Page 140 of Pretty Poisoned

I pull them out from under the blankets and give them to him; he kisses each one before massaging them.

I hide a smile in the dark and put an old episode ofDatelineon the television.

"I'll never leave you," I tell him.

"Were you thinking about it?" he asks.

"Yeah. But I won't do it."

He doesn't say anything; he continues rubbing my feet while I watch my show until my eyes get heavy, and I can't keep them open much longer.

"I'm tired. I'm going to go to bed."

"Maybe we could get married," he says.

"What? Why? Do you really want to?"

He shrugs. "Why not? River and Hazel are married. It might be fun. We could do it on vacation and keep it a secret. I could call you wifey, but only we would know."

"Luca…" I smile and shake my head. "I think your brand of crazy is my favorite. You're my drug of choice."

"You want to?"

I nod. "I like the idea of us having something like that as a secret—something just for us."

He moves beside me, pulling me into him before he brings the covers over us.

"I like that, too."

TWENTY-THREE

"Teagan?"

A hand covers my mouth as I open my eyes in the dark space. Declan lies beside me on the bed, his face mere centimeters from my own.

"Shhh," Declan says. "Be quiet, okay?"

I nod, and he removes his hand from my mouth, combing his fingers through my hair instead. "I'm sorry," he whispers. "I'm sorry, Teagan."

I avert my eyes as tears roll down my face.

"Hey," he says. "Look at me."

"I don't want to," I say softly.

"I'm sorry, kitten," he says. "It was too much blood, and I got carried away. I'll be more careful with you, okay?"

I nod, covering my mouth with my own hands to stifle my sobs in an effort not to wake the man sleeping at my back.

"Let me hold you," he says, pulling me into his bare chest. "It's okay."

I wrap my arms around his back and curl into him, resting my head just under his chin.

This is so fucked. You're really fucked up. You're going to get yourself killed—is that what you want?

"Your heart is pounding," Declan whispers, running his fingers down my back. "If you had any idea how I think of you, Teagan—how I see you, who you are to me—you'd never feel this way around me."

I love you, Teagan.

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