Page 35 of Nidev and Lyric

Oh. Interesting. “And do you… ever find it logical to… be happy?”

He moved his arm back to the couch top, studying her. “Happy is subjective in this.”

“How?” she wondered.

“By definition, for one,” he said. “How you define happiness, and I define it are likely different. For me, happiness is ensuring everybody in my care is safe and healthy. Whether or not they’re smiling and laughing isn’t part of my view on happiness.”

She studied him back, feeling sad about that. “So you… think laughing and smiling are kind of… unnecessary.”

“Yes,” he said, simply. “I’m not opposed to it, I just don’t believe they’re essential in regard to how I define happiness.”

She nodded, instantly wanting more of these kinds of Nidev details. “Which is why you didn’t let my trick work. And what about me? How do you feel about… me liking to laugh and smile?”

His head lowered a fraction, gaze digging deeper into hers. “What do you think?”

Fear of the answer pulled her out of his stare. She aimed it next to him. “That you probably think what you just said. It’s unnecessary. Maybe… childish.”

“Incorrect,” he murmured, sucking her right back into his eyes. “I happen to love your smile and your laughter. To anobsessivedegree.”

The final confession was low and intimate, lighting a firestorm in her. Did that mean… she’dchangedhim?

“That one especially,” he said, making her realize she was smiling.

“That one is special.”

She covered her face with a light laugh then lowered her hands, angling a look at him. “What do you mean?” God, he was so beautiful it sobered her.

“I love that they’re mine. That I own them.”

Oh God, did he ever.

“Are you ready to answer my question regarding your first assignment?”

Oh shit.

She nodded a little before breathing her, “Yes.”

“Why did I choose that assignment?”

She faltered, confused. She’d memorized the paragraph and had expected to be required to recite it, at least first. “Uh…” She straightened and adjusted her butt in the seat, clearing her throat. After all her preparation, she suddenly got nothing but static in her head. Her lips parted, then closed, remembering her three answers. Then out of nowhere, panic kicked all of them aside and she gasped out, “To test my submission.”

The second the words left her, she sucked in a breath. Oh no. No, no, no, that was stupid! Too simple!

Her heart slammed against her ribs as he stood up from the couch and went past her chair. She glanced over her shoulder to see where he was going then gasped at finding him exactly behind her. She snapped her gaze forward as his presence and heat became painfully real and suffocating.

Her body jolted inside when his breath touched her ear. Then came that one word. “Wrong.” The verdict ghosted across her skin. Low. Dark. Absolute.

A violent shiver ran down her spine as she locked up.

He moved next to her chair, and she remained frozen. “Retrieve it.”

Half the gasps she’d been holding escaped. “R-retrieve… what?” she whispered, her eyes also glued to the space directly before her.

His fingers suddenly closed over her wrist on the arm of the chair, shooting her pulse up. He guided her hand toward his body, requiring more air in her lungs. He pressed her fingers against something soft, not hard.

She turned to see.

His pocket.

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