Page 59 of The Devil's Weakness

Level-headed Sasha doesn’t move. She knows how strong irresponsible Sasha gets when she’s in such close proximity to him. I spot a hamper across the room and walk over to it. Dumping the few articles of clothing from it before setting it upside-down on the ground, I take a seat without looking at him.

Far across the room from the bed.

“So, I’ve been thinking,” I begin. “I think we were both suffering emotionally yesterday.”

“Sasha.”

I ignore him. Still with my eyes trained on a sock on the floor next to his bed.

“I think we both said and did things we wouldn’t have done had we not been under an enormous amount of stress.”

“Sasha,” he says, a little more firmly this time.

“So, I understand if you want to take back what you said before you… before we…”

“Sasha!”

When I continue sitting as still as a statue, he gets up from the bed. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch his naked body approaching.

Don’t look. Don’t look. Don’t look. Fuck. I looked.

Flashing me a knowing smile, he lifts me off of my makeshift chair and carries me over to the bed. Sitting me in front of him, he covers himself with the sheet once more and hooks his finger under my chin. Only when my gaze is focused on him does he continue.

“For two years, you’ve infatuated me. Every time I closed my eyes, I was bathed in the same warm hazel light I saw in your stare that night behind the diner. You stood up to me. No one has ever done that. Your fire, your spirit, your beauty… everything about you pulls me in. I kept my distance because I know I’m no good for you, but something brought us together, anyway. I can’t stay away from you anymore.”

“And for two years, I’ve been haunted by flashes of the ice-cold, gunmetal stare I got from you that same evening. Blade, listen. Just because we were brought together doesn’t mean we should be together. I’m just as bad for you as you are for me. I’m always working. I drop whatever it is I need to do whenever Michael calls because I’m terrified he’s sick or dying or in trouble.”

“Those traits are far from toxic, Sasha. I can help you with him, with everything. No matter what you say, I’m going to be around.”

“I’m not a damsel in need of saving, Blade. And I’m sure as hell not looking for a boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend seems a little juvenile, anyhow. But we can call it whatever you want to call it. You can consider me your stalker for all I care, but I stand by what I said yesterday. You aremine.”

He leans in, and his lips caress mine gently. He knows that I’m going to melt into him and deepen the kiss. I should push him away, but I can’t. I should order him to give me my belongings so I can leave here, but I don’t.

Just go through the motions, Sasha. Get through the morning and whatever else he has planned until you’re able to distance yourself from him.

I should be able to evade him better on my own turf, anyway, where I have the upper hand. We’re interrupted by a loud growl from my stomach, which has flipped the script on me and no longer feels like it wants to expel its contents.

“We’re going to go eat breakfast.” Blade breaks the kiss. “And I’m not asking.”

He hops up from the bed and walks to his dresser. I watch him the entire time he rifles through the drawer for some clothes. His dick stands at attention, ramrod straight and hard as marble. The feeling of pleasure he delivered yesterday hits me like a freight train.

Finally, he pulls a pair of boxers over himself, and I’m able to sort of think straight again.

“But I don’t have any clothes,” I remind him.

“You’re wearing clothes right now,” he fires back.

“These aren’t clothes,” I object. “It’s your t-shirt and underwear.”

“No one’s going to care, little girl. We’re not dining at the Four Seasons.”

“What?No.That’s not the—argh!”

I voice my frustration with him, but it falls on deaf ears. All I can do is take a deep, somewhat calming breath and hope this morning isn’t a complete disaster.

“Do you at least have a spare toothbrush? It’s bad enough those people have to see me half-naked. They shouldn’t be subjected to my morning breath, too.”

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