9.

I took a desperate breath and marched into the bathroom in the living room, where I braced my hands on the cool granite and stared at my reflection in the mirror.

My eyes were open a fraction too wide, and my face was sweaty. My once painted lips with nude lipstick are now almost dry, and have a little crack on them. I unconsciously dragged my tongue over them to wet, as though that would calm the raging in my nerves.

I don't think I can go through with this. I shouldn't even have started this in the first place, or insisted that we do this. I should've just left him at the diner and returned to my room.

What had I been thinking?

My lips twisted with a grimace. No, I hadn't really been thinking. It'd been his eyes. Those grey-green eyes that had caused this. The moment I saw them, I stopped thinking, and what did I do? Book an escort that ended up being my mate!

A sane person would've definitely ended this. But I didn't, only because I wanted to prove to myself that I didn't care what he does with his life. That I simply wanted an advantage. And if he's the one to give that to me, I'd gladly take it.

Lies. Damn freaking lies!

I felt Robyn nudging, but I refused to give way. I had already come this far, and backing away now would only make me a coward. I refuse to make a joke of myself before him.

A movement behind me caught my attention, and through the mirror, I saw him step into the doorway and lean against the jamb.

That motion alone was so... unnerving. So much so that I felt my heart trip, stumble, and scramble to continue beating. He walked into the bathroom and stopped behind me, his eyes locked on mine in the mirror. His face closed off, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't study him. Or what he was thinking.

"Are you ready?" He asked quietly.

And funny enough, I freaking nodded!

Mav stepped into the bathroom, pushed my braids to one side, then slowly, he began to massage my scalp.

Within seconds, the tension on my scalp released, as he eased his fingers into my braids, separating the tendrils so they fell to my shoulders and down my back. I vibrated with tension as I waited for him to initiate intimacy and send my body into nervous lockdown.

It was going to happen, and then he'd see what he was working with.

"You look tense," he whispered, his breath on my neck.

Of course I look tense, because I am seriously considering my choices. All of the choices that had led me to this point.

"Come," he added, walking me back to the living room, and settling me down on the couch. There was something a bit different about him. He was closed off, yet a bit open? I can't seem to understand what was going on, but there's definitely a shift in him.

"What do you want to start with?" He asked quietly, kneeling before me.