Page 61 of Ever Dark

I shrug and feel the tiny hint of a smile pulling at the corners of my lips. “She’s a smart woman then.”

I gaze up at him for just a second, and it sends butterflies to my stomach. Fuck.

“I like your eyes. They’re different,” he murmurs.

His hand flexes around mine as I press a fresh piece of gauze around it. “Yeah? Well, it’s another reason why people think I’m strange. At least that’s what they told me back at the orphanage.”

As soon as I tape his hand, he presses it to my cheek. “You are strange, but that’s not a bad thing. It makes you more beautiful.”

My breath catches in my throat. I’m not good with compliments. “Thanks.” I look down and get to work on his other hand. “Are you and your abuela close? I… I’ve never had family.”

Bones spreads his legs and shifts forward, closing more of the gap between us. “We used to be closer. Before my brother died. It’s hard to go back to normal after something like that.”

I look up to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry. Lettie never mentioned another brother.”

Bones’s eyes darken. “She was too young to remember Sonny. And it’s a sore subject.”

I nod. “What happened to him?”

His fingers tremble. “It doesn’t matter. Next subject.”

Fuck. “I’m sorry. It’s not my business.” I feel my cheeks burning. I sometimes forget I have zero social skills. Why can’t I just keep my mouth shut?

He strokes my cheek again. “It’s okay. I brought it up. So, what’syoursob story, little lamb?”

Great. My turn. The subject I’ve been avoiding at dinner parties since I was first able to even attend one. I blow out a deep breath. “It’s pretty basic. My parents died when I was a baby, but I think you already know that part. I was sent away before that. No clue why. Theywere rich as fuck and could have easily raised me. Anyway, I grew up in Wickford Hollow Orphanage. On my eighteenth birthday, they handed me a bus ticket and kicked me out. I went to Raven’s Gate, slept on the streets for a while until I met my ex-fiancé, got dumped for being strange, and then rich granny died. And now I’m here.”

“You left out a lot, baby girl.” His gaze burns a hole in my face.

I shrug. “So did you. We all have our secrets. Our shame. I don’t care to talk about mine either.”

“Fair enough.” His hand falls to my shoulder.

His touch is electric. Fiery. It ignites sparks in every nerve in my body. I finish wrapping his hand and stand up. “Done. Now at least you won’t get an infection.”

“You’re sweet. I don’t think most people know that about you.” He leans back on the cot. The edge of his ripped T-shirt shifts up, revealing the V shape of his abs. Fucking hell.Don’t fucking look, Mia.

“I could say the same thing about you. When you’re not breaking into people’s houses like a psycho.” My belly flutters at the memory.

“Yours is the only house I ever want to break into. I like the way your fear turns into something else. Something… visceral.” He slides his gauze-wrapped hand over his belly, inching his shirt up even more.

I don’t want to look, but I can’t help myself. “What are you doing?”

He undoes the top button of his jeans. “Watching you play nurse is a fucking kink I didn’t know I had. Indulge me, Mia. Let’s keep this game going.”

Tingles spread like wildfire through my core. It’s like having chills and heat stroke at the same time. I could leave. I could turn around and walk away. But I inch forward instead. Fuck me.

He unzips his jeans. “Come here, baby girl. Lie next to me.”

My limbs are shaking. I can’t resist him. The memory of his fistinside my pussy has me so fucking wet… I sit down on the edge of the cot. “We shouldn’t…” I murmur.

He pulls his jeans down and off. “Look how hard you make me.”

I turn toward him, and my lips salivate. His cock is fully erect, hard and veiny with a barbell pierced through the tip. It’s fucking beautiful. “Fuck,” I say on a breath.

He rolls his thumb over the barbell, and a little precum oozes out. “Your turn.” He rolls on his side, wraps an arm around my waist and scoots me forward until I’m fully lying next to him. “I want to play with your pussy again.”

I bite my lip to stifle a whimper. I let my eyes wander his body, admiring black and gray ink that swirls over every inch of him. He’s hot as fuck, and I have no willpower against him. With trembling fingers, I unzip my pants and shove them off.

---