“The blade?” Rabbit prompted, voice husky.
Smiling, I raised my eyebrows. “Using them.” A dash of crimson slid down the handle. “The sight of blood.” The drop splattered onto my dress. “Though the color clashes with my pretty dress.” I pouted, realizing that my dress was now ruined. My favorite dress ever.
“Don’t worry, darlin’,” Rabbit assured me. “I got plenty more dresses for you. All that design. Your favorite.”
“Silly Rabbit,” I whispered, feeling my chest burst with warmth.
“Enough for tonight. We have days to practice.” He turned and gestured for me to climb the stairs. I kept my weapons in my hands. I never wanted to let them go.
As I climbed the stairs, I stared down at my gun. “Time for tea,” I sang to myself on every new step. “Time for tea,” When we reached the top, I saw the sky outside had grown dark.
Rabbit came up beside me. “Time for a bath and bed, little Dolly,” he said softly. I wanted to argue that I wasn’t tired, but I saw in his eyes that he meant it. I wanted to obey.
“Okay.” I let him lead me back into the house and to the bedroom. The bed was large and covered in white lace. A white nightgown lay on the bed. Rabbit had disappeared to an adjoining room. I guessed it must be the bathroom by the sound of running water. I wandered around the room until I reached the closet. When I opened the door, I smiled in delight to see racks and racks of my favorite blue dress. My black-and-white socks were piled high in drawers, and lots of black headbands were laid out on a velvet-covered shelf. Finally, there were five pairs of my boots on the closet floor.
“Have your bath, darlin’.” I peeked around the closet door to see Rabbit on the other side. I blinked up at him and momentarily lost my breath. His cheeks were flushed, and in the bedroom’s bright light I could see every part of his face.
My Rabbit was very handsome.
He inched closer until his chest pressed against the wooden door. Swallowing, I pressed against it from the other side. It was as if we touched. My breathing became heavier the more I pressed against the wood. Rabbit’s became heavier too. And he never broke my stare.
Eventually, he said, “Go have your bath, darlin’. I got some surprises for you when you get out.”
“Okay.” I forced myself to move away from the door. I took the nightgown off the bed on my way.
“You can wash yourself, can’t you, darlin’?” Rabbit asked just before I reached the bathroom door. His nostrils flared and his eyes darkened.
Shaking my head, I laughed lightly. “Silly Rabbit! Of course I can.”
I couldn’t help but think that he looked disappointed.
In the bathroom, I undressed and sank into the warm bubbly water. I tipped my head back and thought of Rabbit. Thought of his silver eyes watching me. Thought of his deep voice speaking to me. And thought of him fighting beside me, wielding his cane without even breaking a sweat. My thighs began to clench, and a deep pressure built so greatly between my legs that I slipped my hand in between them and over my private parts just to try and find some relief. I gasped as a burst of heat shot up my spine. I snapped my hand away and sat up, wondering what it was.
But when I thought of Rabbit again—the way he watched me, the way he looked at me, the way he cared for me—that feeling came back. My cheeks blazed with heat. I wasn’t sure if it was due to the temperature of the bathwater or my thoughts of Rabbit.
The feeling between my thighs wouldn’t go away.
My eyes fluttered closed, and I slipped down the tub. My fingers walked down my stomach and settled back between my thighs. My fingertips ran over my private parts, and I moaned low in my throat when the ache lessened some. I kept going, thinking of Rabbit. Thinking of his inked skin—clocks. So many clocks . . . My lips parted and another moan slipped out when I pictured us fighting side by side. The way his eyes found mine as I had sliced my blade into the flesh of the pig. The way he stepped so close to me that I could feel his breath on my face when we had finished. Like he had wanted to touch me.
My fingers worked faster between my thighs, and my back arched as the pressure there grew. My feet flicked the water out of the tub when a feeling so addictive flushed over every inch of my skin. “Rabbit . . .” I whispered, not wanting this feeling to end. I groaned low as something big began stirring in my stomach. Sounds fled my mouth as my fingers searched for something I couldn’t describe. And then my back arched, my head fell back and my mouth dropped as a wash of pure light engulfed my body. My breathing was stuttered. My skin flushed, and a long cry fell from my throat as I became nothing but sensation.