35. Chapter 35
AHREN
"I'm sorry. I just—" she started, her entire being deflating as the fight left her body. "I just thought that was my card to play. You know. My secret to keep or reveal."
I nodded, but kept my mouth shut. I had overstepped, more than I realized. While I didn't want her angry with me, I was having trouble regretting something that was helping us move forward.
"I guess I was hoping maybe you wouldn't know." She rambled, ripping a piece of the crust off and squishing it between her fingers. "What I mean is, I can't imagine you'd really want a woman you need to train."
A wicked smile curved my lips. "See, that's where you're wrong."
Shock painted her delicate features as her eyes snapped to mine.
The way she stared at me, lips parted, chest heaving, was a testament to her innocence.
Any other woman would have known she was sexy as fuck in this moment and used it to get what she wanted.
Instead, the lethal beauty before me seemed shocked that I would pay her any attention at all.
"I wouldn't mind training you—not one bit." I brought the cup to my lips, slowly dragging my tongue along the rim before taking a sip.
She swallowed hard, seemingly lost for words as she watched.
"If you want, we can talk about sex. I can answer all your questions. Hell, we can go play around if you want. But I don't think all that is necessary."
"You don't?" her brows scrunched together adorably.
I shook my head, swallowing the last bite of food before continuing. "Your body knows what it wants. Instinctively, you heat and ache and shiver in all the right places when we touch. Right?"
Her head bobbed wordlessly.
"Then all of that will take care of itself when the time is right. I do think we should be clear about whatever this is that's happening between us."
A dry laugh bubbled up through her lips. "Relationships are my special weakness."
"I'm not sure that's true. If anything, I think we are on pretty even ground."
Her lips parted, and I raised my hand to silence her. These words were difficult enough. If she interrupted, I might never gain the courage to speak them.
"I've been with a lot of women, but rarely the same woman twice and even then, almost always by accident. Hell, I think my longest relationship is Connor, and I’ve never even fucked her."
She snorted, "That surprises me. You're both beautiful people. Why didn't you? "
I shrugged. "She saved my life and nursed me back to health. In the process, she gave me a healthy amount of shit." I laughed, remembering how much her razor sharp wit had both irritated and intrigued me.
"I'd never had anyone who wasn't afraid to tell me to fuck off. "
"Well, then you're in luck. Because, I too, am not afraid to tell you to fuck off."
We shared a laugh, the moment of levity smoothing out the rougher edges of the conversation that hadn't quite gone the way either of us planned.
Reaching across the table, I wrapped my hand around hers. "What I do know is that I'm going to do things to your body—make you feel things you didn't know were possible. Absolutely fucking drown you in pleasure."
She swallowed hard, her tongue flicking out to wet her lips as she hung on my every word.
"That's always been enough for me. Making a woman moan my name while she loses her mind beneath me. But this time—I want to try for something that lasts beyond the release of pent-up tension and sexual frustration."
She nodded, shaking her head to clear away the fog that seemed to settle over her. "Me too. I don't know how this works—and I'll probably fuck it up. But when you touch me—it feels like something I have been searching for my whole life. Something I never knew I even needed."
I laughed in my throat, understanding exactly what she meant.
"I am finding it harder and harder to keep my hands off you. After you pushed me away, I held back. But the moment you kissed me, it was like a dam broke and the need I have for you is so strong I don't know if I could hold it back much longer."
The words weren't coming out right. Sounding more like sentimental bullshit than I intended. I had meant to declare my feelings for her—instead, words failed me. In the end, I think I had gotten enough of it across and we could figure out the rest.
"Is that enough?"
"Enough?" her wide-eyed innocence on full display.
"Have we talked out everything you needed to know? Do you feel good about this?" I asked, swirling my hand between the two of us.
She nodded slowly, her brows slightly furrowed. "One question. Does this mean I'm sleeping in your room from now on?"
I barked out a hearty laugh. "That's your choice, Kitten. But after spending the night holding you, I can't imagine spending my nights any other way."
Color bloomed across her cheeks, her unbound hair falling in front of her eyes.
"As much as I would love to take this conversation back to the bedroom and seal this little agreement with more than a kiss." I said, wiggling my brows at her. "There are more pressing matters today."
The shy smile slid from her face as the mask of the cold assassin fell into place, and she simply nodded.
"We should check on Larissa again before we get started on the next puzzle." She said, rising from the table, taking her dishes to the sink.
I nodded, pushing off from the table.
"You two don't get up on my account." Connor's shaky voice called out from the other room.
A sliver of worry worked its way through me at her slow, uneasy steps. Still, the fact that she was up and walking around twelve hours after her rescue was reason to celebrate. I was certain she would be back to slicing me to ribbons with her razor sharp wit in no time .
Tierney rushed forward, taking her dishes and placing them in the sink beside ours.
"We were just coming to check on you." I said, stepping forward and grabbing her arm to steady her.
Laughter, far more robust than her quiet voice would have suggested possible, broke from her chest. She patted my hand. "She's good for you. Taming the savage beast and all that."
Behind me, Tierney snickered.
"I'll show the both of you tamed." I growled, the words holding no heat. Anyone else would be dead before they ever heard the shot ring out if they tried to insinuate any control over me. But for these two, I would let it slide.