Page 53 of The Spirit Key
“And once you’ve eaten, you’ll sleep. If you could see yourself, you’d know that you need it desperately.”
I sneered at him. “What Ineedis for you to fuck me. Geez, do you need me to draw you a diagram? Rod A goes into Slot B, and you have to wiggle it a few times until it fits right.”
Tim grinned. “Baby, once I start wiggling Rod A, it’s going to be a long time before I stop.” He ran a hand over my cheek. “This isn’t going to work. You told me that your helping spirits is nonnegotiable. And I get that now. I do. But when we’re done doing your thing, you’re on my time. That means I make the rules, and you accept them. For me, that’s nonnegotiable.”
God, he was hot when he ordered me around.
“Later today, if you’re good and do everything I say, maybe then I’ll give you what you want.”
I opened my mouth to ask for a guarantee.
“And before you say anything, Rod A will consider this offer null and void if Slot B gets too flip.”
Well, that was one surefire way to shut me up.
He carried me over to the bed and sat me on it, then proceeded to undress me. It was weird how vulnerable this kind of attention made me feel. He moved with slow, deliberate steps, first by slipping my T-shirt up and over my head. He smoothed it out, folded it, then placed it on the nightstand.
“Lay down.”
His voice was husky, and it only served to ramp up my desire for him. I knew he was right, though. If he hadn’t carried me to his room, I wouldn’t have made it under my own power. Exhaustion had leached every ounce of strength I had. Hell, even something as simple as trying to move on the bed was an effort in futility.
“Need help?” He gave me a soft smile and lifted me up to a standing position, then drew the covers down. Once he’d done that, he put me onto the bed, flat on my back. He then proceeded to remove my pants before he covered me up.
“Get some rest, and I’ll bring you something to eat.” He turned to leave but stopped when I called his name.
“Could you just lay down with me?”
“I will after you eat. What I gave you at the diner isn’t going to help rebuild your strength, and you haven’t eaten since we got home. You need protein, and lots of it.”
“You know what’s pure protein….”
He grinned. “You’re persistent. I’ll give you that. Close your eyes, and I’ll be back soon.” He flicked off the light and closed the door as he left the room.
I waited for the tiredness to pull me under, but I couldn’t sleep. I kept seeing Elizabeth’s face, the bruises, her death…. If I was right and the thing inside Tim was essentially grooming him to kill, how the hell were we supposed to stop it?
Lost in my thoughts, I flinched when the light came back on. “Already?”
He chuckled. “It’s been an hour. Did you sleep?”
I probably should have said yes, but I needed to be honest with him if this thing we had going between us was to work. “No, just thinking.”
He came over and put a napkin-covered plate, complete with a bowl of steaming soup, down on the nightstand. He reached out and started stroking his hand over my chest. The gentle movement was relaxing.
“What’s going on in your head?”
“Trying to figure out how we’re going to make this right.”
“And by this, are you referring to you and me, or me and… something else?”
“You and your uninvited guest.”
“Here, sit up.” He helped me lean against the headboard, then picked up the plate and put it in my lap. “Do you need me to feed you?”
I snorted, but then his expression told me he was serious. How he could have made me feel any more cherished, I had no clue. “No, I’m good.”
The soup was delicious, and the grilled cheese sandwich looked amazing. I picked it up and took a bite, and holy crap. “You added tomatoes and bacon!”
He grinned. “I remember everything about you. Your likes, your dislikes. I think I might know you better than you know yourself. Now stop hedging.”
