Page 30 of A Pawn in the Game
And when they do, a knot inside me unravels, draining me of energy. Suddenly, my eyes are heavy, and my mind is shutting down, the stress and alcohol coming to collect their due. I relax on the comfortable surface, willing myself to stay awake enough to notice if Sophie’s thrashing again.
But she isn’t. She sleeps through the rest of the night, and so do I.
CHAPTER 15
Sophie
My brain wakes before the rest of me, the memories from yesterday and last night painting a picture of reality in my mind: meeting the creepy uncle. Luka admitting he took my clothes to get them washed. Me barely managing to fall asleep. The nightmares. The grunting sounds that broke through the nightmares. Were theymoans? Someone calling my name. Me waking up to see a massive, tattooed figure standing almost naked in front of me. Strong pecs and rippling abs raising up and down with his breaths.
Fuck. My head is really screwed. I’m so used to feeling terrible that I’m able to feel horny under any circumstances. Able to have a sex dream amidst my mind replaying the worst memory of my life.
A shudder runs through me.
I wish I had access to the internet now. I wish I could research why and how it happens until I feel okay with it.
Rubbing my eyes with my hands, I finally open them.
“Aaaaaaah!” I scream, noticing the naked figure I was just thinking about next to me in bed.
He starts fidgeting, so I attack, my survival instincts kicking in.I channel all my strength into my fists and start hitting him. He’s built like a wall, and my hands hurt at the contact.
He lets out a loud groan before grabbing both my wrists and keeping them together, his eyes still closed.
“What the hell is going on?” Luka asks, opening his eyes.
“You’re naked in my bed. Get the fuck out!” My voice trembles.
“I fell asleep here by accident. Fuck, my head is killing me.” His head falls back.
I jump to my feet, grabbing a blanket to cover myself with, even though I’m fully dressed. He blinks a few times before focusing on me, his eyes turning from sleepy to narrowing.
“You’re actually afraid?” he asks, as if the notion is ridiculous.
“Of course I am! You were naked in my bed!”
“When have I ever done something to cause you harm?” he roars, and a fire lights in my belly, erasing all fear.
“You’re kidding me, right?” I drop the blanket and approach him to poke a finger into his chest. The warmth of his skin seeps into mine and I pretend I don’t notice it. “You’re the one who fucking kidnapped me. You’re the one who took my dog, or whatever the hell happened to him.”
He huffs and his chest rises underneath my fingertip. “Your dog is fine.”
“And I should just trust you?”
“Yeah, you should. Believe it or not, I’m not the bad guy here.”
“You can sell excuses to yourself all day long, but you’re the one who took away my freedom.” I remove my finger like he burned me and march to the bathroom, closing myself inside.
My breath is still racing with rage, and I rub my eyes with the heels of my hands. My brain knows he’s the bad guy. Why does a part of me trust him then?
Why is there a voice in my head telling me that the guy who washed my clothes or made sure I have vegan food wouldn’t hurt my dog? Wouldn’t let anything bad happen to him?
Why is there a tingle in my lower belly, replaying the moans I heard in my sleep and remembering the feel of his skin under my fingertip? The feel of the hard planes of muscle covered in dark artwork and a sparse dusting of chest hair.
I take a long, cold shower, trying to clear my mind. An hour probably passes before I get out, and he’s gone by then.
CHAPTER 16
Luka
