I padded over, flipping the tablet around to face him. He was quiet as he looked it over. It always made me feel like he was really looking at it and was interested.
He finally smiled. “You really are talented, Rebel. You’re going to have to start drawing us up tattoos we want. They would be amazing.”
“I can’t do that.”
“You can, and should. But for now, come on. Get into bed. I want more sleep.”
“I’ll stay in my chair for the night,” I said. I really didn’t trust myself sleeping next to him and not making a move for more.
As if he read my mind, he grinned. “Worried you won’t be able to keep your hands off of me?”
“No. I’m just wondering why you can’t go sleep in another room.”
“Safety and all that,” he mumbled. “Come on. I won’t bite you this time, promise.”
He lifted the blankets, and I slid in next to him. His arm snaked around me, but I pushed away, leaving plenty of space between us.
It barely took a full minute before Rook moved across the bed and wrapped an arm around me.
“What are you doing?”
“I said I won’t bite, not that I wouldn’t touch you at all.”
“Rook,” I warned.
“Rebel,” he said, pushing harder against me. “You can crawl yourself to the other side of the bed if you need space.”
“Or you can be the one to crawl over to your side,” I said, not moving.
“How cute that we already have sides of the bed, but I’m not going anywhere.” I wiggled back more, and his arm tightened around me. “You know, everything I have to do isn’t going to be great or easy. I don’t want you upset with me all the time, but I have things that have to be done.”
“I understand that, but killing my family can’t be on your to-do list.”
“It’s been on my to-do list long before you showed up.”
“If you are going to try and say you love me, you can try to not kill him, no matter what your plans were before. Haven’t they all changed now?”
“Yes, they have.”
“Then that can change, too.”
He groaned. “That plan is ten years in the making, Regan. I can’t sit around and not do anything. He took everything from me, everything from us, and he deserves to have some sort of consequence for what he’s done.”
“Tell me you won’t kill him and I will stay right here,” I said. “I will spend the night here and plenty more after that.”
He laughed, his grip tightening again. “You spend every night next to me forever and Imightnot kill him.”
“I spend every night next to you and you guarantee me you won’t kill him,” I said, negotiating more.
“How about I agree not to kill him without permission?”
“Fine,” I said fast. At least that would buy me more time to find proof.
He lifted up and leaned over me, his lips finding mine in the dark. “Welcome to forever, then, Rebel, because I don’t think there is anything I wouldn’t do to keep you as mine.”
Forty
Rook