“She’s the reason you’ve resisted your females?”
My lips twitch. I wonder how Ella would react upon hearing such a claim as “my” females.
I really need to stop thinking about that damn girl.
“I’ve never owned a female, Simone. We all did what we had to in order to escape hell. Sex was a distraction. Not a claim. Please don’t tell me you really think otherwise.”
Her lips tighten, probably because she realizes how ridiculous she’s being, and she nods once.
“As for Ella, I have no affections for her. I simply like to piss her off as much as possible,” I lie. Well, partially lie. I do enjoy pissing her off.
“How do you propose I kill Gavin if it comes to that? He’s much stronger than I am. I’ll never get close enough.”
“I strongly suggest you launch a very well-calculated sneak attack,” I state dryly, turning and exiting this time. I call over my shoulder, “Good luck.”
Chapter 5
ELLA
Bitter. Acidic. I bet his blood tastes like both those things and not nearly as good as he smells when he’s pressed so close to me.
He really is a cunt pucker.
“Can you break the rules and whisk us off to Never Never Land?” Dice asks me in an annoyed tone before he curses a patch of thorns that tangle up in the crotch of his pants. “The thorns here are a little too randy for my liking.”
“You’re immortal,” I remind him, distracted as I trudge along. “The thorns can’t hurt you. And you’re an incubus, so you like things randy. I’m not sure what the problem is.”
Next time, I won’t shiver when Slade is toying with me. I’ll be completely unaffected. Yep.
And then I’ll mock him as cruelly as he mocked me.
“They may not can scratch me, but these pants have survived since the eighties, and they’re my favorite damn pair,” Dice harps.
Looking over my shoulder as he takes forever to untangle himself, I give him a pointed stare. That he doesn’t even see.
“You knew we were going through the Jaded Forest. Dematerializing will set off spelled traps, plus it’s easy to get lost in here because of more spells. This forest is a cluster fuck of crazy. The rest of the trip will be on foot so we don’t get stuck in here or in a trap and have to be rescued, because dematerializing in here is really risky. So why would you wear leather pants?”
He gives me an incredulous look. “Because my ass looks so damn good in leather,” he tells me seriously. “Hashtag—selfie with an inspirational quote kind of good.”
I blink at him before rolling my eyes and turning around, moving back through the forest and watching for the trees without moss. Because if the trees have moss, we’re going in the wrong direction.
Damn tricky woods.
If I have to be saved, they really will think I’m worthless.
For the fourth time since we entered these woods, a chill stirs like a warning breath on the back of my neck, sensing someone watching me. As all the times before, I jerk my head around, finding Dice right behind me. He has to stumble to avoid the collision.
“What?” he asks innocently as my gaze darts from place to place, not finding anything or anyone lurking around.
Slade is in my head. It always feels like he’s watching me. Now I know the bastard can see me when he closes his eyes. I really hope he hasn’t seen some things I do when I’m alone…
Blowing out a frustrated breath as heat rises to my cheeks, I start walking faster.
“Why am I getting a sexual vibe? That’s a little creepy, considering I fancy myself your uncle,” Dice drawls.
Bristling, I flip him off, which is always a terrible response.
“Sorry, dear. You’d be in love, and I’d be burning in hell,” he says on a truly weary sigh, as though he pities me.