Page 74 of Provocation
He side-eyes me. ‘She’s… I’ve never…’ He puts his face in his hands. ‘She’s special. I know people say that about the people they care about, but, fuck. She has me in a chokehold. A fantastic fucking chokehold. Blake too.’
I nod. ‘And me. She always has. From the moment I saw her, I knew it. Deep down I knew I was hers. Even though I didn’t understand back then.’
‘Do you think she’ll ever feel the same about all of us?’
I lean back, resting my head on the back of the couch as I think of how she told me she loved me. ‘I think she already does. Maybe she just isn’t sure how to say everything she feels.’
‘Maybe she doesn’t need to,’ he murmurs.
We sit in silence until we hear the shower stop running and, a moment later, Blake comes out with a towel around his waist.
Daisy follows, looking exhausted, her eyes drooping.
‘Need to check the lab,’ she says.
‘I’ll do it,’ Mav offers, but she shakes her head.
‘No. I trust you, but I’d like to see for myself.’
He nods and she shuffles out. Mav follows closely, leaving Blake and I alone.
My friend looks at me with a wary expression and I grin at him.
‘Took you by surprise, huh?’
He looks startled and then barks a small laugh.
‘Yeah,’ he says, running his hands through his dark hair, making it flop over his forehead a little. ‘I guess it did.’
‘You aren’t the only one,’ I murmur, crossing the room to the small door we always keep locked.
He frowns when I grab my phone to unlock it. ‘We aren’t sleeping in the office?’
I shake my head. ‘The couch is uncomfortable as hell.’
Looking dubious, he walks over. ‘I don’t think she’s gonna want to sleep in there.’
A beep sounds as the door unlocks.
‘No? Take a look,’ I say.
Eyeing me, he brushes past and opens the door, letting out a sound of surprise.
‘When did you do this?’
I grin and walk in, taking in the plush, grey carpet, the light, freshly painted walls and, most importantly, the huge bed.
‘How the hell did you get that in here?’ he mutters, gesturing to the heavy dark wooden bed.
‘They had to build it in here,’ I say.
I hear a noise behind me and find Daisy in the doorway. She’s looking around at the room with a blank face.
‘You don’t like it?’
She looks around. ‘It’s not that, but,’ she eyes the bed, ‘it’s just…isn’t this a sex room? Um…How many people have, uh, you know, used that bed?’
I put up my hands. I’d forgotten she’s never been in here, so she has no idea what it was like before I had it decorated.
