“The Main Building,” I continued, “and the bridges leading to the island. I mean, it takes up the whole of that land mass…at least it looked like it from here.” Once again, I had to trot to keep up.
“I’m no architect or builder.” He took us up a short flight of stairs onto a carpeted corridor. “You’ll be housed in the fourth-floor turret with the other Unwoven while you’re with us.”
“Unwoven?”
“A meal will be brought to you in an hour, and Polina will collect you at nine a.m. sharp to escort you to your meeting. You will not leave the turret tonight, is that understood?”
“Why not?”
He stopped and turned on his heel so suddenly that our bodies collided, chest to chest, long enough for me to breathe in his sandalwood scent and sip on the heat emanating from his body before I rebounded. He gripped my shoulders to steady me, and my head whipped up, gaze snapping and locking with his.
His nostrils flared, eyes narrowing slightly, and a sharp tingle rushed down my spine. I sucked in a breath. What the hell was that?
His gaze became probing, uncomfortable. “You’ll stay in your quarters becauseI’veasked you to. Is that clear?”
The wordsyou’re not the boss of mesprang to my lips, but I pressed them back. If I was going to survive here, then I’d have to defer to authority to some degree. So I arranged my face into something resembling politeness and offered him a closed-lipped smile. “Crystal.”
He released me. “Good. Now, this way.”
One more flight of stairs, and we entered a cozy sitting room decorated in a patchwork of colors, with several doors leading off it.
“The other Unwoven are at supper, but they’ll be back soon. They’ll no doubt attempt to coax you out from your quarters, but you’re to say no.”
“Wouldn’t that be rude?” I kept my expression open and innocent. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to be rude.”
He gave me a flat look. “I’m sure you’ll manage.”
He shoved open the door to the far right. “You’re in here.”
The room was plain and sparse: a bed, a wardrobe, a dresser with a mirror, and a small bathroom coming off from it, and that was all.
“I’d advise you to lock your door when you sleep,” he said. “You’re not the most welcome guest, and I have business to attend to tonight and won’t be on hand to play guard.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Hmm…”
Trinity, he was annoying. “Trust me, I can take care of?—”
In an instant, I was pinned to the wall, cheek to plaster, his hand on my nape. His body was a cage, powerful thigh pressed between mine, wedging me in place. Tingling heat spread out from every point of contact, bringing my body to life. What was this? What was happening to me? I twisted and bucked, but he had me trapped, his grip like steel, tightening the more I struggled, fingers pressing against my rabid pulse leaving me hollow and breathless.
A penetrating shiver awakened across my skin and gooseflesh broke out up my arms. It was a sensation I hadn’t felt for years, one that bypassed the relative numbness of my senses. Trinity, how was this possible? Butterflies erupted in my belly and my eyes heated with the threat of tears. I needed it to stop. For him to stop touching me.
I relaxed against the wall. “You made your point.”
His hot breath skimmed the shell of my ear, and my eyelids fluttered as a fresh wave of sensation washed over me. “I need to hear you say it, Miss Onyx.”
“Fine.” My voice came out as a croak. “I’ll stay in the damn quarters, okay?”
“Good girl.” The words vibrated through me, and another shiver skipped up my spine.
He released me, and I quickly slipped away, putting distance between us and crossing my arms to hold myself together. This…these feelings made no sense.
He watched me from hooded eyes, and silence stretched like hot toffee between us while my pulse continued to beat hard in my throat beneath the bite of phantom fingers.
I clenched my hands into fists, grounding myself, and fixed a hard glare on my face. “Was there anything else?”
“No. That’s all. For now.” He retreated from the room and closed the door behind him.
