The Fortunates (Unfortunate #2) - Skyla Madi Page 0,11
as he places the tee on the basin and approaches me with the large towel. A mass of butterflies unleash themselves in my belly. They’re stupid. Kade has seen me naked plenty of times and still the fluttery flies release themselves from their cocoons. As he walks, he exudes calm control and I wonder if he feels the way I do. I wonder if his heart is beating as hard as mine.
He extends a hand and I take it, pulling myself to my feet. I step over the side of the bath, dripping water onto his shoes. On the mat, I stand still as he pats the soft towel over my wet body.
“There’s a cut on your neck,” he points out, darkness thickening this tone. “What happened?”
He avoids my eyes as he wraps the towel around my shoulders and carefully uses the edge to dry underneath my breasts and down my flat tummy. I take the chance to swallow hard, unsure if I want to inform him of what happened. How do I tell him the moderator who watched over me in the cell made an advance on me without provoking his anger?
“It’s nothing.”
He slows his movements, finally locking his intimidating stare with mine. “It’s deeper than your other cuts.”
“It’s just a scratch.”
Kade snaps forward, his hand snaking around to the back of my head. The towel falls from my body as his fingers tighten in my hair and I shiver as cold air clings to my weak body. Fear blends with excitement and my exhausted mind refuses to fight back, seeing Kade’s arms as a comfortable place to sleep rather than a serious threat. I shiver again and this time it vibrates my entire body.
“You’re scared?”
“You have me by my hair.”
He places a ginger kiss just below my bottom lip, a gesture to ensure me he doesn’t mean any harm. Funny, given his grip. What’s even funnier is the fact I trust him. I trust him not to hurt me. Foolish? I guess only time will tell.
“Is this what I have to do? Revert to treating you like one of them just so you answer me truthfully?”
“Have you tried treating me with kindness? I bet that would yield the same result.”
His broad, powerful shoulders square and I expect…I don’t know what I expect. I sure as hell don’t expect him to press his damp lips to mine. He kisses me gently.
“You know I’d kill for you,” he mutters, resting his forehead against mine, his fingers unrelenting in my hair.
Nodding, I slide my head against his. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Enough people have died because of me. I can’t handle anymore. My conscience can’t bear the weight.
I almost topple backward as Kade releases me, but I manage to keep from falling on my ass by leaning forward. Have I always felt so light in his hands? I straighten my spine, wobbling slightly.
He grabs the grey tee from the counter and holds it out in front of me. Cold droplets still run down my body and drip from my hair, but if drip-drying gets me into bed quicker, I’ll take it.
As he opens the fabric, I slip my arms through the necessary holes and let it slide onto my body. The hemlines stop just short of my knees and elbows, and the remaining droplets of water on my body darken the fabric further. I feel ridiculous, but in the grand scheme of things it really doesn’t matter.
With one guiding hand on my shoulder, Kade escorts me out of the bathroom, across the main floor, and over to his bed. I glance around. It has only been a little while, but it feels like years since I was here last.
The deep reds…
The browns and golds…
The memories…
A red hot flush heats my cheeks as I spot a little glass and tube with a bulb and on the end filled with half-burned grass. I remember that night…the night Kade treated me as an equal. The night I truly fell in love with the man he is on the inside.
Kade pulls back the heavy feather-filled blanket on top of his bed and I climb in. Before he tucks me in, he rushes around the room and closes all the curtains, drowning the room in darkness. I sink lower on the bed, pulling the blankets up to my chin, and in the distance there’s the sound of a belt hitting the floor followed by the sound of two shoes as they’re kicked off. My eyes flutter