His fingers dance over the scar, and he touches it the same way I touch it when I’m nervous. Closing my eyes, I let my arms fall to my side and just let him touch me. I revel in the feel of his fingers on me. Enjoying the closeness without thinking about all the craziness between us.
For a moment, I just want to be happy and feel safe. He gently tucks me back into his side, his fingers never stop caressing my stomach, moving back and forth right over my marred skin.
“Go back to sleep,” Zane coaxes, his voice deeper than usual. “It’s still the middle of the night.”
Exhaustion washes over me again as I settle deeper into the down feather pillow. My head feels heavy, just like the rest of my body. I shouldn’t feel content in his arms. I shouldn’t let him touch me like this, in an intimate but non-sexual way. I shouldn’t… but I am. And that’s how I fall back asleep. Content and happy, blissfully ignoring the danger I’m in. Tomorrow, I’ll worry about what I’ve let happen. For now, I’m going to let my captor give me a belly rub, enjoying every second of it as I drift back into a dreamless sleep.
16
I hardly sleep for the rest of the night. Not because I’m not tired, but because I don’t want this moment to end. It feels like a dream, one I’m going to wake up from any second. I hate that she had such a nightmare, but I fucking love the way she came to me. She let me calm her down, the way she opened up, letting me hold her, touch her. For the first time, it felt like she really believed that I was more than the guy who took her.
Lying there beside Dove, I watch her chest rise and fall for a long time. My gaze moves slowly as if I’m taking a picture of each part of her. Soft, pink, plump lips, tiny nose, beautiful high cheeks. The tiny freckle in the corner, near her lip. I don’t want to ever forget these moments with her.
It doesn’t take long for me to grow restless. I’m used to keeping busy, so I force myself out of bed, moving slowly, so I don’t wake Dove. I have some stuff to check, and I’d rather do it when she’s asleep, that way I don’t risk another fight or more questions I don’t have answers to.
Walking out to the kitchen, I close the bedroom door behind me and head to the coffee pot. I fill the coffee filter and push the brew button, listening to the machine work. A few minutes later, I take my steaming cup of hot coffee and walk to the library.
Setting my cup down, I kneel in front of the cabinet that holds my safe. I open the door and punch in the code, watching as the heavy safe door pops open. I pull out the laptop and phone and sit down in the recliner.
The laptop and phone itself are password protected, then there is another passcode that needs to be entered every time you connect to the internet. Having a connection built into the bunker was a pain in the ass but necessary. I need to know what’s going on outside, after all.
First, I check the video surveillance for Dove’s place, fast-forwarding over the feed. No one has been in there, which means no one has reported her missing yet, nor has Christian sent anyone else to kill her, which is good.
Checking my phone messages next, I find multiple calls and text messages from both Christian and Diego, asking when they can expect the girl. Neither one asks about Billy, so they must not have discovered his body yet, or they just haven’t made the connection.
“Hey.” Dove’s sleepy voice fills the room. I look up to find her standing in the doorway, curiously eyeing the phone in my hand. Her hair is a wild mess, and she looks, well, sexy as hell.
“Good morning.” I tuck the phone and laptop back into the safe.
Dove watches me as I finish locking up. “I didn’t think a phone would work down here.”
“It doesn’t. Not cell service anyway. I do have internet down here; I can make calls through that connection.” I say.
“Would you let me call Donna? Or Sasha? Just to let them know I’m okay.” The pleading tone of her voice makes my chest constrict, but it also gives