Page 94 of Chaos
“See? This is exactly what I’m talking about. You hated my guts when you brought me to your penthouse. Would barelylook at me. Now, you’re over there with your smoldery eyes and horny words because I’ve... ensnared you.”
A soft laugh escaped me because I’d never heard someone manage to be so right and so wrong all at the same time.
“I mean it, Grim,” she said, pressing her hands to my shoulders as if to somehow emphasize her next words. “You’re a victim.Myvictim. All of this is... Stockholm syndrome. You don’t really mean it. And maybe you can’t understand that, but I do, so it’s up to me to be the responsible one.”
“You are adorably mistaken, wildflower. We’ve been giving you the space you need, but there wasn’t a single one of us who you hadn’t ensnared from day one. I can’t speak for the others, but I kept my distance because there is no future for us. All Death can bring is grief.”
I could see the war waging in her eyes. She wanted to believe me, but she simply couldn’t let go of this narrative she’d created. The one where she’d somehow trapped us into caring about her.
That was our fault.
My fault.
“Ask the others before you decide for them, but I need you to know one thing.”
Her brows lifted as she waited for me to continue.
“If there is any world where I can be close to you, even if it’s only a dream, I would choose it.”
“Grim—”
I stopped her with a press of my finger to her lips. “I mean it, wildflower. Knowing what it was like to touch you. Being able to call you mine... it was the greatest gift I’ve ever been given. No matter the cost.”
Her eyes searched mine, and I recognized the look of suspicion in them. She was looking for hints that all of this was false. That her spell was controlling me. Before I could do anything else to ease her fears, she took two steps away from me.
“I... I have to go,” she murmured, then bolted for the house, leaving me with the weight of my confession as my only company.
Chapter
Twenty-Four
CHAOS
The sweet scent of my Merri’s hair pulled me out of the deepest slumber I’d had in ages. I sighed happily, reaching for her and wrapping one arm around her waist. Soft, warm skin under my fingers had me instinctively pulling her closer, needing her against me.
She shifted and turned around to face me, both of us lying on our sides in my bed, naked but not focused on sex. We were focused on each other.
“Morning,” I murmured, my voice raspy with sleep.
“Morning,” she whispered, her smile soft but genuine.
“Sleep well?”
“Mmm.” Her hum was part agreement, part yawn. With a little giggle, she added, “I don’t remember falling asleep.”
“I’m pretty sure we exhausted each other until neither of us could keep our eyes open.”
Her big blue eyes flicked from mine to my mouth, then back. “It was worth it. Even if I’ll be tired today.”
I ran my hand down her torso, taking hold of her hip and tugging her closer. “We could just stay in bed.”
“Who are you, and what have you done with my moody taskmaster?”
My cock gave a happy twitch. “I’m more than happy to give you orders right here.”
Her eyes flared at the hit of lust I’m sure she just picked up on. She pressed a palm to my chest. “I’m sure you would.”
“I’ve never woken up with someone in my arms before,” I said, my voice low.
