Chapter 15
Corvus
Most days, I roll out of bed as soon as I wake up, but it’s different with that warm, fragrant body resting right next to me.
Sleep has always been such a struggle, but I don’t even know when I fell asleep last night.
One moment, I was stretching against Dalton’s chest, the next, it was already morning, as evidenced by the time.
Since there are no windows in my bedroom, I use one of those sunshine-imitating clocks that brightens over a period of half an hour.
As I come to, eerily well-rested after not waking up a single time in the night, there’s warm flesh touching one of my feet, and a heavy arm rests across my waist. It doesn’t feel threatening even when I don’t initially remember who I’m sharing my bed with.
The warmth he exudes brings peace, as if I’m curled up in some underground den, where no danger can reach me.
As the room grows brighter, I roll away, careful not to wake him. Any other time, I would have put on my jogging attire and gone out, but I find myself stalling this time.
Soft, even breathing comes from behind me, and I can’t resist its call.
Dalton’s still fast asleep, his thick muscles relaxed, square face open and free of any care. How come a man capable of pulling me into such a lustful frenzy looks so innocent in his sleep? Even the neck tattoo can’t make him seem more of a threat.
He could have broken my neck once I drifted off, but instead he rested alongside me, sharing the heat of his body.
Waking up to an almost-stranger in my bed shouldn’t feel this peaceful after a lifetime of always watching my back, yet here we are.
I also only realize I’ve fallen asleep with my pants down when I almost fall over after getting out of bed.
My face floods with heat when I sense that I’m also a bit crusty and sore between my legs.
Because it’s shameful, and I should not find it as arousing as I do.
I’ll be dead before Dalton sees me this way, so I rush to the bathroom to get myself in order. Just because he railed me last night, doesn’t mean I won’t be showing him who runs this house when he opens his eyes.
As I take the shower, my mind floods with memories of sex with him so intensely, I end up jerking off, because it’s ridiculous to be this obsessed with someone. I need to get it out of my system so I don’t accidentally daydream about his fingers in my mouth and end up hard at breakfast.
Maybe I need to get my hormones checked? Mom would know a good endocrinologist.
She calls me while I’m making coffee, and I realize I’ve already have two missed calls from her since yesterday.
Oh well, I’m not in the mood to be interrogated, so I don’t answer.
If it were an actual emergency, she would have used the special phone.
I appreciate that she doesn’t abuse that one, or we’d have a girl who cried wolf situation on our hands.
With warm brew in my favorite cup, I drift upstairs, eager for another move in my customary game of chess against myself. I’m a creature of habit, and my pre-workout routine would not be complete without it.
But too fucking bad, because the game I’ve been playing since late in November is over, apparently.
The mug shakes in my hand so rapidly some of the hot coffee spills over my fingers, and I mutter in anger, because shit was starting to get interesting on the board!
Only one person could have done this, the one intruder in my home, but maybe it is my fault?
Dalton probably saw that it wasn’t off limits and decided to go wild.
I should have known better than to—
I cock my head at a Post-it-note stuck to the table on which the chess set lives.
‘I did a bit of cleaning. Hope I put it back right! :)’, reads the note and I rub my forehead.
One glance at the chess board tells me it’s not right, yet I’m still endeared by his good intentions.
Should I find a man as big and brutish as Dalton cute?
Just last night, he admitted to several murders over soup, and then fucked my thighs so hard they’re pink now.
How do I handle this?
Corvus Van der Horn is a solitary creature, who doesn’t mate for anything but brief moments of pleasure, and who occupies his lair alone.
Dalton is… an unexpected distraction. An intruder…
“Oh, there you are!” said intruder exclaims, and before I know it, I’m swooped up into a hug from behind.
“You left me a note yesterday that you’ll teach me how to use the coffee machine.
Can we do that now? Or is the kitchen too fucked up?
” He doesn’t waste time and kisses his way up my neck, overwhelming me with affection first thing in the morning.
I go rigid, and I’m disgusted by the way my fingers splay like the branches of a leafless tree, but I don’t want to be crass and push Dalton away either, so I end up doing nothing while he rubs me with his big, meaty palms.
Does he want sex? Someone like him must have a huge libido, and unless I’ll be open to outsourcing some of that, I might have my hands f—
What the fuck am I even considering?
No. No, I do not want him to fuck someone else. That would beat the point of having him want me, and wait for me, and be ready when I need to take the edge off. And that means I’ll... have to satisfy him somehow.
But this would go against my routine.
“I was… going out.”
“Oh? Where? You better not leave me here in case I set myself on fire,” Dalton jokes, as if it’s no big deal that he inhaled a bunch of smoke yesterday.
I slide out of his embrace but grab two of his fingers and pull him along with me so he can get a coffee too. I’m not a monster.
“This is not something to laugh at. You could have died,” I mutter, leading the way downstairs. I glare at his pajamas, reminding myself Dalton only has a single set of good clothes now. Perhaps we could go shopping later, so he has enough of everything? “I jog every morning.”
Dalton’s smile widens. “Sweet! I love jogging. You wouldn’t think with my physique and all, but I like to do it all.”
My gaze stalls on his chest as I salivate, remembering how it felt to the touch. “Yoga?”
His eyebrows rise. “Err… I’d try it. Good to be bendy, right?
” As soon as we’re back in the ruins of my kitchen, complete with tar on the wall, melted utensils, and muddy tracks left by the first responders, he wraps his arm around my waist. It’s impossible to push him away because despite his goofy behavior, he’s so addictive.
His pheromones do something to my brain.
Maybe he imprinted on me that first time I let him fuck me, and now there’s no way back?
Maybe I’m addicted and won’t know peace if he doesn’t rail me every single day?
I push away thoughts of him doing me on the kitchen counter while the coffee brews, and switch on the cold water before spraying my face with it.
I can’t be thinking about fucking all the time.
I have work to do and a real life to lead, so I focus on the minute things and show my new roommate how to use my expensive, coffee-shop grade espresso machine.
It hurts to see him burn quality grinds, but one needs practice to learn how to do it correctly at some point, so I don’t voice my frustration.
When he eventually has a half-decent cup of coffee, I say my goodbyes, only to be stopped by a hand on my shoulder.
“Hey. Corvus. I meant it. I want to come too,” he complains and makes those hurt puppy eyes at me. “If I wanted to run away, I would have done it at the hospital. I need to move. I can’t just sit here and watch Netflix. Oh, you could also play the violin for me.”
I squint at him, because I don’t appreciate him mocking one of my passions. He’s not into classical music, nor would he be able to appreciate my artistry, so why make such a request other than as a joke?
“No. And you better not touch my instrument.”
Dalton sighs deeply, as if I’ve deprived him of the concert of his dreams. “I definitely won’t if I go jogging…”
I groan, caught between being deprived of my hour of solitude and the handsome stud, who for some reason really, really wants to go with me.
I finish my coffee in two big gulps and glare at him, all stern. “Are you sure you can keep up with me?”
I like that he hesitates. He might be the one bending me over, but I need to keep him on his toes.
“Yeah. Sure,” he says and gulps down more coffee. “I’ll just take a quick shower. Back in five minutes!”
I grab him before he can disappear. “Wait, I… I’ve got something for you.”
His green eyes soften and he strokes my hand with his thumb, making my hairs bristle on my arms. “You do?”
I’m frozen, mouth dry in anticipation of... what? What exactly could I be anticipating? I bought this man’s freedom because I need an outlet for sex, nothing more.
So I pull my hand away and approach the coat I’ve hung across the railing last night. Inside is the simple old person phone without internet access. “So you can contact me when it’s needed,” I say matter-of-factly, trying to ignore the way his eyes widen.
He grabs the phone off me with a big smile and starts fiddling with it. “Aww, you trust me.”
Tension pulls my muscles even tighter than usual. “Don’t betray that trust, or there will be hell to pay.” I have my doubts about this, but after yesterday, I’d be more anxious about him having no way to call for help if needed.
“Never.”
Dalton pulls me in for a hug and kisses my lips.
It’s just a quick peck, so I’m embarrassed when I automatically follow him when he pulls away.
The split second image of his fingers in my mouth as he pushes his cock between my legs with the background noise of skin slapping against skin burns my brain.
He distracts me by showing off his only contact on the list. He’s already changed Corvus to future husband.
“Har-har,” I mumble, shaking my head. “Get on with that shower, or we’ll never leave.”
Literally, because being alone with him, with all this energy coursing through me means I might start thinking about his body too much and get horny. It’s not like there’s anything stopping us from going at it like wild beasts all day long.
"Make sure you put me in as green eyes big dick!" Dalton laughs and waves at me on his way off to the bathroom. Why did he have to say that? Now all I can think about is his eyes pinning me down as I choked on his meat.
I need to put a stop to this madness and come up with a structure designed to fulfill my needs, because for once, life will not do it for me. Dalton is insanely hot, available at any time, and seems to have the libido of a Duracell bunny. I have to establish boundaries.
With hookups in the past, I would have had a clear-cut situation.
They’d exit my hotel room, or I’d leave the city.
When we were done, we were done. But Dalton, he…
lives with me now. Last night, he slept with me, and I don’t know how to put a stop to it all…
or whether I really want to in the first place.
My phone vibrates again, and once more, it’s my mother calling.
I’m on the verge of picking up, just as a means to distract myself from thinking about Dalton’s cock, but I know that if I pick up, it’ll be an hour out of my life, because she likes the sound of her own voice, and I never know how to finish the call with her.
Whatever she needs to tell me about my life choices will have to wait.