Page 41 of Down to One
“Your drones will catch us from every angle. They’ll be able to hear every sigh and grunt. And I’ll even guarantee neither one of us will have to fake our orgasms.” Where I found the nerve to do this, to poke the bear like this, I have no idea, but the longer I talk, the stronger I feel.
“What do you say?” I finger comb my hair as I wait for his response.
The screens go dark, but the sound guy must be asleep. I hear Jahzara Zedd saying, “You’d have to be a fool to turn her down. Those two assholes are making the network a fortune.”
Hahn gets on the phone with the president of his board. It’s interesting to hear his entire demeanor change when he speaks with someone more powerful than himself. He’s all deference when speaking with his superior. They’ve barely exchanged pleasantries when someone cuts the sound feed.
Titan
I fold her into my arms as we both stare at the darkened screens. Leaning to whisper into her ear, I say, “I’ve met seven-foot gladiators like you, Blaze. Males who love the thrill, who ride the line and sometimes step over it just to see if they can live to tell the tale. I’ve never met a tiny creature who had such big balls. Especially a female.”
We’re both facing the same direction, but I imagine a small smile on her face.
“I’ve always liked to push it. When you don't feel safe, you might as well have some fun with it. I learned that early.”
Feeling a pang tighten my chest, I realize just how much I want to know her better. I’ll never know her childhood stories, and she’ll never hear mine. For the hundredth time today, I wish we had more time.
Clamping my teeth together, I keep myself from admitting these things to her. I’ve never had a female I cared about, just whores I was rewarded with, and Mistress—the one who ordered me intoThe Gameto get me killed.
If I tell Blaze how I feel, it will just hurt her, make it harder when we get to the end. I don’t want either of us to carry more guilt than we have to.
I vow to myself I won’t divulge my feelings with my words, but that doesn’t mean I can’t tell her with my body.
I have every certainty Hahn will come back in a moment with an idea he claims is his own and the promise that the guns and battery packs are on their way. When that happens, I’m going to make love for the first time in my life.
