Page 72 of Red Rabbit
“That’s what I said too!” She smiled but it didn’t make it all the way to her eyes. “He—he isn’t a good man but he took care of me—in his own way.”
I brought her hand up and kissed the back softly.
“I wish I could erase everything bad that happened to you in that place and replace it with something good.”
“I thought you didn’t like me,” she said, looking up at me. I could tell she tried for sarcasm but it came out serious.
“I’m not sure if I can keep up that ruse, princess,” I said. Every time I looked at her I kept thinking about the night in the tent and the way she looked under me. Wild and beautiful.
“Don’t pity me,” she said, frowning at me.
“What we shared in that tent wasnotpity,” I said dryly.
“What if Pax—what if he ruined sex for me forever?”
“You’ll reclaim it. When you’re ready.”
“That night in the tent—that’s how it’s supposed to feel.”
It wasn’t a question.
The air was suddenly crackling between us. My thumb continued to sweep over her knuckles but now every ridge felt sensual. The rise and fall, a caress over her skin. Neither of us moved and for once I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to push her.
“I would kiss you right now, if things were different,” I said, my voice low and full of promise. I didn’t care how fucked up it was, I wanted her. Her lips parted as she stared at me and I could see the war happening in her eyes. My other hand came up and slowly traced the bruise on her jaw. She just barely stopped her flinch and I ran my thumb over her bottom lip.
She sighed in pleasure and took a small step towards me. I put her hand I was holding on my chest and let go, letting her decide if she wanted to keep it there. I leaned down towards her lips and she tensed but I stopped inches from her face.
“You’re the one in control,” I whisper.
I could feel her hand on my chest trembling and then her fingers closed in on my shirt and she leaned in the last few inches, slowly bringing her lips up to mine.
The kiss was stiff and I could taste her fear. I didn’t move towards her but continued to run my thumb over her cheek. I gently slid my tongue over her lower lip and she pressed into me, her other hand going around my neck, deepening the kiss. I kissed her until we were both breathless and she stepped back,flushed and hesitant but the fear was gone from her eyes. I let her step back but I shifted my hips and she looked down.
“I’m sorry,” she said sheepishly, seeing my arousal. I chuckled and adjusted myself with a shrug.
“Baby, that’s just what your kiss does to me.”
She blushed further and gave me a small but genuine smile.
A crash of thunder sounded outside and she jumped. A moment later we heard the heavens open and rain started pounding on the roof. I moved out of the way and she stepped past me, walking back into the computer room we seemed to have established as our base. I dug out the pack and pulled out a blanket and then some of the dried food. She carefully pulled off her jeans. I saw the way she winced before she sat down with me. My flannel swamped her and I knew the jeans rubbed painfully on the cuts. I found her watching me and I handed her some of the food.
“Did you hunt? That’s not fish.”
I was glad she was registering the food now. She barely could keep anything down for the last few days.
“Yeah,” I said, handing her more of the dried meat. “After I recovered I set up camp and did some hunting and fishing.” We ate quietly for a few minutes and then I saw her staring at me again.
“Who’s Trav?” She asked.
“Travis is my brother,” I said.
I was going to leave it at that but maybe it was her rawness or the fact that the past seemed so close in this god forsaken forest but I continued.
“We were deployed together. Cooper too. The three of us joined a private military company after we were out and eight years ago during one of the assignments the three of us were captured along with four others on our team. They tortured usfor information and then took Trav and a few of the others somewhere else.”
I was barely conscious when I noticed them untying Trav. He was shaking in pain and his struggles were weak.
“What—stop—” I mumbled, trying to focus. My voice was barely audible and my throat felt like sandpaper. I realized what was happening and reality sharpened. I jerked against the ropes holding me but it did nothing but send pain shooting through me. “Trav—”
