back to the cot. When he dropped to sit right on top of Fin, I expected more of a protest than an exasperated sigh.
Then the shadow disconnected itself from him and stood. “You know I hate it when you do that.”
“Amazing the things we do that we know will irritate the other.”
“True,” Fin admitted. “I’m guilty of that.” Then he turned to me again, and the shadowy hand came to rest against my thigh this time as he knelt. “I’m honored to meet you, Fiona MacRieve, I don’t know if I said that earlier.”
“No,” I told him. “Not really. But I’ll bite, why are you honored?”
“You’re the—”
“Fin.” Maddox’s snarl cut him off. “Later. For now, find us a route out of here preferably before Rogue arrives. This is an extraction, not a war.”
“Eh,” Fin, said. “It’s kind of both. Even you have to admit that. With the lovely Fiona here the prize at the center of the maze. We just have to get through all the mini-bosses to the big boss, and boom, we get the girl.”
“Okay,” I said, removing his shadowy hand off my thigh with two fingers. “Bored now.”
“Ha.” You could practically taste the smirk in Maddox’ tone.
“First, no one asked for rescue. Second, I’m not some helpless damsel. Third, I’m nobody’s fucking prize.”
“I can’t wait to lay my real eyes on you when we rescue you,” Fin said. “You’re delightful.”
Then he vanished, and it took everything I had not to scream.
“Do either of you actually listen?” I demanded.
Maddox shrugged before he looped an arm around my shoulders and dragged me against the furnace of his body. If I really were a kitten, I’d sink in my claws and shred him before I sprawled out to doze in the heat. I’d almost forgotten what it was like to be surrounded by this much warmth. The only heat I’d had came when Dorran…
“Oh.” Fin popped back in and gave Maddox a start. His jerk betrayed his surprise, which I’d bet on my best pair of shoes—well, second best at any rate, since my best ones got trashed in the same incident that landed me here. “Don’t believe a word Maddox says about me. He really does love me, he just doesn’t know how to show emotions. He’s very sixteenth century in his affections.”
Then Fin vanished again, and I chuckled.
“You really do like him,” Maddox stated, and I couldn’t tell if he was disgusted or pleased by that revelation.
“Don’t be jealous,” I advised. “I haven’t really met him met him yet.”
“True.” That seemed to please him way too much though.
“Then again, I like him more than you—so that’s something.”
A rumbling growl was his only answer, and I tipped my head to rest against his shoulder and went back to designing my house. Better to not get attached to anything. ‘Cause the first opportunity I had, hasta la vista, grumpstiltskin, and his nutty buddy, Fin.
Chapter 5
“Reality doesn’t impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another. No more walls.” - Anais Nin
The sudden tension cording the arm I dozed against as the torches whooshed to life in the corners of the room woke me. “It’s morning,” I told him, then let my eyes fall closed again. The heat rolling off him probably shimmered the air, but I wasn’t going to complain.
“That’s the only marker for time shifts?” Dislike crackled between the words.
“Well, I ordered the turn down service and breakfast in bed, but the service here is you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.” A yawn elongated the last word.
When he rumbled a growl, I leaned away and began to stretch. Fine, if he was awake, it was hard to justify using him as a pillow. Though to be fair, I didn’t think he’d actually slept. It was more like he’d just been quiet, and I could sleep without remorse for using him as a pillow.
The arm he had around me tightened, and he dragged me back with a huff. “You don’t have to move,” he said, then pressed his chin to the top of my head. He was a big dude, but I wasn’t a damn doll.
“If you’re talking, you’re up,” I told him, and peeled his hand away from my waist as I stood. The room swayed, but I locked my legs to keep from falling on my ass. The last thing I wanted was to give Mad Dog Twenty there a chance