Page 16 of Savage Ruin
I shrug, not wanting to say it out loud.
With a decisive jerk of his chin, he strides around the bed to the other side, fingers already undoing the top button of his jeans. Sliding them off, he reaches back and grabs the neck of his t-shirt and pulls it off, too. He stands by the bed in his black boxer briefs for an itty bitty blip of time before easing in next to me.
But it’s too late. The image of his body in those short snug briefs is burned into my retinas forever, and it’s hard to hold back my groan. I thought his naked chest was incredible, but his legs are sculpted and stacked with muscle, too. Thiago’s big, but I didn’t quite expect all of that. The man must work out a lot. Like a lot, a lot. Maybe every day. Dark coarse hair graces a few areas of his body, but the rest is smooth dark skin and hard lines. My heart races for an entirely different reason when I envision tracing each line and groove with my tongue.
I clear my throat to tell him he doesn’t have to stay with me. “Thank you.” It seems the words about him leaving are gone. Poof.
His warm body slides up against mine, causing me to shiver. He must think I’m cold or scared, because he pulls me deeper into his arms and practically wraps his body around mine.
Every inch of muscle imprints onto my tactile memory. And if that’s not enough, the combination of his subtle aftershave and the unique scent of him buries itself in my nose and lungs. Now, every time I see this man, I’ll be thinking of his delicious-smelling, hard body wrapped around me.
My hands stretch across the inch of space between us to rest on his hips. Hard, angled muscles fill my palms, but I don’t allow myself to grip him like I want. Instead, I force my hands to lie innocently on the surface.
His voice is gruff when he speaks. “I completely understand. For years, I had recurring nightmares about my father finding us, killing Mateo and Grayson, Marcos, and Tia Mariana. It took me a long time to feel safe. Talking to someone helped, though.” He leans back to look me in the eyes. “You can always tell me whatever you want. I’m a good listener.” Sincerity and a shared empathy shine brightly from his obsidian gaze.
“I…” I don’t finish the sentence because I don’t know where to start. The past and present have been thrown in a blender together and I can’t tell one from the other. Maybe with the similarities? “He.” I pause, my voice cracking with bad memories. “My stalker caught me once and held me for two weeks in a dark basement with only a single window up high.” Thiago stiffens against me. “When I woke in the warehouse, it felt the same—dark with a window up high. Diego unknowingly created the perfect environment for the old memories to surface. The nightmares with him beating me eased after I saw him die, but the fear of being trapped and held in a dark place is harder for me to get over.”
His hand strokes my back softly. “How did you move past it before?”
“Marcos demanded I see a therapist. She helped me expose my fears, and eventually, the nightmares stopped. I’ll call her tomorrow,” I promise him. Without thinking, I lift my chin and lean forward to kiss those stern, but tantalizing, lips in front of me. “Thank you for staying with me.”
He freezes. “Let’s get some sleep,” he states firmly, his big hand pulling my head down to his chest.
Embarrassed, I lie there quietly. Obviously, him being here with me is just a sign of his protectiveness and not anything more. Should I apologize for the kiss? I don’t even know what it meant or if it meant anything at all. I bite my bottom lip, trying to erase the feel of his firm lips against mine. He shifts and my face moves another inch, causing the side of my head to rest more fully against him. My ear catches the distinct sound of his rapidly beating heart.
* * *
Of course,he’s gone by sunrise. Unlike the last time, I wake the minute he slides out but keep my eyes closed until after he leaves. When I open them, the smooth pillow beside me catches my eye. Is the secrecy for my benefit or his?
Taking a deep breath, I brace myself and move up inch by inch until I’m reclining against the pillows, then grab my laptop off the nightstand. Might as well get some work done.
I search for the individuals on our list and find a few of them are now professors or executives at large corporations, so I send them a couple of emails to ask about Dr. Langford and their code.
While I wait for the answers, I grab a file from the InterPlanetary File System, where I hid an extra copy of the AR/VR code, and un-encrypt it. Once I’ve checked to make sure it’s the final version, I sit there for a minute, fingers tapping rapidly on the edge of the laptop while I consider the potential ramifications of what I’m about to do. I nod. It’s worth the risk.
I sift through the directory of a gaming company known to be on the verge of getting their VR glasses to work and find the individual in charge of research and development. Crafting a carefully worded email, I dangle the idea of modifying their glasses to be both AR and VR and suggest a possible partnership. I hit send and smirk.
Yes, the swap for the technology saved my life, but they killed Marcos, kidnapped me, beat me, and threatened my life. I’m not stealing the code back. The enemy can still bring the software to market, but I’m determined they won’t be the only player. We’re in a race now and the first one to market is going to win the lion’s share. Bring it on.
With a snap, I close the lid and lay the laptop beside me on the bed. A yawn catches me off-guard, and I snuggle down into the pillow and drift off. This time, my dreams are pleasant.
CHAPTER10
GRAYSON
Blood fills my nightmares, choking me with anguish and guilt. The sight of Henley in a bloody heap on the floor of the warehouse triggered images of Kira on the floor of my bedroom. Pictures of them both swirl round and round in my brain until my head feels like it’s going to explode. The two won’t leave me alone, and the urge to escape beats at me. This would usually have me jetting off to find the nearest adrenaline-filled rush, but not this time. The thought of leaving my family, and Henley, unprotected stops me in my tracks.
She’s been here two days. The last time she stayed with us, I felt the tiniest crack appear in my walls, but I deliberately ignored it. I admit to being intrigued by her but kept my distance. Until the night of the ball.
Watching her twirl around in that outrageous peacock dress, laughing and dancing with that idiot actor, made me feel a pang of emotion I thought I’d conquered long ago. To feel it again was a punch in the gut. Jealousy is destructive. It ruins lives. And it pissed me off to feel even a kernel of it.
When I joined Mateo and Thiago on the edge of the dance floor to discuss our next steps, I heard every word the punk said, but it didn’t bother me. After all, I’d spent a lot of time making sure everyone sees the surface me. I shrugged it off until she jumped in and defended me. Her words shook me. I’d done absolutely nothing to deserve them from her.
Still angry at myself for feeling jealous, I followed her out of the ballroom, determined to shut down the connection between us. At least that’s what I told myself. It didn’t quite go the way I planned. I mentally snort.
The picture of her standing against the wall—spitting mad and firing back at me, her chest heaving and her obscenely short skirt fluttering back and forth across those incredible legs of hers—makes my breath catch even now. A switch flipped and all I could think about was getting a peek. Just one, to satisfy my curiosity. I convinced myself it would be enough. Except it wasn’t.
The semi-sheer flesh-colored underwear almost brought me to my knees. In public. Consequences be damned. Thankfully, she had more control than I and pulled me back from the edge. Only to push me right back to it a second later with that scorching kiss. I laugh. I don’t know whether to be grateful Ava called out or not.
