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Was he actually serious? “I said, get out!”

“Maybe when you’re in your dorm room shower?”

“Oh my God, shut your fucking mouth! Go!”

Once again, he didn’t so much as react to my irate demands.

Instead, he pushed off the wall and told me calmly, but with an undercurrent of eeriness, “You disrespected me the other day in the parking lot. Twice.”

“Disrespect you’ve most definitely earned.”

“Really? When I’ve been nothing but understanding and generous with you?”

“Understanding and generous? Are you fucking kidding me? What planet do you actually hail from?”

“I kept your secret. I even assured you that I understood why you did it. I didn’t judge you. I protected you, not allowing anyone to hear or witness you coming apart for me and taking your pleasure. I facilitated your exploration of your dirty desires alongside my exploration of my special ability. And let’s not forget that I blew your mind several times over.”

“You blackmailed me into all of that.”

“Did I?”

“Are you seriously going to deny it?”

“You needed a push. That was it. It worked.” He slicked his tongue over his lips as he took me in. “And you surrendered to your needs so beautifully because of it. You finally stopped getting in your own way. At least, sexually. The rest, however, is another story. For now.”

I couldn’t actually tell whether he was being genuine, or whether this was some sort of major mind-fuck. That was how skilled he was with his calculative, puppet mastery.

“Coming in here like this is so fucked-up.”

He grinned. “I know.Sofucked-up. Just the way you like it, hmm? The way we both like it.” With a flick of his fingers, his leather coat was off him and hanging on a hook over by the door. And then he held my gaze heatedly as he unbuttoned his black shirt, then shrugged it off his shoulders and tossed it across the room, baring his sculpted torso in all its glory.Jeez.

“What happened with the dragon?” he asked, surprising me, as had apparently become the thing with him. He kept catching me off guard, making himself unreadable, throwing curveballs all over the place, so I couldn’t figure out which way was up.

“I showed him to his dorm room.”

“And that’s it?” he demanded, as he toed off his shoes and socks.

“It’s none of your concern, Kai, so back off.”

“Back off from what? You said you just showed him to his room.”

“He wants to get dinner sometime.”

“He asked you out?”

“He wants to make friends. He’s new here.”

He scoffed. “Friends? He’s really done a number on you. And you talk aboutmypuppet mastery. Didn’t you see him turning on the charm?”

“At least he has some. Unlike certain other psychopaths.”

“Thispsychopathhad you coming your brains out and still begging for more.”

“In no way does that take away from the psychopath aspect.”

“He’s fucking with you. Mark my words.”

I rolled my eyes. “He’s nice. He’s polite. And he’s not freaked out by what I am. In fact, it’s the opposite. And, as I’ve said, it’s none of your concern.”