Page 139 of Bitten By Desire
He smiled. “I can tolerate it. But if we’re having steak, I’d prefer it on the rare end.”
Okay. I could handle seeing him eat that. It wasn’t a big deal. He really seemed to have all this under control. “So you don’t get like urges or anything?”
“I do.” His eyes wandered to the side of my neck where I knew there must be a bruise.
“But you can control it? Or eat animal blood instead?”
He nodded.
“What if the urge is really strong? And you’re worried you might lose control?” I wanted him to relate to what Bennett and his friends were going through. They couldn’t control when they turned. They needed that pocket watch and Callum didn’t.
“I have a system.”
“A system for when you’re hungry?”
“To keep people safe.”
“Okay.” Maybe whatever system this was could help Bennett too. “Can you show me?”
He slipped his hand into mine and led me toward the stairs.
We both knew I’d been up here before. Uninvited. I’d been scared to death sneaking around his house looking for clues. But I’d been right the whole time. He had been hiding something. I was even right aboutwhathe’d been hiding.
I’d avoided him the day I’d snuck in, running away from him at every turn. And now it almost felt like I was a lamb being led to slaughter as we reached the top of the stairs.
He guided me past one closed room and then the next.
“What’s in those rooms?” I asked.
“Some old possessions. Heirlooms. Things like that.”
“Artifacts?” Bennett mentioned that maybe Callum had something else to control my mind. I really hoped that wasn’t true.
“Nothing of note,” he said. But he paused in the hall. “Something is on your mind. Tell me.”
I kept my mouth shut. For a long stretch of time. I breathed an internal sigh of relief. If he was controlling me, I would have already told him. “I was just wondering if you had anything else with magical powers.”
“A few things I’m looking into. You’re welcome to look around if you want. There are keys to all the rooms in my desk drawer. I’ll be right back.”
I held on to his hand. “Not necessary.” I believed him. “I want you to show me your system.”
“It’s in my bedroom.”
“Is it like a safe room or something?” I thought about the big vaults that Bennett and his friends locked themselves into.
“No. Nothing that intense.”
Because he didn’t need it. And Bennett did. I followed him silently to his room.
He hit the light switch. It didn’t seem as sinister as it had the other day. But there was still one thing that was weird… “Why don’t you have any stuff? Where are all your pictures? And decorations?”
“I never know what’s appropriate to use from my past. Maybe you can help me with that. And maybe make this place feel more like home. For the both of us.”
I smiled. “I’d really like that.” I looped my arms back around his neck. “Do you really want me to live here with you?”
“Unless you’d rather get married first.”
“You haven’t even asked me to be your girlfriend,” I said with a laugh.
