Page 63 of Séance

I’m far from a shy virgin, my kinks in the bedroom leaving no room for softer emotions. My cock hardens at the thought of having Rue at my mercy, able to do whatever I want to her, and I bite my lip to hold back a tortured groan.

No, weak is the last thing that comes to mind when I look at her. Images of her tied up, waiting just for me, shakes the foundation of my world, and I can’t help but wonder if she’s a natural submissive or if she would fight me a little and make me work to subdue her until she begs me for her orgasms.

I adjust my glasses, the lenses practically fogging up with my dirty thoughts, and damn if my cock doesn’t weep at the thought.

She brings out my protective instincts, making me want to worship and cherish her—things I’m not used to feeling.

The confusion helps me get my dick back under control, and I’m not sure if I want to shake her for foolishly putting herself at risk or smile at just how perfectly she fits into our group. It’s likeshe was always meant to be with us, the last piece to balance out our reckless tendencies, and my stomach does a slow tumble at the idea of her becoming a permanent member of our group.

Tension rises in the room at her argument, and I cast a severe look behind me at the others, a warning to shut the fuck up. Gunner, the grumpy bastard, wants to protest, and Jaceson is staring at her like he’s never seen a girl before in his life, but Hicks is the one who is testing my temper. Suspicion darkens his green eyes to hard shards, and I shake my head. Thankfully, he purses his lips and remains silent.

For now.

No doubt the subject will come up again. Hicks isn’t one to let go of a mystery, especially one that could put us at risk. While I understand the sentiment, he’s way off base with Rue. She walked into danger without a care for her own safety just because one of us was in danger.

I’d bet my state-of-the-art computer lab and gaming rig that she’s not a threat to us.

It’s not until Rue shivers that I realize I’ve been absently brushing my thumb up and down the inside of her ankle, feeling both possessive and protective of her.

The polite thing to do would be to stop touching her and apologize, but I’m not sorry.

Instead, I tap her ankle and wait until she looks at me. “Uh…” The power of her fierce teal eyes has me forgetting how to speak for a moment, and I shake my head to clear it. “You’ll need to stay off your feet for a while. Walking will hurt.”

Desperate to get myself back under control, I grab a bottle of pain meds from the table, pop the lid, then shake the bottle until two pills drop into my palm. “Take these tonight. They’ll help you sleep.”

Rue shakes her head, her nose crinkling in disgust. “No, I’m good.”

The only reason anyone wouldn’t take pain meds for injuries as severe as hers is if they want to remain alert…or if they were once an addict. Concern stirs in my gut, leaving a toxic mix brewing, and I reluctantly slip the pills back into the bottle. I debate if I should take the bottle with me and out of the way of temptation, but the thought of her in pain stills my hand. “If you change your mind, they’ll be here.”

I set the bottle on the end table, counting only six pills inside it, and I make a mental note to check how many are left in the morning. “I’ll grab a glass of water for you before I head off to bed.”

That has her head snapping up. She stiffens and shakes her head. “No, I should be headi?—”

“Mrs. Killaghan put us in charge of taking care of you,” Hicks interrupts with a hard, callous voice. “We’re obviously not doing a very good job of it. I want you and Gunner where we can watch over you in case you need us in the middle of the night.”

Something in his tone has Rue’s expression going blank, and I’m not sure I want to demand to know what happened between them or just kick Hicks’ ass for making her uncomfortable. If he keeps this bullshit up, he’s going to push her away, and that’s the last think I want.

While I love the guys, they are a lot of testosterone and bullshit.

It’s nice to have her near.

Not only does her presence ease the tension between us, but there is something calming about her nearness. Touching her quiets the doubts that haunt my thoughts. I don’t hear my parents calling me stubborn or ungrateful or worthless. I don’t hear my siblings’ disdainful comments that I’m not up to the family’s exacting standards.

If not for their disappointment and apathy, my family would have forgotten I ever existed long ago. When Rue gazes at me,though, she doesn’t see my faults or compare me to my siblings. She sees me as a real person. I’m not boring or a nuisance. She listens to me like she genuinely cares what I have to say.

It’s addicting, and I’m not ready to let the feeling go yet—or lethergo.

Not liking her retreat and hating that she’s hiding from me, I desperately try to find a way to comfort her. Unfortunately, I’m not good with people like the others. I’m more comfortable with computers and books.

People are just so…emotional.

I can never gauge how they will react in any given situation, but I want to try.

“I’m going to grab a couple of pillows and blankets.” I nod to myself as I mentally go through a list of things I need to collect. “Then we’ll sleep down here. We shouldn’t move you or Gunner, and I very much doubt we’ll be able to pry James away.”

Life gradually returns to Rue’s face, her expression turning curious. “Like a sleepover?”

My insides melt at the way her teal eyes sparkle with eagerness, almost like she’s never experienced some of the most basic childhood experiences. My heart breaks at the way she was raised, and I suspect her past is even more fucked-up than ours.

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