Page 55 of Oblivion

I let my hands drop from the body that lit mine on fire, and ducked my head to escape his gaze.

“I see.”

Gentle hands coerced my chin back up. “Don’t shut down, Penny. You’ve just been through hell, and first and foremost, it’s my responsibility to get you home safely. The rest, we’ll talk about later, okay?”

I nodded against his warm palms and closed my eyes. A tender kiss landed on the tip of my nose, then arms gathered me close until the elevator rocked to a stop. The loss of his embrace was immediate.

Dante looked both ways, then reached for my hand and led me across the hotel lobby.

“Tell me if you see him,” he commanded in a hardened tone.

A ripple of fear cascaded down my back. I tucked in tighter against Dante’s side as I frantically scanned the foyer, wanting to identify my captor, yet praying I wouldn’t have to see him again.

My voice came out small and timid. “No one looks familiar.”

He didn’t reply, but led me through the streets. I ignored the pursed-lipped stares we collected along the way, focusing on Dante and the protective aura he encased me in. His badass, fuck off vibes gave me solace, as did his body when he caged me against the side of a black Hummer.

The locks clicked and the rear passenger door opened.

“In you get, beautiful.”

Dante accompanied the instruction with gently helping me into the expansive backseat. He then filled the open door space. “Let me look you over. Are you injured?”

I shook my head. “Not really. My wrists and ankles are sore, but nothing… nothing too bad,” I stammered.

Dante carefully lifted my leg closest to him, and inspected the damage.

I grimaced with embarrassment. “He let me shower, but I didn’t have a razor, so…”

Bewildered amber eyes met mine. “I’m not here to inspect the stubble on your legs, Penny. Besides, it’s nothing compared to my face in the morning.”

“Yeah, but face stubble is hot. Leg stubble, not so much.” The retort slipped out before I gave it thought.

A wry little smirk tugged Dante’s mouth. “Hot, huh?” He scrubbed a hand over his face, purposefully creating a scratching sound that made my entire body flame.

“Stooop!”I drew out the word—almost begging for mercy for the sake of my mortification.

A deep chuckle came from his throat, and he gently put my leg back inside the vehicle. “Is the other ankle the same?”

I sighed. “Yeah. And my wrists.”

I held them out for him to inspect, and was touched when one finger carefully traced the line of the cable burn.

He looked up after I inhaled sharply. “Sore?”

I swallowed and blinked hard to stop more tears from welling. “Yep.”

“I’m sure Tate has a med kit in here somewhere.”

Dante’s tenderness and compassion landed on the softest, and already emotional, parts of my heart. He checked under the seats, then down the side of the passenger seat. A triumphant grin lit his face when he found what he was looking for. It was the same smile he’d worn in Vegas. The one that made his light-brown eyes shine with life.

I looked him over as he unzipped the medical kit. His dirty blond hair was slightly disheveled and longer on top, and a super cute furrow appeared between his light brown eyebrows as he dug through the kit looking for ointment. The muscles along his tanned forearms moved and flexed, and my attention fell upon the forearm that I didn’t dare ask about in Vegas. The one with uneven, gnarled skin.

He looked up and caught me studying the scars. Where he could have made me uncomfortable, Dante smiled softly and reached for my ankle again. The cream instantly soothed away the constant burning sensation that prickled along the red marks. I sighed and relaxed against the cool, black seats and let Dante tend to the abrasions.

“Hey, see anything?” came a puffed voice, then the other guy from the corridor arrived at Dante’s side.

“Nothing. He must have only just slipped out, though. Penny said she escaped as soon as he left the room. This is Penny, by the way. Penny, this is Tate. Tate also works at Cole Security.”

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