Page 83 of Reaper & Ruin
I headed into the tiny space, grimacing at the faint mildew smell. Inside a tiny cupboard, a first aid kit yielded a pair of scissors, which I pocketed without hesitation. The only other items were towels and soap, and extra toilet paper. Nothing of interest or use.
When I came back, Atlas had moved to the bed, lifting the mattress to check underneath.
“Nothing,” he muttered, his voice tight with frustration.
“Figures,” I said. “She’s too smart to leave us anything useful. You wouldn’t.”
He nodded, his gaze lingering on me for a moment. Then he jerked his head toward the bathroom.
“Shower,” he said. “Come on. I feel gross after those drugs.”
I frowned. “You seriously think now’s the time to freshen up? Or are you desperate to look at me naked, and distract yourself from our incoming deaths with a blowjob?”
Atlas smirked faintly. But shook his head and moved into the bathroom, stripping his clothes off instantly. I opened my mouth to say something, but he shushed me and hopped into the shower. He didn’t bother to wait for it to warm up from icy cold, which shouldn’t have shocked me, knowing Atlas, but it did.
I pulled out my purchases, flashing them at him before I hid them in my quickly removed shoes. Then I shucked my clothes and jumped in beside him, instantly feeling his damp skin against mine, as he nodded happily about my wares. No doubt already planning the fire he would set.
A Danika BBQ seemed like it would be fun.
“This thing is tiny.” I whined, but only half-heartedly. “You’d never have a threesome here. Heather would get claustrophobic.” I hummed. “Why did you want to be in here?”
He snorted again. “I didn’t know if the room was bugged. The shower stops anyone from hearing us.” He whispered, his lips barely an inch from my ear as we got extracomfortableunder the mediocre stream.
The tiles were a little cold against my bare flesh, but I ignored it. “I knew you had something about you,fantasma, beyond your pretty face.” My voice was just as low as his. “What’s the plan then?”
“Heaven would have called Silver and Emilio by now, which means we have a rescue coming,” he breathed, his voice barely louder than the water. “Not that I want to wait for my sister. I think we can get ourselves out easily enough.”
Without another word, he grabbed hold of my shoulders, pulling me closer as he swapped our positions. The hot water flowed over me, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the tiniest moment of respite.
“What’s the first thing in our escape?” I whispered, enjoying the steam against my stiff limbs. “Do we keep checking for things or what?”
He moved closer, snatching a bodywash from the shelf on the wall so we could both wash away the blood and dirt on our skin from earlier.
When we were clean, I pressed my hands against Atlas’s chest, letting my fingers trace the hard lines of muscle under his skin, and the tattoos that were stark against his paleness. His heartbeat was steady, and the faint rise and fall of his chest as he breathed calmed something restless inside me.
Perhaps it stemmed from stress. Or perhaps I was just insane now. But I tilted my head up, brushing my lips against his—soft at first, but then deeper, lingering, like I needed to remind myself that he was here. That everything would be fine. He kissed me back without hesitation, one of his hands gripping my hip, the other sliding up to cup the back of my neck. His touch was as firm as it was gentle, pulling me closer, anchoring me.
When we broke apart, I rested my forehead against his, letting the water stream down between us. “Do you think Heather’s scared?” I asked quietly, my voice barely audible over the sound of the shower.
The thought of her sitting alone in the cabin, waiting for us, gnawed at me. Atlas’s brow furrowed slightly, and he let out a low sigh.
“Maybe,” he said, his voice soft but steady. “But she’s braver than anyone gives her credit for. You know that.”
I nodded, but the tightness in my chest didn’t ease. “I just hate leaving her there with all this shit hanging over us. What if—”
“She’ll be fine,” Atlas cut in, his tone firm but kind. He shifted, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. “She knows the plan. She’ll follow it. Heaven’s smarter than both of us combined, and she’s tougher, too.”
A faint smile tugged at my lips despite myself. He was right, as always. She was brave; she was smart, and she’d been through worse than this without breaking. “Yeah,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “She’ll be okay.”
Atlas brushed his thumb across my cheek as he kissed me again, slower this time, like he had all the time in the world. “She’ll be okay,” he echoed against my lips, and I let myself believe him long enough for our kisses to turn harder.
Faster. Fiercer.
Atlas kissed me again, slower this time, and his hands slid down my back, leaving a trail of warmth under the hot spray of the water. His touch sent shivers up my spine. I couldn’t help but grin against his lips, letting my hands wander up his chest and over his shoulders, tracing the tension there, smoothing it out as if I could wash the worry away with just my touch.
“Have you got a kink for kidnapping?” I murmured, my lips brushing against his as I spoke, as my hand dropped lower. There was an obvious hardness between both of our thighs, but I was far more interested in playing with his than mine.
Atlas pulled back slightly, just enough to look at me. “I was making you feel better. Heaven always says you feel better after she makes you scream,” he said, his voice low, teasing.
