Page 50 of The Vampire Castle in the Sky

“Hold still for a moment,” Hector muttered, moving behind me like a shadow.

A fierceripsounded in the room, and the garment finally unlatched from my body. “Oh sweet relief,” I panted, fanningmyself with my hands and not feeling mortified at all that Hector was holding up my ripped corset like he didn’t know what to do with it. “You know, that’s howLorn Verlionrips bodices too. Although his wife rarely goes to sleep after it.”

Hector bristled between his teeth, throwing the ruined garment on the floor. “I’m sure your fictional lovers make up in vigor what they lack in manners, but I willnotbe following their example tonight.”

His words didn’t make any sense to me. I watched his lips move and heard his throat make all sorts of sounds, but I could notunderstandany of them. I was wonderfully groggy, eyes and limbs leaden with sleep.

I fumbled with the tangle of covers until Hector stopped me, closing his strong hand around my arm. “Don’t lie down yet.”

Confusion sloshed through my blissful mind. “I was joking aboutLorn Verlion. Not that I don’t want to do this with you—”

“Your hairpins, Dorothea,” Hector grumbled. “You’re going to hurt your head, and then you’ll no longer be able to make all these ridiculous scenarios up in there.”

“Oh, we don’t want that,” I agreed ruefully.

Hector brought me back so I could sit between his spread legs. I assumed he was going to use his vampire speed and be done with it in a second, but he took his time, freeing my curls one at a time, his featherlight fingers raking through my hair.

“I love this,” I murmured.

“I love…” I didn’t hear what he said after that. My eyes fell shut, my breathing slowed, sweet darkness closing over me. I must have dozed off for a while because my mind was completely blank when I felt Hector’s hand squeezing my shoulder. “You can lie down now.”

“Are you going to sleep too?” I yawned.

He stood from the bed so he could work off his vest and shirt. “In a little bit.”

“Are you going to sleep here?”

“If you don’t mind.”

“In this bed?”

His fingers paused on the cuff of his shirtsleeve. “Do you wish me to go?”

The opposite. I wanted him out of his clothes and into this bed so we could hold each other close and talk until we became too exhausted for words. Just as when we were kids.

Despite the nightmare, nothing sinister had happened here tonight, and yet I was overwhelmed by this inexpressible need to return to something innocent. As if a part of my soul had been tainted somehow, and the only way I could restore it to its initial state was through the familiar.

“No, I don’t want to be alone,” I admitted.

His lips quirked. Mischief sparkled in his eyes. “Do you want me to hold you? Is that why you’re interrogating me about tonight’s sleeping arrangements?”

“Maybe.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ll have to ask nicely.”

Supercilious wanker. Ever since he was twelve years old.

Still I asked,“Will you hold me?”

Hector cocked a brow.

“Please,” I added bitterly.

Finally, he climbed back on the bed, his lips pressing together to hide a satisfied grin.

“Sometimes, I think you’re the most arrogant man I know,” I claimed as I crawled into his arms.

“As opposed to who? The pretty boys you distracted yourself with at the Thalorian Court? Please, Dorothea. I’m the onlymanyou know.”

---