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“Well, hell,” he murmured.
My fingers tightened around the damp cloth. I couldn’t tell whether I’d surprised him in a good way or given him one more reason to question everything.
“Is that good or bad?”
“Very fucking good.”
My cheeks burned.
His eyes dropped once more, this time with no attempt at subtlety.
“I’ve spent hours blindfolded in this hellhole, and the first thing I see is you.” The corner of a smirk pulled at his battered mouth. “That’s a hell of an improvement.”
My heart gave an embarrassing little jump.
“You’re a pretty little mouse.”
There was no mistaking what he thought. His bluntness knocked me off-kilter all over again.
“You may be concussed,” I teased.
“Probably.” He gave a small nod. “Doesn’t make me wrong.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke. His smile faded. The way he looked at me didn’t.
“And the best part?” he asked.
I waited.
“Thank fuck you’re nothing like Isabeast.”
The words knocked me off balance in a completely different way. Just like that, the flirting disappeared beneath a splash of cold reality.
“You’ve been able to see me for less than a minute. How do you know I’m nothing like her?”
“I’ve heard every word you’ve said and every breath you’ve taken since you first snuck in here.” He glanced down at the towel across his lap. “Just now, you covered my cock before you talked to me, even though you thought I was unconscious. You had no reason to be kind or pretend for my benefit. You were just being yourself.”
My eyes dropped to the towel.
He’d noticed that too.
“It’s okay you took a peek; you’re human.”
“That’s an impressive amount of confidence for a man who trusted the wrong woman less than two days ago.”
“I didn’t say I trusted you.”
That should’ve offended me.
Instead, I nearly smiled. Blind trust would’ve made him stupid, and I needed Lachlan to be anything but stupid if I was going to place the key to his restraints in his hands.
“Good,” I said. “That makes two of us.”
I pressed the cloth against the cut.
He sucked air through his teeth.
“I warned you.”
