Page 121 of Villains Never Die

“Do not negotiate with the dead people!”

“I’ll buy a bigger TV and watch every episode,” he said, “but you have to promise to fuck off for the next six weeks. If I find out you were sneaking into the bedroom…”

We’ll be good.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake! They agree to your terms.” I gave him a peck on the cheek. “Enjoy my drink. I’m going to take a shower.”

The bathroom of the house boasted a shower with bright white tiles and a rainfall showerhead. I couldn't wait to step under it and wash away the rest of the beach I’d brought with me. While I waited for it to heat up, I listened to the soft sounds of Rook moving beyond the open doorway, and everything inside me settled. That had been happening a lot lately.

I stepped under the spray and immediately regretted it.

“Ow—fucking—bloody—damnit!” I did a rather embarrassing, squirmy dance under the water as it assaulted my raw skin. Laughter rang out from the doorway. A moment later, Rook reached into the shower to turn the temperature down for me.

“Easy there,” he said. “That’s going to hurt for a few days.”

I muttered a string of complaints about the sun under my breath.

“You’ll get used to it.” He leaned against the counter and sucked down alcohol as his amusement quickly turned tosomething darker and hungrier. He admired the lines of my body and the way water sloshed over it.

“Put that drink down,” I said, slicking back my wet hair.

“Why?” he asked, already setting it aside.

I shoved the shower door open, reached out with a dripping arm, and yanked him in with me.

He stumbled, caught himself around my middle, and laughed into my shoulder. “Jesus. I’m still wearing pants, Austin!”

“I can fix that.”

A moment later, his trunks splatted as they hit the tile floor. I dropped to my knees in front of him. “You know what’s wonderful?”

“What?” he asked, as all ten of his fingers threaded through my hair and my eyes fell closed.

“There are no meetings on my schedule today.”

“You have no schedule today.”

I licked the slit of his cock and sighed happily. “Which means I can take as long as I want pleasuring you in this shower.” I wrapped my lips around him and soaked up his groan that echoed off the walls.

Later, dried and in comfortable clothes, he lounged on the couch while I mixed new drinks.

“We should shower again later,” he said when I handed him his drink. “Or try out the hot tub.”

“Six weeks, Rook. I’ll fuck you on every surface and in every body of water we can find.”

“I like the way you think.” He sipped his cocktail and gave me a lascivious grin around his straw.

Then we were quiet in a comfortable, simple way that I never thought I’d be in my life. The quiet was always filled with anxiety, impending threats, and ghosts. I still didn’t know how he got them to obey him so easily. They never listened to me.

As I turned and stared out over the vast beach and churning sea beyond the windows of our rented home, I realized how refreshing the stillness in my life was. My head was silent, my last life wasn’t at risk, and I could finally breathe.

Above all, he was here with me.

Finally mine.

Forever.

His hand fell on my hip as he rested his chin in the crook of my neck and peered over my shoulder. I hadn’t heard him sneak up on me.