Page 33 of Chaos

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“Did you not get enough sleep last night? Have bad dreams?” I batted my lashes at him as I positioned myself in front of the big guy. A flash of him with long hair and that short little Spartan dress thing he’d had on in the dream made my thighs clench.

“Total nightmare.”

Even though he was looking me dead in the eye and delivered it with complete conviction, he couldn’t fool me. I’d been there. I knew exactly how much he’d enjoyed himself.

I also knew exactly what it sounded like when he came, and I was more than a little addicted to it.

“Hmm, I see. Well, I hope you have more... satisfying dreams tonight.”

His jaw ticked as those words sank in, but before I could tease him further, he lunged for me. I dodged his grasp, moving with a grace I’d never had before. I could only attribute it to the fact that I was fully fed.

“Good,” he grunted.

The faint praise made me falter, and I was less prepared for his second attack. This time his fist connected, though he pulled the punch so it barely stung.

“Looks like I spoke too soon. Don’t get cocky, Red. The goal is to evade the hits, not walk right into them.”

“Ha ha,” I said dryly.

He dropped his arms and glared at me. “Have you already forgotten why we’re doing this? Because I don’t need to train. I’m here to help you. But if you’re not going to take this seriously, then I’m not going to waste my time. I’ve got better shit to do.”

The sting his words left had me lashing out. “What’s the point? Seriously. A little Muay Thai is never going to help me defeat a demon.”

“Maybe not. But it just might keep you alive long enough that one of us can get to you.”

I hated that he had a point. And that he’d rightfully called me out for fucking around when I should be grateful he was trying to help me at all. With a sigh and a softly uttered, “Sorry,” I got myself back into position and focused on what his body was telegraphing about his intentions.

Teasing Chaos wasn’t going to help with anything at the moment. The two of us could play in his dreams. That was the safest option for both parties. It protected him from my appetite and me from forgetting what this was. Or worse, getting attached to men I couldn’t have.

Squaring my shoulders, I stared him down. “All right, come at me, bro.”

Chaos smirked. “Good girl.”

It took everything in me to swallow the little gasp his words elicited.

Then he pounced.

Little cloudsof my breath hung in the air as I strolled through the garden maze on this château’s massive property. I snuggled deeper into the heavy coat I’d found in the wardrobe in my room, warm enough, save my cheeks and nose. I was certain both were pink from the cold, but I couldn’t stay inside for one more moment. Could it be considered cabin fever even if I was in a castle?

“Castle fever?” I murmured, testing it out. “I mean, that’s totally what Rapunzel had, right? So it must be a thing.” With a laugh and a little nod, I decided I was the cleverest girl in all the land. “Ha. I can see it now. Grim standing under my balcony window”—I did my best impersonation of the surly Brit—“Merri, let down your hair to me.”

“Why would I climb your hair when I could just come in through the door?”

My soul left my body. I’m sure of it. The sound that came out of me would put every living Hollywood scream queen to shame.

I spun around, hand on my heart and a scolding on my lips. “If you’re trying to kill me, I’d much rather you just touch me.”

His expression didn’t change at all, but there was a flicker in the depths of those quicksilver eyes. I was sure of it.

He hummed softly in his throat, the wind sending that one forelock curl of his sweeping across his forehead. Fuck me, Daddy Death was sexy.

“Why aren’t you wearing a coat?” I muttered, taking in his very un-wintery attire. The man was dressed in a black button-down shirt, dark trousers, and... were those gardening gloves?

“I don’t need one.”

“Are you gardening? Isn’t it Christian’s job to take care of all this?”

“It relaxes me.”