The sound of King clearing his throat behind us forces me out of my trance. I start to untangle myself from Alexie, but his teeth bite down on my bottom lip, keeping me there longer. A small moan escapes my lips, and he releases his hold on me altogether. As I pull away from him, a sly smile spreads across his face. Then he looks over my shoulder to King to say, “Be sure to take care of our girl.”
My eyes narrow at him.Our girl? I’m not sure if he’s giving me or King permission for King to join our little group.I realize I haven’t moved, and I’m still leaning down toward Alexie. He pushes up to press his lips against my cheek. “I’ll see you later,Malyshka.”
A pit forms in my stomach at the thought of having to leave him. “You promise not to disappear again?” I already know how pathetic that sounds, but after his vanishing act, I worry if I leave his side, it will be the last time I see him.
Alexie laughs, and I glare back at him. “Why are you laughing? I wasn’t joking. You left me before, or did you forget?” I snark back at him.
His laughter dies, and his face becomes very serious. His hand reaches for mine, gripping it tightly. “I can never take back what I did, but just know that I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, I wouldn’t do for you. I would walk through hell and back just to spend a moment with you. You are my life.”
Damn.He has always had a way with words and knows exactly what to say. The thought of mounting him right here, right on this bed, crosses my mind. Alexie usually knows what I’m thinking, and he tugs at my hand, pulling me a little closer to him.
“Ahem!”I roll my eyes at the sound of King fake-clearing his throat. Alexie doesn’t let go, and we continue to look at each other.“Ahem!”This time is louder than the last.
I pull my hand away from Alexie’s and turn towards King. “Should we get the doctor back here to check on that throat problem you have?” His eyes narrow on me, and his jaw tightens. A smile forms on my face.Damn, I really enjoy annoying him.
“We have shit to do, and I’m not trying to play babysitter to your little playdate,” King snaps back. As much as I’m irritated that King is trying to interrupt my time with Alexie, he’s right. There’s too much to be done.
Turning back towards Alexie, I lean down and kiss his forehead. “I love you.” I pull back and start walking backward away from him. He presses his hand to his lips and blows a kiss to me. With that, I turn towards King, walk past him, and out of the room.
I turn right, walking towards the stairs, but a hand grips me around my upper arm. “You aren’t going back to the basement.”
I freeze, my entire body stiffening. I’m too nervous to face King, unsure if I can handle what form of punishment will come next. His walls were finally starting to fall, and then that stupid fucking video was sent to him.You’re not allowed to be mad that he saw that video. You were lying to him, and you knew it would end up like this.What did I really expect? King and I riding off into the sunset together with Conrad and Stryker. That we’d all be one big happy foursome.
I feel the corners of my lips turn up at the word. All of them. At one time. My mind races with the possibilities.How would that even work? Where would they…
“Jesus! Do you ever pay attention?” King’s voice, along with a sharp tug on my arm, disrupts my daydream.And it was a good one at that.
Now facing King, I remember he said I wasn’t going to the basement, and he was probably leading me to my next punishment. “If I’m not going to the basement, then where would you like me?”
His left eyebrow arches up at my sassy question. He takes a moment, and I know where he would like me. Not that he would admit that now, anyway.You already ruined that, Nat.When he says nothing, I speak up. “Now, who’s the one getting lost in their thoughts? I sure hope they’rereally, really goodones.”
King’s eyebrow drops, and a heavy sigh escapes his mouth. “That good, huh?” I laugh as King rolls his eyes at me.
King turns around, never letting go of my arm, and leads me down the other end of the hall. We pass a few closed doors.I wonder what’s behind doors one, two, and three.He pushes open the door to a room at the end and ushers me past him and through the doorway.
Inside is a bedroom. Nothing stands out about the room except that it’s a large bedroom. A king-size bed is pushed against one wall, and on the opposite side of the room, there is a couch that sits under a large window. The window overlooks the backyard and landscape beyond. The view is beautiful, and I can see why someone would want this as their room.
The confusion comes next.Why am I being brought to this room?I turn back towards King, who has his arms crossed and is leaning against the door frame. “You’ll be staying in this room. The bathroom is through the door there,” he informs, gesturing towards a door a few feet from him. “Take a shower, quickly, because after that, we’re all going to have a little chat about what the fuck is going on.”
I nod my head to King but say nothing. Instead, I walk to the bathroom and notice that he goes to sit down on the couch in the room, picking up and opening a laptop that was sitting on it. “Is this your room?” I ask.
Still looking at his computer screen, he replies, “Yes.” King lifts his eyes to look at me. “Is that a problem?” I shake my head. “Good. This is also where you’re going to be staying as well for the foreseeable future,” he adds casually.
“What?” My mind goes in a million directions all at once.Why? Did something change, and I’m not being punished anymore? If so, why his room?
King sees me, paused in thought, and sets down his laptop, getting up from the couch. It only takes him a few strides until he’s standing directly in front of me. “Would you rather go back to the basement?”Obviously not, you dickhole.I only shake my head. “That’s what I thought. The arrangement agreed upon was you will stay here with me and–”
“Wait! What? With you?” I ask, my voice frantic.
His hand presses on the wall just above my head as he leans over me.Sweet lord.Sometimes I forget just how big he is.Focus, Nat.“Do you really think that we’re going to leave you alone? To not have eyes on you at all times? This is the deal. Take it or leave it.”
I swallow hard. “Fine. I prefer the right side of the bed, though,” I counter, gaging just how much leeway I have with him.
King lets out a short laugh. “Oh, Luci. There is no chance in hell we’re sleeping next to each other.” He leans down closer, so his mouth is next to my ear. His hot breath fans across the side of my face. “Would you even trust yourself in the same bed as a, what did you call me? A tall, Viking looking, asshole.”
My cheeks immediately heat, and I know they must be cherry red.He heard me.King takes a step back and smirks when he sees just how red his comment made me. Then he says, “Now, if you don’t mind, go take a shower. You’re starting to smell.” My mouth drops open as he turns to walk back to the couch.
I stand there for a moment, soaking in all the embarrassment.Also, standing there in my soaked panties.Before I turn to walk into the bathroom, I decide,fuck it,let’s play this game with King. He’s sitting back on the couch with his feet propped up on one end, looking at his screen again. “I thought there were supposed to be eyes on me at all times, but if I take a shower, then there are no eyes on me.” King’s gaze slowly raise from his screen as I put a hand on my popped-out hip and tilt my head to the side slightly.