Chapter 15 #2
“Can you let me have anything?” I ask, a tremor finding its way into my voice.
“This is the one way I can get my thoughts in check right now, alright? If I want a chance at sleeping, I need to quiet the voices that won’t shut up.
I’ve listened to you all week. I haven’t done any lifting or boxing or anything outside of our training. Let me have this.”
Pity dashes across his face, and I’ve never wanted to punch him more.
The expression is gone in a second, replaced with something wicked. “I’m going to grab you now.”
“What? No! No, stop it!” He pulls me from the water effortlessly, which makes me angrier. I flail around, smacking his back and kneeing his chest when he throws me over his shoulder. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Kidnapping you.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Perhaps.”
“Put me down, you oaf.”
“Only if you agree to dry off, put your clothes on, and follow me.”
“Sure. Or I could slice your carotid with my keys.”
“Mm,” he hums. “I like it when you’re feisty.” Under his breath, he says, “Though you’re rarely anything else.”
“Aleks, I swear to god I’ll do it. Put. Me. Down.”
“Now I’m certain I won’t.” He bends, probably grabbing my things from the bench, his left arm still holding me solidly to himself. A towel flies over my body. “There. Use that.”
“Oh, yeah. Easy. I’ll wrap myself in it while being held hostage over your shoulder.
” He’s indifferent to the fact that the entire left side of his shirt is now drenched.
Still, I refuse to use the towel in any capacity.
I hope all the water transfers to him. “We can’t take these towels. Put it back. And put me down, damn it.”
His laugh vibrates against my legs, too close for comfort to where the sound travels low in my belly. “It’s okay. I have an in with the owners.”
“I’m going to kill you,” I promise again.
“Got it. Understood. Though you should know those aforementioned owners are emotionally attached to me and probably wouldn’t take too kindly to you bashing my head in, or slicing my neck, or any of the other murderous thoughts you’re having about me in that pretty brain of yours.”
I groan loudly, kneeing him once more but to no avail.
Before long, we’re in the parking lot and he’s throwing a car door open and tossing me inside.
I land with an unceremonious ugh, the towel, my clothes, and my wallet, keys, and phone heaped on top of me.
Despite the force he’s exhibited in the last minute, he gently nudges my legs out of the way before closing the door.
Soft leather and muted lighting greet me. It’s surprisingly clean, though a half-empty bottle of Simply Limeade rests in a cupholder along with an unopened pack of Sour Patch Bites. In the back is a gym bag and a few folded T-shirts.
“This is a literal crime,” I say when he slips into the driver’s side, turning on the car.
“Even if I promise to take you somewhere you’ll enjoy more than a facility swimming pool?”
My eyes narrow. “Is this a sex thing? Are you going to take me to a sex dungeon?”
Aleks chuckles, an eyebrow rising. “Are you saying you’d enjoy a sex dungeon more than swimming?”
“I—I—no!” With warm cheeks, I search for a way to reroute the conversation. “I’m just trying to figure out where you’re taking me at nine fifteen on a Thursday.”
“Somewhere you’ll enjoy.”
“God, you’re infuriating.”
“Does it make you want to strangle me? I’ll admit, I like a little light choking action.”
I whip around to glare at him. “Stop it.”
Shrugging, he puts the car in drive and we’re off. “I’m simply telling you what I like so you feel comfortable telling me what you like. Figured it’d be good to get that conversation out of the way before the sex dungeon.”
If my safety didn’t depend on him focusing on the road, I would punch him right now. I really would.
“Aw, solnyshko. You’re so cute when you’re mad.”
“Nobody in this lifetime has ever called me cute.”
“Do you remember other lifetimes? Where people did call you cute?”
I rub the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger, closing my eyes before I do something neither of us may recover from.
Deciding that the best course of action is to stop talking to him altogether, I put the towel to use, wrapping it around my body and bunching the sweatshirt so Aleks doesn’t make out what it is.
After thirty minutes have passed, I eye him. “I have at least two weapons on my person. Killing me will be challenging.”
He doesn’t bat an eye, focus entirely on the highway. “That would be more believable if I weren’t the one who dragged you from the pool. I know you have none.”
“Anything can be a weapon if you try hard enough.”
Aleks chuckles.
“Seriously? That’s funny to you?”
“No. I’m just glad I’ll never have to worry about your safety because I trust that, for you, it’s true.”
It’s in no way praise, but a small smile works its way across my face. I turn toward the window so he can’t see it, watching the expansive silhouette of undeveloped land fly by.