Nell kept her possessions bundled together at the side of the couch. With her knees drawn up to her chest, she continued to fume quietly, biting her lip. Now what?
She figured he didn't necessarily mean sex. Not right away at least. Derek was too subtle in general for that. But Nell was pretty sure that would be his final goal. Right now, her instinct was to grab her stuff and run, but she held herself still.
A known evil that she could talk her way out of would always be superior to an unknown evil that would never acquiesce.
The girl was considering these things when The Afterdark left his office. He glanced over at her once, then continued across to the kitchen.
"It wasn't my intention to scare you, Nell," he said, still without looking at her.
She took a long, quiet breath and said nothing, looking away from him as he went through his refrigerator.
"If you want to talk, we can."
When she looked back at him, he was smirking and trying to hide it.
"There is nothing to talk about, Derek," she said. Her intention had been to sound diplomatic, but she ended up sounding much colder than she had planned.
The Afterdark's eyes narrowed, but he kept smiling. "No need to be snippy, Nell. I just want to sleep in my own bed again and I'm not above sharing it."
"Bullshit," she said quietly to herself. At least, she thought she had--when she glanced up at Derek, his gaze had darkened.
"I heard that, Nell."
Her breath caught in her throat and she looked away. Nell heard a tap as he set his drink down on the counter, followed by the near-silent sounds of his bare feet on the concrete floor as he walked over to the couch. She held her breath as he sat down on the couch next to her.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Nell," he said quietly. "I don't know what you're thinking, but that was never my intention, not even for a moment."
"You forced me out of your office that time."
"You weren't supposed to be there in the first place."
She wanted to tell him that he wasn't trustworthy, but had to restrain herself when it occurred to her that The Afterdark was the most trustworthy person she had ever known, and the thought depressed her greatly.
She figured he didn't necessarily mean sex. Not right away at least. Derek was too subtle in general for that. But Nell was pretty sure that would be his final goal. Right now, her instinct was to grab her stuff and run, but she held herself still.
A known evil that she could talk her way out of would always be superior to an unknown evil that would never acquiesce.
The girl was considering these things when The Afterdark left his office. He glanced over at her once, then continued across to the kitchen.
"It wasn't my intention to scare you, Nell," he said, still without looking at her.
She took a long, quiet breath and said nothing, looking away from him as he went through his refrigerator.
"If you want to talk, we can."
When she looked back at him, he was smirking and trying to hide it.
"There is nothing to talk about, Derek," she said. Her intention had been to sound diplomatic, but she ended up sounding much colder than she had planned.
The Afterdark's eyes narrowed, but he kept smiling. "No need to be snippy, Nell. I just want to sleep in my own bed again and I'm not above sharing it."
"Bullshit," she said quietly to herself. At least, she thought she had--when she glanced up at Derek, his gaze had darkened.
"I heard that, Nell."
Her breath caught in her throat and she looked away. Nell heard a tap as he set his drink down on the counter, followed by the near-silent sounds of his bare feet on the concrete floor as he walked over to the couch. She held her breath as he sat down on the couch next to her.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Nell," he said quietly. "I don't know what you're thinking, but that was never my intention, not even for a moment."
"You forced me out of your office that time."
"You weren't supposed to be there in the first place."
She wanted to tell him that he wasn't trustworthy, but had to restrain herself when it occurred to her that The Afterdark was the most trustworthy person she had ever known, and the thought depressed her greatly.
