Page 130 of Pleasure & Prey: Vol. 2

How he feels like home.

“I’ve always loved you.” I whisper the words, almost afraid to admit them for the world to hear. “You made sure I did. Ever since we were kids, I think—No.” I let out a sigh. “I’ve always known. How could I love anyone other than you?”

His chin jerks back down, eyes wide in surprise. “Really?” He sounds…bemused. But his hands come up, hovering over me, before he cups my face in his hands. “Always, always, or just since I came back?”

Now it’s my turn for my fingers to tighten, and I let him pull me down until I’m pressed against his warmth. I can feel the still-there blood making his hands rough as they slide along my cheeks, but I don’t care that he apparently needs lessons in handwashing.

“Always,” I repeat, my lips brushing against his. “Always, since you made sure no one bullied me in school.” I press my forehead against his and inhale our shared air. “You’ve never been able to make me hate you. Not even when you had a knife at my throat and you told me to run.”

“You know I would’ve done it, right? I would’ve killed your dad for you.” His hands slide over my shoulders, fingers dragging down my back to unhook my bra before he chucks it to the floor and pulls me against him. God, I love his warmth. I love the way my body fits against his, and how he feels perfect everywhere we’re touching.

“I know.” My fingers fumble at his jeans, but he stops me by flipping us back over so he can raise himself above me and meet my gaze.

“I’ll kill for you.”

“I know.” I can’t look away from his gorgeous eyes.

“I won’t be able to always stop myself.” His fingers curl around my jaw, and he slowly lowers his face to mine until I can feel his breath on my lips.

“I know.”

“And I’ll never let you go, Winnie.”

Slowly, I twine my arms around his neck, dragging him the rest of the way down. Just before I pull him into a kiss, I sigh against his mouth, whispering against his lips.

“I know.”

HALLOWEEN

“Trick or treat!”

The two children quite literally scream the words in my face, and I nearly step back from the imaginary impact. My eyes close as I absorb the ringing, and finally I let out a breath. “And hello to you too. No parents in sight, I see.” I glance around, but then smile down at the kids. I’m not usually this unfriendly.

At least not towards kids, being an ex-babysitter. Which, admittedly, got me into a fuck ton of trouble.

I’m happy to never babysit again.

Sure, my nephew Scott is the exception. But if Lou knew who my boyfriend is, I know that would be over real quick. She’s met Cass, sure, but she’s never put together who he is. After all, why in the world would I date a murderer who, according to local legend, came after me once he was done butchering his sister?

I drop handfuls of candy into both kids’ buckets, only for them to stand there, still staring as I pause. There’s no way I’ve forgotten anything, and my brow raises. “Can I help you?”

The girl rattles her bucket and looks into it, clearly surveying the haul. “Got anymore Snickers?” she asks like this is a holdup, not me being nice.

I could say no. I could close the door in their faces and go back to my boyfriend and my movie. But instead I sigh and give them a look like this might just be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

“Oh…I’m not sure.” My facade cracks around the twitch of a grin, and I kneel in the doorway to set the bowl down on the mat. “Let’s find them, shall we?” They crouch down as well, the girl plucking out a few fun-size Snickers while her brother hesitates with a nervous look at me.

God, am I really that scary? “Not a Snickers fan?” I ask, holding up a Milky Way instead and giving it a little shake. “Got some of these in here too.”

He gives me a nervous smile, then plucks it from my fingers, and the next one too I dig out. But then the kid’s face flushes and he pulls his rowdy sister back from the door. “Mom and Dad said not to be greedy!” he hisses in her ear. “You’re being greedy.”

“You’re fine,” I tell both kids as I stand up, Though my ears are still ringing from their yells, I grab one last Milky Way and Snickers to drop in their buckets. “You know, I hear the duplex three houses up has full-size candy bars. And Mike-N-Ikes.”

“No way,” the girl breathes, her eyes going wide. “Like the big boxes?”

“The big boxes.”

That has them scurrying back down the porch stairs, and only the boy remembers to throw a hasty “thank you!” over his shoulder before they join a bigger group of kids working their way down the street.