“Please!” I beg, reaching a heavy hand out to him. “It won’t scare me! I promise.”
He tilts his head towards me, his eyes glossing over my face before he sighs in resignation. “Why can’t I ever tell you no?”
I give him a ditzy smile as my eyes droop. “Because I’m your favorite girl.”
His mouth twitches at that. “Favorite,“ he repeats. “Melody…you’re the only girl.”
The way he says it makes the room feel smaller. I laugh under my breath, but it fades when I see the conviction burning in his eyes. He isn’t teasing. He’s gazing at mewith rapt fascination, as if he’s trying to catalogue every flutter of my lashes and facial expression.
“That’s intense…” I trail as the air becomes too thick.
“It is,” he replies simply before leaning over me and bracing his hands on either side of my hips. The inked 0-0-0-1 catches my eye, resting solid and firm in his skin—a mark of the darkness he lives in. “You really want to know?” He murmurs.
My stomach flips, but I nod anyway.
He studies me closely, looking for any cracks in my exterior that could potentially stop him from spouting the truth. “Enough,” he whispers. “Enough that I stopped counting long ago.”
A chill creeps up my spine. I should be afraid. I was in another lifetime, but now, there’s something else lurking under the surface. A longing that I can’t place…
“I only killed people who deserved it,” he says slowly, his eyes shifting to my lips.
“What if someone hurts me?” The question slips out before I can stop it. I don’t know what’s possessing me to dance with the devil, but I’m like a moth being drawn to a flame. The danger is thrilling—different.
And it could also be attributed to the sleep tugging at me more and more with every passing second.
His expression morphs, becoming feral with an ancient edge to it. His jaw tightens as every ounce of softness vanishes. “They wouldn’t.”
“That’s not what I asked,” I whisper as my eyes flutter.
His thumb drifts, barely brushing my shirt, but it’s enough to burn. “I would make sure they didn’t get close enough to try.”
His words bleed the truth, cold and firm. There isn’t an ounce of hesitancy behind him, and for the first time, I truly see just how dangerous he is now. He’s a force to be reckoned with, and I have no doubts he’s killed far more people than he’s willing to disclose to me.
He moves my cup aside, using a hand to push my shoulder back slightly. I didn’t even realize I’d been leaning forward this whole time, my body weighed down by an invisible force. “I think it’s time for bed,” he suggests.
My blink is long, lashes fluttering as I try to fight against the drug. “I’m fine.”
He snorts before scooping an arm under my legs and hoisting me up bridal style. “You can barely keep your eyes open.”
I rest my head on his chest, letting my muscles relax as smoke and leather grip me tightly. “That tea must do wonders…”
A breathless laugh is squeezed from him. “Yeah, it must.”
He carries me upstairs, using a foot to kick my door open before laying me down in my bed. As I release him, that warmth dissipates, leaving me cold and yearning to have it back. I feel safe in his arms.
I can’t even fight the drug now. My eyes remain closed as my mind drifts while Kaden kisses my temple. There’s a hum in my body, like anticipation of his touch is even expected in this state as he lingers over me.
“Good night,” I mumble sleepily.
“Good night, pretty girl.”
Chapter fifty-one
Melody
Timeisoddinmy dream state. I can’t tell how long I’ve been snoozing before I notice heated touches flutter across me. Fingers dance across the pulse in my neck, making it quicken as my head shifts on the pillow. Opening my eyes feels impossible, but I can sense the large presence lingering over me.
Hips nudge between my thighs, spreading them easily as my legs drape on either side. I hum in my sleep, the delicious beginning of my arousal sparking low and languidly. Lips touch the base of my throat, soft and chaste as they trail upwards to my ear. It’s achingly sweet how gentle my phantom is being with me, making sure he doesn’t rouse me too much.
