Page 80 of Bound By the Sleeper’s Harp

He rocked back on his chair legs, rubbing the back of his neck. “We need to form a plan to catch Luke, but I think for now, we table it.”

“We?”

“You heard me correctly.” My eyes narrowed. “I have a feeling you’ll be instrumental in catching this asshole. And anyway, if I could leave you out of it, I would. I want nothing more than to flay the skin from his bones. There’s no guarantee I won’t. My contractor never required me to keep him alive. So…no promises there.” I made a choking sound, something tightening between my legs at the menace in his voice. It shouldn’t have sounded so fucking hot—shouldn’t have turned me on. “But if he wants you badly enough, then I’ll need you.”

“You’re going to use me as bait?” My eyes widened, the realization sinking in.

“Possibly. Like I said, let me think on it. I’ve had a hell of a day. I need some sleep. We can discuss it in the morning.”

He drained his wine and stood. My eyes roved over his body. He set the glass on the table, waved a hand, and our plates disappeared.

“Thanks for dinner, Eleanor. That was a treat.”

“You’re welcome.” My voice was soft.

“Good night, sleep tight, and close the door on your way out,” he added, winking. Then he headed for the stairs, leaving me alone surrounded by hundreds of thousands of dollars of wine.

27

Hours later, I finally crawled into bed with Teddy curled up beside me. I closed my eyes and let my mind drift. Dinner had been unexpectedly…nice. Things with Bastian had been awkward after our sexual activities in the pool. But after his waffles and then our day at the library, we seemed to have reached a new normal.

Maybe…

Vivi’s words played over and over in my mind. What if Bastian and I didn’t take this chance? What if two years from now, I was stuck in a loop, always wondering what might have been? What if I regretted passing up the best sex of my life?

And I would regret it.

Something curled low in my abdomen, raking delicate claws over my insides. Bastian had already given me two orgasms, and they’d been beyond the best thing I’d ever felt. Better than anything I’d had with Luke times a million. I thought of Bastian in his goblin form, his head between my legs, his pointed ears peeking out. Heat sprang to the surface of my skin.

Not for the first time, I wondered what sex would be like with him in that form.

I knew without a doubt that it would ruin me. Utterly. Did I want to be ruined?

A faint sound came from outside my room’s sliding glass door.

The back of my neck prickled and I went utterly still. My gaze darted out to the back yard patio. I stared into the dark, taking slow, deep breaths.

After a few moments, I closed my eyes again. But the sensation returned, stronger this time. It wasn’t like when Bastian stared at me. It felt…invasive. I had half a mind to throw the covers over my face and sink deeper into bed.

Except, a shadow stirred just beyond the patio. My heart rate ratcheted up. I took a deep breath, gripping the top of the comforter. The shadow moved again. It was definitely too tall to be an animal.

“Fuck this,” I whispered. Sliding out of bed on the opposite side, I raced from my room. My breaths came shallow as I sprinted silently up the stairs.

I tapped on Bastian’s door before pushing it open. “Bastian!” I hissed.

Shadows swarmed around me and I yelped. They fell away instantly. “Fuck, Elle. What are you doing?!” I caught glimpses of darkness retreating along the walls.

“Don’t turn on the light,” I gasped out a second later.

Silence, and then he was beside me. I couldn’t see much, but he was naked except for a pair of boxer briefs.

“What’s the matter?” He hooked a finger under my chin, lifting my face.

“Someone's out there.”

He went still. “Outside?”

“Near the patio,” I clarified.