Page 108 of Dirty Princess

They walk away and Cullen offers his left hand.

I take it and step into the house.

“What’s with the knife, love?” Cullen asks.

“Protection,” I say. “Hey, it’s cold and rainy. It’s fall. It’s like Halloween season, right? Want to watch something scary?”

“Fuck yes, I do,” Cullen says. “Want me to make popcorn?”

“Yeah,” I say as I smile.

“I can dig up some candles too,” he says. He snaps his fingers. “Wait. I have an idea. I have some orange lights somewhere around here too.”

“Orange lights?” I ask.

“We do celebrate holidays around here, love,” Cullen says. “Mostly it’s an excuse to get drunk and party. But we do decorate for Halloween. Give me a few minutes and I’ll get your room set up.”

“My room…”

Cullen moves closer to me. “You’re going to stay, right? That’s why you’re here?”

I swallow hard.

I’m not sure how to answer the question.

I’m here because I don’t want to worry about what’s outside this house.

But this isn’t home for me.

“Never mind,” Cullen whispers. “Forget I said that. We’re going to watch a movie and let the night do whatever it wants. Deal?”

“Deal,” I say.

Cullen kind of wants to shake hands but I end up jumping into his arms.

He’s so perfect in so many ways.

Yet as he shuts the door, I glance back.

I hear the rain falling.

I bite my lip.

I wonder what Archer is doing right now.

Chapter 27

Cullen drapes lights all over the guitars hung in my room in the house.

I remind myself over and over that this is my room.

I’m anHeirand I’m supposed to live here.

It’s tempting, that’s for sure.

But so is Cullen.

I can’t take my eyes off him.

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