He walks toward me, making me gulp. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to react to him now. He’s always been either my friend or my enemy, never anything in between. Objectively, I can say he’s a good-looking guy, though I never felt anything for him because Lee was my be-all and end-all.
Now, though, I don’t even have Lee’s ghost to hide behind. My eyes drift to Kruger’s scars. The ones on his face are the most prominent, though they’ve faded over time. I can only imagine how horrific they were in the beginning. The MC can be dicks, but there was an extra layer of cruelty giving him the name Kruger when he patched in. Like being forced to see the reminder of what happened to him every time he looked in the mirror wasn’t enough. I’ve seen grown men recoil from them, which always pissed me off, and women who looked like they might somehow be contagious if they touched them.
Such a pile of horseshit. I find him far more attractive with the scars than I ever would without them. I’ve never been into pretty boys, which is what Kruger looked like before, in the photos Lee showed me. His scars, though, take all that prettiness and add a savagery to him, taking him from prince to warrior. It baffles me that others don’t see what I do.
“You need help standing up?”
“I can do it.” I hate how small my voice sounds. If I were flexible enough, I’d kick myself in the vagina.
I grip the edge of the bath with both hands and take my time standing up. He doesn’t try to hide how he takes in every inch of my wet skin. I feel my temperature rise once more, but order my ovaries to control themselves.
He helps me out before tugging the robe around me. I slip my arms through the sleeves and watch him silently as he ties the belt before using it to yank me to him. My body is now plastered to his. I grip his arms to hold myself steady, my head tipping up to watch him. He looks like he wants to pick up where he left off before the knock, but I can’t.
Instead, I dip my head and press it to his collarbone, giving myself a moment to collect my thoughts and corral my wayward libido. He doesn’t complain. Instead, his arms wrap around me, holding me tight.
Tears prick my eyes at the unfairness of it all. How can something so wrong feel so right? Am I always destined to be the butt of some cosmic joke? When is it enough? Maybe I should buy a cat and move to the mountains, become that fabled old lady that the locals make up stories about.
As appealing as that is, I somehow know that’s not what’s in store for me. I must have been a horrible person in a previous life, never to have had the privilege of knowing peace in this one.
“Hey, Kruger, I’m done out here.”
I curse, tugging the gown tighter around myself before lifting my head and narrowing my eyes at Kruger. “Thanks for the heads up.”
He chuckles, as if I’m being cute, which makes my eye twitch. I’m not sure if this man realizes how quick he is to bring out my violent side, or if he just enjoys living dangerously.
“Come on.” He takes my hand and tugs me toward the door. I resist, but he wraps his arm around me, leaving me little choice but to follow.
When I walk into the bedroom, the sheets have been changed, making my face flame with embarrassment once more. It was bad enough when I thought it was Kruger, but making a prospect do it is mortifying. The man in question stands across the room, watching me, curiosity alight in his eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper. He frowns, looking to Kruger before his eyes come back to mine.
“I don’t understand. What are you sorry for?”
“Um,” I point at the bed.
He sighs and shakes his head, taking a few steps closer. “Are you really apologizing for getting sick?”
I bite my lip, not sure what else to say to that.
“You have no idea the shit I have to clean up at the clubhouse, do you?” He looks amused. “Honestly, this was a welcome break.”
I snort at that. But when I realize he’s being serious, I can’t help but wonder just what he has to clean. I think back to my days at the clubhouse. Though Lee always kept me close, I wasn’t blind to the other guys drinking until they puked, of fucking club girls out in the open. At the time, I never thought about what happened to the condoms, but now…I think instead of turning red, I’m going green.
“You’re braver than me.”
“Not so sure about that,” he muses.
His eyes flick to Kruger, who finally decides to speak. “Delphi, this is Con, one of our prospects. Con, this is Delphi. She’s?—”
I brace myself for him to say “Snake’s former old lady,” but it’s Con who jumps in with wide eyes.
“Holy shit, you’re the one who saved Legs and Midas. I mean, you took a grenade from them to keep them safe. You’re somewhat of an urban legend among us prospects.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Oh, you’re old lady goals.”
I look up at Kruger with wide eyes. And what does the asshole do? He cracks up laughing. I elbow him in the ribs before turning back to Con, who might be pretty, but I wonder about the size of his brain underneath all that thick black hair.
