“It’s not possible for you to go home.”
I sighed, knowing this wasn’t the truth. He was just getting attached. “I know I’m awesome, but really, you can find someone just as great.”
He rubbed his chin on the top of my head. “Not likely.”
“My lady bits aren’t that great.”
He snorted. “They are extraordinary, and it’s not just that. We’re kindred spirits. I think fate has brought you here. Can’t you feel the connection?”
Did I feel something? I’d be lying if I said no. He was making my time here fun. He was complex, yet surprisingly gentle. He was also funny and thoughtful. If we were in my world, I’d definitely see where things would go with him. But here, I just couldn’t get attached, no matter how right it felt.
“If I found a way home, would you actually stop me?”
He didn’t respond. I waited patiently, listening to his slow breaths. The longer it took for him to answer, the more nervous I got. He was probably seriously debating doing it but had a conscious about it hurting me.
I elbowed him, and he hunched into me. “I’ll kick your ass if you try. We got a good thing going here, don’t ruin it by making me hate you.”
He kissed my head. “Don’t ruin it by leaving.”
My heart clenched. The tone of his voice was so vulnerable right then. He really was catching feelings. I could not fall for this crazy guy. I was conflicted enough with Yosef.
What was I going to do? I could not get distracted. I had to go home.
CHAPTER11
LILA
Ihad been trapped in Yosef’s home for over two weeks. Xander mentioned that it had been only a few hours back home. I still didn’t understand this erratic fae time difference. Everything else in my small world felt normal now. Not surprising, considering all I had was the house and the surrounding lands. The only people to talk to were Yosef, Xander, Zelda, and the bodyguards. They were good about not keeping me lonely.
Sure, Yosef and Xander had work to do, but when they got home, they focused on me. They even worked in shifts so that, for the most part, one was always home with me. It made getting close to them incredibly easy and quick. I should have felt guilty for monopolizing their time, but they were the ones keeping me here. Although, my will was less opposed to it than before.
Still, a woman could only stay in a fabulous house with all her needs catered to for so long. I began to itch to get out. Even if it didn’t yield me a way home immediately, I had to try.
On what I believed was my fifteenth day there, I began to climb the walls. Literally. Naturally, I did not make any progress, but I was putting on a show so Yosef could see I needed out. House cats had more freedom than me.
I swiped at a wall in his living room, bending my knees and jumping. Yosef walked over to me, crossing his arms as he gave an amused look. “What are you doing, Lila?”
“Going crazy. This is stage one,” I replied, continuing my foolishness.
“I see. Is this your childish way of telling me you want out?”
I huffed, putting my hands on my hips. “Well, the adult way wasn’t working.”
He tilted his head back, rubbing his chin as he thought. “Are you in a rush to get imprisoned?”
I gave him deadpan eyes. He couldn’t possibly think I was an idiot. “Yes. Or I just want to find a way home. Being here is fun and all, but it’s not exactly helping me. I think by now you know I’m not a spy or assassin.”
His golden eyes narrowed, and his hands twitched at his side. Whoa, what was wrong with him? Was he angry? “Are you so eager to leave me?”
There was a mixture of disappointment and anger in his voice. Okay, I was confused. He knew I didn’t come here on a visit. The game plan was always to leave. I could only hope that time in the human world was still moving at a snail’s pace, but eventually, people would know I was missing. “What’s the game plan here? You aren’t a monster, Yosef. I know better.”
He tilted his head at me, his lids lowering in that sexy way that tightened my core. It was a mixture of arrogance and sex appeal that I hated to like. “What makes you think that? Don’t mistake my desire for you to mean you can get what you want.”
I walked over to him and poked a finger into his chest. It was as hard as I expected it to be. This fae soldier kept in shape, and I was more than curious to see Yosef in nothing at all. Not that I had forgotten about Xander. He was still amazing. They both set my body on fire, and it wasn’t easy for me to say I wanted to leave. But a lady had responsibilities.
“Look, dude, I thought you were done being an asshole. You don’t help me, and I will never find out what that alpha knot is all about.” And I really wanted to.
He tapped his chin with a thoughtful look, moving closer to me. His bourbon scent washed over me, and I bit my lip inadvertently. It seemed stronger than usual. He smirked, knowing exactly how he affected me. He placed a hand at the base of my throat, giving a light squeeze, and my core began to simmer. Damn, his dominant ways got to me. “I didn’t know that was on the table. When do you want to explore that?”
