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“I’m not stupid.” I crossed my arms over my chest to cage my pounding heart. “There’s only one reason you made that bargain. I know what terms you’re going to ask for. You said you deal in desire.”
“Oh?” He cracked his knuckles, and the tattoos twining his fingers fled at the sound.
“That’s the arrangement we need to discuss.” A lump knotted my throat, but I forced myself to speak, pointing to the bed. “So, if we’re here, let’s just get it over with. Please.”
He didn’t move. Nothing flashed in his eyes now. His features remained stony. Finally, he asked in a slow cadence, “Do you wish to sleep with me?”
“Does it matter?”
“I’ll take that as a no.” He fell silent for a moment. Finally, he snorted, continuing to survey me. “I suppose that’s one term we can agree on. Sex is not part of our arrangement. No offense, but you’re not my type.”
My knees wobbled beneath me, and I fought the urge to collapse. Not from relief, exactly. I shoved the feelings down only to discover a new one burning on my cheeks. “I thought…the bedroom…”
“You are bound to me,” he said seriously, “and my interest in you lies elsewhere, so I can assure you, I do not expect sex.” He smirked. “Besides, do I look like I need to trick a woman into bed?”
Humiliation raged through me. I was going to catch on actual fire and burn to a crisp in front of him. It took sheer force of will to not bury my face in my hands and hide.
“There’s another more practical purpose for taking you to your room,” he said, breezing on. “Our Mabon celebration will continue at the court shortly. I assume you…don’t want to attend.”
I followed his gaze to my bare feet and fought a frown. “I do not. So what am I supposed to do? Just wait here for everyone to leave?”
“If you wish. They should all be gone in a few days.”
My mouth fell open. “Days? I can’t. I have to get back—”
“To your very important human life,” he finished for me.
“It is important.” Without thinking, I advanced on him, getting close enough to jab a finger into his chest. “I have a job.”
“You no longer need one,” he said breezily. “And as we’ve already established, you will not be going anywhere.”
Panic gripped my heart. I couldn’t just stay here. Bargain or not, he couldn’t keep me here forever. “Please let me go,” I whispered, allowing some of that desperation to leak through. Maybe that was the key to unraveling him.
He paused for a moment, his lips pursing like he was seriously considering the request. “No.”
“Dick,” I spat at him.
He smiled. Not the arrogant grin from earlier but a dazzling smile that lit up his whole face and made me forget for a second that I hated him. “Congratulations, princess. You’re the first person to call me a dick twice and live.”
“Stop calling me princess.”
“Stop making demands.”
We glared at each other, neither of us willing to look away.
“We’ll finish this conversation in the morning.” He sounded tired. Good. Maybe I could wear him down. Maybe he’d get so sick of me that he’d dump me back home.
If he didn’t… My eyes lingered on the holsters under his arms. There had to be a reason that he carried them. Maybe even magic couldn’t survive guns.
“You’re staring,” he accused.
My eyes snapped to his. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Take a nap? Unless you wish to throw more things at the windows? They’re all warded.” My mouth dropped open. How had he known? I thought of those hollow wails in the halls and shivered.
“It’s up to you. I really don’t care.”
“Dick.” I held up three fingers and smiled around the knot forming in my throat. I wouldn’t let him see me cry.