back move with every step he takes. I’m so mesmerized by them that I don’t realize when we’ve made it to the dining room table until he stops abruptly, and I slam right into his back.
He spins around and grabs me by the forearms to steady me. His touch is gentle, warm, and makes me feel weird. Like he shouldn’t be kind to me.
“Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about,” he says, his voice softer now. “Sit down. You must be hungry.” Now that he’s mentioned it, yes, I’m starving. Though I’m not going to tell him that.
Looking at the table, I see that he’s already prepared two bowls of what looks to be some kind of hearty soup. Taking a seat, I let the savory smell invade my nose, causing my stomach to growl loudly.
“All we have is canned goods right now, no meat and no fresh produce. I wanted to be here when you woke up. That’s why I didn’t leave to get it earlier. Since you’re up now and know where everything is, I’m going to make a quick supply run after we eat.”
Bringing the spoon to my mouth, I pause. “You’re going to leave me here?”
“Yes, there is no need to worry. You’ll be completely safe here. No one is getting in.”
“Or out?”
“No, you won’t be able to leave without me.” He confirms what I already knew before adding. “But that’s for your own protection.” Like it’s important, I know that or something.
“You keep saying you’re trying to protect me, but you never say from who or what?”
His eye twitches, and I swear I see the cold mask of indifference fall back over his face. “Let’s not talk about that now. You need to eat. I can hear your stomach from here.”
Shoving the spoon into my mouth, I bite back a groan as the soup lands against my tongue. I don’t care if it’s canned soup it takes like heaven right now. In a matter of minutes, I have my entire bowl eaten. Zane eats slowly, watching each and every bite I take, like it’s the most entertaining thing in the world.
“You’re staring at me.”
Zane shrugs. “I like watching you.”
I swallow down the witty come back, and instead, get up and take my stuff into the kitchen. Placing the dirty dishes in the sink, I lean against the counter, trying to figure out what I’m supposed to do now.
Shoving out of the dining room chair, he walks into the kitchen, and my eyes gravitate toward him. I try not to look at his perfectly sculpted stomach, or each ab that’s on display and definitely not the deep V partially hidden by his low hanging shorts.
“I’m going to clean this up, get dressed, and then leave. Do you need anything while I’m out?” he asks, and I swear I can hear the smirk in his voice.
“No.” Staring down at the floor, I shake my head.
“Are you sure? This might be the last time I’ll go out for a while. We need to lay low for the next few weeks.”
What does that mean?
“What am I supposed to do while you’re gone?”
“Whatever you want. This is your home too. Watch some tv, read a book, or take a bath.” He tosses out suggestions like he didn’t just kidnap me and threaten people I care about.
“Okay.” I move out of the kitchen as he cleans up. Slowly, I walk into the living room and sit down on the sectional. Sinking into the leather, I wish I could enjoy it, but I’m too tense. My stomach churns, and I press a hand to it to keep the nausea inside at bay. Zane walks into the bedroom, and a moment later, returns fully dressed.
He stops directly in front of me and squats down, bringing us eye to eye. I try to avert my gaze, but trying to look anywhere else is impossible with him right in front of me. “I’m going to leave now. I’ll be back before you know it. Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone. Please. I don’t want to have to threaten you again, or worse, follow through on my threat.”
Chewing on my bottom lip, I nod. What the hell could I possibly do anyway?
“Good.” He smiles and then leans forward, pressing a kiss to my forehead. His lips burn where they touch my skin, and something strange erupts inside me. It’s foreign and confusing, and I don’t understand it because, in a strange way, that simple gesture is comforting