Page 15 of Devour

“Nope.” I disagreed, probably a bit too quickly.

“Oh, yeah. My existence plunged you into an existential crisis and, to top it all off, you think I’m unpredictable and therefore untrustworthy. Ironically enough, it doesn’t scare you. It pisses you off.”

Well, yes. All of that and then some.

“Do you really think I’m incapable of controlling myself? There’s no magic water or relics you can throw around to help you. I set my moral code myself, thank you very much.”

I scoffed.

“You have any stones in here?” He peeked around my room before looking back at me.

“What?” I balked. I swear only eighty-five percent of what he said made sense, and that was a hundred percent on purpose.

“Since thou art without sin, I need to know if I should duck.”

“No,” I huffed. “You are not an imperfect human, you’re a…”

“Give me some credit here, hubs. I have the same free will as you.”

“Honestly, that is not at all comforting. Not in the slightest. Like what’s stopping you from…” Ugh. Couldn’t even say more.

“Well, I don’t know? What’s stopping you?” With that, Rhory swung a leg over my lap. He sat with a knee on either side of my thighs and wrapped his arms around my neck with a smile. “See, I know the idea of shutting my smarmy mouth appeals to you.”

When I attempted to object to something so ridiculous, he dropped an arm and shoved his index finger to my lips to silence me.

“Don’t argue with the mind reader. The point stands, that much in the same way I choose to put my faith in you, there needs to be a certain level of trust that I don’t force myself on people—including you.”

“Which is really easy to do when you can read someone’s mind and know their intentions,” I bit back. “Not all of us have that advantage.”

“What would convince you, hubby? Should I promise you?”

Why did this feel like another deal with the devil?

“Not a devil, merely devilish.”

“Fine,” I conceded. “What are you promising me, exactly?”

“Oh, you think you’re making the same mistake twice, huh?” He shifted in my lap and smiled right at me. “You tell me. Pick the exact terms yourself.”

Well, I needed to think that over, which didn’t seem fair while mildly incapacitated by illness. “Promise that… you’ll listen to me.”

“Listen?” Before I could even respond, he slowly smiled and said, “You mean obedient.”

I rolled my eyes. Close enough.

“Would that make you feel better, bossing me around?”

I was about to say no when I thought better of it. Yes, seeing him display some integrity would make me feel better.

“I’ll do it,” he agreed with a wider smile. “But I’m telling you right now, I won’t override my self-preservation to satisfy you.”

“Okay, time to display those morals you keep claiming to have. Get off me.” And I jostled my lap for extra emphasis.

“Why? Do I make you hard?” Rhory asked, smiling so much his nose wrinkled.

“You make everything difficult.” And I smiled right back at him.

Part of me did not at all believe Rhory would listen. Why would he? What possible reason did he have to cooperate? And why would he even care if I trusted him?

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