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I’m sure he doesn’t want me to notice, but I catch him shaking his head ever so slightly.
Dean kneels in front of me, and I need to hold onto his shoulder for balance. He grabs my foot and slips off my shoe. Carefully pulling my sock up before doing the same on the other side. When he stands up, he kisses my forehead, then slips off his shoes and walks over to Dahlia. My stomach knots, I can only imagine what he’s saying… But she smiles and nods.
“Get some rest.” She waves, then walks to the door.
“Whoa, whoa,” Dean says as he grabs her arm, then he whispers. She nods, then goes to their bedroom.
I’ve spent several nights here. Either when I was too tired after a night of games, or when I needed a night away from my uncle. Even when Mr. Tilling was around, Dean would sneak me in after he went to bed and let me spend the night.
I stare at the bed. That’s all I can see.
I wasn’t supposed to go to sleep tonight.
“Come to me,” Dean’s voice lowers, and my eyes dart to him. He holds out one hand to me, the other in his pocket. His head cocked to the side as he watches me, his black hair a mess. Then there’s something else… Dean’s full lips are parted a fraction, and my mind flits back to how they were all over me half an hour ago.
I’ve only ever kissed Cain before…
I reach out to take his hand, “Ah!” I yelp as he grabs my wrist and yanks me to his chest. Dean wraps one arm around me, flicks the light switch with the other, and falls onto the bed with me. The moonlight shines through the window so that I can see him. Dean wraps his body around mine, leg over my legs, arm across my chest. He kisses my forehead, and I take a breath as I cuddle closer to him.
“I’m okay, really… You can sleep with Dahlia.”
“Don’t lie to me. You’re not okay, and neither am I. You’ll be lucky if you ever get me off you again.” Dean runs his nose through my hair, his fingers gripping my arm. It stings; there must be bruises where he grabbed me. “I need this, too, okay?” He kisses my shoulder, and I press my body right against him as his little spoon.
“What happens now?” How do I go on from what was supposed to be the end? My story was over…
“You stay right here with me, and we sleep. Tomorrow is a new day.” Grabbing me by the jaw, Dean turns me to face him and presses his lips to mine. “Goodnight, Zvyozdochka.”
I close my eyes, matching my breathing with his, as the undertow of sleep pulls me down.
Tomorrow is a new day.
Violet
Chapter 26
“Violet… Violet, my Flower, wake up.”
Cain’s deep voice breaches my dreams. His warm hand caresses my cheek, my mind teasing me. Cain hasn’t looked at me since he showed me his work and chased me through the woods. It took everything in me not to flutter away while performing his field exam, my fingers tingling and coming to life with every little touch.
The way he looked at me didn’t help.
“Violet,” the deep rumble reverberates against my ear, goosebumps erupting on my neck and shooting down my spine. “Violet.” Long fingers wrap around my neck, pressing on either side.
This isn’t a dream.
My eyes shoot open, and I’m faced with Cain hovering over me, his black hood creating an ominous frame for the darkness that bleeds from him.
“There you are, my Flower.” Cain loosens his hold of my neck, gently brushing his thumb up and down along my pulse point. I grab his arm, his bicep flexing beneath my fingers, and pull myself up so that I’m sitting with him. He flashes me with a rare smile and tucks my hair behind my ears. “Come with me.”
“Is everything alright?” I glance around my tent, no lights or sounds, nothing obviously wrong.
“No… It’s been too long since I’ve touched you.” Cain grabs the nape of my neck and slams his lips to mine. He sucks in and licks my lower lip, once, twice, then licks against my tongue, kissing me one last time as he smiles against my mouth. He’s never this playful. “You didn’t show up…”
“It’s Sir Lazeroff’s town… I’d rather not.”
“Screw that plan. I’ve got something better.”
I press my palms to his chest, and he chases after me, snapping his teeth and catching my lower lip.
