Page 74 of Bad Seed
He knows.
But what’s he going to do when I turn him down?
“Your house. I mean, I’m not sorry for the house. It’s beautiful. Lots of really interesting statues…”
He snickers. “They came with the place.”
“I don’t know if I can move in with you. Right now. I just…” My hands clench the napkin in my lap. He’s the kind of guy to have cloth napkins, and I’m turning him down. “Things in my life are kinda a mess. I just started getting real traction with my photography business. The lease on the townhouse doesn’t renew until February. I can’t figure out these damn hives to save my life…”
I start to scratch at my chest even though they’ve mostly receded. Aubry watches, his eyes boring into my fingers, and I stop.
“I don’t know if I’d be a very good roommate right now. I’m sorry.”
He plants his elbows on the table and hides his mouth behind his folded hands. Damn it. Is he mad? Will he toss me out and find some other chubby girl to throw ass over end all night? My body starts to rock in the chair, wanting to get me out of this. Burning across my face, my head tips back until I can only see the stars and not his penetrating stare.
“I understand.”
Wha?
“It’s easy to cling to something familiar when times are tough.”
He’s not angry. If anything he looks…sad?
“I’m sorry,” I repeat and reach for his hand. Instead of rearing back, he takes mine.
Aubry starts to lift my fingers to his lips. “What about the vacation?”
“Oh, yeah, that’s for sure on. I’ll have to get a swimsuit…bikini. Very tiny bikini—”
He kisses the back of my hand, then peers up at me. His eyes blaze in the strange firelight. “You’re torturing me again.”
“No, I…”
Aubry looks at me like a tiger about to sink its fangs into a gazelle. I try to tear myself away, but I’m transfixed. Done in by the orange and blue light swirling across his ravenous face.
“I am not,” I fumble, my breath catching.
“Hmph.” He draws his touch higher up my arm. “Filling my head with the image of you in a string bikini knowing I’ll have to wait until January to see it.”
My palm lands flat to his chest as he stretches across the table. The fire dances right against his shirt, but he doesn’t flinch. He only focuses on me. “That is cruel and unusual.”
Aubry hooks a hand under his cat, lifting him from his lap. Just as Astin gets his paws under him and runs for the backdoor, Aubry paces around the table. He slams a hand onto the granite, then looms over me. My hairs stand on end like a thunderstorm.
“For that…” Teasing the strap of my dress, he leans closer until his wet lips press to my ear. “You must be punished.”
“How are you—?”
Snap.
He tore through the strap of my dress with his bare hand. Just split it in half with a flick. The side doesn’t have too far to go, my breasts keeping it up, but I stare at up at him in shock.
Also some aw.
And a whole lot of fuck-me-now.
“Do you have any idea what that cost?” I ask, my indignation rolling with my ache to see him do it again.
Aubry cocks his head to the side. He doesn’t smile, but his eyes shine. “No,” he says with a laugh, then tears the other strap.
