Page 85 of Watched

“I’m fine.”

“Trust me, baby, just lay there.”

“Trust you? Have you ever been fucked?”

He throws the wipe aside to take another and begin on my stomach. “It’s not me fucking you. It’s us fucking. Understand?” I guess he is right. “And for the record, yes, I know what it feels like.”

An unfamiliar pain rips through me at his confession. Of course he’s slept with people before, I know that, but is this jealousy? Am I jealous right now?

“You do? Who?”

An unreadable expression crosses his features before he whispers, “Blade.”

My eyes snap wide. “You-you and your brother have—”

“We aren’t blood. He’s adopted.” I try to hold in my laughter as I stare, a little dumbfounded. “Watch it.” He smiles before cleaning himself and reaching over to the front seat to pull out two thick white blankets. He sets one down and moves my exhausted body onto it toward him, then tugs the other up to my neck to cover me before opening the back door.

Lights span the horizon, the view breathtaking, and I realise we’re in the carpark at the start of the running trail I frequent.

I bite away my smile as he lays down and throws the blanket across his waist, pulling my head to his chest. I let myself relax and lay my arm over him beneath the blanket as he threads his fingers into my sweaty hair, the small gesture raising the hairs on the back of my neck.

“No one was going to see us,” he says humorously.

“This is a public place. The car was also rocking…a lot.”

“Blade’s standing guard, instructed to keep anyone from getting too close.”

I look up at him, and he motions toward the front of the SUV. I lift to my elbow, peering out the foggy windscreen to where a dark figure leans against the front, a phone lighting his face and a cigarette between his lips.

“Sex in public turns you on.” Rain smiles. “I figured you’d like it here.”

He didn’t see me search what I had. I was embarrassed just typing it in, let alone wanting to act on the thoughts. I’d deleted my search history, but given his skills with a computer, I can’t say I’m surprised.

“Did you?” His eyes search mine. “Like it, I mean? You weren’t too anxious or uncomfortable?”

“Yeah, I did.”

His gaze trains on my lips, his own curling. “Good.”

“What about Indie and Kilah? Did they hear you come in?”

He gently strokes my hot cheek with his thumb. “I told them I was taking you on a date. I think they knew I was stealing you away so we could go fuck, considering it was midnight and they specifically instructed me to ‘wear protection’. Indie’s words were, ‘pregnancy is irrelevant, but STDs are no joke, Rain’.” I laugh, leaning into his touch. “I’m negative, by the way. I also informed them of that, and Kilah said, ‘until I see the receipt of your last test, your word doesn’t mean shit’.”

I do love my sisters, and apparently, their care and protection extend to my sexual encounters.

“Bro.”

I jump at the calloused voice behind me.

I can’t say either of my encounters with Blade have been pleasant. First, he threatened to kill me. Second, I understand his distress toward Alexa’s situation, but he threw Rain against a wall. Now, seeing his expressionless face shadowed by the hood, I can understand Aaron’s discomfort towards him. His mere presence has me seeking Rain’s warmth.

“The detective stationed out the front of your house.” His terrifying eyes slide to me. “Can’t reach you.” They slowly move back to Rain. “Some man and a woman are there. Apparently, the door was opened, and the detective has been locked out.”

No.

I knew Dad would come back, but I didn’t think it would be so soon.

“I warned him not to show his face again,” Rain spits, snatching our clothes and tossing mine to me. “Come with me, but stay back,” he instructs Blade.