CHAPTER 23
FRANKIE
∞
I feel like shit. My entire body feels broken and sore, and I’m struggling to open my eyes.
Where am I?
I don’t remember anything. I remember the club and everything that happened there, but I don’t remember leaving. I push back the covers, and I’m confused as to why I’m naked.
Weird.
My dress is hanging back in the closet and my dagger is on my nightstand. I toss on a large t-shirt and make my way into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I’m surprised Nyx wasn’t in my room either. She always sleeps in my room. I quickly brush my teeth and head towards the kitchen to feed her and my body freezes. Wren is on my couch with Nyx curled up on his stomach.
What the fuck happened last night?
Why is he here? Why is he on my couch? What the fuck did I do? “Nyx,”
I hiss out. She lifts her head and glares at me before she curls herself further into Wren’s body. He shifts slightly in his sleep, and I stop breathing.
He’s so fucking cute while he’s sleeping.
All of the hardness from his features is gone. His hair falls loosely on his forehead and his lips are parted slightly as he breathes steadily. I still don’t understand why he’s here. If something happened between us, he would be in bed with me, but he’s out here alone and fully clothed. I don’t know if I should wake him, but I want to know what the fuck is going on.
He saves me from having to do that when his eyes sneak open. “You’re staring,”
he mumbles, shifting himself on the couch and closing his eyes again. He settles his hand on Nyx, and she starts purring.
Wait…cats hate supernaturals…what the fuck?
“Why are you here?”
He opens his eyes again and I snap my mouth closed at the slight glow that settles in around his irises. “You don’t remember?”
“No, that’s why I’m asking.”
He settles his hands on Nyx again and lifts himself up to sit. “Maybe it’s better that you don’t,”
he says bluntly.
“No, it’s not. I want to know what the fuck happened last night, Wren. You’re in my apartment…sleeping on my couch, and I woke up naked with no memory of undressing myself, let alone getting home.”
“Just be thankful you’re even awake right now. Last night was not good, Francesca.”
“So we didn’t…”
He furrows his brows, clearly confused, and then his eyes widen. “Of course not! I would never do that to you!”
I swallow hard and take a step back from him. “Jullian…”
I say quietly. “You know about everything, don’t you?”
“Yes. Do you really want to know?”
“Yes.”
I know I’m probably going to regret this, but I can’t go on not knowing.
“One of Jullian’s men drugged you last night. I saw it happen and I tried to stop you, but you drank from the glass before I could reach you.”
“What? What did he give me?”
“Vampire blood mixed with Float. Alex tested it to know what we were working with.”
“Is he here?”
I glance around, confused.
“No. I dropped him off at the tower before bringing you back here.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t just take me there.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“You would have lost your shit if you woke up in my tower, Francesca.”
“I’m still losing my shit at the fact you slept on my couch, Wren. How the fuck am I alive? Float should have killed me.”
“It must not have been too high of a dose. I…I didn’t think you were going to make it. You were so fucked up.”
“Why was I naked, Wren…you undressed me…why?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t have a choice. You were burning up and I needed to try and get your temperature down before your heart decided to give out.”
He looks up at me and my heart pounds against my chest at the look he’s giving me. He looks completely broken right now. “I…didn’t touch you. I promise you…I didn’t do anything inappropriate. I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry. That happened to you last night because of me. You should have never been put in that situation, and my reaction to everything clearly spurred Jullian to fucking drug you.”
“You bathed me…”
“No. I undressed you and sat you in the tub until I felt you were stable enough. Then I put you to bed in the hopes you would wake up this morning.”
He turns away from me and pets Nyx absentmindedly. “I’m glad you’re okay,”
he says quietly.
He saved me. He did the one thing he said he would never do. He protected me last night and saved me from Jullian. I step towards him and stand in front of him until he finally looks back up at me. His eyes widen when I reach up and cup his cheek in my palm.
“Thank you,”
I say quietly.
“You’re not mad?”
He says confused as he furrows his brow.
“No.”
“So, you believe me?”
“Yes, Wren. I believe you. I don’t see a point in you lying about it. If your goal was to torment me, you would have said you raped me while I was drugged up.”
His eyes widen in panic and he grips my wrist, but quickly pulls away. “I would never do that!”
“I know.”
Moment of truth.
I need to know if he actually likes me. I feel like he does. He’s weird around me, and the things he did for me last night seem like a far reach for just a boss taking care of their employee.
I grab Nyx from his lap and set her down on the ground, much to her dismay. I settle my hands on his shoulders and shift myself to straddle his hips.
“What are you doing?”
He chokes out.
“Did you look at me while you undressed me?”
I see him visibly swallow and his eyes dart to my lips as I lick them. “I…I tried not to. Of course I saw things…it’s sort of hard to avoid when I have to take off your clothes.”
I brush my fingers against the base of his neck and his body shudders as he closes his eyes.
“You touched me,”
I say quietly.
“I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t touch you in that way…”
I lean in closer to his face and he shifts back further into the couch. “What are you doing?”
“Did you want to touch me in that way?”
“Francesca---”
“Answer the question, Wren.”
“No.”
He says bluntly, and I pull back to look him clearly in the face. “I didn’t want to touch you while you were drugged. I never want to touch you like that…unless you want me to…when you’re clear-headed.”
I lean back in towards his face, and I can feel his breath hiss out against my lips. “Are…are you clear-headed?”
“I feel like I am.”
“You don’t want this. I’m everything you hate, and you don’t trust me.”
“I haven’t been touched in twelve years, Wren. I haven’t allowed anyone to touch me since…”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“That’s a surprise,” I snort.
“Is it though? Have I not proved to you that I don’t actually want you getting hurt?”
“I’m starting to see that, yeah.”
I can’t believe I’m even doing this. I haven’t wanted anyone to touch me until this moment. I press my lips lightly against his and pull back to look at him again. I press my lips to his again and edge my tongue out against his lips. He parts his mouth for me and the visceral moan that rips from his throat, has my pussy soaking wet for him. “Do you want me?”
I whisper against his lips.
“Yes,”
he groans. I can feel his cock harden under me as I shift myself closer to him.
“Show me.”