Page 13 of Cage

“I think I can go to the bathroom by myself.”

I definitely can. What could I possibly need help with? My cheeks heat, and I look up at a spot on the ceiling. My clit does a little spasm, though, and I don’t know what the heck that’s all about.

“You might be able to, but sometimes Little girls need help cleaning themselves up or washing their hands.”

Little girls.

Ohmygosh.

Does he know?

Did he look in my bag and find Spike?

No. He was right behind me. He wouldn’t have had time to do that.

I quickly dry myself and flush, then step out of the stall. Cage is leaning against the wall directly across from me. Glaring, I stomp past him to the sinks.

“We need to talk about personal boundaries,” I hiss.

He pushes off the wall and shrugs, then follows me and turns on the water before I have the chance. “Yeah, I’m not really good with those. Wash your hands.”

This guy is making me dizzy. One second, he seems halfway human, and the next, he says stuff like that.

“Well, you need to learn some. Like not coming into the bathroom with me. I’m perfectly capable of.” I flap my hands, hoping to make him understand what I’m trying to say. When he looks confused, I huff. “…cleaningmyself up,” I squeak.

“Don’t know why it’s a big deal. There’s nothing wrong with needing help with some of your basic needs, firefly.” He hands me a wad of paper towels. I’m trying not to think about the fact he helped me by turning on the water to wash my hands and giving me something to dry them with. And what does he mean bybasic needs?

“I don’t need help. I’m a big girl,” I reply before I brush past him to leave.

Before I can touch the door, he grabs the handle and steps so close to me that my back is pressed against his front.

“Do noteverstep out of a door before me. Do you understand?” His voice is low and stern. There isn’t a drop of sarcasm in it. No, this is a new side of Cage.

My bottom clenches, and the part of me I want to keep a secret peeks out the tiniest bit. No. I don’t want him to know. He probably already thinks I’m a freak.

“Sorry,” I whisper shakily.

He doesn’t move, and I have to fight the urge to melt into his warmth. I don’t like him. He’s my bodyguard. Not my friend. Not my Daddy.

“It’s for your protection, Ember.” His voice is softer now. “I’m lenient on a lot of things, but safety isn’t one of them.”

I nod and swallow hard, unable to speak with the knot in my throat. What exactly does he mean bylenient?

He steps in front of me, which is when I notice he has a gun pulled out as he opens the bathroom door and looks around. Using his free hand, he grabs one of mine and leads me back to the SUV.

As soon as I’m in my seat, he leans over to buckle me in, and I can’t breathe again. His freshwater scent, his solid broadness, his penetrating dark eyes, all of him is so close to me. As soon as I hear the click, I expect him to pull away, but he pauses and stares at me intently for a beat before taking a step back and closing the door.

Whoa. What’s happening? Why am I aroused? This kind of thing only happens when I’m reading or fantasizing in the pitch black of my bedroom at night.

We sit in silence for nearly an hour before he finally speaks.

“You need to tell me the next time you need to go to the bathroom. It’s not good for you to hold it.”

I peer over at him, ready to roll my eyes, but the serious look he shoots my way keeps me from doing that. I don’t think he’s being sarcastic.

“You were kind of busy,” I reply quietly.

I learned at a young age not to interrupt my father when he was busy. I thought maybe if I left him alone as much as possible, he wouldn’t keep sending me to boarding school. It never worked.