Page 110 of Black Light: Cured

yes or no. There is no ‘not exactly.’”

“Fine,” I yell, groaning. “My apartment is a wreck. Okay? It’s a disaster zone, and I’m

embarrassed at the idea of you seeing it. Happy now?”

“I don’t give two shits about the state of your apartment. I want to circle back to the ‘not exactly’ a

dead body. Are you harboring a zombie or something?”

“They’re anatomical models,” I finally answer, glancing at him from the corner of my eye. “One

skeletal and one muscular. So technically no. No dead bodies. But they’re life-sized and not alive…

so…”

“Fuck, I have those in my office. It’s like saying you have bodies because you have dolls. Damn,

Lila, you had me a little bit concerned for a moment. I didn’t know what you were into, or if maybe

there was some weird massage therapist thing where there was a person in a trance at your house

where they’re not alive but not dead.”

This time, it’s my turn to stare at him. “You know we don’t do that, right? Like you’re not honestly

sitting here thinking we do shit like that.”

“Hey. I’ve seen enough movies and heard enough woo-woo stories to not put it past you guys.”

Crossing my arms, I pretend to huff. “If that’s the case, I would have already put a spell on you to

tie me up. But I haven’t because it doesn’t work like that.”

He falls silent for a moment as we pull up to my apartment. Putting the car into park, he looks

back over at me, his gaze thoughtful. “You really like ropes, don’t you?”

Shit. Again, not what I was going for. “I mean, I just tried it once, but it was incredible. But that’s

not to say that the things you do to me aren’t incredible either.” I stop myself before I can start

rambling. Glancing at his face, I try to discern his feelings.

Eventually, he gives me a soft smile. “I guess it’s now or never. Time to see this disaster zone of

yours. That is, unless you want to safe word out.”

“I can’t do that. My apartment has nothing to do with our dynamic. To safe word would be…

well… that wouldn’t feel right.”

Chuckling, he reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Safe words can be used for anything you need

to use them for. And, at least with me, that includes situations that make you feel uncomfortable. So

what will it be, my little snake charmer? Time to safe word or I’m coming in there.”

I look up at my apartment, apprehension crawling up my spine. “I just don’t want you to have