Page 33 of Thorn Evermore

I must be if a man like Thorn is acting like this over me. Maybe he’s deranged. That would be just my luck.

“Now eat up, gorgeous, so I can eat too. I’m starving, and if you think I’m talking about dinner, you’re not paying attention.”

Something in his tone makes it seem like he intends to actually eat me, and for some reason, I’m fine with that. Death by Thorn sounds like a pretty good way to go out.

Chapter 9

THORN

I toy with my food, pushing it around the plate and eating tiny morsels. It’s truly delicious, and the restaurant’s excellent reputation in the city is warranted. My mouth waters, but I’m sure it’s not because of the sweet and sour pork. As good as it is, it’s got nothing on sweet Kyson’s soft moans and obvious enjoyment of his meal.

My gums have throbbed for over an hour, desperate to see if his blood tastes as good as his skin does. Kyson wants to feel life? I can work with that and then some. I wonder if he’d change his mind about jumping off buildings if he were in my arms at the time. Would he feel differently about partaking in mind-altering substances if he knew they could do him no harm? I could remove the offending drug with minimal effort.

I sigh, leaning back in my seat and swirling my glass of wine while Kyson finishes off the fried rice. He’s beautiful in a way that’s new for me. So many attractive people have an artifice about them that turns me off. Their beauty is often assisted by products, diets, doctors, and gym routines, which is fine if that’s your thing, but Kyson’s looks are a hundred percent natural and unaltered. He looks as if he barely brushes his hair, much less anything else.

He catches my gaze and his cheeks flush again as he dabs his mouth with his napkin. He sits back from the table, patting his soft belly. “I’m stuffed.”

“Good.”

“I should’ve thought about that though, for… uh, whatever you have planned after this.”

I understand the implications of his concerns right away. “Don’t worry, sweetheart.”

Our server shows up almost on cue, placing the check down and clearing away plates. I pull my wallet out and place several hundred-dollar bills on the tray, adding several more for a tip.

“Oh gosh,” Kyson says, wide-eyed. “That’s so much money.”

Reaching forward, I brush my thumb across his chin. “I was prepared for it.”

“Thank you. What an indulgence.”

“I told you, pretty man, indulgence is practically my middle name. If I had one.”

He giggles, pushing his glasses up his nose. “You don’t have a middle name?”

“No. I used to, but I chose a new name.”

“Oh really? Thorn isn’t your given name then?”

Hardly a common name in the 1700s. “No. Nathaniel William Quill. I thought Quill and Thorn had similarities, so I chose it.”

“That’s neat. You definitely don’t seem like a Nathaniel. It’s kind of an old-school name.”

“Definitely.”

“So your name is… Thorn Quill?”

I bark out a laugh. “No. Oh, I’m sorry to laugh. I just never thought about it that way.”

He chuckles too. “I mean, it would probably work.”

“My surname is Orpheus, given to me by my… oldest brother. We’re not truly related, but we are chosen family. We all took his last name.”

“Oh wow. That’s really neat.”

“Yes.”

“When you say we all, how many of you are there?”