Page 47 of Riv's Sanctuary

The other hand moved to her midsection and rubbed the soft flesh there in a slow circular motion, a smile on her face.

His gaze fastened there, at where her hand touched her skin, and he found himself staring, unable to look away.

“T-ank yoo. Yoo hav noh aidee-yuh how good dat was.”

No idea what she was saying but she looked far too pleased about this.

Pleased wasn’t what he’d been going for.

Phek.

He had no idea what he’d been going for.

He shouldn’t have brought the bowl to her in the first place.

It was this same generosity that always got him in trouble in the past.

Growling, he lifted himself off the wall and stalked forward, taking the empty bowl from her hands.

He made to walk away when he felt the warmth of her palm against his arm.

Stiffening, his gaze fell to where the heat was spreading across his skin, and he realized she’d held on to him.

He stopped moving, staring at her hand for moments that seemed to pass by slowly.

She was touching him.

Touching him. AGAIN.

The one sense he’d denied himself of for so long was now something he’d received twice in such a short space of time.

Her palm felt as if it was burning against his skin and when she snatched her hand away and his gaze met hers, her wide-eyed stare was frozen on his face.

“Saw-ree, ai—” She blinked a few times, her gaze darting away before returning. “Ai need too sho-wher.”

She was talking again.

Riv frowned at her as she went on, seemingly unable to stop once she’d started now.

She was making motions with her hands, her mouth moving quickly and she ran her hands through her hair, over the skin on her face, and down her body.

It was hard focusing on what she was trying to tell him. All he could feel was the imprint of that small hand against his skin.

It took him a few moments as he frowned down at her before he realized what she wanted.

The cleansing room.

With a grunt, he jerked his head toward the corridor. He didn’t trust himself to speak at the moment.

12

Lauren awoke, her eyes flying to the wall again and expecting to see the transparent shield there.

No.

She wasn’t in the zoo anymore. She was at Riv’s Sanctuary.

Swallowing hard, she turned onto her back and stared ahead.

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