18. Chapter 18
Imanagetheentire night without a single nightmare. Rolling over in bed, I smack straight into something hard. Opening my eyes, I follow the body up from the chest to their face. It”s Bane. No wonder I slept so peacefully. He”s laid back on top of the covers, his legs crossed at the ankles and his head resting on one arm.
He”s fully dressed and the only thing he isn’t wearing is his boots. It”s like the first time I woke up in bed with him all over again. Only this time I don”t plan on climbing on top of him. Not saying the temptation isn”t there, but I have bigger plans for today. And one of those is to finally get my hands on some of my own clothes.
Shuffling away from Bane, his arm moves out. Touching the bed where I just moved from, his hand grazes across mine. He wraps his fingers around them, one of his eyes popping open, his eyebrow raising.
”Where you going?” His voice is sleep-addled and rough.
”Well, big guy, I”m going for a shower, and then you”re taking me to my apartment.” A grin cracks across my lips at the prospect of being able to wear my own clothes.
”Okay.” Bane lets go of my hand and in seconds he”s stood at my side of the bed. Reaching under my arms, he lifts me and lets my feet drop to the ground.
Leaning down so his head is beside mine, he runs his nose up the side of my neck, inhaling deeply. His hands cup my ass and pull me closer to him. I”m practically molded to his body, his thigh shifting between my legs. The movement pushes the fabric of the boxers I”m wearing against my clit, and I let out a soft moan.
Bane lets out a rumbling sound right next to my ear, and I melt against him. Planting soft pecks against the skin on my neck, he moves to my mouth. His lips brush against mine before he pulls away. Placing another kiss on my forehead, he moves away from me, leaving me bereft.
”Breakfast?”
What the hell?
Glaring at him, I turn and storm towards the bathroom.
”Stupid fucking vampires not finishing what they start.” Slamming the bathroom door behind me, I can hear him chuckling on the other side and it makes me even angrier.
I swear to God if one more of these assholes leaves me feeling sexually frustrated, I”m out of here. Fuck them, and fuck the wolves. I”m sick of having a constant lady boner. Stripping off the clothes I”m in, I jump in the shower and quickly wash my body and hair. I need my own clothes and toiletries, stat.
When I”m done, I wrap a fresh towel around my body and dry my hair the best I can with another. A hair elastic would be perfect right now, but unless I have one in my purse, I can”t imagine the guys having one lying around ready for me to use.
Walking back into the bedroom, the door is closed and there”s another set of fresh clothing on the bed. A smile crosses my lips. Grabbing the boxers, I pull them up my legs, followed by the t-shirt and sweatpants. I”m not sure what exactly I”m going to wear on my feet. I don”t even know where my heels are anymore, not that I’d want to wear them, anyway.
Pulling my purse over my shoulder, I head out to the hallway. I can smell freshly brewed coffee and bacon. As I reach the kitchen, Bane is standing behind the stove, his back to me. There is already a cup of freshly brewed coffee on the breakfast bar.
Adding two sugars, I give it a quick stir before taking a taste. A sigh escapes my lips as I inhale the rich aroma. Sipping on my drink, I admire Bane”s physique as he works. He”s a giant, that”s for sure, and the muscles in his arms flex as he stirs the pan in front of him.
The toaster pops, making me jump, but I quickly put down my cup and head over to it. Pulling out the toast, I put it on the breadboard and slather each piece with a generous amount of butter. I pile them onto the plate that”s set beside it before moving it over to the breakfast bar.
I catch something different across the room and I give it my full attention. The once blood soaked table is gone and in its place is a beautifully designed metal and glass one, well minus chairs. I roll my eyes and chuckle to myself.
When I turn back around to see what else Bane needs me to do, the answer is nothing. He”s already plated up the food and is heading my way. Placing both dishes down, he takes my hand and guides me to the seat.
Once I”m comfortably sitting down, he sits beside me and starts digging into the heaping pile of bacon and scrambled eggs. I pick at the food at first, before finally digging in, letting out small, appreciative noises as I eat. The eggs and bacon are both cooked to perfection.
Taking a sip of my coffee, I look over to Bane and find he”s already finished.
Where the hell does he put it all?
He uses a slice of toast to wipe up the crumbs of egg and bacon fat from the plate before shoving it into his mouth. He rubs his belly and grins over at me. There really is a teddy bear under all that muscle.
My belly is full, and I can”t finish the large meal Bane put in front of me. Grabbing both plates before Bane has a chance to, I empty the leftover food into the trash and take them to the sink. Turning on the faucet, I wash them and leave them in the drainer.
Drinking the last dregs of my coffee, I ponder another cup, but honestly, all I want to do is go to my apartment and slip on some of my own clothes. I appreciate the fact the guys have been lending me theirs, but it”s about time I have something that actually fits. Glancing down at my feet, I look back up to Bane, but he”s busy typing away on his phone.
”Big guy,” his fingers stop moving and he looks up. ”I”m gonna need some shoes, maybe a jacket if we plan on going outside.” He gives me a nod and disappears in the blink of an eye.
When he returns, he”s holding a hoodie and a pair of flip-flops. Taking the shoes first, I drop them on the floor and push my feet into them. They”re only a size or two bigger than my own feet, so definitely not one of the guys’. I wonder who they belong to.
”Harley”s,” Bane answers the question without me even having to voice it. I have no idea who Harley is, but a pang of jealousy races through me and I can”t stop the frown that mars my face.
Bane steps in front of me, the hoodie still in his grasp. He cups my face with one of his large hands and tilts my head up to look at him. Leaning down, his lips whisper across mine and I rise up on my tip-toes so he doesn”t have to lean down so much. Even that brief touch is enough to wipe any jealousy away.
He rests the hoodie around my shoulders, and I push my arms into it before zipping the front. Like most of the clothes they have given me so far, it absolutely drowns me, but it”s comfy and smells faintly of Diego.
”Come,” Bane grunts out, turning on his heel and grabbing a set of keys off the counter.
He holds the apartment door open for me. I”m almost there, but I pause. It”s been a few days since I woke up in the apartment, and now I”m about to go outside for the first time since the attack. I”m suddenly nervous. Bane takes my hand and raises it to his lips, brushing a soft kiss across my knuckles.
”No one will hurt you. Promise.” I look up into his blue eyes. I can see the truth there. He won”t let anyone hurt me.
Come on, Demi. Pull up your big girl panties. Or boxers, seems as what I’m wearing aren’t even mine.
Rolling my shoulders and taking a deep breath, I lift my head and take a step outside the apartment. Bane follows behind me, still holding my hand, and pulls the door closed behind him.
We”re in a small hallway with another door to the left, but absolutely no windows. I spot a keypad on the outside of the door. He leads me towards another at the end and when we get there, he enters a code into another keypad beside it. I hear the locks disengage.
Overkill much.
Leading me through the opening, we”re finally outside on what resembles a fire escape. I’m guessing from the fact it’s entirely enclosed with a metal fence that it isn’t, though. I haven’t seen any other doors in the apartment that could lead outside, so it’s probably just how it was built. I take my time walking down the steps. Bane doesn”t try to rush me, letting me set my own pace.
Once we reach the bottom, he enters another code, and pushes open the heavy-looking steel. He makes sure it shuts behind him before walking me over to a black BMW. Opening the door, he waits for me to climb in before shutting it after me and heading to the driver”s side.
With a few grumbles when he gets in, he pushes the seat back to give himself enough room for his long legs. I”m guessing this isn”t his car. A small laugh escapes me. He whips his head around to glare at me before a smile cracks across his own face.
Bane starts the engine. I give him the address for my apartment and we take off. He doesn”t say a word. Not that I was expecting much enlightening conversation from him; he”s definitely the silent brooding type.
We pull out of the alley next to the club; it looks so different in the daylight. There”s no line outside and the huge sign above the door isn”t lit. In fact, the entire area looks like any other, but I know what lurks behind the building. An alley where two of us went in, but only one came out alive.
Quickly brushing the tears from under my eyes before they can fully form and stare out of the window as we drive down the street. I’m not really looking at anything in particular, just watching the trees and people as we pass by. Fiddling with the cuff of my sleeve as Bane drives. It”s odd being outside after I”ve been cooped up inside their apartment for a few days.
My nerves push to the forefront of my mind; I”m not really sure what I expected. I went to hell and back and I”m still standing - I plan to keep it that way for a while yet. I look over to Bane, but his eyes are set on the road. Reaching for the radio, I turn it on, not really caring what we listen to. I need something to fill the silence.
Getting myself comfortable, I lie my head back on the headrest. I close my eyes, letting out a sigh before humming along to the music.