Chapter 13
“Good morning,”I heard Soren say as I made my way into the library bright and early the following morning. She was seated with a cup of coffee warming her hands and a blanket wrapped around her legs.
“You sure haven’t hesitated to make yourself at home,” I say with a smirk, taking a sip of my own cup of coffee.
A glare crossed Soren’s face, but not before I saw the look of pain that flashed across it. It looked like she took my words to mean she was a burden to me.
But really, her being here didn’t bother me. When she was here, she was usually curled up on the couch with a book or two. I, on the other hand, end up grabbing a book and sitting in the chaise by the wall of windows.
We didn’t usually say anything at all, but our silence could speak volumes. So many unspoken things between us. That’s how most of our days went: sitting in utter silence and just enjoying each other’s company.
But even still, I felt like I was learning things about her and building an unspoken bond with her. I knew what books she liked to read, her favorite snack to eat when she was reading and the way she would giggle to herself during certain points.
I craved so much more from her though. I wanted more conversations and less of the heavy silence filled with possibilities.
I know she must have questions about me. My family. My life. To confirm or deny the rumors she must have heard about us and who we were, and whether I was as deadly as she’d heard. But like I can’t ask her about her life, it’s as if she can’t bring herself to ask about mine.
She’d met my family over dinner, but looks can be deceiving. It was unwise to judge someone in our profession simply based on how they ate their food surrounded by their loved ones.
But I don’t want to talk about the darkest parts of my past. I’d rather talk about the rare gems of happiness with my family. But even those would be a short story to tell.
“I wanted to thank you, by the way,” she mumbled in a shy tone. She said it so quietly I almost didn’t hear her and she was refusing to meet my eye.
I debated on whether or not to put her out of her misery and make her tell me what she was thankful for, but I just nodded wordlessly to her and accepted her thanks.
I sat down on the couch opposite of hers and waited a moment before I spoke again.
“What are we reading today?” I ask, trying to diffuse the awkward tension that was blanketing the room.
“Pride and Prejudice,” she answered, meeting my eyes without fear or hesitation. I could tell she was grateful for the topic change as much as I was.
“A classic, of course,” I laugh, not at all surprised at her choice of book. “It’s a good read.”
“You’ve read Pride and Prejudice?” She scoffed, as if it was impossible for me to read a classic romance novel.
“Hard to believe, princess?” I laughed, watching her eyes narrow at my nickname for her.
“Like you wouldn’t believe, Ace,” she responded back, a devious smirk lacing her lips, giving me a taste of my own medicine and a new ridiculous nickname.
I knew she had a fiery side within her. Wouldn’t mind seeing that more often.
I put my hands in my pockets, playfully shaking my head and laughing at the bite she had just barely shown me. It was the most emotion I’d seen from her since she’d been here outside of her throwing punches at my face.
I guess I couldn’t very well blame her. When she was back at home, I could imagine what happened when she showed that fiery part of herself. It showed a certain level of trust that she was willing to give me a sneak peek of it.
“There’s a lot of things about me you’d find hard to believe,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.
“I don’t doubt that,” she said, teasing me right back with a mischievous giggle. A twisted part of me got turned on trading verbal punches with her: watching the way her face nose scrunched when I replied, and when she was thinking of a response. It was like my response disgusted her, and she had to put a lot of thought into her own.
“You better watch what comes out of that pretty little mouth,” I said, looking her directly in the eye, wanting her to know I meant it and what I was planning to say next.
“Or what?” She challenged, crossing her arms over her chest, another giggle escaping her lips.
“Or I’ll fuck that giggle right out of your mouth,” I growled. I didn’t know what possessed those words to come out of me, but the attraction I was beginning to have for this girl was almost too much.
I hadn’t had a woman in my bed since Soren had been here, and I was dying for a release. What Jude didn’t know didn’t have to hurt him, right?
She sat there with her mouth ajar, and no words coming out, wide eyed and with a blush running up her neck. I wasn’t even sure if she was breathing properly. I think I short circuited Soren’s brain and any rational thought with my words.
“I’ve rendered you speechless I see,” I laughed, trying my best to pretend I was joking and hoping she didn’t notice me straining against my trousers. Without another word and unable to meet her eyes, I turned on my heel and made my way out the double doors and to my bedroom to fuck my hand in the shower and try to keep Soren out of my head.
It’s just the lack of sex and the convenience of her. Nothing more.
But I could feel the lie I was telling myself. This woman was beginning to warm my cold heart. And part of me had no intention of stopping it.