by Layna Snow
If she needed clothes, the smaller man’s would have to do. He removed a shirt and a pair of drawstring pants and placed them on his bed.
There were two in this room, for they felt no need for modesty, and the cave wasn’t big enough for more than one bedroom.
Turning back to the task at hand, Thane moved to the bathroom door.
He knocked, and heard a gasp come from the other side. For the first time in a while, Thane felt like smiling. “Clothes on bed.” He muttered.
“Will train her.” He proposed, walking back into the living room.
It’d be nice to teach her exactly how they liked things. She didn’t seem to be too experienced, which meant that they would need to teach her the basics of BDSM.
There were rules for both sides. Things to make sure that everyone was safe.
First, was to explain, to get consent. To give a safe-word so that she could stop playtime.
Adrian exuded excitement. And Thane could feel the same small bubble expand in his chest.
“Ohh yeah!” Adrian chuckled.
7
The shower was really nice. Carved from stone, it was large and formed a perfect bench on one side.
The water poured from a spout at the top and rained over her. It was warm, and would be relaxing if she could clear her head. Unfortunately she had too much to think about.
People often thought that Soph was naïve, ignorant or just dumb.
They babied her, protected her, as if she couldn’t fend for herself. She had often resented it, but she understood.
The fact that she was kind, that she put others first, and that she wanted to think the best of people, often made people underestimate her. And she was sure that the same thing was happening now.
But Sophia wasn’t that little dumb girl that people believed. She was a woman who had a brain, who knew what she was doing and didn’t make decisions lightly.
She decided to come to Hell after a great deal of thought. She considered the alternatives. She tried another plan that didn’t pan out.
This was what she had to do, and she wouldn’t let anyone convince her otherwise. Not even these hot men.
That meant that she needed to keep her wits about her. Something that was impossible to do when Adrian touched her, or Thane spoke. And she had no doubt that when she got out of the shower they would take over her life.
They didn’t understand her need to see the Devil. They probably wouldn’t even if she explained it. Adrian seemed too selfish and wouldn’t understand why she wanted to help someone else. Thane on the other hand didn’t have emotions at all.
Although, that might make him the best choice to reason with. And she knew that she needed to do that.
As much as she wished to just leave Hell, to ignore this new side of her and just flee, she knew that she couldn’t.
For once, the selfish choice was also the one that would help the most. She could try to escape, try to venture out in Hell by herself, or she could stay and try to get some help, some resources or information.
Obviously, if they refused to give her any of those, she’d need to pick the first option, but really, she needed to at least try. Which meant that she had to at least go ask.
Darn, she didn’t want to leave the relative safety of the shower. Out there, things were too real. But she couldn’t wash her hair again.
Sighing, Sophie got out of the shower and dried off.
It was nice to be washed, to get that blood off of her. She would never enjoy fighting, that’s one thing that she learned today.
She really looked forward to when she could be done all of this. She wasn’t a girl who liked adventure. That was for sure!
It already ruined her clothes and put her in this awkward situation.
Had Thane mentioned something about clothes?
That would be good, considering that her shirt and pants were pretty much covered in blood, and Adrian stole her underwear at some point in time. He didn’t seem eager to give them back either.
Just the thought of what happened earlier had her body humming with excitement. And didn’t that make her just as pervy as Adrian was?
Well, that didn’t matter at the moment.
Annie had always pushed her to step out of her comfort zone. And so she would take this in stride. For Annie.
And a little for myself.
Sophie wrapped the towel around her and looked at her clothes. They could be thrown out, but there was something that she wanted to keep. The penny had helped her so far, and she intended to keep using it. Maybe wherever her consciousness was, Annie was guiding her.
Opening the door slowly, Soph peered out.
She could see the two empty beds, and again wondered if they both slept in the same room.
Of course they do. It’s a cave. How many rooms do you think there are?
The only thing that really mattered though, was that no one was in there now.
It took her a moment to notice the clothing that was left on the bed. There were no undergarments, and Sophie could not go without a bra!
She ignored her annoyance and put the penny down on a nightstand before putting on her own bra and the shirt. It was black with a design on the front. It squeezed her chest, which made her think that it was probably a guy’s shirt.
They just weren’t built for women, there was no room for her boobs! The pants fit her snugly too. Catching on her hips and thighs. But they would have to do.
It was time to face the music. Soph sighed.
Coming out of the bedroom, Sophie stopped. Thane was placing plates on the table in the room across from her. It wasn’t the food that caught her attention.
No, it was the yummy tall, Fallen Angel who was serving it.
Without all the blood, she was able to take in his beauty. No, beauty wasn’t the right word. He wasn’t pretty in any sense of the word. His head, although smooth, was well shaped. He didn’t have rolls on the back like some people. It drew attention to his face. And what a great face that was!
His eyes were large, dark and were always intense. His face looked frozen in place, as if carved in chocolate and kept in a cool place. His cheekbones were perfectly sculpted, slightly sharp and mirrored by the slash of eyebrows.
His nose was wide, slightly flattened but was well proportioned to the rest of his face.
And his lips!
They didn’t curve like Adrian’s, or turn down. They were perfect, pillowy, sexy, but immobile.
And oh, what a body. While Adrian was muscular with no bulk, Thane looked like he ate muscle for breakfast.
He was probably a foot taller than her, and he was larger in body too.
She didn’t often meet people who were the size of a truck.
He made Sophie feel small, and she wasn’t a small person. She was often considered fat. Her stomach wasn’t flat, and probably never would be. And then her breasts were overly large. They were heavy, and therefore not perky, which is why she had to wear her bra, again.
But Thane’s chest was large, slabs of muscle over muscle. His stomach was chiselled too. He must have a twelve pack! Even his thighs looked powerful under his pants.
And, oh gosh, she’d been standing there ogling him!
It didn’t go unnoticed either. Soph looked over to find Adrian grinning at her. She was sure that she blushed, whether he could tell or not.
“Come.” Thane’s dark voice ordered, scraping along her skin. Sophie couldn’t suppress a shiver. It was an order, and she might have orgasmed at the command, but she was too hungry.
Thanatos was sitting now, holding his hand out to her. He looked like he expected her to follow his order. And she found herself wanting to do so. Not because of the wonderful smells coming from the plate in front of him, but because his tone of voice left no room for argument.
And she found that she wanted to get closer to him.
“Now.” His demand was even sharper this time, and she felt herself obeying without thought.
; She had noticed the kitchen when talking with Adrian. She knew that the kitchen wasn’t modern. There were no clean lines. Everything was rustic. A woodstove was on one wall, its chimney disappearing in the rock. The fridge was small and weird looking. The countertop was natural stone. And the table in the middle was made out of wood, and had two chairs, both of which were occupied.
Sophie took another step forward, eager to see what was on the table. The plates were huge and filled with a mixture of beef and root vegetables.
It just reminded her that she hadn’t eaten anything besides granola bars since she entered the National Park and she made the decision that food had to come first.
Her stomach approved of that idea, rumbling loudly. Which of course made Adrian laugh. “Food has a bigger influence on her than you do, Thane. You must be losing your touch.”
The thought embarrassed Soph.
Gosh, she didn’t want these men to focus on that. She didn’t want them to concentrate on that taboo part of her life. It just reminded her of all the times Brooke would joke about birthday cakes and food. Reminded her of all the failed diets she tried until she just gave up. She didn’t want to think about how people made fun of her when she ate out.
For once she wanted to feel sexy and confident, but she couldn’t do that if she was worried that they were secretly calling her fat.
Sophie shook her head, trying to ignore the thoughts.
She knew that she needed the energy and so food took priority, if only she could ignore the men watching her.
She moved closer to the table and looked around for an empty plate, which didn’t seem to be available.
What, did these guys think that she was going to eat out of her hand? Were they so ensconced in their bachelor ways that they totally forgot to be decent hosts?
As if you’re just here for a nice visit.
She didn’t even notice that Thane had moved. The action was so fast that she wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it anyways. One moment she was standing beside him, and the next she found herself sitting across his lap, his arm wrapped around her torso.
The action was surprising, but the burst of heat that traveled through her body was more so.
She could feel his hard legs under her thighs, strong, and sturdy. They were warm, sending heat blazing through her body. His chest was all hot skin and muscle, pressing against her arm with each breath.
Her skin tingled at the point of contact and sending awareness throughout. Even her nipples pointed, begging for attention, and heat pooled in her stomach. She was getting turned on, and he hadn’t even touched her sexually yet.
Which just showed how dangerous his sex appeal was.
The whole thing was a little ridiculous, and would have caused her to laugh hysterically, but no noise came out, just bursts of air that, she knew from experience, freaked people out.
Who’d have guessed that she’d be in Hell, sitting on the lap of a Fallen Angel that looked like a body builder, and her body wasn’t sure what it wanted more: food or sex.
Never in a million years had she figured she’d be in this situation. She could only envision what her sisters would say!
And never would she think that the hunk of a man would be holding a fork to her lips, as if to feed her from his own plate.
But he was!
And there was nothing Sophie could do but open her mouth and let it happen. Because, who would pass all that yumminess up?
And the food didn’t look bad either!
The taste burst on her tongue, the spices and savory flavors of the food. Delicious. She would have moaned, but just chewed, letting her eyes fall closed. It was so delectable. It might not have been prepared by a five star chef but it was perfect nonetheless.
“Oh, God. You should see her face, Thane. She looks like she just orgasmed. I’m hard just watching her.”
The words brought Soph back to the present.
Adrian. She had forgot that he was there! Now that she opened her eyes, she could only look into the face of the man across the table. His cheekbones were flushed and his eyes were heated. He looked like he wanted to devour her, not the food in front of them.
And if that turned her on any more, she’d probably be dead.
“Do it again.” Adrian said, his voice a request, not a command. And Sophie found another bite held up to her lips. She was too hungry to ignore the food, and needed it. So she opened her mouth to be fed again. This time, however, she tried to keep her face blank as she chewed.
Adrian did not need more encouragement!
Fingers on her face pulled her attention to Thane once again. The fingers were strong, callused, and rough, although he held her face gently as he tipped it up to his. His eyes sharp, too penetrating for her to meet. They were eyes that could see into a person’s soul and she wasn’t sure what he would find.
Whatever it was obviously pleased him, for she could feel the evidence of his excitement press into her thigh. And boy did he feel huge!
Thane didn’t look cold, as he had before. He didn’t appear emotionless. And for that, she wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or not. Because the hungry, satisfied look that he had wasn’t all that much better. It spoke of a whole other danger.
Sophia looked away, determined to get through this with the least amount of discomfort possible. She had spent the day running around caves and just wanted the day to be over. She was weary and suddenly felt exhausted.
Maybe it was a good thing that she wasn’t feeding herself, Soph thought a few minutes later. She’d probably be so uncoordinated that she’d get food all over her. Then she’d be in trouble. It didn’t look like Adrian had many shirts to offer her. Even now he sat shirtless, his food disappearing while he watched Thane feed her bites in between his own.
Oh! She hadn’t thought about it like that!
She hadn’t thought about them sharing a fork. It was subtle, but arousing all at the same time. To think, the same utensil that touched his mouth had touched hers.
The intimacy of the act. The idea that he was providing for her, helping her, and sharing this with her… it was something she’d have to store away to think about later.
This was not the time. She was too tired, and needed to figure out how to ask for help.
When Thane lifted the fork for her to take another bite. Sophie shook her head and kept her mouth closed. She wasn’t hungry anymore, the pangs that had stemmed from her tummy finally quiet. And with her stomach now filled, another need pressed forward. Sleep.
She’d love to say that she could walk all day without any issue, but her body just wasn’t built that way. She wasn’t full of energy, all muscle like the guys.
She had used up her what meager stores this morning’s coffee had given her. It’s not like she slept well last night.
Who sleeps well when they know that the next day they would be literally walking into Hell?
She couldn’t fight back the yawns anymore, and even her eyelids were heavy. In fact, she’d be perfectly happy to sleep right where she was, curled up against the heat of another body, using his pec as a pillow, but that seemed a little too friendly.
Hadn’t someone told her that skin to skin touching released comfort hormones? Probably Seth, he was full of that kind of knowledge.
Sophie pulled herself up, which took an enormous effort.
Sophie knew that she’d only get so far as the couch before plopping down for the night, which was good because that was where she’d be sleeping, she thought, eyeing the couch. It looked comfortable enough, and really, it beat sleeping on the rocks, as she’d have been doing otherwise.
“Aw, are you tired, hot-stuff? I’d hope that we could play more. We should probably let you sleep, though. So you’ll be bright eyed and bushy tailed for tomorrow. Huh?” Adrian said, following her out of the kitchen.
When she headed of the couch, he took her arm, stopping her. “Nuh, uh. You’re not sleeping on the couch, baby. That wouldn’t be very good of us
. And we want to be the best of hosts. Right, Death?” He said, guiding her towards the bedroom.
She knew that she shouldn’t follow, knew that she should resist, but what was the point? She didn’t want to sleep on a couch, and she’d gladly let one of them take it if she could sleep on a bed! And, she was too tired to argue, especially when it wouldn’t do her any good. Adrian was stronger than her, and he didn’t care what she had to say most of the time.
Surprise, surprise.
And although she thought through the decision of staying here, and thought about the consequences—the main one being that they could be killers or worse!—she ended up persuading herself the other way.
Sure, their looks didn’t make them moral. This wasn’t a Disney movie where the attractive people are always the good guys. Neither did the fact that they were Fallen Angels. Because, they Fell for a reason! But they had saved her, and they had fed her. If they wanted to kill her, trying to leave wouldn’t do much good. Besides, they had ample chance before now.
She didn’t trust them, would stay on alert, but she would try to rest, try to get help, and then get back to her mission.
Adrian didn’t seem to notice her inner dialogue, and steered her to the bed on the right side. It had a black comforter, plush and warm. It looked decadent and lush.
Adrian’s.
Where Thane might let her sleep alone, Adrian would do everything he could to get her naked. It didn’t matter who she was, or what she looked like. He was a charmer, and a sex-addict.
Soph halted, planting her feet and turning to meet his stare with one filled with determination. She wasn’t planning on sleeping with him. Regardless of what her body said.
Shaking her head, she watched him, but his smile only turned into a mischievous smirk.
“Oh, come on. I’ll be the perfect gentleman. I swear!” But she didn’t believe him for some reason. That reason might have been the lecherous smile that tugged at his lips. Again, she shook her head.
As if sensing her distress, Thane came to her rescue. “Have mine.” A growl came from behind her, and she turned to see Thane leaning against the opening of the room. He, too, looked like a predator, but she hoped her assessment of his ethics was right.