved, and he won’t risk that. I already love him, but that’s not something he’s going to give me.

Ben nods, and now I’m losing them both in a way.

Stoneheart leans over, ignoring Ben and lifts my chin. “Is that what you want?”

My lip lower lip trembles at the truth of how much I want it, but wanting something doesn’t make it so. Especially with someone like Remy Stoneheart, who keeps his emotions in check by force.

“I want what you’re willing to give,” I say. And I really want him willing to become more emotionally involved with me.I want him to claim me in the way instincts have demanded between us.

He straightens, and I blink to preemptively hide any silly tears.

“It’s a deal then,” Stoneheart says.

Now I’m blinking in surprise. “What?”

“Ben gave his price for staying—” Stoneheart starts, and Ben’s lips purse because that wasn’t his exact verbiage. “And I agreed.”

His pale gaze is as exacting and precise as an autopsy. I’m already naked but something tells me that he can see just how badly I desire this to end in something other than heartbreak.

One thing at a time. Ben has agreed to stay for now.

“Now finish your dinner,” Stoneheart says. “You’ll both need your strength.”

IfI never have to drink a potion again, it will be too soon. The initial taste wasn’t bad, and there’s a warming effect that follows the path it slides down my throat until it rests in my stomach, but the accompanying waves of aftertaste have me flinching.

Ben sits near me with a glass of water that I sip, trying to make the flavor disappear. He refills it when I finish, and I make a face.

“It just keeps coming back,” I complain. “One atrocious flavor will fade only for something else to take its place.”

I thought the first was bad, like musty dirt coating my tongue, but that was before the later tastes that make me think of different types of slime rose to the forefront.

Ben’s brows crease in sympathy. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t consider that possibility.”

Stoneheart rises from the position he’d taken relaxing against the pillows across from us after he’d lit his candle with an air of chagrin at his earlier possessiveness.

“I have something that could help.” He goes to the same grocery bags that he brought dinner in and pulls out a small box.

He hands it to me, and I read the pretty label. “Chocolates?”

“I thought you may get a sweet tooth later. It will either make it worse or better.” He shrugs.

It’s another courting gift, and I blush at the thoughtfulness of it.

“Thank you.” I gag as another aftertaste scatters over my tongue, this one tasting green, but the kind of green that makes one think of swamps, not spinach. “I’ll take my chances of making it worse.”

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