Page 71 of I Accidentally Summoned A Demon
“You’re mine.” Nex brushed their lips together so lightly it tickled. Her hot breath, panting because of him, drove him wild and made him draw her closer. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. “And I belong to you.”
Chapter 27
Haunted
KatandNexfellinto a comfortable rhythm of her going to class, rehearsal, and work, then coming home to him pulling her into the bedroom and taking her body through an enrapturing expedition where she learned there were far more sensual parts of her body than she knew. Their intimacy never reached a monotonous level, with exploration of new sensations each time. Every day, she grew more attached. Every day, he brought up home less, to the point he didn’t bring it up at all.
Even when he was being a pain, he left her randomly smiling more than she had in a year. But on opening day for her play, unable to find her mother’s bracelet, she didn’t feel much like smiling.
After helping Lucian with a mission, Nex came home to a mess. It concerned him because Kat wasveryparticular about how things were organized and cleaned. The house was always tidy, and everything was in “its spot”, as Kat referred to it. If he so much as put a glass in the wrong position in the cupboard, she’d be there, fixing it in a second. For there to be drawers emptied and things scattered on the counter, the table, the couch . . . It was unlike her.
Nex hurried into the bedroom, where Kat sat on the floor surrounded by tiny cardboard boxes of varying sizes and colors. Several were open, tossed aside with jewelry half hanging out. She picked up another box, opened it, then tossed it on the ground so hard it bounced.
“Katherine.”
Kat jumped and mumbled a quiet, “Hi.” She picked up another box only to throw it too.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” She rummaged through the pile, searching for a box she hadn’t checked.
Nex stepped around the mess. He stopped in front of her and bent down, catching her wrist when she reached for another box. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I can’t find the bracelet,” she said, her voice wavering. He’d never seen someone upset over jewelry. “I can’t find it anywhere.”
“What do you need a bracelet for? I thought you would’ve left by now. Aren’t you supposed to be there early?”
“Yes, but . . .” Kat pierced her lip with her teeth to stop tears welling in her eyes.
Nex grabbed her chin. “What’s wrong, Katherine?”
“It’s nothing.”
She tried to look away, but his grip tightened. “Don’t lie. Tell me what’s wrong.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “It’s my mom’s bracelet. It’s my mom’s, and I was supposed to wear it tonight because—” She sucked in a breath and brushed away the tears falling down her face. “Because I wanted to.”
Nex frowned and pushed the boxes aside to sit on the floor. He pulled her onto his lap and caught the fresh tears with his thumbs. “What does it look like?”
“It’s nothing special.” She dusted his shoulder as if something were there. “A little pink butterfly charm and a simple silver chain. My costume hides it enough it doesn’t mess anything up. The director said I was okay to wear it under the sleeve.”
“Where have you not looked?” The entire house was chaos. Which reminded him there were two places she probably wouldn’t search. Her parents’ room and the car were off-limits. They were the only topics that made her snap at him.
Kat’s shoulders slumped. “I’ve looked everywhere.”
Her phone rang, and she frowned at the name on the screen—Chelsea from the play, probably wondering where she was. “I have to go.”
She stood, and Nex stood with her. “I’ll walk you.”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t want you to wait around for three hours.”
“I don’t mind, kitten.”
“I need to be alone for a bit, okay?” She wrapped her arms around herself and left.
Nex often pushed, but she was thankful he didn’t right then. She took deep breaths so she wouldn’t be crying when she arrived at the theater. She’d have to do her makeup, and she couldn’t do that if she didn’t stop crying.
Every passing car on the way to the bus dredged up buried memories of the accident. Hugging herself tighter, she shook her head as if that would make them go away and willed herself to think of anything other thanthatnight.
