Page 26 of Dark Fey Captive

“Come.” He held out his hand. “I will keep you safe while you search.”

I wasn’t stupid and saw the offer for what it was.

A leash.

But one that gets you out of this room, I reminded myself.

His smile grew as I reached for his hand. It made me more nervous. So did the way he pulled back a little before I could take it.

My gaze flew to his. The hunger I saw there robbed me of thought for a few seconds.

“I don’t like men who play games,” I said.

“All games?” he asked. “What about the ones with the colored cards?”

Was he being serious?

I closed the distance between us and took his hand. He looked down at our hands. So did I. Mine looked so tiny compared to his. He rubbed his thumb over my skin and exhaled heavily.

It sounded…content?

I was still trying to decipher his sigh while he led me out of the room.

The hallway was colder and much darker now, which was a good thing. I could smell death.

He stopped at the first room and tapped on the door. After a few seconds, he opened it with a wood-snapping push. He went in first, keeping me close as he opened the curtains all the way.

The room looked completely untouched, likely unused when everything fell apart.

I caught sight of myself in the room’s mirror. The red crop top ended at my navel, leaving me completely bare from the waist down.

A soft snort escaped me.

“I look like Winnie the Pooh.”

“You look beautiful,” Nav said, watching me.

Everything about the moment felt…strange. The compliment. The way he was petting the back of my hand with his thumb. The way he was watching me. It almost felt…tender. Which was crazy.

I nodded toward the hallway.

“Can we keep going?”

We went to the next room. A rancid smell permeated the air just outside the door. Someone was inside. Dead or undead, though? I didn’t really want to find out, but knew where there were people, there were supplies.

Releasing Nav’s hand, I moved to stand behind him, one hand on his back, just above his very sculpted ass.

He tapped on the door.

Nothing moved inside in response, though.

A relieved breath escaped me.

“Wait here. I will open a window,” he said before breaking the door.

I quickly covered my mouth with my t-shirt. While he went inside, I glanced up and down the hallway, feeling very vulnerable without him. Or maybe it was just because I was still walking around bottomless.

A clatter from inside startled me. It sounded like ripped fabric and metal.