Page 121 of I Was Always Yours (RCA: Royal Crown Academy)

I want to lie to her, but find that I can’t. “Me neither.”

She gives me a small but sincere smile like my response made her happy and I find myself thinking about what else I can do to make those smiles stay on her face.

We cut through the forest, walking the path home that we used to take when we were kids. There’s a familiarity to this whole afternoon, almost like it’s muscle memory, and it brings a lightness to my chest that hasn’t been there in a long time.

I choose not to think about tomorrow or the day after that and to focus on the here and now instead. And the here and now is that Six is mine. She’s mine in every way that matters and it’s becoming harder and harder to imagine letting her go in a few days, even though I know I have to.

We stop when we reach the back gardens and stairs that lead to my parents’ mansion. On impulse, I cup the back of her neck and use the hold to bring her against my chest.

I drop my lips to the top of her head and kiss her, my hold on her neck firm and controlling before I release her.

“I’ll come find you after dinner.”

Her eyes have darkened and her breaths quickened from that small contact alone and it takes almost superhuman effort not to rip her snow suit off her and fuck her here, the fresh snow be damned.

I know she likes a little bit of pain; she’d probably love it if I did it.

If it wasn’t the most exposed part of the property, I’d do it, but as it were, I don’t want to have to commit a crime before dinner is served.

“Leave your window unlocked.”

She brings her hand up to just above my ear and brushes away something she finds in my hair. Her touch is light, gentle, and I resist the urge to lean further into it.

“Have you ever found it locked?”

A rumble sounds in my throat, somewhere between a pleased growl and an erotic purr. “Go before I change my mind about you having dinner. I’ll feed you my cock instead.”

She flushes and turns on her heel with a wave. She’s not even gone yet and I already want her back.

That doesn’t bode well for what’s coming in a few days.

Chapter 36

Phoenix

Something akin to dread knots the muscles of my back as I walk into the house. Hopefully this time will be different, but I’m not holding my breath.

Just like the last time I was here, the air feels thick with grief, resentment, and hate. Like the house needs all the windows opened so we can let out the years of drama and trauma that have been imprinted into the walls.

Driven by a need to see her and a reluctance to face my parents, I went straight to Sixtine’s place this morning without stopping at home first.

The mansion is large enough that I could likely spend five days here without my parents ever finding out if I swore the staff to secrecy, but today I have no such luck.

“What are you doing here?” I turn around at the sound of my mother’s voice. It’s flat and disassociated, with a level of venom she doesn’t bother to conceal.

It’s her usual tone when she addresses me.

She’s walking down the stairs on unsteady legs as she takes a sip of her martini.

Over the years, I’ve honed a very specific skill — being able to gauge how many she’d had based on how she walks. Observing the way she misses a step and almost falls flat on her face, I’d say we’re at least at number twelve on the day.

“I’m home for a few days.” It’s better to keep it simple with her.

She’s not the reason I’m here, she never has been, and unlike last time, I’m not interested in fighting with her. I don’t plan on spending much time here anyway.

She laughs mockingly, taking a sip from her martini.

“You didn’t ask if we wanted to seeyou. You just assumed we would? I thought you knew better than to show up here unannounced.”

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