I shut up. He was the reason I was in this situation but I would be lying to myself if I said that I didn’t want to be here. I liked his world. I felt guilty about it but I had to admit that I found it endlessly fascinating. Him. The hotel. The suited men who floated around, doing things before Abram even had to ask. It was the perfect escape I couldn’t have assembled in even my fantasies. I’d certainly paid a price for it – one I’d probably never agree to if given the chance to rewind – but there was no rewinding or erasing what I saw in the alley, so I let go and gave myself permission to… enjoy this. It probably also helped that I was on painkillers and just relieved to be out of the hospital. “Are you hungry?” I registered Abram’s question seconds after he’d asked it. I was too busy being mesmerized by the exterior of the Monarch. It was unlike any other building I’d seen – sleek and all black, matte in some places, mirrored in others. As we neared it, I gazed at the reflection of Abram’s strong arms wrapped around me, my groggy head resting against his chest. His rock-hard body was surprisingly easy to melt into. Even more surprising, I was letting myself melt into it. This is happening, I reminded myself as I watched him hold me. Still, I couldn’t absorb the moment. The meds were kicking in and I was starting to float away.
