Page 131 of Terror Tuesday

She smiles sweetly, then steps into my body, brushing her lips against mine. “Thank you.” Breathing against my cheek, she lowers her voice. “For believing me. Protecting me.”

I’m unable to answer her back. She has me in a trance.

We hold each other’s gaze for a long moment before she slips away, picking up various objects and setting them down. Opening my drawers and holding up my underwear, dangling it from a finger with a playful look on her face. I lean against the wall and cross my arms, watching her as she stalks me.

A loud laugh bursts from her chest as she points to the floor. “Is this…apracticegolf hole?”

I purse my lips, trying to decide if I should confess. “Uh…I just didn’t want you to beat me again.”

She bites her lip, head shaking slightly. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And competitive. And possibly already have plans to put in a course on our back acreage.”

She snorts, then nods toward my computer withCall of Dutyup on its loading screen. “Iscompetitionwhat the game is about?”

“Yeah.”

Sliding into my side, she gathers my hand in hers and blinks at me with a coy smile. “Will you show me how to play?”

Gods, if my dick worked right now, I’d fuck her again. Everything within me grows warm. I think she likes me.

For the next hour, I sit her on my lap and show her the basics, even help her with the controls. She’s good for a beginner and even better with aim than most people just starting. My pulse thrills whenever she starts smack-talking until I can’t hold back a smile.

“I like this,” she says. “Being here with you…doing geek things.”

She swivels around to straddle me, plants a whisper of a kiss on my cheek, then smirks as I slide my hand over her ass. In a teasing sing-song voice, she mocks, “I’m such a cool girl, totally into the dorky kid with the big ego and faster hands than anyone expects.”

Matching her energy, I grin. “You could’ve just said: big dick, elite hacker.”

“Sucha big dick,” she hums. “We’ll see about the backdoor...hacks.”

I chuckle. “Now you’re just trying to make me feel better.”

Her eyes search the ceiling for an answer as she smirks. “Nope. It’s the honest truth. Thank you, Valen. For letting me in here. For trusting me enough to…”

I gather her hair into a ponytail and hold it out of the way as I kiss her. Then deepen it, knowing that she’s right.

I finally trust her, and I hope, someday, she’ll do the same for me.

thirty-five

Rolling over,I squint as the sunlight streams in through the leaded glass window. It’s a lazy Saturday morning before Thanksgiving. And I don’t want to get up.

A hand tugs the thick electric blanket higher on my shoulder, and I smile in the comfort of the warmth.

“Did you keep the fire going all night?” I ask, my voice hoarse.

“Yeah…you seemed cold.” Valen snuggles closer to my back, wrapping his arms tighter around me. His lips press a kiss to my neck.

Banging filters through the stone steps, echoing off the walls around our room.

He snorts a chuckle. “They got started early. Like I said, we can stay in one of the guest manors if it gets to be too much.”

I gasp and flip over to face him. “And leave our house? No way. I love it here. Construction and all.”

A sunny smile brightens his face as his eyes soften. Dimples deepen on either side of his cheeks.

“What?” I ask.