Page 39 of TBR: Dead But Well Read

I nodded.

His fingers stroked the column of my throat. “Use your words.”

I wasn’t his toy, and I would dang sure feed the men if they needed me. A spasm of irritation jolted through me, but a sharp spasm of desire followed hot on its heels.

It wouldn’t hurt to agree with him… and it might even be fun to find out what happened if one day I had to disobey him. A thrill of excitement raced through me at the thought. Saul had no idea the amount of trouble he was signing up for if he was so determined to keep me as his pet.

Let the games begin.

Lifting my fingers to my forehead, I gave him a sassy salute. “Yes, sir.”

“Good girl.” Saul’s hand moved to cradle my jaw. “Now take what you need.”

I didn’t get to ask what he meant because he captured my mouth in a demanding kiss. As though we’d kissed a thousand times, my body seemed to melt against his.

My lips parted, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Just as his tongue stroked against mine, I felt it. The rush of raw power pouring down my throat. Saul’s power.

I never would have admitted it, but I had pushed myself too far in the tunnels. While the reaper’s scythe hadn’t killed me, holding it had burned through a large amount of my energy. Then healing the guys so soon after had depleted me to levels I hadn’t experienced since I’d blown up half the computers in the library. I didn’t regret my decisions, but it would have taken me weeks to build my energy back up to normal.

When I’d taken enough power to ease the tiredness and put me past the danger zone, I tried to break the kiss, but Saul wasn’t having it. His hand moved back to my throat, and he held me still as his power continued to rush into me like a raging river.

This lasted for several more minutes before he finally broke the kiss and pulled back so he could look into my eyes. His pupils had returned to a circular shape, but his eyes still shone with an otherworldly glow.

Without saying a word, he shifted positions on the bed so that once more my back was tucked against his chest. His shadows were still wrapped around the bed, and pulsed in perfect rhythm with Saul’s steady heartbeat.

Unable to help myself, I whispered into the darkness, “You healed me and you shared your energy with me.” He’d also givenme a mind-shattering orgasm, but I couldn’t bring myself to mention that. “Why? What are you getting out of this?”

He remained quiet for so long that I thought he wasn’t going to answer. Then he murmured, “I get you.”

Tears sprung to my eyes as Saul buried his face in my hair and his large palm flattened against my stomach, holding me tighter to him. “Now go to sleep, pet.”

I huffed. “Silly, reaper. Ghosts can’t sleep.”

“You underestimate my power.” Saul’s seductive purr was back. “As long as you are touching me, you can sleep. I can feel your exhaustion. Let me take care of you tonight.”

The idea of sleeping sounded too good to be true. I didn’t want the burden of needing sleep as much as a human, but the past day had been overwhelming, and my mind and body vibrated with the need to shut down and truly relax.

“Saul? I’m scared,” I whispered, lacing my fingers through his against my stomach. “What if I don’t wake up?”

“My love, I already told you nothing can take you from me. You are safe in my arms. Now go to sleep.” Saul tucked my head beneath his chin and tossed a leg over me.

Safe in the shelter of his body, I closed my eyes.

When he’d won the bet and I’d known I’d be spending the night in his bed, my mind had swan-dived into the gutter. I’d envisioned all sorts of naughty things that might happen.

What can I say? I’m a smut loving girl and completely obsessed with tropes like forced proximity and only one bed.

I’d thought my night would have been one of seduction and sins.

Instead, my night was one of snuggles and sleep… and falling in love with a purple-eyed reaper.

Istared down at the woman in my bed, watching as her dark lashes fluttered. She was close to waking, and when she did, I knew our time together would be over.

Last night, she’d been distracted by the bond pulling us together, and the passion she’d kept bottled up for three years. When she awoke from her first sleep since death, supercharged on reaper energy, the submissive kitten would be gone. In her place would be the fiery independent woman who had taken on Zacharias without flinching, and who’d been ballsy enough to make a bet with death.

Two sides of the same exquisite creature.

The blanket had slipped from her shoulders, pooling around her waist and exposing her torso. Unable to help myself, I drank in the sight of her bare, milky skin.

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