Page 33 of Breathe Like Hell

“That was a close call.” I bit the inside of my cheek.

“It really wasn’t.”

“What if I’d spoken?”

“I took your voice, too. So that wasn’t a concern.”

“Oh. Is that difficult to do? To take away things from me?”

“From you? Not really.” Micah yanked my jeans back up, buttoning and zipping them, then straightened out my sweatshirt. His hands were warm. My pulse was still slightly unstable, from the combination of Nick showing up unexpectedly and the simple baseline effect Micah had on me. “I’ve had a lot of years to strengthen my abilities. I’m used to the feeling.”

“It gives you a feeling?”

I stared at him, desperate, wanting any crumb of him I could get, ready to do anything to get it.

“I want you at my house tonight,” Micah said, then reached out to smooth my hair, to curl it behind my ear. He didn’t answer my question. “I want you in my bed. I’ll drive you back to my place after your next class.”

“Okay,” I said quietly, fidgeting. “Will Mason be there?”

“What are you hoping I’ll say?”

“I’m hoping you’ll say no,” I answered, my voice little more than a whisper now. I wasn’t sure I could handle being around both of them tonight, and I was afraid Mason would do something bad to piss Micah off even more. To make him hate me.

Though I was probably doing that just fine on my own.

“He’s going to be there.” Micah’s hand slipped around the back of my head, and he gathered my hair in his fist, lightly tugging on the dark blonde strands. His voice roughened, got meaner, angrier. “Maybe you two can fuck in my guest bedroom. Or—you know what—how about you just do it in my bed?”

“I wouldn’t do that,” I breathed.

“Liar.” He pulled my hair harder until I visibly winced and pleasure expanded his pupils. “You’re lucky I’m disgustingly obsessed with you.”

“I’m obsessed with you, too.”

He paused, narrowed his eyes.

Then he released my hair.

“You’re going to be late for your next class. Come on.”

CHAPTER TEN

MASON

It was strange seeing Dakota sitting alone on the couch, no longer cuddled against Micah’s side. I’d become so accustomed to that subtle ache in my chest over the past weeks that I almost wasn’t sure what to do without it.

In the absence of being slowly bled dry by seeing them together, how was I supposed to feel?

Happy wasn’t anywhere close to the truth.

I stretched my legs out, propping them on the coffee table.

We were watching yet another movie together, which was still weird, but I’d also grown to like it. Mostly because Dakota was always the one who picked the movie and I liked seeing what she liked.

Dakota and Micah had arrived home together with takeout earlier after they’d been in his lab or something. I knew he was pissed off and denying her access to him, but I didn’t know how she was taking that.

This behavior was typical for Micah when he felt out of control.

Something I’d experienced before more than once.