Page 212 of Brainwashed

“If you tell me you did a bunch of rich Dr. Robot-man stuff, I might hit you,” I grumble teasingly and he laughs again.

“Well, I did that too. I sold all my stuff… like my car, my office. Transferred all my clients.”

I gape at him. “Are you… liquidating?”

He breathes a chuckle. “No. I’mhere, Felix. I’m staying right here. With you.”

“Oh…” My heart is jumping for fucking joy inside me. “That’s… I mean, it’s your funeral, I guess.”

“Felix…”

“You know I’m ecstatic.” I sigh. “I think you’re insane, and I have no idea how this will work, but I’m… I’m in love with you, and you coming back is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

He stares at me for many weighted seconds before he says, “I killed him.”

My lashes flutter. “You killed who now?”

“My uncle,” he replies softly. “The one who—”

“Oh, I remember your uncle. Trust me.” My head is spinning. “You…killedhim?” He nods. “Are you sure?”

His lips twist into an adorable little grin. “I slit his throat and watched him bleed out.”

I think my eyes are physically bulging out of my skull like those rubber stress-reliever dolls you squeeze. Lem sets his plate down and inches closer to me.

“It felt good, Felix. It felt so right, and all I kept thinking about was how proud you would be.” His hand slides onto my thigh, strong fingers rubbing me slowly while I freak out a little.

“Okay, so, I just need to know something.” I gulp. “You didn’t do that, like…becauseof me. Did you?” I turn my face to stare at him.

“Would that be bad?” he asks, taking my plate and moving it off to the side so he can kiss my neck a little. It feels fantastic, but his words are twisting me up.

“Baby, you’regood, though.” I pull away to stop him from distracting me.

“I’m not… Not really,” he rumbles into my side as his fingers slink between my thighs.

“You are.” I inch away again, moving onto my knees so I can face him. “Sure, you’re fucked up. Everyone is. But as far as that line goes… Between moral and immoral… You don’t belong on my side, Lem. Notreally.”

His amber eyes shimmer with hurt for a moment, like we’re in the high school cafeteria and I’m telling him he can’t sit with me. “Maybe I don’t belong there, but I had to take that step over the line, Felix. Ihadto. He doesn’t deserve to walk around free after what he did.” His voice begins to grow frantic and angry. “He needs to pay for his sins. He doesn’t get to just live, not after something like that. Not after ruining me the way he did.”

I nod and take his hand. “Okay, baby. I hear you. And I totally get it. I understand what you’re saying completely. I mean, that’s how I felt about Tom Kline, remember?” He nods in return, yanking me closer to him. I settle into his side while he folds his arms around me. “But he didn’truinyou, Lem. Not even a little. You’re perfect.”

“Yea, okay,” he scoffs.

“No, I’m serious. Through my eyes, Lemuel Love… You’re as perfect as perfect gets.”

His chest is moving quickly with some rapid breaths as he pulls back to look at me, eyes flickering rich, golden flames. They fall to my mouth and I lick my lips.

“Take me to bed, please, Felix,” he whispers. And something about the way he says it pounds a thrum into my balls like a baseline.

Nothing on the face of the planet sounds better, or more enticing, than having him naked in that new comfy bed with me.

So I jump up and pull him to the bed, and when we get there, he yanks me on top of him. We fall into it lips first, kissing so hard and deep I might drown, but I have no desire to come up for air. His hands are in my hair, and mine are on his chest, cherishing the feel of his huge body beneath me.

“I’ve been dreaming… Idreamabout you, baby.” I drag my crotch along his, feeling his hardening dick with mine.

“I can’t believe we’re here,” he purrs, stuffing his hands into my pants to squeeze my ass. “I can’t believe we’re doing this. But I want to be the man of your dreams. I need to.”

Lifting his shirt over his head, I kiss down his jaw. He groans when my lips dance across the scars on his throat, tongue fluttering over the warped skin until his hips lift.