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“I’mreading something into it,” said Inaya, smoothly pulling a brush through her wet hair. “How can we not?”
I lowered my hand to my lap. “Danton said that he hasn’t slept with anyone since me.”
“I can easily believe that,” said Inaya. “He hasn’t been back to the Vault, I can tell you that much for certain. Everything he did tonight would suggest you were wrong in thinking you don’t matter to him.”
Briar dipped her chin. “I’d have to agree with that. I mean, the guy swooped in, took control of the situation, brought you to his home, and patiently helped snap you out of that weird state. He wouldn’t have done any of that if you didn’t matter. He wouldn’t have even turned up at the lot to check you over. He’d have told Duke to escort you up to your apartment, leaving it up to you to either call the cops or your family.”
“Plus, he asked you to stay at his apartment when he left,” added Izzy. “That he had no qualms with leaving you there alone says he trusts you. I doubt Danton Quintero trusts many people. I’d be pissed off that he left you, since I don’t think you should bealone right now, but I can’t fault him for heading off to question the wanker who tried taking you.” Her brown eyes hardened. “I hope that Danton pounds him into the ground.”
“Yeah, I want that fuckface to be pissing blood for a goddamn week,” said Briar.
It was a satisfying thought.
Inaya set down her hairbrush, though I couldn’t see where from this angle. “I’m very grateful to Danton for taking care of you tonight, Cat. I highly doubt he’s so attentive to many people, and I’ll bet my life it’s making you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. My opinion? You two are totally gonna end up screwing tonight.”
Briar gaped. “Seriously,Inaya?Don’t laugh, Cat, she doesn’t need the encouragement.”
I couldn’t help it. Inaya had few filters. I could always count on her to blurt something out that would lighten a moment.
“I only said what we’re all thinking,” Inaya claimed.
Dropping her wet wipe, Izzy hesitated to speak and then inclined her head. “Iwasthinking it.”
“So was I, but that’s not the point,” said Briar.
Inaya smiled at me. “He’s gonna do that dominant male thing where they fuck you to prove to themselves that you’re okay. And you know you’ll cave, Cat, you know … What’s with the blush?” Her eyes widened in delight. “Oh my God, you already did the dirty with him, didn’t you?”
Shoving my fingers through my hair, I lifted my shoulders. “It just happened. I didn’t plan it but, yeah, I folded like a cheap pack of cards when he made a move.”
Inaya’s lips curved. “I don’t think you should give yourself a hard time about it. He spent months training your mind and body to reflexively submit to him. We should just blame that.”
Briar pointed a finger. “Yes. It’s a programming thing. Cat was helpless against it.”
I smiled, aware they were attempting to cheer me up. “To be truthful, I was very much an exceedingly willing participant.”
Izzy slanted her head. “I’m not sensing any regret pouring off you, so I’m guessing that you’re not wishing you hadn’t caved.”
No, I wasn’t. But … “I will regret it if he tells me that nothing has changed.”
Rubbing a little moisturizer into the skin of her face, Izzy pursed her lips. “I think he’s ready to cross the casual line. But you won’t know for certain unless you ask him. Which is easier said than done, of course—I know that from personal experience. But I also know from personal experience that you’ll be on pins, wondering where his head is at, if you don’t talk to him about it.”
Fucking A. “He already told me that we needed to talk and straighten a few things out. At this point, I’m pretty sure that he isn’t inclined to tip his hat and walk away if I ask him to. I simply don’t know if what he wants is to restart our arrangement—which Idon’twant—or if he’s up for taking things up a notch, which I’d totally give a whirl.”
“He didn’t say anythingthat would give you a clue?” asked Briar, lowering herself onto her bed.
I bit my bottom lip. “He said he missed me, and that he’d blister my ass if I walked away again. But he said those things during sex.”
“That doesn’t mean you should dismiss them,” said Inaya. “It’s a time when people’s guards are down. They often say what they find hard to voice in normal situations …”
The rest of Inaya’s words were lost on me asJulian Callingbegan flashing on the top of my cell phone screen.
“What’s wrong?” asked Izzy.
I rubbed at my nape. “Julian’s trying to call me.” Which was weird, because he very rarely contacted me.
Briar’s brows slid together. “Do you need us to end the video call so you can answer him? You should make him aware of what happened tonight.”
“Danton asked me not to mention the attack to anyone from my family until he’d interrogated the guy who came after me.”
