Page 53 of A Clash of Embers

Sometimes the best part is falling in love again.

Ugh. Mother. Why? Don't meddle.

I quickly cleaned up and put on my pajamas, but before I walked out of the bathroom, I took a deep breath and gave myself a pep talk.

"You're gonna go in there and you're not gonna take his shit. You are going to stand up for yourself."

When I opened the door and walked out, I noticed Eros in the bed without a shirt and notebook in hand drawing. I tilted my head at him with anxiousness swelling inside of me.

"What do you think you're doing? You arenotsleeping in my bed," I seethed at him.

He smirked but didn't look up from his page.

"Is that what your little pep talk was about in the bathroom?" he questioned me and I gasped.

"How did you—"

"You are the loudest person I know. From experience," he said with a conniving smirk.

Blast the stars.

I can't let him do this to me. I knew exactly what he meant.

"Come on, darling. Just get in the bed. We need to get some rest and I don't feel like fighting with you tonight."

I rolled my eyes and rocked on my heels for a moment before he spoke again.

"Get in this bed, Clara. If you don't, I'm going to come pick you up and put you in here myself."

I laughed, "Oh, no you won't."

He raised his brows. "Is that a challenge?"

I breathed out an annoyed sigh and shook my head in defeat. I certainly didn't want to fight with him tonight. I pulled the sheets back and climbed in, pulling them over my chest and laying my head flat against the pillow looking at my ceiling. Memories started to flood back into my mind of our last night in this room.

"Your pajamas are silk. You know how much I hate that," he grumbled.

"I don't care what you do hate or don't hate. We are going to bed. No more talking," I demanded and quickly turned over on my side with my back facing him.

I heard a soft chuckle and the ruffling of his feathers that he neatly tucked behind him in the bed. I wondered if they were comfortable to lay on or if he just got used to it.

"Clara. For the gods sake, just stop thinking and go to sleep."

I smiled because I knew he was listening to my thoughts, the ones I laid out for anyone to intercept. I started to think of when we had sex for the first time here as husband and wife and how I screamed his name. It was the best feeling in the world. But—

I felt the warmth of hands pull my shoulder back and his body leaning over mine with a growl.

"Unless you want me to do something about those thoughts of yours, I suggest you stop. Go to sleep."

My heart was racing, but I knew that I still had power over him in some twisted way.

I peered up into his eyes and I smiled. "Goodnight, Ev."

A flutter of his eyes told me I surprised him by calling him that.

I was quickly learning that maybe he isn't my enemy in this, and just maybe I didn't have to kill him.

An arm was draped over me when I awoke. I didn't move. I just cautiously turned my head to see a sleepy Eros on his pillow behind me. The stubble on his face made me smile, because he was always the sweetest when he slept. Mostly because he wasn't talking.

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