Page 29 of Satanic Shadow

The fabric lands on the other side of the room.

“Was that necessary?”

“Very.”

I note that he doesn’t move his arm or the close proximity of his chest to my back.

I can feel him breathing on my neck, and I’m confused as to whether it’s turning me on or if I’m slowly losing my mind by even thinking that this feels intimate.

“Nine minutes left,” he says. “I’ve never wanted time to pass so badly. I don’t know how Orsen can do this with your friend every night.”

I narrow my eyes into the morning sunlight shining through the window. “He sleeps in her dorm every night?”

Dane nods behind me, and the stubble on his chin grazes my ear.

A pulse between my legs has my eyes widening.

My body needs to stop. Now.

“Seven minutes. And please, for the billionth time, keep your thoughts to yourself.”

“If you keep reading my mind, I’m going to hurt you. It’s weird and creepy.”

“I can’t help it,” he replies. “It’s intrusive.”

I try to sit up and fail. “You’re intrusive!” Childish response, but oh well.

“For a weak human, you are incredibly rude.”

Against my better judgment, I somehow smile. “Thank you. Except for the weak part. That’s getting a little overused. Get a better vocabulary.”

“The human vocabulary makes me question life itself. Your dictionaries are even worse.”

“Get used to it all, or you’ll perish.”

“The latter seems the best option.” He inhales. Holds it. Exhales. “Five minutes, mortal.”

“Sera.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Grow up,” he mutters under his breath.

I sigh.

So does he.

“Do you still want to kill me?”

I can sense his smile as he replies, “Very much so. Don’t get confused by me sleeping in your bed. This is a task.” He stops, waits a few heartbeats, then adds, “I’d rather fuck a cactus.”

“You’d rather feel excruciating pain?”

“How so?” he asks as he dips his chin, his cheek against my hair.

I imagine falling down the stairs dressed as a clown so he doesn’t see that I’m absolutely dying for his touch right now. If he were to reach into my panties, his fingers would end up soaked.