Hive Queen by Sinclair, Grayson (positive books to read .txt) 📕

“Something like that. Want a drink?” I asked.

“Sure.”

After what had happened between us earlier, I expected heavy tension between us, but there wasn’t any. She was rather calm and composed. I went to the fridge and brought back two bottles of beer. Raven shifted over on the couch, making room for me. I leaned back and handed her one of the beers.

“Huh, this couch is kinda comfy. For stone, at least.”

“Yeah, but it’s a bitch to sleep on,” she replied, taking a sip of beer.

I leaned back and stared at my beer, willing myself to take a drink. After a few seconds, I sighed and set it down, trying to find the right words.

“Look, I’m sor─”

Raven held a finger to my lips, silencing me. “It’s okay. I do understand, you know, even if you were an ass at times.”

I nodded and held out my hand to her. “Fresh start?”

Raven let out a small laugh and finished her drink, before pointing at mine. “Only if you share.”

“Have at it,” I said with a chuckle.

She leaned over me, her arm brushing against mine as she grabbed the bottle. She leaned back with a smile and took a drink. When she put the bottle down, Raven took my offered hand, her slender fingers cold and wet from the condensation on the glass.

“Clean slate.” She smiled widely at me and took another drink.

“I will say the dwarves know how to make good drinks.”

After taking a drink, she set the bottle on the table in front of us and tugged her tie out of her ponytail, letting her black hair fall over her prominent collarbone and down her back. She ran her fingers through it, strands of hair drifting away from her to fall lazily to the ground.

“Much better,” she said and looked at the window. “What time is it, though?”

“Almost three.”

“Damn, we’re going to be exhausted in the morning.”

“Why don’t you take the bed? I doubt I’m going to get much sleep tonight.”

“Why’s that?”

I shrugged. “Haven’t had a decent night’s sleep since this whole fiasco started. At least some things are consistent.”

She laughed and finished her drink, setting her empty glass next to the first on the table.

“Well, since you don’t hate me anymore, what’s say you and I act like adults and share the bed? Its plenty big enough for both of us. We slept in the same tent last night, what’s the difference?”

I didn’t answer right away, instead getting up to grab another drink, trying to find a good reason to say no but only coming up with the fact that she was a shifter. My prejudices were not fading so quickly. I popped the top and took a long pull before sitting back down.

Raven smiled at me, fanning her eyelashes and drawing my eyes to hers while she deftly stole my drink from my hand. She took a sip and laughed. “Oh, c’mon, coward. I don’t bite.”

A hysterical fit of giggles threatened to burst from my lips. I held my laughter and chuckled.

“I do.”

She snickered. “Yeah, tell me about it,” she said, her pale fingers rubbing her neck as she stood and handed me back my drink. “Offer’s still open, though.”

Raven head up the stairs, the silk of her chemise clung to her hips as she took the steps slowly. I turned away from her and picked up my beer, staring at the brown bottle.

“Damn it,” I sighed, rubbing my stinging eyes.

I’m exhausted, have been for days now. And tomorrow is planning for the heist. I need to be on top of my game.

“Fuck it, I need sleep,” I said, downing the rest of the beer and following Raven upstairs.

Raven was curled up next to the wall as I walked in. She scooted over and sat up on the lip of the bed. “Which side you want?”

“Don’t care,” I said and climbed out of my shirt and flopped on the bed.

I took the side by the wall, turned over on my side, and slid my hands under the pillow. Raven lay on her side next to me and shifted closer to me. Her back brushed my chest, and she shivered.

“Gods, you’re warm. It’s like sleeping next to a furnace.”

I snorted with laughter; I couldn’t help it. “Eris runs just shy of boiling, so I understand how you feel.”

“I won’t complain, though, it’s nice when it’s this cold,” she said, snuggling closer to me.

“Just don’t get any funny ideas.”

“I would never.”

After that, I settled in and tried to get some sleep for the second time. It was admittedly easier with Raven leaning against me. I had no special feelings for her, but the mere presence of her skin so close to mine helped, and before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

Raven woke me in the morning, and my eyes jolted open. Her hand was on my chest, and I grabbed it on reflex.

“Oh, sorry,” I said, yawning.

“Don’t be. Seems like you needed the rest,” she said, fixing the shoulder strap on her chemise, which had slipped down her bicep.

I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood. I stretched when I was on my feet and sighed. The exhaustion that had crept up on me was mitigated, if not gone all together. I feel pretty good this morning.

I knew for a fact that Eris wouldn’t care in the least that I had simply slept in the bed with another woman, but it still wasn’t appropriate. First Jasmine, and now Raven. I’m sleeping next to a lot of women who aren’t my wife…I miss Eris.

It was the first thought in my head every day, and the last thought before I went to sleep. I missed my