𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐄

Chapter 21

"Could you be any more obvious?"

Maven knows what he has.

He's worked for some of it, the other parts just came from insanely good genetics.

"Who said I was trying to be discreet?"

Kaida fires back, as cool as ice.

They stare at each other across the threshold and Kaids spots a ghost of a smile on his mouth.

He turns away and continues drying his hair, but he leaves the door wide open for Kaida to enter.

And so she does.

Her eyes dart around his room. It was similar to hers. Sparsely furnished, minimal, but so sleek.

There was a clear bit of glass above the bed, where you could watch the stars twinkle.

And the window was overshadowed by the low hanging leaves.

Kaida sits herself down carefully on the edge of his bed and he goes back into the bathroom.

Maven leaves the door open, and Kaida watches as he goes about his routine, but she turns her head when he begins to dress.

His hair isn't fully dry when he pulls a black t-shirt over it and he doesn't bother with underwear, opting for grey bottoms only.

As Kaida watches the shirt slide over his scar, her voice is barely heard when she asks

"I never questioned. How did it feel?"

Maven walks back into the bedroom and he plops himself down beside Kaida, his legs spread and his arms apart, leaning on his own mattress.

"Like a thousand fires being lit simultaneously."

Maven closes his eyes, in a sort of bliss. He tilts his head up, revealing a side-profile to die for.

Kaida's hand reaches out, and she really knows she shouldn't, but she touches his heart.

Her hands glide over the hard skin, raised through the thin shirt.

Maven's eyes open suddenly and sharply look at her.

Kaida pulls away, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"You couldn't touch it before, when we were in the cell together and I was playing my games."

Kaida's hand recoiled at even just the brush of the scar.

The guilt of it all, burnt her.

"That was then."

Maven looks at her, then looks at the empty space on his lap.

His legs open and close reflexively, and Kaida's eyes are drawn to the motion.

In their unspoken language, Kaida is commanded.

And she obliges.

Smoothly sliding onto his lap, she swings her legs over his, and they are locked.

Kaida keeps some distance though, not pressing her body up against his.

She leans back so she can see his face.

And very, very daringly, her hand finds the hem of his shirt, and snakes under.

She brushes over the puckered skin, this time with purpose.

She is not afraid anymore.

And she looks Maven in his eyes and suddenly they are bare in front of one another.