31. When the Hot Guy is In Denial
31
When the Hot Guy is In Denial
You
It’s rainy. It’s cold.
It’s not exactly prime swimming or boating weather, but when Ziros asks what you want to do with the rest of your birthday, the first thing out of your mouth is, “The superyacht!”
After all, you don’t want to wait too long in case Mr. Rich Guy you won the trip from decides to change his mind and rescind his offer.
Although you’re pretty sure his butler would still probably hook you up, anyway. He seemed like the honorable type.
Then again. He’s probably bound to the whims of his employer.
Yeah, better cash in on that trip while you still can.
Though now that Ziros asked, you’re thinking of all the other possibilities you could do together. Heck, you’re not even sure he’s ever been to a movie theater.
Maybe he’d freak out. If so, it might be fun to see his reaction.
Another day, perhaps.
“You want to go on the yacht?” Ziros asks with an incredulous laugh, glancing at the window.
…The window currently being pounded by the relentless spatter of windblown rain, the sky dark and stormy above the rooftops.
Yeah.
He’s probably got a point.
But his eyes darken like the weather isn’t all that’s giving him trouble, and you can’t help but ask, “Why? Do sea monsters come out in storms or something?”
He snorts, folding his arms.
“Sea monsters? Human . What do you think this is, Loch Ness? No. I’d be more worried if my damn twin had water powers, but rest assured—he doesn’t.”
“You talk like the Loch Ness monster is real.”
“And your point is?”
You blink.
Well then.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” you say, shaking your head.
After all, if there’s giant pinchy-scorpion-monster skaddler things roaming the streets behind your workplace, why wouldn’t other kinds of monsters exist, too?
That’s a chilling thought.
“So does that mean there’s other monsters we should be worried about? Stuff underwater we might encounter?”
You shiver, suddenly having second thoughts about your choice to cash in on your private yacht adventure.
Ziros grins, pushing off the wall where he’d been leaning.
Taking your jaw in one hand, he turns your face toward his. “Don’t worry, human. I’ll keep you safe.”
His eyes are such a captivating shade of steel blue, and there’s something about the protective, fierce way he’s looking at you.
Combined with the grip of his hand on your jaw, your heart races so fast, you can barely breathe.
Swallowing hard, you say, “That didn’t sound like a ‘no’.”
“That’s because it’s not.” Stepping back, he lets your chin go as he exhales a rough sigh. “There’s always gonna be monsters after you, human. Wherever you go. Some places more than others.” Pausing, he adds, “But as long as you’re with me, you’ll be fine.”
“What about—” You hesitate, realizing you’re asking a question you’re not sure you want to know the answer to.
A question that reminds you he won’t always be by your side.
That you’re supposed to be figuring out how to let him go.
“About what?”
Biting your lip, you say, “When you’re, you know, free .”
Ziros goes silent.
Across the apartment, your fridge buzzes to life, the sound jarringly loud in the silent room.
Finally, he says darkly, “Then I guess you’d better learn to make that sword bigger on command.”
Your heart sinks.
For a minute there, you’d almost thought maybe he’d say something, you know, romantic .
Like that he’d never let you go.
That he’d stay by your side and protect you.
Like, you know, the connection you’d made with him actually meant something.
But no.
Of course not.
You never should have let yourself get your hopes up.
“ Right ,” you mutter as you turn away. “Of course.”
Ziros must pick up on your mood shift, because he frowns deeper.
“What? Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts about our deal now.”
“No,” you insist, waving your hand behind you as you dig out the business card with Jeeves the butler’s contact information. Picking up your phone, you say, “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
As you dial, Ziros folds his arms, regarding you with a strange look. “Good.”
Ziros
To hell with it.
All of it.
It must be the magic linking us, because some stupid part of me wants her to back out of the deal.
I don’t want to let her go.
Ever.
Even if that means I never get my freedom back. At least not until her stupidly short little human life is over.
Then I’ll be free no matter what.
Able to do whatever I want.
So why does thinking about that make my heart twist in such a sharp, unexpected way?
“Good news!” she says brightly, interrupting my thoughts as she hangs up the phone. “We can use the yacht tonight!”
“ Ha ,” I reply. “Probably because Rich Boy was smart enough not to go out in a storm like this.”
June pauses, glancing at the window.
“Is that why you looked so worried?”
Did I?
It’s true, though. She’s already proven she’s not a great swimmer.
What the hell are we doing, going out in a storm like this?
All it’ll take is one rogue wave, and she’ll be overboard. That’s not the fantasy I had in mind when I imagined taking her out.
I was imagining sun. A beautiful sunny day, just the two of us on the deck, and I’d press her up against its railing in that absurd little bikini, feeling every curve of her body against mine. I’d claim her all over again, taking every inch of her as mine until—
“What are you thinking about?”
She stares up at me with wide, curious eyes, and I smirk, half-tempted to tell her.
What would she say if she knew my secret fantasy?
But that fantasy will never come true. Not now with the rain. Not unless she wants to get wet in more ways than one…
Back in the day, when my powers were unlocked, I could have blown away every damn cloud over us.
I’d make it sunny.
But as long as my powers are tethered to this little human, I can’t do that.
She frowns, and that’s when I remember I haven’t given her an answer.
“That bad, huh? You’re looking all stormy again and won’t even tell me what’s wrong.” She shakes her head. “If there’s something I should know, you gotta tell me, okay?”
“It’s fine,” I insist. Of course it is.
What’s the worst that could happen?
If she falls in, I’ll just fish her out.
No big deal.
Yeah.
I may not have water powers, but I’m an excellent swimmer.
“If you’re sure,” she says, but she still doesn’t look like she believes me.
Slinging one arm around her shoulders, I love the way she lets out a soft, surprised little gasp as I pull her close.
“I was just thinking about what would happen if you fell overboard. And how I’d have to save you, of course.”
Shaking her head again, she says, “You’re very confusing, you know that, right?”
“Me?” I ask, and I can’t help but grin. “How exactly am I confusing, human?”
“Nevermind,” she mutters, and she tries to turn away, but I take her jaw, forcing her to look at me.
“Tell me.”
“ Fine ,” she mutters, but she doesn’t really sound mad. “You’re just, you kno w—one minute you’re telling me I’ll have to learn to fend for myself. The next you’re acting like you’re always gonna be there to save me. So which is it?”
I freeze.
Caught. I’m caught.
But I’m not going to admit that. Not just yet.
Letting her go, I crack my neck, stretching my arms before folding my hands behind my head.
“Why? You sound like you want me to stay. Is that it, human?”
We’ve barely known each other two days.
In my lifetime, it’s barely a blink.
Yet somehow—
Somehow, it feels like I’ve known her all eternity.
I know it’s gotta be that damn link working its evil tricks again, but that’s how it is.
And as I stare at her, waiting for her to answer, I already know what I hope she’ll say.
“I don’t know,” she says stubbornly, turning away. And I swear she’s doing it so I can’t read her face.
That’s it.
That’s it, isn’t it?
She doesn’t want me to leave.
She doesn’t want to let me go.
I knew it!
“Any other questions?” She asks with a grumble, still not facing me. And I know she’s just trying—poorly—to change the subject.
Which only makes me all the more certain.
All I want is to be free. So why the hell do I feel so damn happy?
“Yeah,” I say with a grin, giving her a long look up and down, letting my gaze linger on the curve of her ass as she turns to the side. “I do have one, actually. Are you going to wear the gold bikini?”
Because holy damn, I hope she says yes.