Page 73 of Grave Intentions

She nods, a soft smile playing on her lips. I keep her hand in mine as we walk back to the car, unwilling to break contact. The afternoon sun bathes everything in golden light, making Lena's skin glow.

Opening her door first, I help her before sliding behind the wheel. The AC hits us with blessed relief from the heat. Lena immediately reaches for my hand again, lacing our fingers over the center console.

"We have the whole weekend to get settled," she says, squeezing my hand. "Just us."

"Just us," I echo, bringing her hand to my lips. The promise of uninterrupted time together makes my heart race. No more running or looking over our shoulders.

I pull out of the construction site, heading toward our new apartment. Lena hums along to the radio, her thumb stroking my palm. This is what peace feels like, I realize. This is what I've fought so hard for.

44

TALON

Three weeks later…

Something's been bothering Lena these past weeks. Her eyes dart away when I catch her staring. She squirms in her sleep, whimpering my name. Tonight, I'm getting answers.

"Talk to me," I say, cornering her in our kitchen after dinner. "What's going on in your head?"

Lena's cheeks flush pink. She fidgets with her sleeve, avoiding my gaze. "It's nothing."

"Bullshit." I step closer, tilting her chin up. "You've been off for weeks. Tell me."

She swallows hard. "I've been having these dreams..."

"What kind of dreams?"

Her voice drops to a whisper. "About you. That night. With David."

My pulse quickens. "Go on."

"You're wearing the mask." Her breathing gets shallow. "There's blood everywhere. You're... taking me. Even when I beg you to stop."

Heat courses through my veins at her confession. "And these dreams... do they scare you?"

"That's the thing." Lena's eyes finally meet mine, dark with something between shame and desire. "They don't. I wake up wanting them to be real so badly it hurts."

"These aren't just dreams, are they? You fantasize about it, too."

She nods, trembling slightly. "I can't stop thinking about it. About you like that—dangerous, covered in blood. Taking what you want from me."

My grip on her chin tightens. "You want me to be the monster?"

"Yes," she breathes.

I study Lena's flushed face and trail my hand lower to cup her neck, noting how her pulse races beneath my fingers. "I have an idea."

Moving to our closet, I pull out the black mask from that night and a bottle of stage blood leftover from Halloween. Her eyes widen with recognition.

"We could recreate it. Make those dreams real." I hold up the items. "Safe, controlled. With boundaries."

Lena's breath catches. She nods slowly, biting her lip. "How would we...?"

"We establish a safe word first. Something you'd never say during play. If you say it, everything stops immediately. No questions asked."

"Pineapple," she suggests quickly.

I arch an eyebrow. "Been thinking about this, have you?"

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