When she speaks, I wasn’t expecting it. “Have you…punished her…yet?”
I’ve spent my life positive I was incapable of love, but in this moment there is no doubt I’m about to fall very hard for this gorgeous creature before me.
I nod my head, letting my hand fall to the outside of her thigh, brushing my thumb in a wide arc over her dress. The moan that escapes her lips is my undoing, and it takes everything in my power not to throw this girl over my shoulder and cart her off to bed. That would not be good for either one of us. The elders conduct random checks on girls, and if her virtue was found not intact, well, it could ruin everything we both clearly want.
So instead I ask, “Would you like to watch?”
The quick intake of breath tells me the question affected her deeply. She nods a confirmation, and even though I shouldn’t, I wrap both my big hands around her tiny waist and set her down off the counter. Grabbing my drink and downing the last swig, the two of us embark on our first torture session as a couple.
***
ANNA
After John had showed everyone to their rooms, and he’d left me at the corner room on the second floor with a bathroom, I decided a quick shower would be great for my sore muscles. I had washed away all the dirt, soot, and blood, and then stood a little longer, letting the water wash away everything that wasn’t physical. It washed away the nightmares from watching the last breath fade from one of our friends. Granted, I didn’t really know Talon, but he’d lost his life defending Chase, and for that I loved him. It washed away the deep seated emotion of having walked away from the only home I’ve ever known and knowing I might never see my parents again. And the panic of knowing my best friend was still there, living through God only knows what. If I was to guess, David is doing awful things to her, either to get information out of her or just for the fun of it. I think he’s more like Elder Jacobs, the original Enforcer, than we thought. In fact, he might be worse.
While I had thought the shower would help to wash away all those things, I was sorely mistaken. It may have cleaned my body, but it most certainly did not cleanse my soul. Only God and I could do that, and as I lay here on the patchwork quilt atop my temporary bed, my mind rushes with thoughts of Ash. That is, until the knock at the door.
Barefoot, I cross the hardwood floors to the door and open it, revealing Luke. He looks freshly showered too, his platinum hair still damp from the water, his cheeks flushed from the heat.
Stepping aside he enters, and the two of us cross to sit at the foot of my bed. The room is filled with silence, with the exception of one of the guy’s snores coming from down the hall. Luke repositions his body, turning slightly and pulling his leg that’s closest to me up on the bed between us, and then he reaches for my hand, clasping it before resting it on his thigh.
Luke is the first to speak, and his words sound nervous, although I’m not sure why. “Can we finish that talk, Little Minx?”
I’m filled with a lot of emotion today, so I don’t trust myself to speak, instead I nod and he continues.
“I was wrong for what I did in Bonham. I should never have let you walk away without knowing exactly how I feel.”
This is it folks, get your popcorn ready.
“It was stupid to think that just because I didn’t say it out loud it wasn’t real. I was stupid.” He pauses, eliminating another inch of space between us. “You have every right to hate me, every right to not trust my feelings for you. I get it, I mean, how could I possibly love you and let you walk away without making sure you knew it.”
I nod my head in agreement because honestly, that’s exactly how I felt about it. You never know what tomorrow will bring. You have to make sure people know how you feel because otherwise, it might be too late.
My nod of confirmation must have scared him because when he speaks again, his words are filled with emotion, fear. “I was terrified. This whole situation is crazy. Yes, I truly believe in love at first sight, and I know that’s what I felt for you, but the situation just…” His words trail off and enough time passes that I’m sure he’s about to get up and walk away again. But finally, his next words are spoken on a whisper. “I love you, Anna. And I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you know it. If you’ll let me.”
I don’t even think, I just move, crawling into his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his. The kiss tastes like cinnamon, and it’s slow and sweet. Neither of us feel the need to take if further, both of us seeming to be content with this.
When I pull away, I see nothing but love and devotion in his eyes, and even though his choices back in Bonham hurt me deeply, the moment he showed up at the compound to help me and my friends, I forgave him.
“I love you too, Luke,” I say, brushing my lips across his one more time. “Stay the night with me, please.” It’s not a question, instead it comes across as a plea, and he doesn’t disappoint.
Standing, Luke picks me up, my legs wrapping around his middle as he carries me to the other end
