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“I should, for your sake. I’ll never be good for you.” It wasn’t said with self-loathing. It was a mere statement of fact.
“Okay, let’s be clear on something. I don’t need someone to be good for me.Itake care of me. I’m pretty good at it, actually. What I really don’t need is someone giving me the brush off with a modified version of ‘it’s not you, it’s me.’ If you want this to be over, well, it’s not like it’ll be a shock. I figured you’d get bored fast.”
“So did I, but I’m not bored. Nor do I want you to go anywhere. I simply wish to be transparent about this one thing—having me in your life will not make it better. That really is the most I can say.”
Wynter had never thought he would be a positive contribution to her world … mostly because she hadn’t expected him to beanykind of contribution. She would have originally thought that he’d have turned her away by now. She wasn’t sure what to make of the fact that he hadn’t. “Okay.”
He dipped his head. “Never say you weren’t warned.” Then his mouth was on hers, feasting and consuming. Not taking her over, butdemandingher participation;demandingshe give as good as she got—which she did. He ended the kiss with a nip to her lip. “Make me one promise.”
“What?”
“If there ever comes a time that you’re so afraid of me you want to run,don’trun.”
She blinked. He’d said it as if running would be the absolute worst thing she could do in such a situation. Like it was a matter of life or death. Which confused the shit out of her. But then, so did many of the things he said.
Unable to imagine herself ever being so scared of him that she’d flee—something she generally never did in the face of danger—she nodded. “Okay, I promise.”
His hand squeezed her nape. “Keep that promise.” And then he was devouring her mouth again.
Soon, they were both naked and he was pinning her to the bed as he fucked her into the mattress. He took her hard and fast, pleasuring her soul and her body at the same time.
Afterwards, he drew her close. They talked a little about mundane things before finally drifting off.
A whispered voice came to her while she slept, coaxing her to follow. Wynter refused, burrowing deeper into the warm arms that held her. But the voice kept on whispering, kept insisting that she follow. She frowned, intent on ignoring it. Cold fingers ghosted over her face, demanding her attention but patient for a response.
More whispers, more coaxing, more cold fingers.
She clung to Cain, wanting to stay exactly where she was.
“Wynter!”
Again, she frowned. That was not a whisper, nor was it spoken by the same voice.
“Wynter, stop!”
Why were they yelling? Why wasCainyelling?
Fingers snapped around her upper arm, and she flipped her eyes open. Her breath caught.The fuck? She wasn’t in bed anymore. She wasn’t even in his chamber.
She knew that statue. Knew that bog-like pond. Knew the twisting path she stood on.
She was in Cain’s garden, and the man in question was staring down at her.
“Wynter, what in the fuck are you doing out here?”
She blinked hard, shivering at the cool air. “I-I don’t know.” Licking her lips, she glanced around, her stomach twisting when she caught sight of lots of narrow, wriggly dudes on the ground.
He dragged in a ragged breath. “Listen to me, Wynter. You cannot come out here alone. Ever. It isn’t safe.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose.” She rubbed at her brow. “I must have been sleepwalking.”
He heaved a sigh and curled an arm around her shoulders. “Let’s get back inside.”
She caught a glimpse of something just before she turned. A small temple of some sort. Maybe. She really didn’t care because, hello, wriggly dudes with fangs.
She let Cain lead her back to the Keep, wishing the stone floor wasn’t so damn cold beneath her bare feet. And then she remembered the voice that had come to her in her sleep. Remembered that it had wanted to show her something but hadn’t been clear on what.
No, it had only been a dream. She’d been sleepwalking. She’ddefinitelybeen sleepwalking.
