Page 36 of Scornful

I open the door before she can knock.

"Hey," I say, standing aside to let her in.

"Hey." She steps past me, and I catch the scent of her—vanilla and something citrusy.

I close the door, locking it behind her.

When I turn, she's standing in the middle of the room, arms wrapped around herself like she's cold, though the cabin is warm enough.

"I hope you don’t mind meetin’ me here," I say. "Afterkirkjatonight, didn't think the spa was a good idea."

She licks her lips nervously. "What happened?"

I hesitate, not wanting to scare her, but she deserves the truth. "Your dad thinks someone might be feeding information to the Patriot. Could be watching the businesses."

Her eyes widen. "Do they know who?"

"Not yet." I step closer, unable to help myself. "But they've got suspicions."

Fear flashes across her face, and I instantly regret mentioning it.

"Hey," I say, reaching for her hand. "It's being handled. Your dad has me, Tor, and Magnus overseeing security for the spa and Beans & Babes now."

She looks down at our joined hands. "Is that why you wanted to meet? To tell me to be careful?"

"Partly." I tilt her chin up with my free hand, making her look at me. "Also because I haven't been able to stop thinkin’ about you since last night."

The fear in her eyes shifts to something warmer, something that makes my blood go warm. "Me neither," she admits. "You’re all I can think about."

I want to pull her into my arms, to lose myself in her again, but there's more that needs to be said.

"Tor knows," I tell her. "About us."

She tenses. "Did he say something?"

"He figured it out. Says I need to be more careful, more discreet." I run a hand through my hair. "He's right. I've been sloppy. It's dangerous."

"For you," she says, understanding immediately. "If my dad found out?—"

"For both of us," I correct her. "Especially with all this Patriot shit going down. If someone is watching, if they see us together..."

I don't finish the thought. I don't need to. We both know what kind of target that would put on her back.

She steps closer, resting her hands on my chest. "Maybe we should stop then."

The words are reasonable, logical even.

But the thought of not touching her again, not seeing her smile, not hearing her laugh—it feels like someone's ripping something vital out of my chest.

"Is that what you want?" I ask, my voice rough.

She looks up at me. "No," she whispers. "But I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"Astrid." I frame her face with my hands, brushing my thumbs across her cheekbones. "I've been in this life a long time. I know the risks. And you... you're worth it."

Her breath catches, and I can see the moment she gives in.

Her body relaxes, leaning into mine the way I want her to.

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