Page 18 of Toy No More
He lets out a long exhale, so I brave a glance.
Apollo tilts his head up at me, his expression markedly softer. Those grayish-blue eyes still show a strange coldness, but I have a feeling it isn’t aimed at me. “It’s fine,” he says, barely moving his lips, and lowers his gaze like he can’t bear meeting mine. “I’m not… I wasn’t upset. I’ve been in a shit mood. It wasn’t on you,” he admits.
“Good,” I blurt out, a little too excitedly perhaps. “I really didn’t mean to offend by what I implied.”
Apollo nods and leans back. He seems tired. Like he needs a nice long nap in a comfortable bed. Warm and safe.
“I just don’t like being referred to as being someone’s. As if I’m nothing but a toy without an agency. Always found it weird, how people view that sort of thing.”
His candid response almost makes me smile. Not because of what he says but the way he says it. Humming in agreement, I stare at the cigarette between my fingers. “I hear ya…”
Some of the weight resting on top of my chest lifts, knowing I made at leastthisright.
“What about you?” Apollo asks as I’m throwing the finished cigarette on the ground. Grinding the bud under my foot, I look at him with my brows arched.
“Me?”
He smiles faintly, like he thinks I’m only acting clueless. “Doyouhave an alpha waiting for you at home?” Finally, some liveliness comes through in his words.
I feel like a teenager because when he meets my eyes, my cheeks flare up.It’s just a question, idiot. Small talk.“Oh, no. No, I don’t really have the time or energy for something serious right now. Never found anyone…right.”
Apollo smirks playfully. The moment I frown, puzzled, he snorts and hangs his head down. “Yeah… You strike me as the type,” he says and stands up. Blinking at him, I open my mouth in confusion. “See you around,” he adds flippantly.
Once again, I let him leave with unspoken words still stuck in my throat. At least this time, he doesn’t appear angry. Quite the opposite.
Gears shift in my mind as I’m left alone on the dock.Was that an insult? What did he mean? I strike him as…the type?
Scratching my head, I chuckle to myself. Apollo really issomething.
Chapter 6
Apollo
IdoublecheckJasper’smessage, making sure he really said he would be back by 7 AM.He did. It’s 7:30.Sighing, I put the phone down again and look into the mirror above the bed. The breakfast I made for him is going to get cold. Wouldn’t be the first time, but today, I feel especially needy and sensitive for some reason.
I narrow my eyes and study the bruise on the side of my neck. I stare at it in the mirror, brushing my finger against the reddish-purple shades of my skin. After yesterday, all I needed was to fall asleep in someone’s warm embrace. Instead, I had to spend the night in bed alone.
Work is work, I remind myself. Sometimes we all have to do things that aren’t convenient. Selfishly wanting Jasper here with me means nothing in the grand scheme.
My eyes move up, and so does my finger, touching the ugly, cracked corner of my mouth. That arrogant prick nearly dislocated my jaw. I remember his grating voice and feel his breath on my ear, exactly like when he whispered into it yesterday. There are more marks across my body. No amount of showers or nice smelling scrubs can remove them. They are there for all to see.
I stare blankly into my reflection in the mirror, letting the dull pain spread through me.
Just one delicious hit could make it all go away right now. Make me feel nothing and more than I can comprehend at the same time. A high worth ten orgasms amid my heat. Sweeter and truer.
Frowning, I shut my eyes tightly and press my lips together.
Stop. Not this. You don’t need this.
Not anymore. Not ever.
I have to do something to prevent myself from slipping down that dangerous slide, so I get up. Seconds later, I hear the entrance lock click. My heart swells and gallops. Smiling, I hurry to the door, where Jasper’s just getting in.
“Morning, babe,” I rejoice, attacking him with a kiss and hug. Jasper kisses me back, sliding his hand into my hair. I feel him smile against my skin. “You’re late,” I whisper. As I press my nose into his cheek, I smell it. A scent that isn’t his. This one is unfamiliar, reeking of peonies.
He notices the way I falter before I pull away. “Come on,” he whispers, holding my head so I can’t move further. Jasper’s bright blue eyes hypnotize me, together with the pheromones that he releases. “I had to deal with someone, and this was the most effective method. You know that.”
I look down at his neck, wondering if some woman’s lips lapped at it…how long ago? An hour? Two hours? All night?
