Page 35 of Ceremony of Lust
My Aunt Alyssia’s advice replays in my mind.Make him squirm.
“You’re back,” I say flatly. “Where did you go?”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s time to leave.”
“What makes you think I’ll go with you?”
He stands up straighter, his chest slightly puffed. “I’m your husband, Yael. Do as you’re told.”
I sit up in bed, pushing the covers off my body. “And I’m your wife. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“Of course it does.”
“Then how could you leave me? I know I was difficult, and I’m sorry. I have absolutely no experience with any of this, but I promise to learn. I promise,” I repeat, a little softer.
His head bows slightly, and he places his hands on his hips. “If I could tell you why I left, I would. I’ll try to give you a little more warning next time.”
“Next time? There’s going to be a next time?”
His shoulders slump. “Until I can find a way out, there will always be a next time. Now, please, Yael. Come home with me.”
His answer is vague, but there’s something desperate about his tone and the expression on his face. It makes me believe him. It makes me gravitate toward him. It makes me brush my hands along his cheek, look deep in his eyes, and hope he realizes somehow, I understand.
“You didn’t have a choice,” I whisper.
He nods, his hands fisting in my T-shirt. “I didn’t have a choice,” he rumbles, tugging me close and brushing his mouth against mine. His kiss is soft, but it’s full of promise and want.
When he releases me, he drops his hands. “I’m sorry.”
“Okay,” I tell him as I slip one hand into his. “Take me home.”
He exhales, and his entire body seems to relax. Did he really think I would say no to him? Refuse him? As if I could. As if I wanted to. I only worry about what awaits me when we’re finally alone together.
20
Zev
Yael issilent beside me in the car. Today, I drove myself; no driver, no Town Car. This is a task I want to complete myself without interference. Rarely do I drive, but it’s a pleasure I quite enjoy. I suppose it’s a cliché, but like any man with wealth, cars are a particular vice. I like them fast, and this one is no exception, but Yael is beside me, and she is precious cargo.
“I am sorry, Yael, for leaving in the middle of the night.” My hands grip the leather steering wheel tightly, hoping she doesn’t notice the slight bruising along my knuckles or the few cuts splitting them. “I tried to postpone, but there was no other option.”
“And let me guess, you still can’t tell me why you had to leave?”
“I have a job, Yael, and sometimes it’s inconvenient.”
She laughs softly. “Inconvenient? How ironic.”
I peel one hand from the steering wheel and place it firmly on her thigh. “I will make it up to you,” I tell her, swearing an oath to both of us. “I would have been back sooner, but I tried to be proactive and deal with any problems that might pop up.”
As the dutiful soldier for the Elders, I took care of the usual problems that seemed to arise every month. Some things I cannot anticipate, but I paid my usual informants a little bit more to come to me first before approaching the Elders.
Yael doesn’t shy from my touch, and she doesn’t bat my hand away. All of this is good for me.
The drive from her grandmother’s house to my building is short, but I use the time to take in the sight of her. She is dressed in some form of modest clothing like most women in Ripley. Today, it’s a black dress with sleeves that stop at her elbows. Her hair is braided, and she is fresh-faced. She makes simplicity look so damn tempting.
My fingers itch to loosen her hair, and my mouth waters at the thought of another taste of her.
As soon as we pull into the underground parking and the car stops, the space between us becomes increasingly smaller and thick with tension.