Black And Blue (Quentin Black Mystery #5) by JC Andrijeski Read Free Book Online Page B

been telling you. I got a lot of fucking warnings from your uncle about this, which made me even more paranoid, truthfully. I didn’t want to freak you out... so I just didn’t say anything. But I realized today it’s not just paranoia I’m feeling on you. You really do think I have some handle on the situation that you don’t. I’m telling you that you’re wrong... I just haven’t been communicating with you very well.”
    I stared at him. “Just how much have you been talking to Uncle Charles?”
    He grunted, glancing at me, then clicked under his breath.
    “Not as much as he’d like.” At my silence, he waved off his words, taking another sip of wine. “The point is, I’m not trying to hide anything from you. I was trying to be considerate, but I’m worried it’s backfiring, so I’m going to try transparency instead.” He rubbed my thigh harder. “As long as we’re both conscious of what’s happening, we’ll be fine. We can ride this out, Miriam. Both of us.”
    When I looked up, skeptical, he made another of those vague, graceful gestures with the hand holding the wine glass, then used the same hand to set the glass on the table behind me. I found myself watching him do that too, noting the way his muscles slid under his skin.
    Forcing my eyes off him––again––I bit my lip, then took a sip of my own wine.
    Still thinking, I shook my head in annoyance, primarily at myself.
    “I just don’t understand why it’s worse now.” I glanced at him, flushing a little. “You know. Worse than when we first got together.”
    “We’re still bonding.”
    “But why is it worse?” I repeated.
    “We still don’t know each other that well.” When I looked down at his face, he smiled reassuringly, caressing my neck with one hand. “We kind of had a crash marriage and now we’re doing some things backwards. The more we get to know one another the more intense that bonding impulse gets. Also...” He shrugged apologetically, making another of those graceful gestures. “Well, you know... the more we get into this, the more we’re forced to deal with our own intimacy issues. And commitment issues... and sex issues. And whatever else.”
    I stiffened. “Sex issues?”
    He shrugged, his voice neutral. “Seers are weird about sex.”
    “Weird in what way? And what commitment issues?”
    I started to pull away, but his hand tightened on my leg.
    “I was talking about you with the commitment thing, Miri,” he growled. “Not me.”
    “Me?” I stared down at him incredulously. “Are you serious?”
    “Yes, I’m fucking serious...” Stopping, he clenched his jaw, as if forcing himself to be silent. Before I could argue, he clicked under his breath, waving away his own words. “...Look. I’m just saying it’s likely going to happen in stages. Traditionally, seers went into seclusion for the worst of this... and probably would have held off on the fucking part until they knew each other better. But it doesn’t matter now. And it’s temporary, like I said.”
    Pressing my lips together, I regarded him skeptically.
    “Ilya, please hear me on this. It’s fine. It really is.” He smiled. “Honestly, if I could stop being distracted constantly by sex, it would be a lot easier... as it is, I keep meaning to tell you things and then I forget five minutes after we’re alone together.”
    I snorted at that in spite of myself, shaking my head.
    Before I could think of a reply, he wrapped his hand into my hair, bringing my mouth back down to his. Enough of his light hit me that time, it slanted out my vision when he leaned up into me. I found myself wrapping my arms around his neck, kissing him back, opening my light to coax him deeper into me. When I did that, I felt Black’s breath stutter in his chest, right before he pulled away, gasping a little.
    He glanced over my shoulder while I combed his hair with my fingers.
    I’m really going to fucking kill that guy, he murmured in my mind.
    Or, you