Page 63 of Dark Fey Captive

The water vanished from sight, and the store blurred past. Minutes later, we were in the kitchen, and he was hanging the key again.

“What is all that stuff in the backyard?” I asked, looking through the door’s curtained window.

“Fencing that I pulled from the school last night. I’ll put it around the houses so you can feel safe again.”

His gaze swept over my clothes, indicating exactly why he wanted me to feel safe. He wanted me to walk around naked again. The idea didn’t upset me like it once had. The freedom to walk around naked in my own space was something I’d lost forever ago.

“How long will it take you to put up the fence?”

His gaze flew to mine. “Not long.”

“Then why don’t I hold off on the shower while you go work on the fence? It’ll give me time to warm up the water so we can both shower together later. How does that sound?”

“It sounds very good.”

He started to turn toward the door.

“Wait.”

I caught his forearm. Damn. That was thick. And hard.

“Do you promise not to leave me?” I asked.

His expression softened, and he pulled me into his arms. Another grade-A hug delivered with just enough squeeze, full-body contact, and a gentle back rub. I wrapped my arms around his waist in return, not trying to decipher whether the hug was real or just an act. It felt too good to pass up.

“I will never leave you, Arena. Ever.”

I had my doubts about that statement—in my experience, men always lost interest and left—but they weren’t enough to make me let go. At least, not yet.

“If you promise to stay where I can either see or hear you, I might be willing to sleep without any clothes on tonight even if the fence isn’t finished.”

When he caught my face between his large hands, I thought I was in for a kiss. Instead, he touched his forehead to mine.

“Which window will you use to look for me?” he asked.

“All of them.”

He nodded and would have pulled away, but I caught a temple braid and slowly drew him down to my height. The intense anticipation in his gaze lit me up on the inside.

I wanted to kiss him. Not the sweet, coaxing kiss I’d planned either. I wanted raw, real, and full of desperation. His…for me.

My pulse sped.

His hand slipped to the back of my head, capturing me as firmly as I’d captured him.

The moment stretched, the anticipation building.

I closed the distance suddenly, kissing him aggressively. He met my need with his own, his tongue stroking mine as he lifted me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, letting him lead the kiss as I hung onto him. It was everything I craved and fed a dangerous need for even more.

I wanted fewer clothes. The bed in front of the fire. And full penetration. And I let him know that by grinding against him.

A second later, I stood alone, breathing hard and disoriented in the kitchen. I reached out for the counter to steady myself and looked at the partially open back door.

Outside, metal clinked against metal. The sound plus the open door should have scared me. It was the perfect combination to draw an infected. But I wasn’t afraid as I walked to the door and peeked out.

Nav was shouldering a massive bundle of chain-link fencing. I watched him balance it and walk toward the front of the house.

I quietly closed the door and let out a slow breath. What was I doing? Why wasn’t I afraid? Of him? Of being left alone? Of the situation in general? The answer was obvious. I’d gone too far. Fallen in too deep. I was starting to trust him, lies and all.