Page 57 of Seven Graves

“No.” He flicked his hair over his brow and stared up my body at me.

“We don’t really work that way, Viper. That’s why we called you as a cleanin’ lady…

not a mortician. And I can’t thank him enough for makin’ that call.

” I blinked back bullshit, and Malek’s thumb swept across the arch of my foot.

“You’ll never convince me this is a bug. ”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I snorted, pretending it isn’t obvious that I’m about to crack.

He pressed a kiss to the arch of my foot and sank my feet back into the water, standing and grabbing his beer off the corner of the sink.

“Relax a while. See you when you get out.” He turned on the Bluetooth speaker, and set my phone on the counter right before he softly shut the door behind him…

…Jaded…this asshole.

The water was well past cold, and all the bubbles completely gone before I had the nerve to move.

I showered off and dressed, this time in actual pajamas, and made my way into the living room.

There was a Stephen King movie ready to play on the TV, a massive bowl of popcorn in the middle of my coffin, and all the candles around the apartment were lit.

Malek was unbagging takeout on the kitchen island and dragging out plates from the cabinet. I tucked my damp hair behind my ear.

“What’s all this?”

“Tacos. Movie. All the elements to a date somebody never let me take her on.” He continued piling our plates with food, and I smiled to myself.

“I never agreed to one.”

He cracked open another beer and set a plate in front of one of my bar chairs. “Too bad. You know I’m a persistent arse that doesn’t take no for an answer.” Well…that could be slightly problematic. “I know what you’re thinkin’.”

“That you’re in desperate need of a shower?”

The idiot raised his arm, sniffing under it and made a face that I couldn’t help but laugh at.

I started towards the barstool, and he raced me to it, outright shocking me when he pulled it out and took my hand to help me sit.

“So, maybe that checks out…but, no. That’s not what I meant.

” Honestly, I don’t even care right now.

He’s making this so difficult. “You’re thinkin’ that I’m going all these lengths to keep you.

” My eyes followed him all the way around the island, watching him make his plate.

“I’ll respect whatever you decide to do. But I only have one request.”

“And that is?”

“That if you’re gonna cut me loose…you let me have one more night.”

Fair enough…

I raised my beer. “Gimme your best Irish toast, and I’ll consider it.”

“Oh, fuck…”

“Come on,” I smirked, wiggling my bottle over the island. He sighed, raising his beer and took for fucking ever to come up with one. I saw the moment it hit him, and that stupid smile cracked his face. “Oh, God…here we go.”

“Me luck, I share with you…from me precious pot-a-gold,

From the bright green hills of Ireland, and the place me heart calls home.

We’re far too good for ale, and we’re far too cheap for wine,

But me never got so lucky, as the day I called ‘ye mine.”

His bottle clinked with mine and damn it…

I wish I had it in me to throat punch him for that.

But he sold me on it. And I’m not just gonna give him this night because he asked…

I need it too. Because I never thought I’d miss this fucker, but the minute this house is quiet again, there’s no carved up Girthmasters on my bed…

no snarky text messages, or terrible singing coming from my shower…

it’s gonna hit me. And it’s gonna hit me hard.

We drank to it, and I pulled his plate next to mine, patting the empty seat.

“Alright, Dexter. One night.”

“I think this was everybody’s two greatest fears brought to life as kids.

Clowns…and spiders.” I shoved popcorn into my mouth, my back against Malek’s front, while I tried to convince myself this isn’t the most comfortable I’ve ever been in this coffin, caged between his legs.

He reached around me, snickering as he grabbed another handful from the bowl in my lap.

“You’ll probly be shocked at what I took away from this as a wee lad.”

“Do tell.”

I listened to the sounds of chewing in my ear for a minute too long, and my nerves twitched.

“That the kid’s boat had to be special effects, and there’s no fuckin’ way a boat made out of goddamn paper would do anything but fall apart.

I don’t give a fuck what Pennywise says.

” Popcorn flew out of my mouth when I burst out laughing. “Tell me I’m wrong!”

“They all float,” I giggled.

“Like hell they do.”

I don’t remember much after that except that the bowl was empty, and he moved it to wrap his arms around me.

I think it’s the hardest I’ve ever slept.

Somehow…I’m acutely aware that I’m dreaming.

So aware, in fact, that I know as soon as I wake up…

this night is over, and I have to give it up—even if I don’t want to.

I feel his mouth on my neck. His hands on my body.

I hear his sexy groans in my ear, and damn everything…

I don’t want him to go. My eyes fluttered open to find it all too real.

I was turned on my side, Malek pressed against my back, and my black silk pajama top raised up to the underside of my tits as his hand roved.

I shivered, breathing heavily when he took my earlobe between his teeth.

“I told you,” he whispered. “I’m a selfish bastard. I know you’re exhausted. I know what happens when the sun comes up. I know every toy you’ve got in that bedroom, Seven Grey, and under different circumstances, I’d take my time using each one until you screamed every syllable of my fuckin’ name…”

My palm slid over the back of his hand, and I moved it down my stomach until it slipped under my silk shorts.

“But I don’t wanna fuck you tonight, lass…

” His other hand reached up my throat, turning my head until his lips found mine and his fingers found the ache between my legs.

In the short time we’ve known each other and the many times that mouth has either pissed me off, or done the most depraved shit…

he’s never kissed me like this. Deep. Slow.

Something equivalent to salvation instead of sin.

I leaned into his touch until I was on my back, and he maneuvered over me, and I threaded my fingers into his hair.

It smells like mine now…and it’s starting to hurt.

I’m gonna have to fucking change my shampoo after tonight.

I’ve never fucked in my coffin. It’s my safe place. My security blanket. Something nobody has ever understood. Not my parents, not my brother…not a single soul that’s come into this house—except this man and his sister. It feels right.

I reached down, lifting his shirt until he let me drag it over his head.

He leaned back so I could sit up and kissed me while he popped every button on my top open, one by one, and slid it down my shoulders.

It was slow and gentle, and nothing I’m used to.

Nothing I ever really liked until right this second.

Once we both managed to get fully naked, he settled between my legs and breathed raggedly with his forehead pressed against mine.

His left hand traveled the expanse of my thigh and raised it to cradle his hip, and I felt cold metal tease my cunt.

“Tomorrow…” he breathed harshly, pushing his way into me.

My breath caught in my throat, and I kept my eyes on his, trying to remember to breathe.

“I need you to hate me, Sev. I need you to pretend I’m everything you think I am.

A psycho murderer…” Thrust. “A stalker with a jealousy problem…” Thrust. “A knife-happy degenerate asshole…” Christ, I feel everything.

I can’t fucking breathe. “A mentally unstable piece of shite that despises every part of you…” We started a salivating rhythm, and I hooked my other leg around his bare back, propping myself up on an elbow and letting my arm hang over the back of his neck.

Malek curled over me, slightly moaning at the angle and our hip bones ground against each other.

“What about tonight?” I asked, breathlessly.

He picked up the pace, and I could feel the dewiness of sweat start blooming over our skin. We got louder…a bit harder, and my nails dug into the back of his shoulder. “Tonight…think the opposite. And do what you said you’d do with my body.”

My head fell back, and I impressively cursed when that dick ring dragged across my insides, digging up a sound from me I don’t think I’ve ever made in my fucking life. “What’d I say?” I moaned.

“Keep me in your coffin, Viper.” Our skin was glued together and the coffin rocked back and forth, knocking shit off the end table beside it. “The one buried in that black little heart.”

It’s quiet…too quiet.

Some part of me knew before I opened my eyes that he was gone. Spared me every bit of the hardship of having to say that goodbye…but it doesn’t make it any easier.

He slow-fucked me for a solid hour, and I can still hear every desperate, ragged moan, ringing in my ears, both times he filled my lower belly with cum, and held me tight enough to hurt.

We were tangled, exhausted and completely blown out when I won my gold medal for being the biggest pussy on the face of this earth when I’d almost fallen asleep, wrapped up in him and he whispered the last thing I was supposed to hear him say.

“Seven…”

“Hmm…?

“In case any of it was unclear, I’m…I’m in lo—”

“Don’t. Don’t say it, Malek.”

“I’ve got it bad…”

“…I know…”

And I forced him to leave it at that. Like an asshole.

I felt something on my hand and honestly?

It might be the only excuse I can come up with for finally opening my eyes.

I raised it, finding a silver chain—and that penny.

Tears pricked my eyes, and I swallowed, biting my lip so it wouldn’t wobble right off my face, and palmed my forehead.

The back of my head banged a few times in frustration while I silently cried out my shame in solitude.

I have no one to blame but myself.

I spent the rest of the day shutting the world out and sleeping off everything that happened in the last seventy-two hours. I let myself cry it out. I broke a few things. Cussed a lot. Watched fucking Maury Povich for God only knows why…

Tomorrow is a different day.

Tomorrow is a great day to be a bad bitch.

I just have to get through this one first.