Silence stretched between us once more, but this time it was companionable with the knowledge that we were on the same page.
“Goodnight, Little Star,” he said before turning over his shoulder and leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I heard the bedroom door shut distantly and took a deep breath. I hadn’t expected…any of that when I asked for his help with the shower, yet I was happy it happened. There was a lightness to my heart as I made quick work of washing my hair and body. By the time I got out of the blissful heat, my fingerswere practically prunes, and sleepiness began to wear me down. After combing my hair and using the moisturizer I selected from the products in the cabinet, I padded into the bedroom with my towel tucked tightly around my frame.
A giggle let loose from me as I realized he must have slipped back into the room while I was in the shower. A black shirt that was much too large for me lay on the bed, with a ripped piece of paper resting on top of it. Grabbing it and reading, I smiled at his words scrawled across it.
There’s a variety of women’s clothing in your armoire, but I wasn’t sure how comfortable they would be. I figured this might be more your style anyway. Sleep well. Xx, Gabe.
I dropped the towel before picking up his shirt and pulling it on. It fell to the top of my knees, and the scent of him wrapping around me made my toes curl and my stomach flip with a giddiness that made me feel like a schoolgirl.
“Pull yourself together, Kieran,” I murmured after hanging my towel up in the bathroom and seeing the flush on my face in the mirror. I pointed at my reflection and attempted to chide myself. “You can’t lose your mind over these men. There are more important things to focus on now that you’re not in Alfemir anymore.”
I swear if my reflection mirrored my thoughts, she would’ve held a middle finger up and told me, “Good luck with that.”
I crawled into the large bed, centered against the back wall, after turning all of the lights out. It was a little too soft for my liking, but it was a bed and pillow for me to use, and I was grateful. We very well could’ve been thrown out of the Rebellion camp and told to fend for ourselves in an unfamiliar world. I tossed and turned while trying to find a comfortable position, and my thoughts sobered before drifting to what we could be facing come tomorrow.
Amelia had been kind and gracious, but there was no doubt in my mind she would do what was best for all of her people here. If any of us didn’t prove to be useful…
I was going to drive myself crazy with these circling trains of thought.
I let out a huff and gave up on forcing my eyes to stay closed, finding the smooth white ceiling staring back at me. My fingers came to rest on my chest, twiddling together as anxiety began to build within me.
How could I ensure that we all had a place here, and in a way that benefited their cause?
Steele’s pissy face popped into my mind’s eye, and I felt my lips turn down in a scowl. Something told me he wasn’t going to make this easy, on any of us. I’d have to be on guard around him, in case he tried to actively make us look bad and sway Amelia’s opinion of us. No part of my heart thought he’d just roll over and let today’s events go. His eyes promised retribution as he glared at me with Gabe’s dagger pressed to his throat. He also said it himself—if he wanted something, he was going to take it.
My thoughts were consumed with endless scenarios of what could possibly await us here.
The possibility of being kicked out on our asses.
Losing Gabe if we were turned away.
Niz being discovered by humans, if we had to live amongst them, and him being taken or killed.
If we did stay here, potentially never being welcomed by this community after our entrance and Steele making his opinion about us crystal clear.
Not finding a purpose here, just like I hadn’t in Alfemir.
All reallylovelythings to be kept up at night thinking about.
My eyes burned with exhaustion, and I cursed my brain for not wanting to shut off. Didn’t it realize we needed sleep? Ireached up to rub my eyes blearily and paused when I heard a faint sound from the room to the left of my own.
That…that couldn’t be what my brain thought it was. My head was definitely in the gutter after that semi-hot-and-heavy moment with Gabe.
I dropped my hands to the side of my body heavily, straining to hear the sound again. The seconds ticked by, and it came again. This time, I couldn’t see how it was anything other than what my brain was telling me it was. Throwing the covers off, I padded to the wall separating my and Gabe’s rooms, pressing my ear against it. The soft groans were still muffled by the thick material separating us, but I was fairly certain he just groaned my name.
Instantly, my body was alive with the earlier sexual tension, demanding we pick up right where we left off. My thighs shifted together, seeking out some form of friction to satisfy the pulsating need there.
“Shit,” I breathed out, slapping my hand against my forehead as I began to pace back and forth, each time coming closer to my door. Finally, I came to a halt a foot away, staring at the doorknob.
There was no way in hell I was going to sleep without somehow fixing how damn frustrated I was right now. I’d already been edged once, but my body wouldn’t allow it to happen twice. Hunger drove me forward, and I gently turned the knob to avoid anyone hearing me.
We agreed to take things slow, but I didn’t need his touchon meto get what I wanted. This was a totally reasonable loophole, clearly.
I crossed the space down to his room, tiptoeing and praying that he couldn’t hear me as I pressed my back to his door. I could easily hear his voice calling out my name now, and the thought of him stroking himself to my image did something to me. Itwas empowering. The sounds sent a shiver down my spine, and the heat building between my legs was like an inferno I couldn’t ignore any longer.
Slowly, I reached down and began to gently tease my own body, suddenly thankful as hell for his long shirt and my lack of bottoms. The ease of access was much appreciated. I focused on swirling my fingers on my clit as I recalled our passionate moments together. Each groan that escaped his lips only fueled my desire, pushing me closer and closer to the brink. The sexual energy flowing through the air was heady, and I reveled in the intense pleasure that coursed through me with every touch.
