Page 227 of Once Upon a Fable

That memory vanished as quickly as it’d arrived, dumping me back by the river.

And fuck me, I couldn’t remember how I’d gotten there or why.

For a terrifying second, I glanced around at a foreign land, and I didn’t have a goddamn clue who I was, where I was, or what I was supposed to be doing.

Oh, God.

Clammy sweat drenched me.

I sucked in a shallow breath.

Panic flowed swift, only to screech to a halt as my mind suddenly flooded with answers.

My valley. My river. Me.

Gemma.

I spun to look behind me, my heart unwilling to beat in fear that she’d been a mirage this whole time. That I’d made up the past few weeks. That I didn’t have anyone to call my own.

But she was there.

Watching me warily, her forehead pinched and teeth chewing on her bottom lip. “What? What happened?” She balled her hands as if she didn’t want to ask but felt like it was her duty after nursing me through the worst. “Are you...are you okay?”

WasI okay?

I don’t know.

What just happened?

I was used to my mind being riddled with barricades and embargos so memories couldn’t suck me down, but I’d never been sovacantbefore. Never forgot the fundamental pieces of my life.

It’s over.

You’re fine.

Don’t let her know.

Grunting, I cocked one shoulder as arrogantly as I could. “Of course, I’m okay. It’s a beautiful day and I’m with a beautiful girl.”

“Beautiful prisoner, don’t you mean?” she muttered.

“Beautiful regardless of ugliness between us.”

She sucked in a breath.

I didn’t like how I felt...tight and hot and needy. And I definitely didn’t like the words that’d spilled uncontrolled out of my mouth. I hadn’t meant to say such things. I hadn’t meant to have a blackout while still awake. I hadn’t meant to be this screwed up, fucked up, and totally floundering for help.

“Get naked,” I snapped. With our eyes locked, I reached behind myneck for my T-shirt and yanked it over my head. “Now.”

Her eyes trailed over my chest despite her annoyance. “Is this a striptease? Do you expect me to swoon at your feet?”

I smiled thinly, unbuttoning my jeans and shoving the zipper down. “You saying my body could drive you to swoon?” I kicked away the denim and, in the same move, shoved my black boxer briefs down my legs to join them on the pile.

She choked as her eyes fell on my naked cock. My very hard, very eager cock. “So this is where you plan to force me—”

“I told you, I have more important things to worry about.” Of course, if she showed a minuscule amount of interest in having me, I’d pounce on her and have her on her knees before she’d even said my name. The name she still hadn’t earned the right to use.

Do you want me like I want you, Gem?