Genevieve takes off her shoes and places them on the big turquoise carpet, then sits down on the end of the bed with her back facing me.
I take a few small steps closer to her, but stop right behind her and place my icy hands on her shoulders. Her body shivers. She starts to turn her head to look at me, but I stop her immediately.
“Don’t.” I demand, and she listens. Of course she does.
Dragging my fingers down her back, I start to untie her corset. Moving her long curly hair over her shoulder, she gives me silent permission to continue.
She pulls her dress over her head, and hands it to me to set aside. She sits still, naked, trusting me completely.
I pull my black hoodie over my head and gently give it to her, but I don’t look at her, not even a glance, only to let her know that she can trust me.
“Here, you can sleep in this, it will be more comfortable.”
“Thank you.”
She drags it over her head and stands up from the bed, turning around to make eye contact with me. The hoodie so big on her that it ends right above her knees.
“Thank you for helping me untie my dress, Ector.” She says, a hint of mystery in her tone. The way my name leaves her mouth makes me go insane, my body freezing to ice.
Genevieve puts the seashell pillows away and cuddles up in the bed with the big blanket over her body.
She takes out the braids in her hair and let it all fall down, then grabbing all of it, putting it up in a messy bun, the blond and pink in her hair blending perfectly together.
“Are you coming?” She asks me.
My eyes go wide and her cheeks turn pink.
“No, not like that!”
A smile forms on my face as I move towards my side of the bed and lie down beside her, lying so that my back is facing the wall. I’m only wearing a black t-shirt, making it easy to see that my wings are gone, cut off. I’m not ready for her to see that. Not yet.
“What are you looking at?” She asks.
“You.”
She blushes even more, which I find adorable. Then she wishes me a good night and drifts off to a deep sleep faster than I expected.
I try to stay awake for as long as possible, desperate not to have any nightmares. Staring at her while she’s asleep, I feel like a creep.
I feel so drawn to her, yet I don’t understand why. Spending time with her and having her near me, her presence makes me calm. So calm that I eventually drift off to sleep without my own consent.
Chapter 11
Genevieve
His ice-cold hands settle on my shoulders, a tingling feeling spreads through my body as he drags them further down my spine. The hair on my skin rises and a strong shiver washes over me.
He starts to loosen my corset, making it easier to undress and get ready for bed. I don’t want him to do anything more, notyet, and he doesn’t. He doesn’t do anything at all.
When he offers me his hoodie to sleep in instead of my dress, I gladly accept it. And as soon as I lie down in the comfortable bed, my eyes fall shut, making it impossible to fight the sleep.
—
Waking up a few hours later, stretching out my legs, I realize how well I slept in this bed, feeling the blanket clinging onto me like a tight hug.
As I open my eyes, the morning sun shines through the big window and its curtains. It takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the brightness, but when they do, panic hits me.
It’s not the blanket that is hugging me so tight, it’s Ector. My head is resting on his chest and his big muscular arms are holding me in a steady grip.
