Page 75 of Targeted By Desire

“Sure.”

Textures switched underneath my fingertips as I traced over his skin. Some of his scars were slightly protruding and smooth while others dented his skin, creating tiny crevices. Then there were the rare, untouched patches, softer than a flower’s petal.

“What happened?” I asked.

“For which one? They’ve all got a story.”

My fingers trailed up his chin to his cheek. “This one,” I said, brushing my thumb over the one slashing through his eye.

“Punishment.”

“For…”

“Defiance.”

“A story is not one word, you know?”

“I don’t like talking about that one.”

I frowned. “I’m sorry. Whatever you did, I’m sure it wasn’t bad enough to deserve the pain that left this behind.”

He stared at me, something new flickering in his dark eyes. He moved his hands from behind his head and started to sit up. “I should go,” he said.

“Wait,” I said, the thought slipping out before I could catch it.

He paused, his brow raising as he looked over his shoulder.

“Will you stay?” I asked. My voice sounded so small. I could only imagine how needy and pathetic I looked, naked and begging for company. The image alone made me regret saying anything. I averted my eyes, preparing for the blow of rejection.

A thick silence fell over the room, swatting away some of the euphoric clouds floating through the air. The sheet crinkled under his weight as he shifted on the edge of the bed.

“Sure,” he finally answered. He lay back down, one arm slithering around me while the other went back behind his head. “But, I’ll need to leave before the sun comes up.”

I couldn’t stop the smile from forming as he pulled me against his chest. “Why? Are you a vampire or something?”

“Or something.” His fingertips traced up and down my spine, his touch lighter than a feather. The gentleness was both surprising and comforting. I wasn’t sure I deserved it after the night we’ve had.

“Mateo,” I whispered.

“Hm?”

“I want you to know I had nothing to do with the ambush earlier. I was just as blindsided as you.”

“Oh,” he said. “Then, I guess I owe you an apology for shooting up your couch, huh?”

“You owe me a new couch.” I tilted my head back to look him in the eye. “But, I was wondering, since you clearly wanted my head on a silver platter, why didn’t you take it? Why did you surrender, instead?”

He stared at me for a moment, his face stoic but some of the shade raised in his eyes. The tiniest bit of emotion shined through it for a second as he debated sharing the answer - then, it snapped back shut. “You should get some rest.”

I almost frowned. Although I wasn’t necessarily surprised, I was disappointed at how quickly he closed himself off again. Maybe one day he’d be willing to show me who he was on the inside. “Will you… Will you be back?”

“Of course.” He kissed the top of my head. “I’ll always come back for you.”

Smiling, I closed my eyes. His heart beat steadily in my ears, the sound reminiscent of a lullaby.

I slowly drifted off, comfortable and safe in his embrace.

He was gone when I woke up. Although I was expecting that, my chest still stung at the sight of the empty space where his body once was.