AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“There you are,” he said, his brows furrowed. “Are you feeling all right?”
“Yes. No. I do not know.” Olivia nervously picked at her fingertips.
Bradshaw came closer and placed his large, warm hand over hers. Olivia instantly stilled. She forced herself to meet his eyes. He had beautiful gray-blue eyes. She hadn’t noticed that before. Or had she? Perhaps she just forgot.
“I thought you looked a bit pale,” he said in a low voice.
Olivia let out a deep breath. He was truly worried about her. He noticed her. And that fact should have brought her peace, but it disconcerted her even more.
“Yes.” She looked away. “I do not feel well. I usually enjoy the theater—”
Bradshaw put the tips of his fingers to her chin and turned her head, so she had to meet his eyes.
Olivia swallowed. She tried not to avert her gaze again, blinking, trying not to panic. Why was it so difficult to look someone in the eyes? Well, not everyone. Jarvis’s eyes came to mind. She could look into the depth of his eyes forever.
Perhaps she just needed to get used to Bradshaw. That way, she would eventually feel more comfortable in his company. After all, hadn’t she felt uncomfortable with Jarvis in the beginning too? She tried to remember if she had, but it was so long ago.
Bradshaw ran his thumb over her lower lip, and Olivia forgot her thought. Her lips fell open while her heart rioted in her chest. He dipped his head, and her breathing grew even more labored. Panic originated in the pit of her stomach, and her eyes started darting from place to place.
Was he about to kiss her? Why? Why now?
All thoughts disappeared as Bradshaw’s lips met hers.
He kissed her.
It was wet and confusing and not at all pleasant.
Why do people like to kiss?
Bradshaw raised his head and grinned. “You taste like honey,” he said.
“I-I don’t think I ate honey today,” she replied instantly.
Bradshaw laughed. “No, sweet girl, that is not what I mean. Your lips, they are so sweet, like honey.”
Olivia blinked, not quite able to answer that bizarre remark.
“Come, your parents must be worried about you.” Bradshaw extended his arm, and Olivia took it.
She wasn’t agitated anymore. Confusion replaced any other feeling in her mind. And a strange numbness overtook her body. She wasn’t certain that’s what she was supposed to feel after a kiss.
Jarvis put on his Shadow’s attire and climbed out of his window. He had left the satchel with his clothing in Hades’ hell once already, and he wasn’t about to repeat the mistake. Besides, he wanted to test if he was still being watched.
He slowly climbed down the trellis and looked around as he hit the ground. He didn’t notice any movement in the nearby trees; there was no feeling of foreboding. Everything seemed peaceful, like on any other night.
Good.
He carefully made his way back to the Lykai orphan house. After he made a few rounds around the building and realized that the field was empty, he tried to retrace the steps he had made the night before, trying to find anything the thugs might have left. Anything that would lead him to the bandits.
Nothing seemed out of order.
The thugs had probably taken a couple of days off after the previous confrontation. Jarvis should have done the same thing.
He wasn’t exactly in the best physical form, either. His shoulder still ached, and he had bruises all over his body. Jarvis had come prepared, however. Aside from his usual sword and dagger, he had a dueling pistol with him. He’d strapped his weapons behind his back, so there would be no restrictions to his movements.
None of it seemed necessary. He didn’t find anything of note and nobody seemed to be pursuing him. At least not tonight.
Jarvis looked around one more time, uncertain how to proceed.
