Page 55 of TBR: Dead But Well Read

Saul still held my face, and his thumb brushed my cheek with what felt like tenderness. Was he trying to remind me he wasn’t the cruel, cold man his friend thought him to be?

He told Zacharias we’d had sex, which was a lie. So maybe it was all a lie.

“Well, was this one worth the fuss?” Zacharias asked. “If you want to stick around until I wrap up my business, I can make it worth your while, hun.”

Saul’s hand on my butt tightened, and the muscles of his thighs flexed beneath me. “Go get your own plaything. This one is mine.”

Saul’s fingers sank into my hair, holding me in place as he kissed my mouth and neck. I couldn’t figure out if he was proving a point to Zacharias, or needing to let off some steam before he attacked another man for making a pass at me.

Whatever the reason, my body eagerly responded to his touch. It didn’t matter that we were in public, or that I could feel Zacharias’ gaze burning my back. All that mattered was that Saul was mine, and he wanted me.

Which was a problem, since I still didn’t know who he really was. Hex! I didn’t even know if he was a good guy or a villain. My heart said he was a good man, but my track record for picking guys when I was alive worked better as a cautionary guide. I think my brain saw red flags and thought it had to catch them all.

And now I was sitting in the lap of an arrogant reaper who may or may not have tried to kill the collectors, and who may or may not be doing some sketchy stuff with the ghosts in town, and who may or may not actually care about me.

Stop it, Axe. That isn’t fair. He’s shown you nothing but care. And so far, you haven’t caught him lying to you.

Zacharias was making small talk, and Saul listened with his hand wrapped around my throat, and his thumb absently brushing my skin.

He was wearing a mask, but he’d let me see the real him when I showed up in his room. Saul had teased me, made me laugh, listened to every word I’d said, fed me, healed me, touched me, and had given me several hours of the best sleep ever while cuddled in his arms. I didn’t care what the rest of the world thought about him. I knew the real Saul.

MySaul.

Joy bubbled up in my chest and I forgot where we were. Leaning forward, I pressed myself against him, capturing his face between my hands and kissing him as though I were starving and he was dessert.

He started to groan but caught himself just in time.

“Tiny Tank will be here any minute. You need to get her under control so you can focus,” Zacharias snapped.

Saul’s fingers dug every-so-slightly into my derriere, but his face remained impassive as though he were unbothered by the other reaper’s words.

“She’ll behave,” Saul assured him. “And if she doesn’t, I will handle it.”

It was like the man didn’t even know me…

“She’ll behave. And if she doesn’t, I will handle it.”

I realized I’d made a grave error the moment the words left my mouth.

Axelle’s beautiful face was expressive, making it easy to know what she was thinking.

When Zacharias had arrived, a delighted relief darted across her features. Had she come to UG looking for him? Jealousy unfurled in my chest, twisting around my lungs and making it hard to breathe.

I needed a little more time to figure out if I’d been blinded to Zacharias’ true motives, or if he was simply following through with the plan we’d put so much time into. But seeing the confusion and hurt that filled her eyes and caused her pouty lips to droop had me ready to stop the charade. I was trying to keep her safe by hiding her identity from the man who had once been like a brother but who I now suspected was my enemy.

There was another way I could keep her safe: by claiming her as mine. She would be untouchable, because no one would risk my wrath. Which was wise, since I yanked the soul out of anyone who dared to cross me, and rather than helping them to the beyond, I’d let her collectors devour their energy. We hadn’t officially met, but I had a feeling we were going to see eye-to-eye on anything related to Axelle’s safety.

I’d never been great with emotions, but in the wake of my brother’s death, I’d found it impossible to work up the mental energy to care about what happened in the world around me. I did my job, but I’d grown quiet, allowing Zacharias to take a leadership position. He’d grown bold and bossy, something he wouldn’t have dared to pull on the old me.

Watching him in the club, I realized he’d forgotten who he was dealing with—whathe was dealing with. He continued aiming barbed insults at me, stirring up the thing inside me that had gone quiet in recent years.

I kept my composure, acting as if nothing had changed between us, even as a storm built inside me. This was a game, one that would be over in less than two days. Then I’d make him bow in front of my woman and apologize for his disrespect.

It had been difficult, but I played my role well… right up until the moment I saw the anger and betrayal in her eyes morph into trust. No matter that I was hardly more than a stranger to her, she’d decided to trust that I wasn’t the man treating her like little more than arm candy.

She’d thrown herself against me, showering my cheeks, forehead, eyelids and mouth with exuberant kisses. Her kisses were overflowing with love, rather than just carnal lust. I desperately craved more, wanting to soak in the affection I could see swimming in the depths of her soulful brown eyes.

For the first time in my very long life, I was drowning in a sea of warring emotions and I didn’t know how to act. I wantedto get on my knees and beg her to forget every word I’d said that had pierced her heart. My cock had been painfully hard since she’d left my bed, and my skull pounded with the primal urge to take her somewhere private and claim her body until she was screaming in ecstasy.

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