Page 135 of Crucible
“Because you care if I do. Come on.” I take his hand, which is so much rougher and bigger than mine, and lead him into his bedroom.
We’re forced to part when we reach the foot of his bed, and Thorin tells me to take the side closer to the wood stove in the corner. I walk that way, but Thorin doesn’t seem keen on letting me go. Our fingers linger until the very last moment, and I round the bed. I can already feel how much warmer it is on this side of the room. Through one of the windows next to the bed, I can see the full moon glowing above the second-highest peak. I walk over to it while Thorin climbs into his bed. From the corner of my eye, I can see him sitting against the headboard…watching me.
“If this is Big Bear and the mountain I crashed on is Little Bear, what is that one called?” I point to the mountain in question. “Mama Bear?”
“Close,” Thorin answers, and when I look away from the window, I see his amused smirk. “She is Maia.”
“Maia?” I frown. “Why Maia?”
“Don’t know.” He shrugs as he ties his long, blond hair into a topknot. “Never asked.”
I hum disapprovingly and take one last look at the mountain Maia before I walk over to Thorin’s bed. I hesitate for a moment, long enough to glance at the open door before my gaze flies to Thorin’s in surprise.
This isn’t my first time sleeping in Thorin’s bed.
Last time, he’d boarded the door shut so no one could get in or out. I was completely at his mercy. I can still see holes andnails in the frame from when he ripped the planks out the next morning and freed me without a word.
He hadn’t even fucked me.
We’d just lain uncomfortably on opposite sides of his cold, hard bed until morning. It was brutal.
“You can leave at any time, wolf.”
With that promise, I don’t linger a second longer. I climb into his bed and quickly settle under the covers. His mattress is still harder than I like but is warmer than I remember. It’s also smaller than Khalil’s, so there’s not much space left between us as we stare at each other in the dark with the help of the dimmed lamp on his nightstand.
“Good shower?”
“Mm-hmm. Yup.” It’s awkward for several moments as we lie on opposite sides of the bed. Timidly, I scoot toward the middle. “You?”
“It was okay,” he says. Thorin reaches out and pulls me the rest of the way until the front of our bodies are flush and his arm can curve around me. “Water pressure’s still shit. I need to remind Khalil about helping me check the pipes and pressure tank.” Thorin dips his head to run his nose down my neck. “You smell like him, songbird.”
“I used his soap,” I admit as I peer up at him. “You think he’ll mind?”
Thorin shakes his head on the pillow we’re now sharing. “Not even a little. What’s ours is yours, songbird.”
“As long as I’m willing to spread my legs for it,” I remind him dryly but without resentment.
Thorin nudges my chin and tips my head back for better access to my eyes when he asks, “Would you like to end our arrangement?”
I stumble over an answer before I settle on one that makes sense rather than the lie or the truth because they both scare me. “Seth and Khalil would never agree.”
“Yes, they would.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I know. Now, stop beating around the bush and tell me what you want, wolf.”
“No, okay? No. I don’t want to end our arrangement,” I grumble.
Thorin searches my gaze and then kisses the pout from my lips before his lips travel to my ear. “Glad we got that straightened out,” he whispers smugly.
God, I hate him.
Not really.
A little.
Ugh.
