Page 68 of Challenge Me

“Nah, I don’t watch much TV.”

“That’s healthy.”

“Do you? And before you ask, no, this isn’t a card question.”

“Sitting around watching TV makes me depressed. I’d rather game or work myself to death or go on an adventure.”

“What kind?”

I shrugged. “Anything that gets me out of the house. It’s annoying, but that thing they say about sunshine helping the shit in your head? Yeah, it’s legit.”

“What’s in your head that you’re trying to burn away?”

“Demons, soliloquies, odes to Odin’s mistakes—which is to say, all men.”

“Sometimes I wonder why I find you interesting, and then you say shit like that.”

“Oh, is that interesting? Try this one on.

I begged a god to notice me.

He said, ‘Fear not, you’re loud enough to see.’

So I asked what wisdom’s worth these days.

He said, ‘Your peace, your rest, and a dying world’s praise.’”

Amir turned toward me, so I did the same, tucking my leg underneath me.

“I don’t know if I’m supposed to laugh or tell you that’s profound,” he said.

“That’s the beauty of poetry. It can be all of the above.”

“Got any more?”

“Tons, but I won’t bore you with them right now.”

“Later, then.”

Not sure what to say, I pulled myself backward until I was at the top of the bed. He followed and tucked himself under the covers. Even though it went against my own words, I scooted closer to him. He froze when I wrapped my arm around his waist and rested my head on his chest.

“I don’t stay in strangers’ beds,” I murmured, “so you’ll have to keep pretending we’re dating.”

After a second, he slipped his arm behind me. His fingers trailed across my back and sent a shiver down my spine.

I pressed my nose against his chest and inhaled. “Gods, you smell divine.” With a groan, I continued upward, sniffing him like a dog. I reached his neck and nuzzled into it.

“Remi,” he said in a voice much grittier than before.

“Hmm?”

“You should stop.”

I returned my head to his chest, dipping my face enough so he wouldn’t see me smile. My eyes closed as I focused on getting myself to relax. I wasn’t kidding when I told him I didn’t sleep beside strangers, but I knew him well enough at this point that it didn’t really bother me.

“Oli said you’re the king of mixed signals.”

I breathed a laugh but didn’t respond.