Page 29 of Breakaway
The ride back to the apartment is quick since I don't live that far from the studio. Still, it feels like it takes way too long, especially since Zill and I were more than eager enough to tease one another during the last shoot relentlessly. The closer we get to my apartment, the more the arousal builds inside of me, an ache that needs filling, a desire unlike any I've felt for any of the other men I've shared my bed with for a night or two.
I don't know if it's because of the permanence that Zill brings with him or if I'm just that attracted to him. Either way, we can't get to the apartment fast enough. I'm already thinking about how badly I want to rip his clothes from his body, trail my tongue over the hard planes of his stomach, and ride him until we're both more than satisfied.
Brandr rolls down the window, breaking me from my thoughts. His gaze meets mine in the rearview mirror. "Do you mind?"
I shake my head, confused about why he's even asking me. Zill swallows hard, his eyes crinkling in the corner from where he's trying not to look too amused. That's when I knowsomething's up. I elbow him, and he lets out a little bark of laughter before silencing it.
"What?" I whisper to him.
Zill looks up to the front of the transport.
"Just tell her," Brandr says, sighing in resignation about whatever it is the two of them know that I apparently don't.
"Lokans have a good sense of smell," Zill says, his shoulders shaking with the laugh he's holding in. He leans in closer to me, shadows twining all over my body. His lips brush against my ear and send a shiver down my spine as he whispers. "I do appreciate how worked up you're getting yourself, though. Makes a male feel good to know he's desirable."
I make a guffawing sound, an unladylike thing really. But it gets my point across well enough, and Zill has his head thrown back with a laugh he doesn't try to hide. I shoot a glare up to the front of the transport, and Brandr holds up one of his hands as if he's surrendering.
"I wouldn't have said anything about it," Brandr says. "If it makes you feel any better, I can smell him, too."
And there's that little flare of jealousy again, and damn if that isn't more embarrassing than the fact that one of my security guards can smell that I'm turned on by another security guard who's meant to be playing as my fake boyfriend.
"She knows about the bond," Zill says, his fingers cupping my hand and giving it a squeeze, his voice all of a sudden much more serious. That doesn't stop him from shooting me a wink when I look over at him, though, making it clear he's still enjoying this whole debacle. "You should probably tell Marr and Ingo about having the windows down, too."
I groan at the idea of all of them knowing, but Brandr doesn't even chuckle at it. If anything, he's remained much more professional than the person who should be the most professional. Then again, I really like it when Zill's more on theplayful side. If it were something actually important, I'm sure he'd be much more serious about the whole matter. As it stands, nothing that serious has happened since he's been in my life. Honestly, it's almost like just having him around has caused a lot of the drama and threats to die down.
Brandr pulls the transport into the parking garage and hops out, getting my door for me as Zill gets out his side. "Marr said there was something we needed to discuss when we got upstairs," Brandr tells me, making his voice loud enough for Zill to hear as well, though I'm sure he was already briefed in his head.
"Is it something bad?" I ask, my fingers tangling as I try to pick at my cuticles. Zill takes my hand, our fingers interlocking, and it makes me feel less stressed.
Brandr tells me what he knows as we get into the elevator. "Marr said someone slid a letter under your door. When they spoke to the man, it was someone from another floor who was paid a chunk of credits to slide the note in. Marr made sure he was a resident in the building and let him leave. The letter is still in your apartment. Since it didn't pose an actual safety concern, Marr didn't want to invade your space without you being there."
And gone are all the warm, fuzzy feelings I have for Zill, and replacing them are the clammy, shaking hands of someone about to have a panic attack. It's not even that bad, but someone slipped a note under my door, and for some reason, I'm thinking back to how someone broke into my apartment, touched, and stole my things.
Arms wrap around me, something wrapping all around my body, holding me close. I don't realize my eyes aren't closed until I blink a few times, and the darkness remains. Shadows, I'm enveloped in Zill's shadows. They're acting like a shell of sorts, blocking me in against his chest. It should be embarrassing that I'm acting so shaken just from hearing that there might bea letter in my apartment, but it doesn't stop that from being precisely what I am. I cling to the fabric of Zill's shirt, his fingers pressing into my back in support.
"You tell us as soon as you know next time," Zill's saying, the rumble of his voice vibrating in his chest and against where I have my face resting against him.
My breathing is fast, and my heart feels like it's rampaging, but I'm safe right here. Nothing bad is going to happen to me because even if someone wanted to do something, Zill would know before they could, and he would keep me safe. I know he would. There's more talking between the two men as the elevator goes up, mostly Brandr apologizing and not realizing the impact it would have on me.
"Want me to carry you?" Zill asks, the shadows dissipating from around me enough that I can see him looking down at me.
I shake my head softly. He wipes his thumb across my cheek and urges me around, keeping his shadows wrapped tight around me, but giving me the space to see as we walk.
I'm still shaking, something that gets worse as we near the apartment. I keep thinking I'm going to go inside, and my stuff is going to be destroyed again. I know it isn't rational, and I know Marr and Ingo wouldn't have let that happen, but it just feels like an inevitability in my mind.
"How about you go sit with Marr across the hall, and I'll check out the apartment," Zill says softly as we make it to where Marr is waiting for us in the hallway.
"Will you come get me ?" I ask, panic making my voice higher-pitched than I mean it to be. Marr, who was looking somewhat pleasant, immediately gets a hardened expression on his face, his eyes flicking between the three of us like he's the one who can read minds.
"Of course I will," Zill tells me. "I'm going to check out your apartment, grab the letter, and we can check it all out across the hall. Does that sound okay?"
I nod shakily, "Yeah, yeah, that sounds good."
Zill gives me a final gentle squeeze. "Marr, will you get her something to drink? I'm going to check out the apartment with Brandr, and then we'll come over here."
"You got it," Marr says, not questioning orders.
Zill is slow to release me from his shadows. His whole body is turned from me as he begins on the locks of the door, and his shadows cling to me until Marr has me in the other apartment.
