on the water. I watched him carefully, unsure of what to think. Was he really trying to help me or did he have ulterior motives? It had been him, after all, who had convinced Ray to spare my life. What did he want with me?
I put all of these questions aside as the steam started to fill the room, soothing my aching muscles. The man with the green eyes stood up once the temperature was to his liking and looked at me.
"Thank you," I said, barely using my voice at all.
He smiled at me as if he had won a contest. "You're welcome, Raleigh."
"What's your name?" I asked, no longer caring that I was having this conversation in my underwear.
He lifted one large hand and spelled it out for me.
K-A-D-E-N
.
I nodded and turned away from him, slipping out of my panties and bra before stepping into the shower.
Chapter 3
I stayed in the shower until the hot water ran out. The blood washed from my body to reveal dark bruises but only minor lacerations. I pressed lightly around my ribs but couldn't feel anything out of place, although the pain was agonizing. Turning off the water, I peaked around the curtain to see Kaden holding a towel, his head turned away from me. I took it and pulled it around my torso, unable to wrap it too tightly, then climbed out. The steam still filled the room. Kaden's face was damp, his hair pushed out of his eyes, spiking to the sides and looking perfectly disheveled. His shirt stuck to his chest, his broad shoulders framing the muscles underneath.
I shouldn't have been staring; I shouldn't have given him a second thought. He had kidnapped me, taken away my life and identity with one hit of his car and one split decision. I knew he was no better than the men downstairs who didn't have half a care for the woman they had in their upstairs bathroom. But I needed something to hold on to. Some shred of hope that I would survive whatever they had planned for me.
Kaden's bright green eyes danced over my face and body, showing curiosity but no emotion. "You're blonde." I couldn't tell if he was asking a question or making a statement.
"You're perceptive."
"Was that sarcasm or a compliment?"
"I'll call it an honest remark."
Kaden's eyes laughed at me but his lips pulled into a frown. "Get dressed."
He handed me a clean pair of jeans, now my only pair, some cotton panties and a t-shirt, presumably one of his or possibly Ray's judging by the size.
"I want my own clothes."
Kaden didn't say anything, just crossed his arms and stared at me.
Give me my clothes,
I signed to him.
"Sorry, darling. No can do. Get dressed."
I turned away, setting my jeans and shirt on the edge of the sink and picking up the underwear. I raised one foot slowly, careful not to let the towel drop or crush my ribs, and slipped the panties up to my ankle. But my lack of food and water had left me shaky and standing on one leg quickly caused me to lose my balance. I caught myself on the sink, cringing and gasping in pain.
As soon as I stood up and started to make my second attempt, Kaden was standing in front of me.
"Do I have to do everything for you?"
"I'm not asking you to do a damn thing."
"Yah, well, if I didn't you'd still be struggling to make it up the stairs."
Because there are so many other places you should be right now,
I signed
.
"If you have something to say then you should just say it," Kaden told me as he grabbed my hands.
I glared at him but eventually shook my head. I had nothing to say to him.
"I thought so." He pushed my hands aside and then knelt down by my feet, stretching the underwear out so I could step in.
I closed my eyes and instinctively clenched my thighs together. I felt his fingers run up my calves and over my knees, flames licking my skin in their wake. When they got to my thighs, I couldn't allow them to continue. I grabbed the cotton fabric and tugged it from his fingers. His hands seized my wrists and squeezed hard enough for me to give up the fight with the panties and jerk my arms away
I put all of these questions aside as the steam started to fill the room, soothing my aching muscles. The man with the green eyes stood up once the temperature was to his liking and looked at me.
"Thank you," I said, barely using my voice at all.
He smiled at me as if he had won a contest. "You're welcome, Raleigh."
"What's your name?" I asked, no longer caring that I was having this conversation in my underwear.
He lifted one large hand and spelled it out for me.
K-A-D-E-N
.
I nodded and turned away from him, slipping out of my panties and bra before stepping into the shower.
Chapter 3
I stayed in the shower until the hot water ran out. The blood washed from my body to reveal dark bruises but only minor lacerations. I pressed lightly around my ribs but couldn't feel anything out of place, although the pain was agonizing. Turning off the water, I peaked around the curtain to see Kaden holding a towel, his head turned away from me. I took it and pulled it around my torso, unable to wrap it too tightly, then climbed out. The steam still filled the room. Kaden's face was damp, his hair pushed out of his eyes, spiking to the sides and looking perfectly disheveled. His shirt stuck to his chest, his broad shoulders framing the muscles underneath.
I shouldn't have been staring; I shouldn't have given him a second thought. He had kidnapped me, taken away my life and identity with one hit of his car and one split decision. I knew he was no better than the men downstairs who didn't have half a care for the woman they had in their upstairs bathroom. But I needed something to hold on to. Some shred of hope that I would survive whatever they had planned for me.
Kaden's bright green eyes danced over my face and body, showing curiosity but no emotion. "You're blonde." I couldn't tell if he was asking a question or making a statement.
"You're perceptive."
"Was that sarcasm or a compliment?"
"I'll call it an honest remark."
Kaden's eyes laughed at me but his lips pulled into a frown. "Get dressed."
He handed me a clean pair of jeans, now my only pair, some cotton panties and a t-shirt, presumably one of his or possibly Ray's judging by the size.
"I want my own clothes."
Kaden didn't say anything, just crossed his arms and stared at me.
Give me my clothes,
I signed to him.
"Sorry, darling. No can do. Get dressed."
I turned away, setting my jeans and shirt on the edge of the sink and picking up the underwear. I raised one foot slowly, careful not to let the towel drop or crush my ribs, and slipped the panties up to my ankle. But my lack of food and water had left me shaky and standing on one leg quickly caused me to lose my balance. I caught myself on the sink, cringing and gasping in pain.
As soon as I stood up and started to make my second attempt, Kaden was standing in front of me.
"Do I have to do everything for you?"
"I'm not asking you to do a damn thing."
"Yah, well, if I didn't you'd still be struggling to make it up the stairs."
Because there are so many other places you should be right now,
I signed
.
"If you have something to say then you should just say it," Kaden told me as he grabbed my hands.
I glared at him but eventually shook my head. I had nothing to say to him.
"I thought so." He pushed my hands aside and then knelt down by my feet, stretching the underwear out so I could step in.
I closed my eyes and instinctively clenched my thighs together. I felt his fingers run up my calves and over my knees, flames licking my skin in their wake. When they got to my thighs, I couldn't allow them to continue. I grabbed the cotton fabric and tugged it from his fingers. His hands seized my wrists and squeezed hard enough for me to give up the fight with the panties and jerk my arms away
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