Page 49 of Sigils & Spells

I still didn’t turn to look at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You fucked Darren last night, didn’t you?”

“So? What’s that to you?” I turned around, full of defiance.

Anger curled away from him like steam rising from boiling water.

I took an involuntary step back, but I kept my words hard. “Seriously, what business is it of yours who I slept with last night?”

His nostrils flared again, as if there was a bad smell in the apartment.

“He’s not going to fall in love with you. You know that, right?”

“I am well aware that Darren is not in love with me. Sleeping with him certainly isn’t going to change that.”

“So why did you?”

I tilted my head to the side. Merle was unreasonably angry, but I couldn’t figure out why. I’d seen him around other women Darren had banged, and he wasn’t like this.

“Are you mad because I slept with Darren, or because he slept with me?”

Merle growled, and his voice was tight. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Either you’re mad because I slept with him. Which is none of your business, by the way. So you’re mad at me. And I don’t see why you would be mad at me for sleeping with another man, because you don’t even like me. Or you’re mad because I’m the one who slept with Darren, not you.”

That brought him up short. He stopped snorting like a mad bull, and ran his hands through his hair, making it even messier.

He paced in a tight circle. My words had hit him like the slap I had meant them to be.

“I didn’t think you were that type, Pandora.”

“What type? The type who likes to be touched? Or the type who isn’t so desperate that they’ll take a pity fuck when presented with the opportunity?”

“Pity fuck? Why would you call it that?” He sort of chuckled a wry laugh.

I leaned back against the door. “Because that’s what it was. Look at me, Merle. I’m not exactly his type.”

Merle stepped in closer to me.

My pulse reacted, and my breath caught. The rest of me was tired, and confused.

“I like you, Merle. I’ve liked you for a very long time. But you don’t see me. You want to know why Darren slept with me? Because I called him on his bullshit, and he didn’t like it. And Ash wasn’t around to tell him he was being stupid. Darren had to prove me wrong. I know exactly what went down last night and why. And I could have told him no, but I didn’t. I took the pittance I was offered, because no one else has offered their attention in a long time, and I don’t want to forget what it feels like.” I turned to leave.

With a crash, Merle’s arms blocked me in. His breath was hot against my neck.

I closed my eyes and tried to shut my brain up. He was angry because he had feelings for me; he was jealous I slept with another man; he wanted me; he had feelings for me. He. Me. And I couldn’t listen to that. Until I had solid evidence, a confession, I couldn’t let myself believe it. I had talents, reading minds was not one of them.

I had fooled myself about this man so many times before, I really needed to not let my heart go there.

His nose brushed against my ear and I shuddered.

“If all you wanted was to feel, and have a quick fuck, you could have asked me. Why didn’t you ask me?”

“I told you, I didn’t ask. But when it was offered, I didn’t say no.”

“So all I have to do is offer?”

I leaned my forehead against the door. My gut screamed,Yes!If Merle offered, I would. I would, hard and fast. “What are you offering Merle?”

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