Page 7 of Peacock Me Like a Hurricane

He rolls his eyes, huffing. “Speaking of paranoid loonies, Blondie tapped me today. She wanted to tell me that she’s neverhanging around the gnome again. I suppose she blames her for falling out with you and yours?”

“Probably, but it won’t last. Rhea slipped her gears long ago. Sari didn’t make it worse; she only went along for the jalopy ride.”

“Let’s leave the loonies to each other then, shall we?” He pulls me down on him, rubbing his cheek on my shoulder.

I kick up a purr, but something is niggling at me. I don’t know what it is, but I’m worried. “Are you okay, baby?” He squeezes me tighter, nodding against my skin but not speaking. “I missed you.”

Pulling back to look into my eyes, he softens that admission with a smile. “I missed you more than you willeverknow.” His hands flex on my hips and he whispers, “I almost told Sari that I’m in love with you.”

I run my fingers along his jaw, my eyes dropping when I can’t look at him. I swallow hard and ask, “Yeah?

“Yeah. I wasn’t intending to do it, but I…” His voice is soft as he finishes. “I’ll always try for you.”

Oh, sweet baby Jesus, I hope I didn’t break him.

I don’t want him to do things that violate his code for me. I have lots of people in my life that violate my lines hoping to make someone—including themselves—happy. Hell, I do it all the time and Idonotrecommend it. Most of the time, the reward is fleeting and you feel awful about yourself for much longer than it lasts.

“I appreciate your effort. I hope you realize, though, that she’ll expect you and Talia out in the community more.”

“That is not gonna happen.” His brow furrows, and he shrugs. “Though, more than a few rules like that have changed lately, I suppose.”

“I’ll relay that you’re not ready for that yet when she mentions it.”

He grins. “Oh, sure. You’re only saying that because you don’t want anyone else to get their hands on me. Tsk, tsk, tsk, greedy minx.”

I give him a huffy look. “I said that because you looked like you wanted to hurl at the idea.”

“So youdon’tmind others getting their hands on me? Good to know,” Taurus taunts, whistling low.

This time the look I give him is filthy, and I know it. “I didn’t say that, either, did I?”

“Is it so hard for you to tell me that you don’t want others getting their mitts on me, baby?”

I blink, my expression changing to one of incredulity. “Yes.”

“Why?”

“My human brain and my animal brain don’t agree on the subject. Even the concept of that emotion makes me struggle. It’s notfairfor me to feel that way. I can’t ask you what I can’t reciprocate. I get mad, frustrated, and confused, then I feel guilty. It’s a big ass jumble of mismatched emotions that I don’t know how to resolve.”

“Sometimes I need to hear it, baby.” His lips quirk and he jerks my chin up to look into his eyes. “I’m a relatively simple clone. I know two things: I love you and you love me. I know in my head that you would never stand in my way if you thought something would make me happy, but my heart needs to hear that you want me all to yourself. The demon wants to hear that you would seriously debate maiming someone that tried to make a move on me. Understand?”

To him, this is the simplest thing in the world.

He wants me to know that I can be selfish without thinking about the consequences or how it will affect our entire world if I am. I don’t know how to tell him I’ve been down this road a little way before. The path it led us down—Rafe and I—did not pay off. In fact, it blew up in our faces. But he needs to hear this and I’venever been one to deny those I love what they need, even if it costs me to do so.

So I shrug and give him a smirk. “I’m not saying for sure or anything, but I might consider putting a few holes in the stupid bint if she even looked at you sideways. Maybe. You know, if I was in that kind of mood.”

The irony is that I’m not lying. My beast would happily put more than a few holes in anyone that came near him. I can’t reconcile that with my belief system, but she is unconcerned with my philosophical dilemma. She lets me know that I won’t have a choice in the matter. Given her vehemence, perhaps I don’t.

“Thanks for that, love,” he says, squeezing my hips. “Though, I’m fairly certain that you’d do more than CONSIDER putting a few holes in someone. Seeing some bint slither up to me, ready for a shag, would DEFINITELY put you in the mood, regardless of what else you felt.” He winks, looking pleased with me. “Now that I’ve got the neurotic, chest thumping neediness out of the way, how was your day?”

“Nothing much to report. I dealt with one needy droid, one hungry tiger, one weird message in re: you, and one clone locked in his studio all day. No explosions.” Constantine was a much bigger issue than I’m letting on, but I’m not getting into my neurosis. There’s enough family bullshit on my plate as it is.

His eyes narrow and he studies me for a moment. “I think you LIKE me all unsure and neurotic. That’s why you’re downplaying your day. I’m onto you, hussy.”

I shake my head, looking amused. “I’m only yanking your chain, baby.”

Suddenly, his phone vibrates in his pocket and he jumps up. The movement dumps me off the couch, making me shriek. His eyes have almost rolled into the back of head and he curses. “Bugger!”

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