Page 75 of Ruthless Creatures

He’s right. Idolove it.

His chuckle shakes his chest. “Told you.”

“Quit being smug, you big—”

He captures my mouth before I can sass him more and kisses me deeply. I sink into the mattress, luxuriating in his taste and the heat he’s generating, until my lungs are about to collapse.

Slapping weakly at his back, I bleat, “Help. Suffocating. Death is imminent.”

“Drama queen.” He rolls over to his back, taking me with him.

I stiffen in surprise, then relax. Splayed on top of him, I grin down at his face. “Ah ha! Now I’ve got you exactly where I want you.”

“This is where you want me? Flat on my back?”

I kiss him softly on the lips. “Yes. Flat on your back and helpless against me.”

Exhaling, his eyes thoughtful, he drags his hands through my hair. He murmurs, “My beautiful girl. I’ve been helpless against you from the first day we met.”

My heart skips a beat. There’s something far away in his gaze.

Something sad.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“Not bad. Just complicated.”

Examining his expression, I say, “I take it you’re not going to explain that.”

“Believe me when I say you don’t want me to.”

A little alarm bell goes off in the back of my mind when I realize he’s avoiding my eyes.

But this is what it is. What we are. What I’ve agreed to.

Secrets.

Not lies, but secrets—a lot of them—and distance, all in the name of keeping me safe.

Screw it.

If that’s the price for being with him, I’ll pay it. I spent too long walking through my days as a zombie to pass up this electric new life, even if it does have its dark sides.

All fairy tales do.

EIGHTEEN

NAT

We talk for a while, then Kage decides it’s time to feed me.

He tugs on his jeans and disappears into the kitchen, ordering me to stay in bed. I lie naked, staring at the ceiling with a goofy smile on my face, listening to him rummage around in my fridge and cupboards. I hear the clatter of pots and pans on the stovetop, then soon after, the mouth-watering scent of bacon frying fills the air.

A while later, he returns holding a plate. Barefoot, bare chested, and breathtakingly handsome.

“Breakfast for dinner,” he announces, standing at the edge of the bed. “Sit up.”

I don’t obey him. Instead I say, “Bossy.”