I dragged a crocheted blanket from the top of my closet, collected my pillow from the floor, and curled onto the chaise, keeping my back to my unwanted guest.
“Are you seriously going to stay there all night?” he clipped.
Somewhere between agreeing to die and his threat to kill Padraig, I’d lost the will to fight.
A draft came from beneath the window as the winds outside raged. Nights like tonight were the only nights I didn’t enjoy living near the sea. In a book of old Airren myths I’d read as a girl, it was said that when the winds and waves ravaged the shore on a moonless night, the banshee culled the sea of its dead.
“Aveen, you are being ridiculous.”
The floorboards creaked alarmingly close to where I huddled. Rían scooped me up and threw me unceremoniously onto the bed.
“I cannot share a bed with you!”
The bastard chuckled. “Don’t worry. You’re about as appealing as a raw turnip when you squeal like that.”
The mattress dipped next to me, and I pulled the covers to my chin. This wasn’t happening. This wasnothappening. I’d pretend to sleep until he actually fell asleep and then I would go back to the chaise. I wasnotgoing to sleep with Rían.
“If you touch me, I’ll kill you.”
Weighted silence stretched between us. When I turned, I found him staring at me, a wrinkle between his drawn eyebrows. “What have I done to make you believe I would force myself on you?”
“In the shed, you—”
“Stopped the moment I realized you weren’t Eithne.” He rolled his eyes.
“In the garden, you—”
“Saved you from being the Dullahan’s next meal? I’m not a good man by any means, but there are lines even I will not cross.” Taking a deep breath, he placed a hand over his heart. “Tonight, I swear on pain of death that I will not lay a hand on you. Unless you beg me to,” he added with a wicked glint in his eyes.
“Like that would ever happen. I’m not even attracted to you.”
His chest rose and fell as he inhaled a deep breath through his nose, a smile playing on his lips. “I love it when you lie.”
“It’s not a lie. You’re a disgusting troll.”
“A troll?” His grating chuckle vibrated all the way to my toes. “So you’re not the least bit tempted to kiss me?”
“Not the least.” I couldn’t think of anything more revolting than having his perfect lips caress mine again.Disgusting.
Rían’s long fingers drummed against the quilt, close to my thigh but never touching. “Then it’s safe for me to assume that you have no desire for me to slip you out of that shift and taste every inch of you.”
My toes curled against the sheet.
That sounded . . .awful.
“You shouldn’t say things like that to me.” I couldn’t imagine how terrible and . . . and . . .revoltingit would be to have his mouth exploring the most intimate parts of my body. It’d probably be the worst experience in the history of worst experiences.
He arched an eyebrow. “Does it make you uncomfortable?”
“Yes.” Terribly, deliciously uncomfortable.
He inhaled again. “Do you like it?”
“N-no.”
His dimples deepened when he laughed, a carefree, almost happy sound. “Oh, my dear. You have no idea how bad a liar you are. It’s quite endearing.”
No one had ever seen through my lies. Why him? Why now? “I’m not lying,” I insisted, grinding my teeth.