Page 40 of Born into Madness

She lets out a nervous laugh when I keep staring at her and tries to take a step back, but I quickly wrap an arm around her,refusing to let her go. With my hand in her hair, I press my lips to her forehead and kiss her again before wrapping her in a hug. The top of her head barely reaches my shoulders, but her body still molds to mine. The two of us easily fitting together like she was always meant to be right here with me. Her breasts press against my stomach, her arms wrap around my waist, and the side of her face rests against my chest, no doubt hearing the rapid beat of my heart.

“I will wait for you, Cyn,” I tell her again.

“I don’t understand what’s happening.”

“I believe I just claimed you.”

I feel the vibration of her soft laugh against my chest. “You did, huh?”

“I did.” I kiss her head again and run my hand over her hair. “I love your red hair.”

“Well, you’re the first guy who ever has,” she says.

“I’m glad to hear it,” I say, feeling a sharp burn in my stomach. I’ve never experienced it before and it takes me a second to realize it’s jealousy. The very idea of some other guy touchingmyCyn makes me feel like there’s acid in my stomach.

“Interesting,” I mutter to myself.

“What’s interesting?”

I run my hand over her back, feeling the soft exposed skin and wishing I could kiss every inch of it. “I didn’t know I was capable of jealousy.”

“I’m sure a guy like you never had a reason to be jealous. I’m guessing you’ve always had the hottest girl on your arm.”

There’s something in her tone, and when I pull back and tip her chin up, I search her face, trying to understand what she’s feeling.

“I’ve never had a girl on my arm,” I tell her.

“Okay,” she says, and it’s the most sarcastic sound I’ve ever heard in my life.

“I don’t understand. Why are you upset?”

“I’m not upset,” she says, but it’s obvious she is. I may not be able to understand emotions all that well, but I can read people, and everything about the way she’s looking, from her clenched jaw to the way her right hand is clutched in a fist, is screaming at me that she’s pissed, but fuck if I know why.

“Don’t lie to me, Cyn. Tell me what’s wrong.”

She looks like she’s about to insist she’s not upset, but then thinks better of it and says, “This is obviously a game to you, and I don’t want to play anymore.”

“What game do you think I’m playing?”

I watch her like I’m trying to work out a puzzle, determined to put the pieces together and force this to make sense.

“Is this a joke? If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were one of those Alpha assholes and that this was all some practical joke to make me look stupid.”

The best I can manage is a stunned, “Huh?”

“Stop pretending,” she practically yells at me. “There’s no way in hell that a guy like you would go after a girl like me. There,” she says, waving a hand at me. “Happy now?”

This girl has an effortless way of making me feel like a giant dumbass. Even though I know it’s going to expose my ignorance, I can’t resist saying it again. “I don’t understand.”

She lets out an exasperated sigh, and if this were any other situation, I’d laugh. “Can you just leave?”

I do laugh then and shake my head. “Not a chance in hell,krovinka.”

“What does that word mean? I haven’t learned it yet.”

“Good,” I tell her. “Don’t look it up. I’ll tell you when the time is right, and I’m not leaving. I told you I would wait for you, and I meant it.”

“You have a virginity kink,” she asks. “Is that what this is?”