Page 7 of Beauty & Corruption

“What’s the common factor with all of those, lass?” His tongue wet his lips.

“I don’t know, Mordy,” I said in a tired voice. Talking to him was exhausting. My eyes blinked slowly, and I huffed.

“Yes, you do.”

“No.”

“Humor me.” He whispered, “Say it.”

“Fine.” I sighed, staring at him. “I guess all of those things are artists and their creations.” I didn’t bother to voice that they didn’t at all apply to us. Maybe my answer would appease him enough that he would leave me alone to wallow in my self-pity.

“Heh. I guess so, but that’s not exactly the answer I was looking for.”

“Then what, Mordy? Please tell me so I can try to get some sleep.”

“Áilleacht. In all of those, the artist is trying to capture it and make it their own. It gets them high.”

“Huh? Are you high? I’m not following. You all already captured me, hence this house from where I can’t leave.” I lifted my hand and waved it in the air to further prove my point.

Mordy laughed, and his face disappeared from my view. A moment later, his door opened, and he knelt before me. “Come on, lass. You can’t sleep out here.” His hand reached for mine.

“The hell I can’t,” I responded sharply, not taking his hand. “Watch me,” I grumbled, sealing my eyelids together tightly, but quickly released them when he clicked his tongue.

“I do.”

“Mmhmm. Clearly.” I yawned, too tired to think of a snappy comeback, and closed my eyes. I didn’t have to see him to know he was still crouched beside me. A moment later, he was changing positions and stretched out beside me, pushing his butt cheek into my side. “For the love of everything.” My right eyelid opened when a piece of his dark hair brushed against my face, tickling my nose. “What are you doing?”

“Sleeping here, too.”

“Why can’t you just leave me alone, Mordy?” I groaned.

“I wish I knew the answer, lass. I don’t like it any more than you.”

“Bullshit. You enjoy annoying the piss out of me.”

“Aye, but you love making me squirm as well.”

I didn’t respond. He wasn’t getting me to admit I got some kind of sick pleasure out of fucking with his mind. I shrugged.

“You do. I’ll say it, seeing as you are too prideful to admit it. But I will remind you that I am more stubborn than you. I don’t give up. Ever.”

“No, you don’t,” I griped as he wiggled against my hip. “Now, what are you doing?”

“Moving you over, floor hog. If you insist on sleeping out here, so am I.”

“Seriously? Fine! I’ll get up and sleep on the couch. Will you leave me alone then?” I asked, already knowing the answer before he spoke.

“No,Éan. You’re sleeping in my bed.” He spoke in a matter-of-fact tone as if I didn’t have an opinion. I did, but if I didn’t agree, he would never let me sleep.

“Why? Are you trying to lure me into your lair so you can kill me quietly?”

“No,” he admitted. “With you, I’m Icarus flying too close to the sun, and I don’t know how to keep my head above water.”

“I don’t even know what that means, but if you kill me, it will put me out of my misery.” I shook my head, accidentally brushing against him on my way to his room.

A hushed moan briefly passed through his lips when my hand unintentionally grazed the outline of his rock-hard cock. “It would put me out of my misery, too,ÁilleachtÉan. But misery loves company, not loneliness.” A smug smile overtook his face, and his eyebrows waggled as he nodded toward his bed.

“Mordicus, I’m not having sex with you,” I said sternly. If that was what he thought was going to happen, he was delusional.

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