by KB Anne
He dipped his head toward me. My eyes closed automatically. When nothing happened, I peeked through my eyelids, and he was gone. I spun around in time to see him cowboy moseying over to the far side of the bed.
I couldn’t help but smile at his cute little walk as I sighed with relief. I was glad he didn’t kiss me. Really I was. With a ruthless organization after me and psychotic grandparents kidnapping me and the whole faerie princess thing, I couldn’t complicate my life with some boy. Boys were one complication I could do without.
I returned to my side of the bed and realized I had never slept in a bed with a boy, except for last night and I didn’t remember that. Heat rose to my cheeks again. Crawling under the covers, I faced away from him. Away was good. Away was safe. “Sweet dreams, Christian.”
“They will be now, Sunshine,” he said. I froze. He sounded close, really close. Was he facing me?
Breathe, Starr. Breathe!
“Oh and Starr,” he whispered. I could feel his hot breath against my neck. “Don’t forget my virtue, okay?”
“I’ll try to remember,” I purred, feeling brave in the darkness again, but my nerves were a knot of emotion.
Chapter Seventeen
My inner clock woke me up, but I kept my eyes closed. I felt like someone was watching me, and I knew who that someone was, and I knew he was in the bed next to me, and I knew he’d most likely make some kind of joke or comment about it. I didn’t know what I was going to do. I couldn’t fake sleep forever. I wasn’t Sleeping Beauty.
Starr, don’t let him get the better of you.
But no matter how self-confident by inner voice pretended to be, nothing could have prepared me for the shock I received when I opened my eyes. A sliver of space separated our lips. Without meaning to, I jerked away from him.
“Good morning, Sunshine!” he sang. I tried to say “good morning” back, but the words got caught in my throat. I smiled instead.
His head rested against the pillow. Mischief danced across his face before he spoke. “Starr, last night, you promised me my virtue would remain intact,” he said, raising an eyebrow—a very sexy eyebrow.
The only word I could muster was, “And?”
He pushed himself up from the pillow and swept his hand across the bed. I sat up too and realized I was on his side.
“Oh sorry,” I mumbled, looking away from him. I couldn’t believe I snuggled up to him. I never even slept with a teddy bear.
With a disapproving nod, he said, “I should hope so.” He nestled back down against his pillow. Without saying a word, I shifted over to my side of the bed and hopped out.
“Hey, where you going?”
I bent down to touch my toes to avoid facing him. It was much easier to joke if I couldn’t see his face. “Protecting your virtue!”
“Oh… right,” he said. He sounded disappointed. That fact made my stomach flutter even more. An entire colony of monarchs were growing in there.
I stood up and tried to smooth my bedraggled hair. I wanted to keep the conversation flowing, so there was no awkward silence. Plus I wanted some information—I didn’t plan on being caught unaware of my location again. “Where are we anyway?”
“We’re about two hours from the cabin. Close enough to get there today, but far enough away that if anyone does see you, they won’t figure out where we are going.”
I didn’t miss the emphasis he placed on we. “Christian,” I said, willing myself to speak. “Christian, I’m going off on my own. I can’t ask you to run away with me. I won’t risk you getting hurt.”
He swung his legs over the side of the bed. “You didn’t ask me to run with you, and I am not going to get hurt.”
“You can’t know that!” I shouted, not sure why I had to be so loud about it. I shook my head back and forth.
“I can and I do,” he replied, crossing his arms. “And by the way, you’re not going off on your own. I am not taking my eyes off of you again.” He brought two fingers up to his eyes and then pointed at me, the universal “I got my eyes on you” sign.
“Christian, I ...”
He closed the distance between us. His finger slid over my lips. Shockwaves zipped through my body.
The room suddenly felt suffocating. I couldn’t breathe. I wanted him to kiss me. I really, really did. I didn’t care about the Organization. I didn’t care about my grandparents. I didn’t care if I was a faerie princess. I just wanted to kiss him then I remembered the veil of cobwebs that covered my face last night. Did I get them all off during my shower? What if there was still residue? After all, the water pressure was terrible. There’s nothing romantic about cobwebs. I pulled away from him breaking the spell. “Do you mind if I take another shower?”
He slowly nodded in response. His stunned expression returned my confidence. I got to him as much as he got to me.
“Thanks.” I smiled and skipped to the bathroom feeling pretty full of myself.
“Wait!”
I put my hand on my hip. “I can’t take a shower without you now? You are really starting to push you luck.”
“Hmm, I hadn’t considered that. I trust you not to sneak out the bathroom window. I bought clothes for you yesterday. I’ll go get them. The bags are in the car….” He paused at the door. He came over and grabbed my hand. “Let’s go.”
“Christian,” I protested, “I won’t go anywhere.”
“Nope, you’re coming with me. I’m not leaving you again. Let’s go.” He half-dragged, half-led me to the car. All the while my hand tingled from his touch. Minutes later, we returned to the room with loads of bags that he insisted on carrying in one hand while keeping a firm grip on me with the other. He was going to need a major attitude adjustment of what females could and couldn’t do pretty soon. He only released me when we got back to the room as he placed the majority of the bags in front of me.
“Is all this for me?”
“Are there other girls on the run in need of protection?”
“It’s too much! You’ve spent way too much on me already. The rooms, the muffins….”
He flopped on the bed. “It’s nothing.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. I could feel tears well up in my eyes. I scurried into the bathroom with my stuff and locked the door before he witnessed another emotional breakdown.
A quick check of the bags revealed a lot of color. There was even a pink striped bag from Victoria’s Secret. My stomach tightened at the thought of Christian buying me underwear. I couldn’t even look in that bag before my shower. A long cold shower.
The water washed away the remainder of the dirt and blood I missed last night. I scrubbed my shredded palms and cut up knees with a scratchy washcloth. Stubborn patches of dried, caked blood covered my legs. I scraped them with my fingernails until only bright red scratches remained.
I examined my body to assess the damages. I had some cuts and bruises, but nothing that wouldn’t heal in a few days.
The pink bag sat in the middle of the room—the white elephant no one wanted to talk about, but my need for underwear left no choice but to brave it.
The number of panties and bras shocked me. All my size…. I didn’t even want to think about how he knew my bra size. I grabbed a hot pink pair of panties and the matching bra. From another bag, I pulled out a pair of jeans and a shirt—also my size and my taste. Maybe Christian paid more attention to me than I ever realized.
Fully dressed, I stood in front of the mirror. Staring back at me was the Starr I knew and loved, minus the blonde hair, but that was okay, the black hair reminded me I wasn’t the same person I used to be. I pulled my shoulders back, lifted my chin, and smiled at my reflection.
Skipping out of the bathroom, I spun around the room for Christian. “What do you think?”
He leapt up from the bed. “You…look…great!”
“I was surprised to see so much color.”
“Sunshine can’t stay in the shadows forever. The color suits you.” There was nothing shy or hesita
nt about the way he looked at me, but I would not let him make me nervous. I was a strong fierce female.
“Thank you, I feel soo much better having some color on. It makes me happy! Thank you for everything.” My cheeks burned red hot as I remembered the contents of the Victoria’s Secret bag. He blushed too.
“Go take a shower,” I whispered. “You’ll feel better.”
He crossed his arms and sat back on the bed. “I told you I am not leaving you alone. Therefore, I am not showering.”
“Christian, I promise not to go anywhere.”
He shook his head.
“If I promise to be a good girl and stay right here, will you take a shower?”
“If you promise to be a good girl, and you promise never to sneak off on me again, ever.” His eyes darkened—daring me to disobey him.
“I promise, but you might have to pick up a pair of running shoes for yourself. I like to run outside, so you might get some sun. Comfortable with that Goth boy?”
He gauged me for a minute before a devilish grin crossed his face. “You know what I could do?”
“What?” I asked, pretending to be breathless.
“Goths have all types of chains and stuff. I might just have to handcuff you to the bed. Then you can’t go anywhere, and I don’t have to go into the sun.”
“Then I’d be your slave. What about your virtue?” I couldn’t believe how easy it was to tease about our virtue in a motel room with a big ol’ bed in broad daylight.
He scratched his chin. “That’s true. I do have to think about that. I know how you forced me into bed and then slept with me.”
I put my hands up to stop him. “Hold up, we did not ‘sleep’ together.”
“We didn’t?” he asked. His dimple popped to attention. “You and I were in the same bed, and we did sleep. Therefore, we slept together.”
“Well, we did do that. I meant the other definition of sleep.” My face got even hotter, and I suddenly felt nervous.
“And what might that be?” he said, raising his eyebrows like he had no idea what I was talking about.
“Enough! Take a shower or I will run away!”
He hesitated again at the bathroom door. “You promise not to go anywhere?”
“I promise! Now go!”
He grabbed a couple bags before going into the bathroom. I fell back on the bed as the bathroom door closes. I had forgotten he didn’t have any clothes either. He gave up his life for me—me. I couldn’t expect him to be a part of this. I couldn’t put his life in danger. I promised him I would stay, and I hated breaking my promises, but some promises were meant to be broken. Before I could grab my stuff, he came walking out after what must have been the world’s fastest shower.
My jaw dropped. “What do you have on?!”
He lifted up his shirt revealing a well-defined and very distracting stomach.
“A shirt. Are you asking me to take it off?”
Maybe...wait, control Starr. Control.
“No! You have on a blue shirt.”
“And?”
“You always wear black, all black.”
“I just felt like wearing some color,” he said, looking shy.
“You look great in blue. It brings out your eyes,” I babbled before it was too late. I peeked up at him to see him smiling at me.
“Thanks,” he said. He sat on the foot of the bed still looking at me.
Not comfortable with the attention I brought on myself by initiating the direction of this conversation, I broke the silence. “So, where we headed, boss?”
His face broke out in a smile. “To the hills, of course.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Wait ‘til you see the cabin. You’re going to love it! And the meadow…. Ohh, the wildflowers are probably just beginning to bloom. And the lake is so much fun. We can go canoeing. And there’s a rope swing, that’s a blast! And we’ll go fishing; the fish are huge! Wait ‘til you try fresh trout with spring onions over a fire. Oh no, wait…, you’re a vegetarian, do you eat fish?” He stopped and looked at me concern shadowing his eyes.
I put my hand on his arm to calm him. “Don’t worry. I eat fish.”
“Whew!” He sighed with relief, resting his head against the headrest.
“When did you last visit the cabin?”
He sunk into his seat. Pain flashed across his face. “Last year, right before my parents died.”
Way to burst the bubble, Starr. Way to go!
“If it’s too hard for you, I could go somewhere else.”
He turned to me. The corners of his lips turned up into a shy smile. “No, it’s time. It’s something I need to do, and I can’t imagine being here with anyone else.”
I swallowed to calm my nerves. He was so frank and honest with me. Everything about Christian was fresh and new. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but it was certainly comforting being here with him. “I’ll brave the bears if it makes you happy.”
“I appreciate that,” he replied. “Here it is.” He pointed at the old gray, weathered barn that sat in the middle of a field. In the adjoining paddock were two beautiful horses—a white and brown pinto and a magnificent large black one—probably a quarter horse, but it might have been a thoroughbred.
“You weren’t kidding about renting horses, were you?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You doubted me?”
I scrunch up my shoulders. “I’m sorry. I’ll never doubt you again.”
“Don’t,” he said, squeezing my hand. “Let’s go meet them.”
The horses pranced over to the fence to greet us. The brown and white pinto folded her head over the fence. She reminded me of Molly Rose, a horse I rode as a kid. “What are their names?”
“Little Miss and Demon.”
Little Miss gave me a wet kiss. “I wonder why yours is called Demon?”
“How do you know mine is Demon?” He asked sounding offended. The black horse nuzzled his neck and ear. I was a little jealous.
“Switch?”
Our hands brushed each other as we passed by. Tingles pulsated up my arm as I reached up to pet Demon. He bared his teeth and snorted at me. “See?”
Meanwhile, Little Miss pushed into his cheek.
“I guess you’re right,” he laughed but not at all concerned. I decided to keep my distance from Demon. “Come on, let’s unload the car.”
“Can we ride the horses up the trail?”
He stopped and grabbed my hand. “You’re not worried about the bears again, are you?”
Shock waves sizzled through my fingers, but I managed to keep my focus. “I am now!”
“Starr, when are you going to believe me, I am not going to let anything happen to you.” He tilted forward. My eyes closed.
This was it.
When nothing happened, I opened my eyes and realized he let go of my hand, and he was already unloading the back of the car.
Sighing in dismay, I headed over to the car. I never had to work this hard for a kiss, and I didn’t make the first move. Ever.
A large pile of bags and boxes formed outside the car trunk. “How long are you planning on staying?”
“I bought enough food for a month, and then plenty of extra canned food just in case.”
“A month? Christian, I can’t stay here a month! Maybe a couple days, but then I have to find out who’s after me. They killed Sami and Jovie. I have to—”
His red-hot finger was back on my lips. Its effect was immediate. “Starr, enough!” he warned. “We are going to the cabin. We are going to have fun. We will decide what plan of action we will take later. Understood?”
I nodded unable to say anything. His touch literally took the fight out of me. I didn’t quite understand it. As soon as he removed his finger, I was able to talk again. “But I—” His finger was back on my lips before I could finish.
“Starr, we will discuss our plans later! There are plenty of ways I can keep you quiet you know.”
I gasped in shock. His words,
both a threat and a promise. He flashed a reckless smile at me as he removed his finger.
Over the next few minutes, he managed to empty the rest of the car and load the horses while I recovered from our most recent encounter.
“Coming?” He asked with a naughty wink. He was well aware of the effect he had on me and used it to his advantage. Demon stood next to him with his back filled with bags. Little Miss gently pushed into my stomach with her muzzle to get me moving.
Christian led Demon behind the barn. The fields went on for acres and acres. The sun was high in the sky. If I had to guess, I would say it was around noon. I had lost complete sense of time while I had been on the run. Robins, chickadees, and sparrows sang a beautiful harmony back and forth. It was the perfect opportunity to talk, but we walked in a comfortable silence instead.
My brain zipped in a million directions at once. So many things happened in such a short time, I couldn’t wrap my head around any one thing. Disjointed images flashed one after another in my brain:
The door closing on Sami and Jovie
The General informing me he wanted me as an assassin
The realization the Organization killed my two best friends
Di’s surprised face
The night club
Christian saving me
Coming face to face with the grandparents after all these years
The realization that my dad was a faerie, and I was a faerie princess.
Christian saving me
And what about my parents—what were they going through? If only I could contact them and let them know I was alive and okay, but I couldn’t. They needed to believe I was dead. Would I ever get to see them again? Would I ever get to see Frank?
I felt terrible about what I was putting them through, and here I was enjoying the sunshine and thinking about some boy when I should be trying to get back to my parents. I should be kicking some Organization ass.
Two warm hands grasped my face. The shock of his touch dulled the pain, but tears welled up anyway. “Starr, what’s wrong?”