Captured (The Captive #1)(16)
His eyebrows rose slowly over his dark glasses, he patted the seat beside him. “I will not bite you Arianna.”
Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him, not at all appreciative of his teasing words. She threw her shoulders back, thrust out her chin and walked swiftly toward him. His hand left the seat beside him, sliding away as she settled stiffly next to him. He studied her for a moment more before opening the book and placing it on their laps. Aria looked at the words, her discomfort growing as she stared dumbly at them. The words and letters swam before her on the page, blurring together before snapping back into focus; they still made no sense.
“It’s ok,” he said softly.
She turned slowly toward him, swallowing heavily. The force of his stare burned through her, even though she could not see it. His hand wrapped gently around her wrist, she jumped slightly, his touch searing into her skin. Her breath hitched in her chest, her heart leapt wildly. For a moment she could only stare helplessly at him, confused by the strange sensations and emotions coursing through her. Why was he toying with her like this? Why was he being so kind when they both knew that in the end he would only destroy her?
Deciding not to fight against it, deciding to go along with his games, she settled back in the seat. Perhaps it was best if he thought she trusted him, that she was not waiting for him to rip her throat out at any moment. His arm slipped briefly around her waist, pulling her gently against his side. His skin was cool to the touch, certainly not as warm as hers, but not freezing either. She found that she fit perfectly against him, and did not mind the touch of his cooler flesh against her; in fact she almost welcomed it. A fact that she felt she should hate herself for, but she simply couldn’t, it felt too right. She was willing to play the game, but this was so very intimate and cozy. It was something she had never experienced before, and it was unnerving, frightening, and exciting all at once.
She had to forcefully remind herself that he was a monster, that he was toying with her, and that he was taking joy in her discomfort, even if he didn’t appear to be. She tilted her head, her fingers twitching slightly as she studied those dark glasses. Not for the first time she wished he would take them off so that she could see his eyes. But in the week that she had been here, she had never once seen him without those dark shades.
He settled the book more firmly between them. Arianna found herself forgetting everything else, even his fingers lingering upon her waist, as she drew her legs up beneath her. She was eager to absorb what he seemed to want to teach her, and she had been wondering about the contents of this book for nearly a week now.
Leaning against his side she followed along as he slowly began to read through the novel, pronouncing each word carefully as he urged her to read along and sound out the words with him. She was surprised by the smile on his face; it was very rare to see such a thing on him. He was always reserved, professional, and perfunctory, but he seemed to be enjoying the book nearly as much as she was. Aria took great pleasure in his smile, and interjecting with the few words she knew. She found herself smiling along with him as he began to teach her to read.
CHAPTER 5
Braith studied Arianna as she sat curled within the window seat. Her long legs were drawn up beneath her; her dark hair aglow in the light filtering through the windows. Though the book was in her lap, she was not looking at it. Instead, her hands were pressed against the glass, her nose nearly touching the pane as she stared intently outside.
He could see the longing in her face, the desperate driving need to be free radiated from her. It was only then that he realized what these past two weeks must have truly been like for her. She was used to being free, used to running wild and being outdoors. This was probably the most time she had ever spent indoors, probably the most time she had ever spent with a roof over her head and a steady stream of food on her plate.
Food that was slowly beginning to put weight on her. It was rounding out her pointed edges; her collarbone did not stick out as sharply, her ribs and spine were no longer clearly visible beneath the dresses she wore. Her face had filled out; her cheekbones were not so sharp. She appeared even more youthful now, something he wasn’t entirely sure was a good thing. There was an innocence that clung to her, radiating from the inside out, but when she had been thinner she had appeared more worldly, wiser, and harder. He had found it a little easier to be indifferent to her then; he did not find it so now.
Especially when she was staring out the window with that eager, longing look on her face. He moved slowly behind her, touching her shoulder lightly. She tensed briefly, but did not jump away from him, did not recoil or stiffen as she had when she’d first arrived here. Her eyes were wide, brilliantly blue as she stared questioningly up at him.
He found it hard to believe that he had not found her beautiful when she had first arrived. Yes, she had been dirty, bedraggled, defiant, frightened, smelly, and far too thin, but her spirit had still been there. Her splendid inner glow had always resided within her, it had always been present, and it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever encountered. He had just been too shocked by the sight of her to have noticed it. He could not help but see it now, just as he could not help but see her pain and yearning.
“Would you like to go for a walk in the gardens?”
Hope sprang forth in her eyes, her mouth parted as joy radiated from her. It was such a small thing that he offered her, and yet she reacted as if he had just handed her the world. “Can I?” she asked eagerly.