Blackmailed For Love

Chapter 15: Tell me a secret

I didn't know what I was doing here this late in the night.

This time there was no bet involved for me to prove that I wasn't a wuss.

No, this time something else compelled me to sneak out of our little cottage and enter this dark forest that had frightened me the first time.

Or maybe to look for someone.

But it doesn't frighten me as before or maybe it does but I knew that there was someone else who would save me from wild predators.

Leaves crunched behind me and I whirled around with my hand on my heart.

The moment my eyes met his glittering greys my heart started beating for entirely different reasons.

"I know for a fact that there's no bet today.Then what's the reason for your visit here."

He said as he leaned against a tree and slipped his hand in his pocket.

I licked my lips and his eyes dropped to my mouth for a second before they came back to meet mine and he arched a dark brow.

I said, "I just came for a… walk?"

His lips twitched and he asked, "In the middle of the night?"

I shrugged.

"I couldn't sleep.And you are one to talk when you yourself are here."

"I couldn't sleep either."

"Why?"

"A lot in my mind."

I took a step toward him, an unseen thread pulling me to him.

"Want to share.You can, I won't tell anyone."

He looked at me for a long moment and then said, "I will if you tell me a secret."

I frowned at him.

"But I don't have secrets."

"Everyone has secrets, little girl."

"Do you?"

He tilted his head to the side in agreement and asked, "So… Want to trade?"

I chewed on my bottom lip, for a long minute thinking about what kind of secret I could tell him.

I really did not have something that would be secret for someone like him.

But I wanted to know about his secret, so I nodded.

"Fine.Tell me."

"Every time I close my eyes or try to sleep, I feel like someone would suffocate me in my sleep."

I froze.

My whole body jerked with his words.

How could someone feel like that? "Why?"

The question slipped before I could think about it.

The corner of his lips twitched up.

He didn't look fazed by what he said as much as I felt wanted to do something for him.

I wanted to know how he sleeps then.

How does he relax or even if he does it? "That was one secret I told you, little girl.

Now, it's your turn."

I didn't think my secret could match his but I told him anyway.

"I have a beauty mark on the left side of my hips."

My words made his eyes darken and he narrowed those dark grey eyes on me like my secret made him furious on me.

In a small voice, I confessed, "I didn't know what to tell you.

I told you I didn't have secrets."

He started walking.

I thought he was coming for me but then he walked right by me.

My shoulders slumped as I thought that he was angry for telling me a big secret of his and didn't get anything like that in return.

I was about to walk and go back home when I heard his footsteps stop behind me and he said, "Come along."

2 A smile stretched across my lips and I turned around, seeing that he was already several steps away I almost ran to reach him.

Falling into steps by his side, we walked for quite some time and then I blurted out, "I think I have a crush."

His footsteps slowed and he remained silent.

But I got that he was waiting for me to continue, so I did.

I said, "I am not sure though.

I haven't talked to him much and I don't know how to get his attention."

He finally turned to me.

His dark eyes touched my face like a caress and he said, "You don't have to do anything to get anyone's attention, little girl.

No one can ignore you."

I giggled.

And feeling shy, I tucked a loose strand behind my ear.

"Why?"

He shook his head and replied, "I will keep it a secret."

I made a disagreeable noise and he asked, "Why do you have a crush on this guy? Is he in your class? Your friend?"

I licked my lips and thought about my answer and decided to lie. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

"Yes.

He's in my class.

But he's not my friend."

I looked down at my feet, at the uneven forest floor as I said, "I just like him.

He seemed untouchable.

And I want to…? I looked at his side profile.

How handsome he was and how far he seemed.

"I want to touch him.

Get to know him better."

I watched as his jaw clenched and then he turned to me and said, "If he hasn't noticed you yet then he isn't worth your attention."

"How can you say that?"

I asked but before he could answer a shriek left my mouth as I stumbled over a rock and fell on my knees.

His low curse echoed around us as he crouched down and helped me up.

"Are you okay?"

He asked, his brows knotted in concern.

I winced as I sat back on my arse on the uneven ground and looked at my knees.

I had skinned them and there was a tiny bit of blood on my left knee with dirt and tiny twigs on my legs.

But even as it looked like a small scratch it pained me like hell.

"Let me see…"

He brushed my hands away and a moment later his one hand cupped the back of my knee as his other rested on my calf and he dipped his head down to inspect my abraded skin.

I was wearing a skirt.

And it had ridden up to my thighs.

I slowly tugged them down, but couldn't do it entirely as he was still grazing my knees.

I swallowed through my dry throat and said, "I think I'm alright, it's only a little bit of a scratch."

"It's not."

I opened my mouth to disagree when he turned my leg around and I gasped when I saw a cut on the side of my leg.

It was at least six inches and it was the source of my pain.

"Oh.."

I squeezed my eyes at the bloody wound, only to snap them open when I was suddenly airborne.

"What,"

He held me up in his arms and I quickly slipped my arms around his neck, only because I was afraid to fall, what if he dropped me.

"You can't walk.

I'll help you clean this and band-aid it."

He started walking and I finally thought of something else except how his scent bombarded my senses and how his heat was absorbing into my skin.

And how much I liked being in his arms.

I said, "No.

You can't take me home.

My mum doesn't know I'm out here and she'd be so disappointed."

And I also sneaked out when my father came home drunk and started watching tv at the full volume.

I didn't want to go back before he fell asleep.

He said, "I am not taking you to your cottage."

"No?"

He shook his head.

Then my eyes widened with the realization, and I blurted out, "Oh, but you can't take me to your house like this!"

His lips twitched.

And he looked down at me, I could see the blue rings in those grey eyes from this close.

He said, "Relax."

"I can't…"

I whispered.

"Why?"

Because you make my stomach feel all tingly and I didn't know what to do.

"I am in pain."

His lips pressed in a thin line and he said, "I will take care of you."

I didn't know why it felt like a promise but it did and for some reason I believed him.

1 He didn't take me back to my cottage or to his big mansion that dominated the estate, no, he took me to a small shed near the swimming pool that was behind the modern rooms built for people taking showers and relaxing after the swim.

He pushed open the wooden door and we stepped inside.

I was surprised to see that it was ordinary and outdated.

It wasn't even as good as the cottage we lived in.

And more surprised I was to the fact that even though it was empty it had the warm quality of someone living here.

There was a mattress on the floor.

And a counter near the small two by two window where I could see a coffee pot and a laptop.

He walked to that counter, picked up the laptop and dropped it on the mattress and then slid the coffee pot to the side as he sat me down on the countertop.

And then he crouched down.

I squirmed as I could feel his breath on my legs and my skirt didn't cover me properly, as he opened the cabinet doors and shifted a few things before he pulled out a white box.

When he stood back up, I asked, "Why do you have a first aid kit here?"

He didn't answer as he busied himself with pulling out cotton, antiseptic and gauge.

He placed his hand on my thigh and I stilled at the feel of his big rough hand on my soft thigh.

He said, "This will burn."

But I couldn't focus on it.

I I focused on him and how he meticulously cleaned my blood and the cut.

Then, he did the same for my scratched up knees.

Five minutes later, he finally looked up at me and met my gaze.

"Kristian…"

I whispered.

The moment felt too foreign and too much something I equally wanted and equally was afraid of.

"If you want you can stay here, rest for a while and then go back to your cottage."

Then he stepped back, leaving cold behind.

I opened my mouth but he turned away and walked out.