Page 28 of Shai

Shai laughed, the sound rumbling in his chest. “Possibly. But what can I say? You were just too tempting.”

“You forced me.” It was important to get those words out, to make it clear that I’d told him not to, that I’d tried to fight him off.

Shai looked thoughtful. “At first, maybe.” He leaned conspiratorially close. “But in the end, you would have done anything for an orgasm. I bet you would have gladly offered your ass up, if I’d told you that was the only way of getting one.” A slow smile spread across his face. “Please, I’ll do anything. Just let me come.”

I ripped my gaze away from his, my cheeks flooding with heat. The worst thing was that he hadn’t just plucked those words out of the ether. I remembered saying them, and if anything, he’d underplayed the level of pleading in them. I’d been far more needy and desperate.

“Anyway…” Shai’s announcement was bright and breezy. “That was last night. Let’s not rake up the past and let it spoil a good meal.” He waited for my gaze to drift back to his before picking up his glass and holding it out in a silent entreaty. When I didn’t immediately respond to his gesture, he simply stayed there, one eyebrow crooking up in a question until I reluctantly picked up my glass and clinked it against his. Shai lifted his glass to his mouth, resting it against his lips as he paused. “Besides… I know you’re not really mad at me.”

My hand curled into a fist beneath the table as I forced myself to look

him in the eye. “Oh, and how did you work that one out?”

“You sought me out today. You came to me, not the other way around.”

“I…” It was on the tip of my tongue to deny it. Except, he was right.

Despite the fact that he’d attacked me while I was sleeping, tied me up, forced his tongue into my mouth, and subjected me to a torment that had lasted for hours, I had gone looking for him. What did that make me? I lifted my chin. “What do you expect? No one else talks to me.”

He dipped his head in a sort of mocking acknowledgement, and Gustav

chose that moment to enter the room with two plates. I muttered my thanks as he deposited one in front of me, the other already being admired by Shai. “Thank you, Gustav. We’ll take the next course in thirty minutes. There’s no need to rush.”

Gustav inclined his head to show he’d heard, retreating back the way

he’d come, like the well-trained employee he was. I poked at the artfully arranged and colorful food on my plate.

“Spinach, bacon and parmesan.”

I lifted my head to stare at Shai. “What?”

“I thought you were wondering what the mushroom had been stuffed

with. I assumed you recognized the mushroom.”

“Of course I recognize a fucking mushroom.”

“No need to curse at the dinner table, Elijah.”

I lifted my head to meet his slightly reproachful stare. Jesus, he was

fucking serious. My fingers tightened around my fork as I lifted a piece of the stuffed mushroom to my mouth, chewing the mouthful of food far more than it required as I fought the urge to tell him what he could do with his fucking reprimand. He could kill a guy with a fucking snake, but I was out of order for dropping one f-bomb at the table. His standards for behavior were really fucking skewed.

At least the food tasted good, and the wine was going down far too

easily, Shai already having refilled my wine glass once like the perfect fucking date he was pretending to be. It would be so easy to get lost in the façade, to relax and let my guard down, and believe that this was nothing but Shai seeking out my company.

By the time Gustav had cleared the plates from the first course and returned with the main course, I had enough of a buzz that I’d started to relax. It was his table, his house. He was entitled to make a request for no profanities without having me act like a child.

Shai gestured at my plate. “See! No caviar. No oysters.”

There wasn’t. It was a heartwarming dish of chili con carne, the only pretentious thing about it if I was really determined to be obnoxious was the way it was presented.

“Taste it. Gustav is a genius. It’s why I took him.”

Took him. Not employed him. Was Gustav another prisoner like me? I hadn’t gotten that impression but looks could be deceiving. I lifted a forkful to my mouth, the amount of spice perfect, just the right side of spicy without being too hot. I nodded my appreciation as I swallowed. “It’s good.”

“Do you remember what I said about spicy food?”