23. Why Are You Naked??
why are you naked??
. . .
Sadie
Sadie’s Guide to Hostage-Taking Being Taken Hostage Forming a Partnership with Your Hostage, Tip #13: Nothing can prepare you for the first time you wake up in your hostage’s bed, but proper morning-after etiquette demands you define the current hostage situation.
Running water pulled me out of a restful sleep I didn’t want to leave.
Or maybe the mouthful of dog hair woke me.
I spat it out and rubbed a hand over my tongue. “Bleh! Bear. This is so gross.”
The furry menace lifted his head from the pillow and cocked it—oblivious to my rude awakening.
It took me a moment to realize we were alone in the bed.
The very nice and very large bed, with the most luxurious sheets I’d ever lain on. Davian’s bedroom was bigger than my whole studio apartment, but the decorations were noticeably lacking. Everything was dark and imposing, from the sheets to the four-poster bed to the curtains framing French doors along one wall. But the room suited Davian.
The man I’d spent all night cuddled up against.
My fluttering stomach betrayed how happy that made me.
The running water I’d heard was coming from a door across from the bed—a bathroom door.
An open bathroom door.
I focused on swallowing. It had to be Davian in there—this was his room, after all, and he wasn’t in the bed anymore.
My tongue turned as dry as a desert as that sank in.
He was naked in there.
Showering.
With the door wide open.
I flipped around and buried my face in Bear’s thick fur, trying to push the thoughts of a naked and wet Davian out of my mind. Bear took the opportunity to lick my hair.
“Fresh cupcakes and buttercream icing.” I listed a few of my favorite things to distract myself. “Taking Bear to the dog park. Dog toy sales. Why isn’t this working ?”
The water shut off, and I lasted a full ten seconds before my willpower evaporated and I opened one eye to peek at the bathroom.
Davian appeared in the doorway, naked save for a fluffy white towel slung low on his hips. The man oozed power and danger from every pore, making breathing difficult for me.
I should’ve played it cool and looked away—like the sight of his defined and glistening bare chest was no big deal to me. As if all the beautifully sculpted muscles and golden skin had zero effect.
Instead, my mouth filled with an alarming amount of saliva—just like the dogs’ did when I pulled out the kibble—and I was seconds from leaving a puddle of drool on Davian’s pillow.
His lithe body leaned against the doorjamb while his dark gaze watched me like a hawk eyeing its prey.
I swallowed and dug my fingers into Bear’s fur, making him snort. My other eye popped open, and I mustered a small smile. “Good morning.”
It sounded more like a croak than a greeting.
The corner of Davian’s mouth tilted up. “Morning, sweetheart.”
I huffed at the nickname. He still hadn’t let that go.
“I’m not your sweetheart,” I reminded him, voice scratchy.
Davian prowled closer and leaned against the bedpost with both arms crossed over his very naked—and very wet—chest. I kept my gaze firmly focused on his eyes instead of the towel hanging dangerously low on his hips.
His gaze swept over my face. “You okay?”
“I think so.” But it was impossible to focus on the question when he was still this naked. I cleared my throat. “Aren’t you going to get dressed?”
A single dark brow arched in question. “Are you in a rush?”
“No, but you’re…” Was it possible to spontaneously combust from blushing? “You’re just standing there naked!”
Davian’s lips twitched. “And?”
A drop of water clinging to a wet lock of his hair chose that moment to freefall—nose-diving onto his shoulder and sliding down the hard planes of his chest. I gulped. “And… And it’s distracting.”
I would’ve been mortified at the breathiness of my voice if I weren’t so entranced by the droplet of water disappearing beneath his towel.
“Well, I wouldn’t want to distract my guest.” His gaze dipped and took in my own outfit before turning molten. “But I’d argue what you sleep in is far more distracting.”
Glancing down at my skimpy paw print pajamas and very noticeable lack of a bra, I yanked up the blanket to cover myself with a squeak, my face flaming. “I didn’t know I’d be sleeping over when I put these on.”
Davian’s answering smirk could stop traffic. “It wasn’t a complaint.”
My skin was at dangerous risk of combusting, and the lingering heat in his gaze did things to my stomach that should be illegal. Thankfully, he broke the spell by pushing off the bedpost and disappearing into a walk-in closet.
But his towel dropped to the floor just before he stepped out of sight, and I whipped my gaze up to the ceiling after catching a glimpse of more skin. This wasn’t fair. My ex-hostage and his perfect butt had no business making my skin hot all over.
Bear took the opportunity to ask for more cuddles, and I indulged him by massaging his neck.
“You’re such a good boy,” I crooned, giving him a kiss.
Davian rejoined us not long after, fully dressed in an impressive dark suit. He leaned against the dresser and slipped on a fancy black shoe, but his gaze was fixed on me. “Now answer honestly. How are you feeling?”
I puffed out a breath, but my heart thudded in my chest—he cared enough to really want to know.
“Last night was pretty scary,” I admitted. It couldn’t hurt to be honest about that. Bear nudged his snout against my hip until I scratched between his ears.
Davian glanced around the room before leaning around the dresser and looking underneath it. “You’re safe here. My men are taking care of it.”
“Thank you. I really do appreciate it.” When he bent down and peeked under the bed, I grew curious. “What are you looking for?”
He straightened with a frown. “My other shoe.”
… Uh-oh .
I slanted a look at Bear lying next to me, who quickly closed his eyes and rested his head on his front paws.
My eyes narrowed.
“You’re not fooling anybody,” I whispered to the trickster.
I stuck a hand under the pillow next to Bear and pulled out a wet loafer that matched the one on Davian’s foot.
Well, minus the new teeth marks.
I reminded Bear how bad it was to steal shoes, then handed the victim over to Davian. “I’m really sorry…”
He blinked down at the shoe before shooting Bear a dark look that would’ve made me pee myself, but Bear simply stared right back at him.
My ears burned at the few choice words Davian muttered as he slipped the well-loved shoe on.
“Shane is replacing the lock on your door now… and the door,” he told me, ignoring the shoe thief. “It doesn’t look like they messed with anything in your apartment.”
My stomach sank. If they hadn’t stolen anything… “That means they were definitely there for me or Bear, right? Or both of us.”
“They’re not getting either of you,” he said, as if it were that simple. “Shane will keep an eye on the place in case they stop by again. Text him whatever you want him to bring you from the apartment.”
He handed over his phone with a text conversation open. I listed off a few things to pick up: a change of clothes, fresh underwear, yogurt, dog food, Bear’s prescription on the kitchen counter, and Walter the plant.
After typing a quick thank you , I passed the phone back to a waiting Davian. He read over what I’d sent with a frown, then typed out another message.
“Did I say something wrong?” I asked.
He slid the phone into his pocket. “No. But I’m not letting him go through your underwear drawer.”
My cheeks warmed. “Dav, I need a fresh pair.”
“Then I’ll stop by later and grab you some.”
“But it’s just underwear.” I straightened. Besides, the thought of him going through my underwear drawer wasn’t any more appealing than Shane doing it. “You don’t have to make a special trip if Shane will already be there?—”
“Not up for debate, sweetheart,” Davian quipped. I gaped as he slid a fancy watch onto his wrist. “I’m heading out for a couple hours, but Antonio will make breakfast whenever you’re hungry.”
I shifted, and the blanket pooled around my waist. “Wait. You’re leaving?”
“I have work.”
“Oh. Right. Of course.” I looked around for a clock but found none. “What time is it? I should get to the shelter.”
Davian paused while straightening the cuff of his jacket. “That’s not a good idea until this situation is cleared up.”
I frowned. “But I’m on the schedule for today. Gladys is expecting me.”
“There were men at your apartment last night, Sadie,” he reminded me, as if I could forget. “They’ll show up at your work, too.”
I patted down my pajamas, but I hadn’t grabbed my phone when we’d fled the apartment. It wasn’t like I even had pockets or a bra to put it in. “Then I need to warn her. My phone is still at the apartment. Can I borrow yours?”
Davian already had his phone out and was tapping the screen. “I’ll take care of it.”
“But you don’t know the number?—”
“Hello, Emily,” he said into the phone, and my words died on my tongue. Emily was our receptionist at Happy Tails Haven. “Let your boss know Sadie Morris won’t be coming in to volunteer today.”
I scrambled forward, lunging for the phone before he could hang up. “Give me that!”
Davian raised a brow and let me take the phone.
“Emily?” I asked, hoping he hadn’t scared her into hanging up.
“Yes, this is Emily with Happy Tails Haven. How may I help you?” She sounded uncertain.
“Hey, it’s Sadie. Sorry about that. And I’m really sorry for the last-minute notice, but I can’t make it in for my shift.”
“Oh, no problem, Sadie. I’ll let the others know.” She paused, and I could practically hear her brain working. “…Who was that man?”
I hesitated. How was I supposed to explain what had happened yesterday without sounding like a complete lunatic? I didn’t want to worry them either.
I gave it my best shot.
“Oh, him? Nobody important or scary or anything like that. Just a normal dude.” Davian arched a brow, and I forced a smile that felt more like a grimace. “Tell Gladys not to worry, okay? I’ll be back before she knows it. And call this number if you notice any sketchy guys hanging around the shelter, please.”
“Sketchy guys…?” Another weighted pause had me wondering if I’d overshared before Emily sighed. “Sure thing, Sadie. I hope everything’s okay.”
“It’s peachy. See you later!”
Guilt crept in as soon as I hung up, and I fell back on the bed with a groan, closing my eyes. “I feel awful. I should at least stop by the shelter to let Gladys know I’m safe. Hearing it secondhand from Emily will just worry her more.”
The bed dipped on either side of my head, startling my eyes open. Davian’s arms caged me in.
“You’re not leaving the compound until those men are found, Sadie.” He leaned down until his face hovered just above mine. A wicked smirk flashed. “But if you can’t agree to that, another option is for me to stay and make sure you don’t even leave my bed.”
His words sent a shiver rolling down my spine, and I swallowed. “That sounds like a threat.”
“More of a promise,” he whispered before his voice turned to liquid steel. “Things changed when those men came to your apartment last night. Now we do things my way.”
I blinked up at him, gauging if he was serious.
He was.
Apparently, Davian was a bossypants.
That didn’t really fly with me, but I could play along. For now.
I hummed. “You’re really used to getting your way, aren’t you?”
“Undoubtedly. Now, I need to go tie up some loose ends from yesterday. Have fun here. Explore the grounds with Bear. Do what you want.” He closed the distance to place a far too sweet kiss on my forehead. “I’ll be back for lunch.”
He pulled back, and my eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You mean I’m allowed to wander around? The guards won’t stop me?”
“You’re not a prisoner, Sadie.” He chuckled. “You’re my guest.”
I hesitated. Was this a mind game? Make me feel like I was safe here and had power over my own actions? Maybe all this talk about hostages had messed with me.
“A guest who can’t leave, though?” I asked, wanting to clarify.
“Not until we handle the men who came after you,” he answered. “It’s a safety measure for both you and Bear. But the place is yours to use as you please, and I’ll pick up your phone when I stop by the apartment.”
So, it was more like an even split between prisoner and guest. I could work with that.
For now, I reminded myself.
“Okay, it’s a deal.” I held up a single finger. “I’ll play your hostage—excuse me, guest —on one condition.”
Davian’s eyes lit with amusement. “This isn’t a negotiation.”
“It is now.” I raised my finger higher. “I’ll stay here if a couple of your men go to the shelter today to protect the other dogs and staff.”
Davian didn’t even take time to consider it before nodding. “Deal.”
I frowned at the quick agreement. Had I just willingly become a pseudo prisoner?
“And I’ll need to call Emily again to warn her they’ll be there, or she might think they’re the sketchy guys I mentioned.” I chewed on my lip. “No offense to your guys.”
“None taken.”
Davian let me borrow his phone again, and after my short call with a very confused Emily, he left to do whatever mafia princes did.
I padded over to the large French doors, which opened to a small balcony overlooking the back of the compound. The day was bright, the sun warm on my skin, and Davian’s ridiculously nice pool looked all too inviting.
I sighed. Despite Davian’s warning that I couldn’t leave, I didn’t feel like a prisoner. Maybe that made me delusional, but it wasn’t like I wanted to put us at unnecessary risk when a threat still loomed. For now, Bear was safe.
The rest could wait.
Sunlight glinted off the surface of the pool, beckoning me to come out and play. I looked at Bear—who was watching me from the bed with his head cocked to the side—before placing my hands on my hips with a smile. “You know what, buddy? I think we’re overdue for a vacation. Let’s take the day off and enjoy ourselves a little. Carpe diem , right?”
He wagged his tail in agreement.