by Amy Miles
I smile as he reaches over my head to cut the ropes and press my wet body into him, molding my curves against the hard plane of his torso. He falls still and lowers his face to look at me. “Who says I’m defenseless?”
When he chuckles, I feel the vibrations work through me. He presses right back into me, pausing long enough to let his eyes lower to take in the curve of my breast. “I knew that I was going to like you. You’re a little spitfire.”
“Oh, you have no idea.”
“I can imagine, and for now, that will have to be good enough.”
“I’d look while you can because you’ll never see me like this again.”
A wicked grin tugs at his lips and steals my breath away. He just went from attractive to sexy as hell in two seconds flat with that smirk. “I have a feeling you might change your mind about that.”
Lifting his gaze to my ropes, I watch the muscles in his arms go rigid as he saws at the fibers with the dagger he removes from a small sheath at his hip. The instant that I’m free, my knees buckle and I find myself in his arms for the second time.
“We’re really going to have to stop meeting like this,” he grins down at me as he scoops me into his arms and carries me out of the bathroom with the towel draped across me for a small semblance of modesty. Not that I really need it. It’s obvious that we are way past that point.
Once we enter the bedroom, I realize that it has been altered to look more like a hospital room instead of a hotel. The bedding on the queen-sized mattress is twisted and the fitted sheet tore off one corner like I was trapped in a fitful sleep earlier just as he said. A table beside the bed holds water bottles, damp rags tinted red with my blood, and a few small bowls of what looks like some sort of lotion. Hanging from a pole on the right side of the bed is an IV bag.
I look down at my arm, see several bruises where the IV has been, and then look up at him. “You took care of me?”
“Don’t go getting all sweet on me now, love. It was a team effort.”
“But you were part of that team?” I glance over at the book lying open on the bedside table and feel my throat catch. It is a copy of The Giver, one of the few books I loved as a child. It is obvious that he’s been here watching over me for a while.
“I was.”
“Why?”
Nox gently sets me down on the edge of the bed and backs away. I draw the covers around me and feel the first bit of warmth since I awoke.
“It was touch and go for a while. The doctor said you had blood poisoning setting in so we had to give you some pretty aggressive treatments.” Nox rubs the back of his neck. “I guess I just didn’t like to hear you scream.”
My hand falls still over the blanket. “I screamed?”
He looks away and swallows. “Yeah.”
Touching the wet bandage on my shoulder, I run my finger along the rise and fall of sutures and feel the tiniest twinge of guilt. “Thanks. For the shoulder, I mean.”
Nox laughs and when he looks at me this time, I can see some of the hard edges in the planes of his face have softened. “I bet that was a bitch to say.”
“You have no idea.”
“Actually, I do. Better than most of the people here.”
He turns and walks toward the blackout curtains that hang from the ceiling and drape to the floor. Pulling them back to let the light in, I shield my eyes from the brightness with my hand and he hurries to pull the outer curtain. Just beyond the gossamer fabric, I can see lush greenery from tropical trees.
“I wasn’t all that different from you too long ago. Got picked up not far from here, all banged up yet still determined to take on the world. Sound familiar?” he says, before I can get the chance to ask him about the odd foliage. “Cap was the one who found me, cleaned me up and put a gun back in my hand.”
“And you felt so indebted that you decided to become his lap dog?”
Nox turns away from the window and I see a hint of mischief in his eyes. “Come on. You gotta admit that I make a really cute dog.”
Despite myself, I laugh. “You are either mentally deranged or—”
“Or I am brilliant. I know. It’s a gift. The guys around here all know it and are jealous, but what’s a guy to do?”
Tugging the sheet higher around my shoulder, I allow myself a rare smile. “You take the opportunity to be a total jackass to the new girl.”
“Exactly.” He begins to pace beside my IV pole. “I’m not, though. A jackass, I mean. I think you and I got off on the wrong foot. I’m actually a pretty great guy when you get to know me.”
“Sure,” I nod. “Any guy dubbed Mr. One Night Stand must be someone worth knowing.”
Nox shakes his head. “I should have known you would be eavesdropping.”
“Kinda hard to miss all of that testosterone in one little house.”
“No doubt.” Nox rubs the back of his neck and for the first time, I wonder if he’s nervous. It seems a bit out of character for a guy like him and yet he’s got the telltale signs: the pacing, rubbing his neck and even the bouncing of his knee when he finally sinks down on the edge of the bed.
“How many prisoners have you interrogated before me?”
“What?” He blinks.
“How many?”
“I’m not interrogating you—”
I shoot him a withering glance and he laughs. “Okay, fine I am but don’t expect this to be like good cop versus bad cop. I don’t play games.”
“Neither do I.”
He glances over at me. “No. I don’t get the feeling that you do.”
“Then tell me why I’m here.”
“You are recovering.”
I lean forward and lay out my wrists for him to see. The flesh has been torn and bloodied by the rope bindings. “We both know it’s more than that.”
“Cap advised keeping you restrained for your own safety.”
“And you believe that bullshit?”
Nox swallows and turns his attention to the far wall. It is barren of picture frames or any other sort of ornament.
“I have orders and I follow them.”
“Just like the dutiful robot.”
“It’s better than being out there.” His head whips around. “Believe what you want but we saved your life. Maybe the infection would have got you before the Flesh Bags but fate had already stamped you with a seal of death. I stopped that. I saved you.”
“Why?”
Nox frowns. “Because it was the right thing to do.”
“And you have no other ulterior motives?”
He shifts on the bed so that one leg rests on the mattress and he can face me. “Who hurt you?”
I lean back and sink rigidly into the soft pillows. Crossing my arms over my chest puts a strain on my stitches but I don’t care. “People who look an awful lot like you.”
“Soldiers?” I can hear the surprise in his voice and bark out a laugh.
“What? You think just because you put on a uniform that makes a man noble? Wake up and see the world for what it really is. This place, whatever you think it is, isn’t good.”
“You don’t even know where we are.”
“I don’t have to.” I shove my hair back from my face as the pounding of my heart grows louder in my ears. I need him to leave, to give me time to think and decompress from everything that is going on. It’s all too much. I don’t trust him or anyone else here. Never before have I felt so utterly alone while sitting in the same room with someone. “The military can’t be trusted.”
“Now you sound paranoid, love. Don’t you think it’s a little unfair to lump the entire military with the ones you knew?”
I turn and level him with an icy stare. “No.”
With a weighted sigh, Nox pushes up from the bed. “Well, I’m sure you would feel less violated if you were dressed so you
r clothes are in the closet. There’s a pair of boots in there that should fit you too. Once you’re dressed we can continue.”
The idea of being dressed sound heavenly...right up until he doesn’t make a move to leave.
“This isn’t a peep show, buddy.”
Nox plants his feet and places his hands on his hips. “I promise I’ll close my eyes.”
“And I’m supposed to trust you not to look?”
He shrugs. “I don’t see that you really have any options at this point, but I am a man of my word. If I say that I won’t look then I won’t. Like I said, I’m not a bad guy.”
“Just a creepy ass voyeur,” I mutter when he makes no move to look away. Drawing the blankets around me, I use the bedside table to help me stand. My legs wobble and my knees feel weak as I make my way toward the closet. Opening the double doors, I glance back over my shoulder and stare pointedly at Nox until he closes his eyes.
Slipping inside the closet, I close the door behind me apart from a few inches to allow in a sliver of light.
“You’re being ridiculous,” he calls out.
“How do you know if you didn’t look?”
“The door hinge squeaks.”
The wooden hanger above my head swings wildly when I grab the straps of a dry white cotton bra and yank it off, narrowly missing smacking myself up the side of the head. Maneuvering it around my back takes some work in the tiny space but after a few choice words and no small amount of unladylike grunting, I manage to get my arms through the straps and the cups in place.
I don’t even know what to think when I discover that this bra is my exact size but the thought of Nox rummaging through a pile of spare bras to find my size is almost payment enough for him seeing me naked. Almost.
I try to reach behind me to latch the bra but the pain in my shoulder becomes overwhelming and tears sting my eyes before I’m forced to give up.
“Everything okay in there?”
I bang my elbow against the wall at the close proximity of his voice and discover that he’s blocking my sliver of light. “You know damn well it’s not.”
“Do you need my help?”
“Well aren’t you just a knight in shining armor.” No matter which way I twist or turn, there is no way for me to convince my left shoulder to reach back that far.
“I’m actually a guy who cares. Deal with it.” His hand lands on the closet door and for a brief second, I seriously consider biting his fingers. No, that may not be the most badass move in my poorly stocked arsenal but I am improvising. “Let me help you before you tear your stitches.”
What I want to do is tell him to go to hell and stick around for a while but one glimpse at the pair of jeans that had been left for me, with no less than six buttons down the front instead of a zipper, lets me know that I am done for.
Before I can finish my heavy sigh, the door swings open to reveal Nox with his eyes closed, as promised. I can’t help but laugh at him and slowly a smile dawns on his face.
“It sounds like a caged mountain lion wrestling with a bear in here.” He reaches out his hands tentatively toward me and I grab his hands to steer him out of accidental groping distance.
“At least your eyes are still closed.”
“Man of my word, remember?”
“My hero.” I place a hand on his chest. “Stay right there and if I see you so much as a single peek I will ram my fist right up your nose.”
“I believe you.”
Up close, I can’t help but notice that he is kind on the eyes. Under the right circumstances, he would be downright sinful to behold, but my mind has no business even considering that. Nox is the enemy.
Watching him closely to be sure that he’s keeping his promise, I tuck my arms to my sides to keep my bra in place and then slide my panties down, making the switch to the new pair with a speed that impresses even me.
“Done yet?”
“You’re not very patient, are you?”
“I am when I have to be.”
Dipping low again, I slide my legs into the jeans and struggle to get them up to my hips but end up with them stuck at hip height. I bang my head and glower at Nox as he laughs at my attempts.
“They say pride comes before a fall, you know? You don’t have to be a martyr.”
“Yeah, well I’d like to see you strip in front of a complete stranger and not feel weird about it.”
He shoots me an odd look. “You’re not much for impromptu hook ups are you?”
The instant his words hit me, I clam up. My throat tightens and I blame my current state of exhaustion on the tears that flood into my eyes as Cable’s face suddenly appears in my thoughts and sends a stabbing pang of guilt straight into my heart. Lowering my head, I try to silence a small sniffle but I know he hears.
“Are you crying?” Nox opens his eyes and catches me wiping away a tear.
“Why do you care?” I turn away from him, feeling far more exposed than my current state of undress calls for. The feelings that rise up within me are personal and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him see them.
“Because you do.”
I laugh and wipe at my nose with the back of my hand. “Right. Because you’re such a great guy. You keep telling yourself that but it changes nothing. I’m still your prisoner.”
“Guest,” he amends.
I angrily rub the tears from my eyes as I penguin hop in the jeans riding high on my thighs and turn around to face him. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
Nox winces. “I deserve that.”
“Damn right. Now either help me or get the hell out.” I turn my back on him and wait for him to take hold of my bra. When he does, he touches me with such a delicate pressure that he leaves me confused. How can a guy as tough and manly as he is be so gentle?
“I’m sorry about what I said,” he whispers.
“Forget about it.” I start to inch past him the instant the bra latch is hooked but he reaches out and takes hold of my elbow.
“I’m serious. I may have a job to do and strange ways of going about it sometimes, but I’m not a heartless ass. I hurt you and I’m sorry. My comment was uncalled for.”
I swallow hard, peering up into his eyes to try to root out the deception that I’m sure to find there but no matter how long I look, I just can’t find any. Finally, I lower my gaze and nod.
“I’ll need help with the shirt too,” I say and clear my throat when it comes out barely above a whisper.
Nox turns to grab the black tank top off a hanger and smacks his head into the bar overhead. I laugh when he reaches up to rub his head. “Smooth, Casanova. Real smooth.”
With a disgruntled expression, he snatches the shirt and ducks to avoid a smack from the hanger.
“You really suck at this,” I say when he places the shirt down over my head but then struggles to figure out how to maneuver my left arm in.
“I’m not used to dressing girls. Usually, clothes are coming off instead!”
I stare at him for a moment before bursting out with laughter. “I get it now. You’re the player who isn’t used to being told no.”
“I prefer to call it independently available and no, I’ve never had any complaints.”
“And so modest too! Feel free to keep your head out of the gutter while you finish dressing me because I’m not interested falling for that Stockholm syndrome crap. ”
“Ouch.”
“The truth hurts, doesn’t it?”
Nox gives me a weird look and for a second. I wonder if I’ve actually hurt his feelings. In the next second, I wonder why the hell I should even care.
Gently tugging the tank top back over my head, he motions for me to put my arms out in front of me and slowly eases it over, careful not to snag my shoulder bandage. Nox slides his knuckles down my spine as he slowly draws the mat
erial down to my waist. My whole body aches but, thanks to his vinegar bath, the burning sensations in my skin have begun to dissipate and the sensation of his fingers on my bare skin dredges up feelings I thought had been buried in the past.
When he reaches my hips, his fingers flinch against the elastic band of my panties and his gaze immediately drops. “You’re pants aren’t on.”
“How observant of you. Let me guess, you’re the brainiac who selected these jeans.”
“Are they not your size? I was careful to take proper measurements.” I suck in a breath and watch his expression shift from confusion to amusement. “Don’t worry. I can size up a girl without getting too personal.”
“And yet you seemed to have missed the most obvious thing. There’s no zip.”
For a moment, his confusion returns but then his eyebrows hike with understanding when I tap the row of buttons. “Well, that may have been a bit of poor planning.”
“You think?” I turn and step back into him so that he can button my jeans and misjudge how close he is. Nox’s hands fall on my hips to steady me when I slam into him and start to fall forward.
“Easy. I’ve got you.”
“Let’s just get this over with as quickly as possible.”
He presses his lips to my ear. “Trust me, that’s the first time a girl has every said that to me.”
There is tension in his fingers as his breath washes across my bare neckline. Even through the black tank top, I can feel the sensitivity of my skin and my body betraying me as he slowly leans in and runs his hands down over my thighs. His fingers trail so close to the inner curve of my leg that my muscles naturally clench in response.
“Nox?”
“That’s the first time you’ve used my name,” he whispers in my ear.
My brain is frantically debating whether to crush his foot with my heel or allow him to continue when he seizes my jeans and lifts them into place. With deft skill he quickly has each of the six buttons in place and steps back, releasing his hold on me, and for the briefest of moments, I wish he hadn’t.