phoenix on one of his thighs. The majority were gorgeous in design, exquisite depictions of dragons and other powerful creatures. Others were crude, as if carved into his body by a jagged knife. I knew they all meant something, a statement to anyone who saw them. I’d longed to ask him about each one of them, but I had the distinct feeling that he had no intentions of further discussions regarding his past.
He was a tortured soul hiding behind a persona of normalcy.
Groaning, I rolled over in bed, hating the scratchy sensations the sheets created across my body. I could still smell him, his scent imprinting on my skin. I wanted to keep that all day. Hell, maybe I would. I glanced around the room, realizing I must have fallen asleep at some point. Light streamed into the room through cracked blinds.
He’d checked on me. I’d heard the slight creak of the hinges just before he’d moved inside. I’d sensed him standing over my bed. And I’d known in my gut that he’d read the poem I’d been stupid enough to pen. There was no rhyme or reason for my purchase, other than I’d kept a pad and pen with me everywhere I’d gone since I was a teenager. I’d been able to find some sense of solace in writing when the rest of the world had gone to shit.
Now was no different.
As I lifted my head, I realized there was no noise in the house whatsoever. A moment of fear rushed in. Would he leave me here all alone? Would he abandon me? The stupid poem. Why had I been so damn ridiculous? The words weren’t about love. I could never love a man like Nikolai. Hell, he’d never allow me to love him.
I threw back the covers. The one thing he’d said was that he would do anything to protect me. What if that meant leaving me to fend for myself?
Oh. My. God.
I rushed out of bed, grabbing panties, my jeans, and a sweater from the drawer, struggling into them. I rushed toward the window, peering out. The room was in the back and given the trees, it was impossible to see anything. I grabbed socks and my boots, my heart racing as I fumbled to put them on.
Sick inside, I rushed to the stairs, bounding down them and staring at the fireplace. The fire had gone out. No one had tended to it after our… incident. Think. Think…
I didn’t see his bags or anything. Hissing, I rushed to the front door, throwing it open. My God. The vehicle was gone. No. No. No! I stood in the doorway for a few seconds, hearing his words about following his rules. I actually hesitated, as if his fucking rules mattered at this moment. Fuck it. I had to know.
Rushing outside, I closed the door with a soft click. Then I scanned the perimeter before moving away from the house and turning around. My stomach was in knots, but I was able to catch a slight glimpse of the SUV’s headlights and grill. I hadn’t noticed a small, dilapidated garage when we’d driven in. He hadn’t abandoned me after all.
But where the hell was he?
The chill in the air was enough to make me shiver. I took careful steps around the house, continuing to scan the property for any sign of an intruder. There was another building nestled in the trees. That’s when I finally heard some noise. Approaching with caution, I avoided stepping on any twigs or underbrush.
There was definitely someone inside. After taking another two steps, I was able to see the majority of the darkened space.
“What the hell are you doing?” Nikolai’s tone was gruff. He took long strides out of the building, glaring into my eyes.
“I thought you left me.” My tone was just as harsh, but a sense of relief washed into me.
“You know better. I would never leave you. However, you disobeyed me.”
“Yeah?” I asked as I swung around. “You could have awakened me and told me what you were doing.” Okay, my words sounded ridiculous. I could tell by the tension already between us that he was doing everything in his power to shove what had occurred out of his mind. I wasn’t a fool. I realized that while our attraction was very strong, his main priority was to try to keep us safe until he knew exactly what he was facing.
He chuckled in his usual dark and demanding way, shaking his head.