Page 44 of Silent Lucidity

He cansmellmy desire.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she snapped her gaze up to his. Hunger had rekindled in his eyes, and his pupils were expanding. He took a step toward her.

Oh, fuck. I need to get out of here.

“Shower’s yours! Enjoy!” Abella darted through the doorway and slammed the door shut behind her. She leaned against it, clutching the towel to her heaving chest. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

What was she going to do? She’d never been with a man who elicited even a fraction of the response from her body that Tenthil had, and no one had ever looked at her with even a sliver of the passion that blazed in his eyes. However much she wanted to resist, she was undeniably, inexplicably drawn to him.

He’s my captor. He’s no better than Cullion…

But hewas. He’d never harmed her—except the bite, but even that had been pleasurable—and treated her as though she were the most precious thing in his life. Not because he wanted to show off his status by parading around an exotic pet, but because hecared.

No. She couldn’t afford to develop…feelingsfor him. Couldn’t allow herself to care.

But she did. And she wanted him.

“It’s just sex,” she whispered.

But it wouldn’tjustbe sex. It never was for Abella. She’d never been one to have casual sex; she had tofeelsomething, had to feel like she mattered. If she were to go all the way with Tenthil, something inside her would shift irreversibly, and he would consume her.

She would becomehis.

Andhewould be hers.

What kind of life could she have with him? He was akiller. She’d seen him take lives without hesitation, and he’d admitted to being an assassin in a matter-of-fact tone. He seemed to have no remorse for what he’d done.

But he said he didn’tenjoyit. Doesn’t that count for something?

If she stayed with him, they would constantly be on the run, forever hunted by shadowy forces.

She missed her home, missed her family, and she finally had a real chance to get back to them. She needed to seize the opportunity. She couldn’t let herself get distracted, couldn’t let lust cloud her mind. She couldn’t let her heart warm toward Tenthil any more than it already had.

The shower came on, its sound muffled but unmistakable through the door at her back. She breathed a sigh of relief; he wasn’t coming after her.

Abella’s eyes fell on the backpack atop the bed.

He’s not coming after me.

She turned around and stared at the bathroom door, placing her palms against it softly as though it would burst open at any moment. After a few seconds, she backed away, one hesitant step at a time. The tone of the water changed; he’d stepped into the shower.

Now was her chance.

She crept to the bed and opened the backpack, sorting through its contents until she found the extra clothing Tenthil had packed. She dropped the towel and dressed quickly, her heart pounding, her eyes flicking constantly toward the bathroom. Her gear was in there with him; hopefully, that would make him think she didn’t plan on going anywhere. She looped his belt around his waist, brushing her fingertips over the blaster as she drew in a shaky breath.

Abella tiptoed to her boots—she’d kicked them off when she first entered the bedroom—and stepped into them. She gently closed the door once she’d exited the bedroom before hurrying to the chair to pick up her cloak and whip it over her shoulders.

So long as she kept her hood up, her head down, and didn’t call attention to herself, she could find one of the Eternal Guard peacekeepers stationed throughout the city. She’d seen them on several occasions while caged on the back of Cullion’s hovercar and had spotted a few while traveling here with Tenthil. They’d know where the human embassy was; they would help her.

Soon, she’d be on her way home.

As she reached the door, Abella hesitated and glanced toward the bedroom over her shoulder.

She’d asked Tenthil repeatedly to take her to the embassy, to help her find her way home, and he’d refused to answer. Tenthil had secrets—likely more than she could imagine—but he struck her as guarded, not dishonest. He’d avoided answering her because he had no intention of bringing her to her people.

He thought he was protecting her, but he was taking away her choice in the process. He was ignoring her wishes. He was acting like her owner, not her defender.

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