Page 84 of Auctioned to the Devil

“Because you don’t tell me anything.”

He walks toward me.

“Emily.”

“No. You don’t get to Emily me.”

“Apparently I do.”

“Caleb.”

“See?” I glare at him.

He stops inches away. “Ask me.”

“Ask you what?”

“What you actually want to know.”

My heart pounds.

I hate this.

I would rather argue about boots.

Or bears.

Or whether I’m allowed to operate a toaster without supervision.

“Was this real?”

He goes still. “Was what real?”

“Us.”

His eyes narrow. “Careful.”

“See? That’s what you do. You warn me instead of answering.”

“You really need me to answer that?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because three weeks ago, we barely knew each other. Then someone broke into my lodge, a storm trapped me here, Richard came after me, I was kidnapped, you rescued me, and somewhere in the middle of all of that we…” I gesture helplessly between us. “Became whatever this is.”

“Whatever this is?”

“You know what I mean.”

“No. Explain it.”

I let out an irritated breath.

“This isn’t normal.”

“Never claimed it was.”