Where was there?
For a moment, she couldn’t remember where she was or why Blade, one of the men from the only surviving team that had undergone the experimental drug program, would be anywhere near her. How did she even know his voice? It had been a long time since they were held captive in that glass cage, and even then, she’d never seen them in person, but she had been privy to some of the live camera feed footage to try to find workarounds for the drug’s side effects.
“You can wake up properly, darlin’, you’re safe here,” Blade’s warm voice soothed again, and Whitney found that it did indeed calm her. Comfort her.
Which was crazy given that he’d tortured her.
As sleep filtered out of her mind and awareness filtered back in, she found herself no clearer on why Blade was in her bedroom than she’d been in her foggy in-between state about how she even knew what his voice sounded like.
At least it was him and not Mark or Terry.
Although given the embarrassment of the last time they’d been together, she quickly rethought that.
Blinking open her eyes, she saw that he was sprawled out on the floor beside her. He had an elbow propped up on the floorboards, and his chin was resting in his palm. Wearing nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants, she got a perfect look at his toned abs as the room was partially lit from the lamp on the nightstand she’d left on when she fell asleep.
“What are you doing down here on the floor?”
Groaning before she could catch herself, Whitney knew her cheeks would be flaming red, darn her pale skin and tendency to blush when she was embarrassed. It made it impossible to hide what she was feeling, and this wasn't something she wanted to share.
What had happened in the gym was mortifying enough, she had no intention of humiliating herself all over again and answering that question was definitely going to humiliate her. Blade wasn't interested in her, him not kissing her back was proof enough of that. The last thing she wanted to do was admit that she was attracted to him and that when she’d climbed into bed, all she could do was imagine him in the bed with her.
While of course she knew what sex was, her information was all technicalities, she had no idea how one went about making love. Still, that hadn't stopped her body from heating as she imagined hands touching her, a long, thick penis sliding inside her. There would be burning pain at first as her virgin vagina was stretched, but according to what she’d read, so long as she was with a generous lover, who was attuned to her body, and put in some effort, then she would experience her very first orgasm.
But Blade didn't want to be her lover, and she was pretty sure nobody else would either. She was a weird and inexperienced twenty-two-year-old who had nothing to offer anyone but a lifetime’s worth of random facts about topics they wouldn't have any interest in.
“What are you doing in here?” she asked instead. When she’d gone to bed, then been unable to stay in the bed because the throbbing between her legs was too much and she wasn't brave enough to put her fingers there and do something about it, she hadn't been expecting a late-night visitor.
“Couldn’t sleep,” Blade replied, then arched a brow at her, daring her to not answer his question.
Whitney hesitated. She guessed she really couldn’t embarrass herself any more than she already had in front of this man. He’d probably call her an idiot for being attracted to him, maybe tell her something was wrong with her for being attracted to him after he’d tortured her, but the truth was, he couldn’t tell her anything she hadn't already said to herself. Plus, Whitneywas well aware of the fact that attraction had nothing to do with logic.
“I'm sorry,” Blade said, catching her by surprise.
“For what?” Apologies from a man like Blade were not at all what she was expecting. She was the one who had so much to apologize to him for, more than she could ever make up for in several lifetimes. What did he have to be sorry about?
Straightening, he shuffled backward until he was leaning against the ornate wardrobe that dominated one wall. There was a pensive look on his face, and she found herself holding her breath as she awaited his answer.
“Everything,” he said, and her brow furrowed.
“Everything?”
“What I did to you at the farmhouse, not making sure you properly understood that I wasn't abandoning you in the woods, not protecting you from Dragon when we arrived here. For what happened in the gym.”
Did his apology ease the sting of his rejection?
Maybe a little bit.
“Dragon apologized to me,” she said, not quite ready to address the gym situation yet.
“He felt bad. We all do when we lose control of our anger like that.”
“He also said … that it’s lucky I've been adopted into a family full of people who understand where I'm coming from and have my back.”
“You have been,” Blade rushed to agree.
“Is that how you see me? A member of the family? Like a sister?”
“Is that what you want? For me to see you like a sister?”
