Page 92 of Creatures Like Us

“No?…?but it?…?feels strange. Empty.” He sucks in a shaky breath. “Did I do good?”

“Yeah. So good. That was so fucking hot, you letting me in like that.” I sigh and kiss the sharp jut of his shoulder. “We’re out of lube though.”

His eyes shoot wide open, limbs tensing. “What?”

“So we’re gonna have to go outside to get some more.”

He shakes his head. “No?…?No, we can’t do that.”

“It’s okay. I know a place; they have all sorts of fun stuff. While we’re there, we can—”

“No.”

His voice is so loud it echoes throughout the basement, and when I look at him, his face is an emotionless mask, reminiscent of the way he looked when he first captured me.

Closed off. Distant.

Dead Eye.

“Hey.” I prop myself up on an elbow, frowning. “What happened about making me feel safe?”

His mask gives the slightest crack. “I?…?I only meant?…?We don’t want to go outside. You’ve said it yourself: It’s not safe out there.”

“Safe?” I raise an eyebrow. “It’s not like there’s a zombie apocalypse or anything. We’ll just go to the Love Loft and head right back.”

Noah frowns, his mouth a tight line.

“Hey,” I say softly. “If nothing else, I think we need some vitamin D, though I guess you’ve been getting plenty of that lately,” I add with a wink, trying to de-escalate this sudden tension between us. When it doesn’t work, I sigh and try for rationality instead. “We can’t go without lube, Noah.”

“I could order it online.”

“With what money?”

He sends me a confused look. “Your money.”

“Yeah, but maybe I want to go outside and buy it.”

I can’t deny that this whole conversation is making me a little uncomfortable. Or rather, Noah’sreactionis making me uncomfortable. Is this just how he gets when he’s had his ass stretched out?

I take his hand and bring it to my lips. It’s limp in my grip, but I kiss his knuckles anyway. “Are you worried I’ll leave or something?”

“No. Not?…?exactly.”

“Then what?”

The crease between his brows deepens. I almost think he’s about to dismiss the subject entirely and leave me hanging, but then he gives a deep sigh, closing his eyes, as if the mere act of saying those words takes a lot out of him.

“Okay. We’ll do it. Tomorrow.”

We spend the rest of the evening cuddling and kissing, and all seems okay once again. It was just a temporary blip in our world, as will be the trip to the Love Loft tomorrow. We’ll get the lube,maybe a fun sex toy, and go straight back home. Although, Iamdying for a burger?…

Chapter 24

Noah

IdressAsherinmy spare jacket, and since it’s cold outside, I hand him Auntie’s old knitted mittens as well.

“Cute,” he snorts, pulling them on in the entryway.