And more importantly,whywas she letting it happen?
Because it feels good, she thought silently, as she looked at him.
For once, it felt good to just talk with someone, someone who intrigued her, who kept her on her toes. It felt good to whisper with someone in secret, at nighttime, through an open window.
And it felt good that Kirov was watching her with concern, touching her as though he thought a mere sunburn was the worse possible wound she could endure.
It felt nice to be cared for.
Which was pathetic. But Lainey ate it up like candy on Halloween.
“I hardly noticed it,” she lied. For some reason, she didn’t want him to worry. Kirov frowned, his cool fingers brushing over the burns. And she didn’t know why, but she whispered, “That feels good.”
His fingers stilled. Their eyes connected and held.
Then, he began to press his fingers over her warm skin again, smoothing over it, learning the dip of her nose, the fullness of her cheeks, the slope of her forehead.
It was surprisingly intimate and Lainey felt…too many things at once.
There’s no harm in this,she tried to tell herself, closing her eyes for a brief moment and she was tempted to smile when she felt him brush her eyelashes, learning those too.
There was no harm in letting him touch her. There was no harm in dropping her guard, if only for that moment.
It didn’t matter that her heart was stuttering in her chest, or that her nipples were tight with desire, or that she wondered if Kirov would explore other places of her body with equal reverence and patience.
No, it was only for that night. Because she was bored and lonely…and he made her feel decidedly not bored and not lonely.
That was what she told herself, at least.
Chapter Nine
Lainey woke up late the next morning, judging by the bright light filtering in her room and the way she was already sweating in her tunic. She’d kicked off the furs in her slumber and she simply lay there for a moment, the previous night coming back to her in a rush.
“You’re a fool, Lainey,” she whispered to herself, still able to feel Kirov’s touch.
She squeezed her eyes shut. Why had she let him touch her? Lainey was a sucker for touch, but she didn’t mean to let him know that. Not that she verbalized it. She didn’t need to. She’d practically begged for it with body language alone.
She blew out a breath.
Lainey didn’t remember how long they’d stood there, in silence, as he’d touched her through the window, but all too soon, he’d told her he needed to leave.
She hadn’t trusted her voice, so she’d simply nodded. And with one last, lingering look, he’d disappeared the way he’d come, his footsteps so silent as he retreated that Lainey knew Vixron wouldn’t suspect a single thing.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Lainey couldn’t help but glance over at the window and her breath hitched when she saw something placed on the sill.
Had he come back?
Hurriedly, she pushed off the bed and rushed to the window. The glass was still open, which explained why it was so hot in the room that morning. Lainey realized she’d forgotten to close it, so dazed and confused from her encounter with Kirov as she’d stumbled back to bed.
There were two objects sitting on the sill and both had her cocking her head to the side in puzzlement. The first one was a vial of a clear liquid. Curious, she uncapped it slowly, lifting it up to her nose to smell it.
The scent was pleasant, but had an astringent quality. Hesitantly, she dabbed a bit onto her finger and she gasped because it feltcool, like peppermint oil. And suddenly, she knew what it was for and why he’d brought it to her.
She dabbed it over the burns on her face and immediately sighed, feeling relief as the liquid absorbed into her skin. Way better than any aloe vera gel she’d ever felt. Carefully, she replaced the cap, not wanting to waste a single drop because she had a feeling she’d need it.
The second object was far more perplexing, but if Kirov didn’t leave instructions than he must think that she’d be able to figure it out on her own.
