Page 240 of Stay Scared

“I told him to.”

Cade smiles.

Bad idea.

Ash reaches for me and closes one hand around my wrist, pulling me away from Cade without pretending to be cautious. Cade swears, but Owen catches his chest before he can follow.

Ash brings me against him, settling his other hand at the back of my neck until the corridor seems to narrow around his body.

“You told him.”

“I did.”

“And Owen?”

“I reached for him.”

Ash stares at me. “What do I get?”

There is the jealousy, sharp, selfish, and unmistakably his.

I reach into my pocket and bring the founder key out between us. Ash looks down, his grip on my wrist tightening.

“You gave me this because you didn’t trust yourself with it.”

“I still don’t.”

“Do you want it back?”

His eyes lift. “Yes.”

The answer is immediate.

I close my fist around the key. “You are not getting it.”

“I assumed.”

“You hate that.”

“Yes.”

I slide the key back into my pocket. Ash tightens his hand at my neck just enough to pull my face closer.

“You came onto my property wearing my key.”

“Your property?”

“Our paperwork remains unsigned.”

“So it is still yours.”

“For the moment.”

I smile.

Ash kisses me.

His mouth takes mine, and six weeks of restraint collapses behind it. I grab his shirt while Cade curses somewhere behind us.