with him.
As silence drifted on, he thought, well, evidently she did.
He felt awkward as hell as he said, «I guess, if you want… you can stay here. I mean, we could
get another bed brought in.»
«What is wrong with the one you have?»
She wanted to sleep with him? Why-Oh, right,
«Cormia, you don't have to worry about the Directrix or any of the others thinking that you're not
doing your duty. No one is going to know what you do here.»
Or didn't do, as was the case.
«It is not that. The wind… at least, I believe it to be the wind… it batters the house, does it not?»
«Well, yeah, it is kind of stormy right now. But we're surrounded by a boatload of stone.»
As he waited for her to continue and she didn't, it came to him. Man, he was a clueless bastard,
wasn't he? He'd taken her out of the only environment she'd ever known and dropped her in a
whole new world. She was rattled by things he took as normal. How could she feel safe when
she didn't know which sounds were dangerous and which were not?
«Listen, you want to stay here? That's fine with me.» He looked around, trying to figure out
where to roll in a cot. «There's plenty of room for a rollaway.»
«The bed is good for me.»
«Yeah, I'll sleep on the cot.»
«Why?»
«Because I'd prefer not to sleep on the floor.» There was a stretch over between two of the
windows. He could have Fritz-
«But the bed is big enough for us both.»
Phury slowly turned his head toward her. Then blinked. «Ah… yeah.»
«We shall share it.» Her eyes were still lowered, but there was an intriguing hint of strength in
her voice. «And I shall then at least be able to tell them that I lay beside you.»
Oh, so that was it. «Okay.»
She nodded and went around to the opposite side. After she slid in between the sheets, she curled
up into a ball and faced him. Which was a surprise. As was the fact that she didn't squeeze her
eyes shut and feign sleep.
Phury stamped out his blunt and figured he'd do them both a favor and sleep on top of the covers.
But he needed to hit the loo before he crashed.
Crap.
Well, she was going to have to know about his leg sooner or later.
He moved the duvet aside, reached for his cane, and stood up. As he heard her breath go in on a
hiss and felt her stare, he thought, God, she must be horrified. As a Chosen, she was used to
perfection.
«Got no lower leg.» Well, duh. «It's not a problem, though.»
Provided his prosthesis was fitted correctly and functioning well.
«I'll be right back.» It was a relief to shut the bathroom door, and he spent longer than he usually
did brushing his teeth and flossing and using the toilet. When he started to rearrange the Q-tips
and the Motrin in the medicine cabinet, he knew he had to go back out.
He opened the door.
She was right where she'd been before, all the way over on the edge of the bed, facing him with
her eyes open.
As he came across the room, he wished she'd stop looking at him. Especially as he stretched out
on top of the duvet and the robe didn't cover his leg. Flipping the corner of the comforter over to
hide himself, he tried to get settled.
This was not going to work. He was cold with just his lower half covered.
With a quick glance he measured the stretch of mattress between them. Big as a soccer field. So
much space she might as well have been in a different room.
«I'm going to turn the light out.»
When her head went up and down on the pillow, he turned off the lamp… and slid under the
covers.
In the black void he lay rigidly beside her. Jesus… He'd never slept with anyone before. Well,
there had been that time during Bella's needing with V and Butch, but that was because they'd all
passed out. Besides, they were males, whereas… well, Cormia was definitely not male.
He took a deep breath. Yeah, her jasmine scent was a dead giveaway.
Closing his eyes, he was willing to bet she was just as stiff and awkward as he was. Man, this
was going to be a long day. He so should have followed through on the cot idea.
Chapter Forty-six
«Vishous, could you stop grinning like that? You're beginning to freak me out.»
V flipped Butch the bird across the mansion's kitchen table and went back to his coffee. Night
was coming soon, which meant in… twenty-eight minutes… he was free.
The second
| | |
|