“You’re only eighteen, like me,” I said, dumbly, as if that would somehow make him innocent. I shook my head, trying to sort my thoughts into what I wanted to say, what I wanted to know. “I mean, you’re too young. And those men tonight … it was easy for you. Killing them.” His blank expression only confirmed that to be true. “And the last man. What you made him do to himself …”
Arthur released my hand holding the ice pack and smudged his thumb over my cheek, dragging my skin downwards. The feel of his hand on my face caused my temperature to spike to ungodly degrees. “So innocent,” he said, his warm breath ghosting across my cheek. “A true little princess in an ivory tower.”
I licked my lips. Arthur’s attention snapped to the movement. His addictive scent surrounded me, drowning me, pulling me down to whatever level of hell he resided in. I grew hot, Arthur’s clothes suddenly feeling like a blanket of fire.
My gaze dropped to Arthur’s body, to the skyline of the gothic London Town tattooed across his chest and abdominals. I lifted my hand to his chest; his nose flared as my fingers brushed over his hard pecs. He put his gin down on the floor beside us and placed his hands on either side of me on the sofa.
He was here, before me, cocooning me with his tall, muscled body, a cage of flesh and bone. I trailed my hand off his pecs and down to his abs. Arthur was as calm as he had been in the alley. I had never known anyone be able to mask their responses and feelings as well as he could. No reaction. Nothing seemed to shake him.
I wanted to see him crack.
I wanted to be the one to mine through whatever invisible shield he wore around him.
“Arthur,” I whispered, my hand dipping lower, toward his narrow hips. I saw him harden under his pyjamas. I felt him pressing against my inner thigh as he leaned in even closer. I fought to steady my breathing, wanting to feel every part of him without clothes. Wanting to feel him pushing inside me, his chest pressing against mine as he made me fall apart …
Then my phone rang, breaking the tension pulsing between us. When it was on its fifth ring, Arthur stood and took my phone from my bag. His eyes flared at the screen, and he handed it to me.
I looked at the screen. Ollie. Ollie Lawson was calling. “Ollie?” I said when I answered. A dark storm broke out over Arthur’s features.
It was the first crack in his armour I had witnessed.
“Freya said you’re at your yacht,” he said. “I’m coming over.”
“No!” I turned my head away from Arthur. “I’m already in bed. I’m going to sleep. I have a headache. I’ll … I’ll just see you tomorrow or something.”
Ollie paused for so long I thought he’d disconnected. Then he said, “But you’re okay? You just left the club without telling anyone. I searched for you. I thought you must have gone outside, but the alley was deserted.” I turned to Arthur, who was looking out of the glass doors at the marina, a cigarette in his hand.
The alley was already clear? Arthur’s men worked fast.
“Ollie. I’m fine. Please, just enjoy your night.”
“But you’re not hurt? Nothing happened?” A slither of unease sild along my skin at his persistent questions.
“No. Why? Why would you think I’m hurt?”
I heard someone speak to Ollie in the background but couldn’t make out the words. “Then fucking check again,” he snapped to whoever he was conversing with.
Shaking my head in frustration, I said, “I’ve got to go, Ollie.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said after a long, stretched-out pause. His words sounded more of a threat than a caring promise. I hung up and walked to Arthur, confused about Ollie’s strange behaviour.
My stomach was still sore as I took steady steps, but the initial pain was easing some after my shower and the pain meds that the doctor had given me.
“You know Ollie Lawson?” Arthur asked casually when I stopped beside him. He kept his eyes on the glittering lights of the marina.
“Yes.” I studied Arthur for another reaction. I didn’t know why I bothered. I was learning that Arthur gave absolutely nothing away unless he wanted to—I imagined that was almost never. “From school.” I felt a sudden chill in the room, so I