Page 83 of Hunted By Fear

“Don’t stop.” If I thought her voice was sexy regularly, it’s sinfully delicious, all rough from sleep.

Bast’s chuckle is husky, but he pulls away with the will of God himself.

Her breathing evens back out, and I know she is asleep again.

“I’m fully in control, but I’m not Kai. I would prefer her to be awake.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He doesn’t answer me, and while I want to push, I don’t. I get the feeling he won’t answer me anyway. I’ll just have to ask Kai later. I’m sure I can get it out of him, eventually.

I’m not sure how much time passes; day and night aren’t as easy to distinguish down here, but eventually, Aeri stirs. She blinks up at me with her beautiful blue eyes and steals the air from my lungs.

“Good morning,” she says before a yawn overtakes her and she stretches out adorably.

Bast is up a second later, and I’m not sure if he was actually sleeping or avoiding me.

Asshole.

“I’m gonna go grab us something to eat.” He presses a kiss to her cheek, making her smile, and then he’s gone. Maybe he isn’t so bad.

“Hm, breakfast in bed. I’ve never done that before,” she muses, and it’s my turn to smile.

“Well, go freshen up and get your cute ass back in bed so you can enjoy it.” I swat at her ass playfully, making her squeak in surprise before her eyes narrow. She can’t fight her smile, though, which lets me know she’s not really mad.

It takes her a second, but she gets up and makes her way to the bathroom, which is now fully stocked for all her needs. Even before she was off the bed, I missed her warmth, her scent.

My cock jerks, and I ignore it.

This isn’t about me; it’s about Aeri and winning her heart, which does not require his interference. While I wait, I pull out my mission notebook and write down a few ideas I had and things I learned last night.

It only takes a few minutes before she’s back, jumping onto the bed and crawling back to her spot with a groan.

“Being a girl is stupid.” I can’t help but laugh because she’s not wrong.

I drop my notebook back on the bedside table to give her my full attention, only to find her attention on the book.

Oops.

I snap it away, back into my room, and she pouts.

“What was that?” she asks, her eyes alight with curiosity.

“Just a little to-do list.” It’s not a lie exactly.

She doesn’t seem convinced, but I don’t need her to be. I can distract her.

“Did you like me better as Oliver?” Her eyes go wide, and I know I caught her off guard.

“What?”

I smile and cock a brow because I know she heard me, but I still repeat myself. “Did you like me better when I was Oliver? Before you knew he was me?”

I see the answer in her eyes before she looks away.

“Honestly?” she asks. Her voice is quiet, weak in a way that speaks volumes.

“Always, Darling, always be honest with me.” I reach out, tucking a finger under her chin and lifting until her eyes once again meet mine.