I smiled at him, propping myself up on my elbows. “You’re a messy eater.”
He licked his lips, grinning back at me, and I felt my core tighten again at the sight. Damn, this man was sexy. “Did you enjoy yourself?”
I lifted a shoulder. “You were okay.”
He gave me a doubtful look. “The way you were moaning and thrashing about, I’d say it was more than okay.” His face then turned tender, eyes softening. “I like when we aren’t arguing.”
Hell, if he was going to do things like that to me, then I did, too. It didn’t make being trapped something I planned to feel good about.
He stood up and offered me his hand. I took his hand, grabbing his coat as he helped me up. He yanked me to him, pressing his lips to mine in a surprisingly tender kiss. I could still taste myself on his mouth, but I didn’t mind it. There was something possessive in me that got off on the idea that my essence had marked him. I hoped if he went off to his duties today, he’d have the taste of my pussy still on his tongue.
He slowly pulled away from me but placed a hand on my cheek as he searched my eyes. There was something more sweet than lustful behind those amber eyes that made my heart flutter. “I want to do so much more to you. Will you give in to me again?”
Giving in. I didn’t like the sound of it. It felt final, and I wanted none of this to be where my life remained. I could pretend, but I would never give in. No matter how my heart began to shift.
I turned my head and kissed his palm. “Only if you give in first, Captain.”
He smiled but didn’t respond as we headed back toward the house. I wanted to know what was really on his mind. He’d just opened up to me and told me about his family, and that did make him a bit vulnerable. I was easily able to determine some things from his childhood that he didn’t directly say. His parents weren’t nurturing. It explained his coldness. I could relate to that feeling of being unloved. He dealt with it by rebelling to be free, and I fought to be successful, to make people proud. He didn’t care.
Of course, he could have shared all that to get me to give in to him, and clearly, it worked. The best way to get people to be open with you is to be open with them. Psychology 101 and I just walked right into it. He was smart. There was a reason he was a captain. I sort of knew that’s what he was doing, and yet, something deep inside of me enjoyed it anyway. In reality, as scared as the whole situation was to me, I was still very much intrigued by these fae. Maybe my crappy dating life had taken over my head. It was like the romance books I read. Hell, it was kind of like Billie’s life. Well, her guys were much nicer. And she also wasn’t trapped in a world that wanted to kill her. However, if I pushed past all that, it could have been worse for me.
That didn’t mean I was resigned to my fate. It just meant that maybe I would enjoy my time a little while I found a way back home. They wouldn’t be a distraction. I would use them to my advantage in every way I could.
CHAPTER9
XANDER
My pretty lady had a door put back on her room again that previous evening, much to my displeasure. It seemed Yosef and she had come to an agreement. At least, that’s the way it sounded when I heard her moaning loud enough to wake the kingdom yesterday morning. It was such a turn-on, just hearing her, that I had to run off to my room and help myself.
Therefore, the next afternoon I decided to knock before walking into her bedroom. I found her sitting on the bed, reading a book and looking quite content. I guess Yosef’s oral game was good because her whole aura seemed brighter.
She looked over to me with raised brows as she eyed the large tote in my hand. “What’s all that?”
I grinned, plopping the bag down at the foot of her bed. “I come bearing more gifts.” I then began to take the items out of the bag. Books and foods from her realm.
Her eyes widened as she scooted closer to the items. “Wait, are these actual paperback books?” She picked up one. “Hey, this was on my to-be-read list. Hell, they all were.”
She dug through the pile of food with excitement, and it brought a smile to my lips to see her so genuinely happy for a moment. It was safe to say that I was infatuated. Horny. Lusting. All of that. But also intrigued. I wanted to peel back her layers and find out what this woman was all about. She wasn’t afraid of pain, and she wasn’t afraid of me. It got in my head, and I couldn’t ignore the possibilities.
She thanked me, opened a bag of chips, and took one out before offering me some. I shook my head and leaned back on the bed. “All yours, darling. I’ve had your food before.”
She shrugged, shuffling her fingers through the rest of the food. “Technically, this is all junk food. But it’s some of my favorite snacks. I’m assuming you learned this when you rummaged through my brain?”
“I caught a few things along the way. Are you mad?”
She nibbled on another chip, her eyes squinting thoughtfully. “I already knew what you did. There’s no point in getting angry about it again. And something tells me you won’t care if I’m mad anyway.”
I groaned, moving up to sit beside her. It seemed she still did not think I genuinely liked her. It was smart of her not to let her guard down, but it did make my job more challenging. She was going to be work, and I needed her to be worth it. Otherwise, we would give her up.
“I am not a monster,” I stated, resting my head on a pillow.
She side-eyed me but didn’t speak.
I chuckled. “Okay, I am a monster. But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”
“I don’t see how it could ever be good. You have problems.”
“So do you.”
