RIOT HOUSE (Crooked Sinners #1) - Callie Hart Page 0,120
matter? You afraid of standing in a room with me in the dark, Little E?” His voice is a rough caress, slightly teasing in tone. I can picture the upward tilt of his mouth, the sharp challenge in his eyes, and my toes curl in my shoes.
“Not at all. I’m fine. I’m perfectly happy standing here with you in the dark.” And I am. There’s something freeing about it. I’m not worried about the way he’s looking at me, and I’m not afraid of the fact that I’m blushing. I can just be.
“In that case...” Wren’s other hand touches my stomach, making me jump. “Easy, Little E,” he coaxes. “Just trying to find your other hand.”
I give it to him, swallowing thickly when he guides my palms up to rest on his chest, right over the firm wall of muscle that forms his pecs. I can feel his heart beating beneath the soft cotton of his hoody, and with my sight taken away from me, the steady dum, dum, dum beneath my fingertips is everything. It anchors me, rooting me in place until I feel grounded and...safe? Wow. That’s a new one. How is it even possible that I’d feel safe with him?
Wren steps closer, the soles of his boots scuffing against what sounds like tile, and his warm breath disturbs my hair, skating across my cheek. “I figured this would be easier for you,” he says softly. “For me, too.”
“Easier how?”
“Because it’s less difficult being honest without having to worry about someone’s reactions, right? You can tell me the truth, and I can tell you the truth. It won’t be as frightening as doing it in the light of day.”
Oh. Damn. What the hell does he want to say to me? I close my eyes—an unnecessary action that serves no purpose other than making me feel better. “Okaaay. This sounds serious. Should I be worried?”
He chuckles. “Perhaps.”
“Then rip off the Band-Aid, Jacobi. Let’s get this show on the road.”
More laughter. “So willing to walk into the fire. Definitely one of the things I enjoy most about you.”
“One of the things? There are other things you like about me?” This talking in the dark thing is already working a treat. I would never have said that with the lights on. I’m not that playful, especially not with dangerous creatures who have the power to do severe and irreparable damage.
I go very still when I feel the feather-soft brush of Wren’s mouth against my cheek. He hasn’t shaved this morning; his stubble scrapes against my skin, and I shiver against the heady sensation, barely breathing around it. “Yes,” he whispers. “Plenty of things. I’ll make you a list.”
Oh, fuck me running. This is going to get interesting. I was worried that he dragged me into this...whatever kind of room this is...to tell me that he wants nothing to do with me. I’m not worried about that anymore. He places his hands on my hips, sliding his palms around to the small of my back, drawing me closer, so that our bodies are in alignment, my hands still firmly planted on his chest.
“First, I want you to tell me the truth,” he says. “Did Pax do anything to upset you? Did he threaten you?”
“He implied that I accepted payment in return for sex a couple of times, but apart from that, no.”
Wren grunts unhappily. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t do that again.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve been accused of way worse. I have a thick skin.”
“No, you don’t. Your skin’s like fucking silk.” He groans, deep and low, running the bridge of his nose along the line of my jaw, breathing in deeply like he’s trying to inhale my very essence. “You don’t need to worry about Pax. I’ll take care of him. The second thing I wanna know…is if you’re ready yet?”
“Ready for what?”
“To lay your cards on the table. To tell me that you want me. All of me. All of the time. For there to be no more confusion about what this is.”
My chest tightens as if there’s a belt synching closed around it. “Straight to the point, huh?”
“I told you. I like things to be black and white. Clear cut. No room for misunderstanding. You said you preferred things that way, too.”
“I do.”
“Then tell me what you think this is.”
“I—” Well, shit. This would be a lot less mortifying if he went first. He’ll think I’m a coward if I don’t give him an answer, though, I will be a