“I appreciate the sentiment of you wanting to walk me, but we both know it’s not a good idea. I really do need to go.” Something flickers in his eyes, making me frown. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Everything,” he replies in frustration. “I don’t like having you slink out of here on your own. What if Midas is there?”
“He won’t be,” I reassure him. “He hardly ever comes to see me during the day unless he needs me to use my power. And he’s been avoiding me since…” I trail off, biting my lip, but Slade hears what I don’t say, his deep green eyes flicking to my cheek.
“He better not touch you again.”
“He won’t.”
Still, Slade doesn’t seem to be placated. “Tell me you aren’t pulling back.”
My brows crease. “Pulling back?”
“You’re not having regrets, are you?” he asks me, gaze intent on my face.
So that’s what this is about. My eyes soften, voice gentling. “Last night was a lot of things, but a regret isn’t one of them.”
Relief seems to evaporate the tension from his shoulders as he lets out a breath. “Good. It would’ve been really time-consuming to tie you down on the bed all day.”
My lips part in surprise. “You wouldn’t dare.”
He leans down so our faces are level, that wicked mischievousness I love so much coming back into his eyes. “All of you, every part, and I’m not giving you up, remember? I would definitely tie you to the bed if you tried to back out on this. Your ribbons would probably even help me do it.”
My stomach flutters at the teasing implications. I can’t even deny the part about my ribbons, because they’re currently trying to slither up his damn legs. “Well…pretty soon, you can’t touch me,” I remind him.
His warm breath skates across my cheek. “Have a little faith in me. I could have you begging again, even without touching your skin.”
Great Divine.
I swallow, trying to get rid of the lump of lust that’s risen up. “I need to go now, or I won’t have time to take a bath before the sun comes up.”
Seemingly satisfied by my blush, he straightens up. “Have some breakfast first.”
I look over to the table, and my stomach chooses that moment to growl, which makes Slade smile in victory.
“One croissant,” I relent.
“And some eggs,” he adds. “Also fruit. Maybe some ham too.”
Rolling my eyes, I turn and sit down on the chaise, where Slade immediately takes a seat next to me. He grabs a plate and starts piling it up while I look around at the spread of croissants. Before I can pick one, he pushes the plate into my hands, and I blink down at it in surprise. “I can’t eat all of this.”
“Of course you can. Besides, you need to replenish your body. We expelled a lot of energy last night,” he says with a grin.
How many times can I blush before dawn?
I choose to stuff my face instead of reply, while Slade eats from his own plate, albeit much more slowly.
I clear my throat and jerk my head in the direction of the balcony. “Are you going to let him come back inside? It looks cold out there.”
“He’s fine,” Slade says dismissively.
“No, I’m not!” Fake Rip calls in through the glass, though he doesn’t turn around from where he’s leaning on the railing. “It’s fucking snowing again!”
Slade just snorts out a laugh and continues to eat.
We sit in comfortable silence for a bit, but I find myself getting distracted several times as he bites into his bread, his lips dusted with sugar that I really want to lick up.
“You keep looking at me like that, and I won’t be letting you leave.”
My eyes shoot up to his teasing gaze that has an entirely different sort of hunger in it that has nothing to do with the food. Finishing my bite, I set the plate down and get to my feet. “Okay, I’m going to head back to my room. Thank you for breakfast.”
Slade’s eyes trail up my form, and my body reacts to it, my stomach dipping while my nipples pebble. “You should eat more first,” he says after a quick glance to the windows, which are growing lighter every second. “I don’t think you’ve had enough.”
“No, really, I’m…” I trail off, my eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Wait a minute. Are you…are you trying to purposely stall me?”
He gives a single blink before reaching down and pouring himself something from the pitcher and taking a swig. “I don’t know what you mean. I simply enjoy your company, and I think you should stay until well after dawn.”