Page 68 of Riot of Autumn

Ruby snorts but doesn’t fight me. “Right. Like we took a five-minute shower yesterday?”

A smirk pulls at my lips, but I don’t look at her. I need to concentrate on not smacking her head against a doorframe.

“I promise. Let’s just get the smoke and dirt off us.”

The skeptical look on Ruby’s face tells me she doesn’t believe me, but I stick to my word. Even when it’s torture undressing her, helping wash her hair, and soaping up her body. I do my best to behave.

I hand a towel to Ruby, watching as she wraps it around her body and then grabs another to twist up her hair. I wrap my own towel around my waist, before picking Ruby up, despite her protests, and carrying her to the bed.

“You know I wasn’t the one who ran into a burning house tonight, right?”

I barely set Ruby down before Axil is jumping on the bed, curling up at her feet.

“Lena healed me up. I’m good as new.”

I climb in bed, lying on my side facing her. She turns and mirrors my pose, her hand propping up her toweled head.

“Are we going to have girl talk now?”

“I don’t have the right parts for that, I’m afraid.”

Ruby scrunches up her nose. “Your brainiskind of small.”

I reach out and poke her side through a gap in her towel. The damn thing is half open, displaying her entire thigh, hip, and part of her stomach. Fuck, I’m trying not to get distracted, but Ruby takes up most of the space in my brain on a good day. Ruby in a towel, I’m barely functioning.

“What do you think about forming the bond?” I rip the Band-Aid off.

We need to talk about this, and there’s a good chance Ruby will avoid it all night if I don’t ask point blank. She narrows her eyes at me, tugging off the towel wrapped around her hair and tossing it behind her.

“What doyouthink about forming the bond?”

Why is she deflecting? Does this mean she still doesn’t want to go through with it? DoIwant to go through with the bond? Is it the right choice? If the Fae weren’t mixed up in this, I’d say hell yeah, but I don’t want to be manipulated or used by those assholes.

I don’t answer right away, and Ruby huffs out a breath and flops onto her back. “Why do I have to be the sucker who goes first? How about you lay out all your feelings and I’ll tell you if I agree or disagree?”

Shifting so I’m looking down at her, I raise a brow. “I’m pretty sure I’ve been laying my heart out for you for the past few weeks. You’re the one who keeps giving me vague responses and noncommittal grunts.”

“I have not been grunting. I’m not Davis.”

My eyes trail down her body and back up again. “No. No, you are not.”

“Stop trying to distract me with sexy eyes and your growly voice.”

“You think I’m sexy?” I make my voice lower and even more raspy.

Ruby bursts out laughing. “Okay, Batman, take it easy. Yes. You’re sexy. There. Now it’s your turn to answer your own damn question.”

“Yeah, I think I’m sexy, too.”

“Not that question.” Ruby rolls her eyes even as she laughs. She stretches out her foot and rubs the top of Axil’s head with her toe.

“The bond question,” I say, and Ruby’s eyes lift to meet mine.

Ruby fascinates me. She’s bold as hell most of the time, but when it comes down to exposing her heart, she shuts down. The fact that she’s holding my gaze right now tells me how far we’ve come. Normally she’d be laughing at me and pushing my face away, because that kind of eye contact is too damn intense. Not right now, though. Now she’s staring at me like she wants me to uncover her secrets.

“Why did you steal all my underwear and string them up like party favors all over your patio?” Ruby asks out of left field.

“Really? We’re going to talk about this now?” I groan, closing my eyes.

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