Alex didn’t believe that for one minute. She trusted Althea with her life, but that woman would try and find the good in anyone. She knew the history between Alex and the royal Rune family, and while she had no doubt that Althea would do her best to protect her, she wouldn’t ask that of her. She was spread thin as it was.
“I appreciate you dealing with him and returning to reassure me. I know that you’re busy.”
Althea inched closer to the door. “I would do anything for you, my dear. Now rest. I will be back in a bit to check in onyou and get you moved.” Her eyes shifted back to Davin before returning to hers. “We’ll be having a long chat aboutthatlittle development soon.”
Alex couldn’t help but smile as she watched Althea back out of the room. The door shut behind her, casting the room into shadows once more. Shifting slightly, Alex looked up, straight into Davin’s open eyes. Her own eyes widened in surprise.
“You heard all of that, huh?” she whispered, not really needing to hear him say the words. She attempted to move away from him, but he tightened his hold on her, pulling her closer to him. “Look, Davin, I know you have questions, and I swear I will answer them…eventually. Now is just not the time.”
His hold loosened as the words left her mouth. She knew she had hurt him, but with Tristan running around the Med Center, they weren’t safe. They needed to get to The Lavender Rose, where she could hide and be protected. Her father’s contacts would ensure that. Until she found out what, or who, Tristan was after, she couldn’t afford for him to see her. It could be another of Vivian’s attempts to kill her and she was about as safe as a mouse in an adder’s den lying in that bed.
Davin sat up, pulling her with him. She knew he could feel her anxiety building. He had come to know her. He could read her body language almost better than she could and while he didn’t know why it mattered, he must sense that she was upset.
“Just tell me this one thing, princess. Who is he to you?”
Alex’s mouth popped open.Was he jealous? Did he think that Tristan and I….gross!Alex had to fight a shudder at the very thought of that ever happening. There was no stubborn facade covering Davin’s features; his honest question hung in the air between them. “It isn’t at all what you think, Davin. He’s in with the assholes who almost killed me.”
Davin sprang out of the bed, carefully grabbing her by her arms. “Why in the hell are we still here then?” His eyes looked like molten gold as he stared into hers. “We need to go now. But where? I might-”
“Davin, take a breath. I have a place. It’s close by.” Alex said, cutting him off. “We just need to get there without being seen.”
Davin didn’t waste a second. He moved to where their packs were stashed in the corner, opening hers as he moved back towards the bed. Rifling through her things to find a set of leathers for her to change into, he began pulling things out of the pack.
“I can’t wear my leathers, Dav. The swelling… I’m going to have to leave in this gown.” Alex said, stifling the groan of irritation that tried to escape her. She did not want to be outside in nothing but this Gods damned gown.
Davin stilled, as his eyes snapped to hers before slowly trailing the length of her body. “Absolutely not. You are not going out there with your ass on display again.” He growled the words, his eyebrows creased in a scowl. “I’ll go see if I can find you something less revealing.” He said those last words as if they left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Alex gingerly lay back on the bed as he went out. How had everything become such a mess? Gods, how she wished that she was back in the palace in Varon, Rivka’s head in her lap, a book in her hands, listening to her seductively reading about a heroine making some poor eejit fall in love with her. But she would never have that again. And what of Davin? She didn’t know what to do with the feelings that erupted within her every time he touched her, or when he smiled at her in just a way that made her stomach do somersaults.
The door swung open again, interrupting her thoughts. Davin hurried over to her, thrusting a pair of dark breeches ather and a white shirt. They were too big, but they would be warmer than what she currently had on and, more importantly, for Davin, significantly more modest.
Alex glanced between the clothes in her hand and Davin, trying to decide if she should ask him to leave or turn around again. Deciding that they didn’t have time for her to waste, she started to ease the gown off her shoulder. Davin’s sharp intake of breath sounded a second before he spun around, facing the door, giving her privacy. A smile ghosted across her face.Mr. Monroe, forever the gentleman.
Pulling the gown the rest of the way off, Alex slid to the side of the bed, accidentally knocking the new clothing onto the floor. Easing to her feet, she bent to retrieve them. Fire seared up her side, a hiss of pain escaping her lips before she could stop it. She wasn’t going to be able to do this on her own. The gown lay on the bed next to her. Picking it up, she held it in front of her, trying to conceal as much of her nakedness as possible.
“Davin?”
“Do you need help?” He said, keeping his face firmly forward.
Alex sighed. “Please.”
Slowly, Davin turned, his eyes locked on her face.
“I dropped the clothes and couldn’t…” Alex’s flustered voice wavered. She hated needing help in any way, but they needed to get out of there.
Davin’s eyes traveled down her body before landing on the pile of clothes at her feet. Striding to her, he bent, retrieving the clothing from the floor. He placed the shirt on the bed, keeping the breeches in his hands.
He lowered to one knee in front of her, holding the leg of the breeches out to her foot. Lifting his head, his eyes met hers. “Hold on to me.”
Alex simply nodded in way of response, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder. His head dipped, hair brushing her inner thigh. His hand snaked around her right ankle, lifting her leg gently and guiding her foot into the breeches. The material glided up her calf before he reached for her other foot, moving slowly, so that she wouldn’t fall.
Once both of her legs were secured, he eased them up behind her knees and past her thighs, slightly turning his head as he inched closer to her most intimate area, his hands brushing her skin as they ascended her body. His arms circled her legs completely as he shifted the material over her round ass and his chest brushed against her. Her body shuddered under his touch and he froze, looking back up to her face, as if worried that he had hurt her, but there was no pain in her expression. Alex did everything she could to mask the desire that she knew swirled in her eyes. Turning so that her back was to him, she slid her arms through the sleeves of the shirt, the gown now discarded on the floor, and began to do up the buttons.
Davin stood behind her, his breath feathering across her neck. She bit her lower lip when she felt his hands grasp her hips, pulling the material of her breeches together as he tightened the ties holding them up. He was gentle and slow, taking care not to pull them too tight across her wound.
Alex sighed, her fingers finishing up the last shirt button, letting her head fall back against his collarbone, just as she felt him finish the ties. Turning once more, she faced him, tipping her head back to look up at him. Fire burned in his eyes, smoldering with desire. Gods, he was gorgeous, and his want for her reflected her own. She had denied it for weeks, ignored her body’s response to his closeness, the involuntary tremors his fingers pulled from her. Running her hands up his chest, she fisted his shirt, tugging lightly.
He hesitated, only briefly, before hishead dipped, capturing her mouth with his. Time stopped. His lips glided over hers, urging her to take what she needed. Flames erupted inside of her, a small gasp the only sound as she parted her lips, encouraging his advances. Davin’s groan filled her as he deepened the kiss, his hand weaving into her hair, pulling her closer still. Alex melted into him, giving herself completely to the moment, letting go of her fears and anxiety.
