Page 27 of Butterfly
I grin despite myself. “I’m still a bit mad about that.”
She laughs. “I’m sure you are.”
We remain in silence, watching Dart breathe, our hands entwined. Touching her has a soothing effect on my erratic heartbeat and loosens the tightness in my throat.
“He’s a beautiful dog.” She tangles her fingers in his fur, giving him gentle strokes. I wonder how her fingers would feel in my hair. “I’ll stay up for a while just to see how he reacts to the anaesthesia. Cup of tea?”
“Yes, please.”
She rises and heads towards the kitchen area. I’m glad she leaves me time to recover as I’m a shaky mess of emotions.
When she’s back, she’s carrying two steaming mugs. “So, I was planning to watch the latest episode ofPaladins of Shadowstonight. Would that bother you?”
I take the mug. “Not at all.”
“Unless you want to take a nap and rest?”
“No, I want to keep an eye on him too.”
“Great, let’s start then.” There’s a slightly high-pitched tone in her voice I don’t know how to interpret.
Maybe she’s overwhelmed with emotions too.
Ten
Sienna
WHEN I ASKED Alex if watchingPaladins of Shadowswould have bothered him, I didn’t consider that it would have botheredme.
We’re lying on the sofa bed, legs stretched out in front of us, mugs in our hands, and the laptop is between us on a low table. Dart is resting, warm and safe, his soft breathing reassuring. The situation would be cosy and almost relaxing, if it weren’t for the sexual tension between Lynx—played by Alex—and Volia—played by the beautiful Emily. The books ofPaladins of Shadowsdidn’t go that deep into the protagonists’ love story. Every sex scene was a fade-to-black one. A bit drab, but those books are more about adventure and magic than romance. Instead, the writers of the show dedicated a rather large amount of attention to the sex scenes. For the whole episode, Lynx and Volia have been tiptoeing around each other, kissing, touching, throwing heated glances at each other, and snogging in quiet corners. Gosh, the way he looks at her, as if he wants to rip her clothes off, bend her over that table, and—Oh, wait. He did just that. Gee, that’s racy. Now she’s naked, walking around him and swaying her hips. He follows her with predatory intent. Either Alex is a great actor, or he really wants to shag her.
I squirm, fully aware that I’m lying on a bed next to Alex Knightly while watching him shagging another woman.
He’s cradling his chin, his brow furrowed. “I don’t like the light.”
“What light?” My tone is hysterical.
He gestures at the screen. “It’s flat.”
I’m not sure I follow but sip my tea and nod. He’s thinking about the light; I’m thinking about the way he’s stalking her, his intention obvious. I squirm again while Lynx takes Volia’s face in his hands with possessiveness and kindness and kisses the daylights out of her. Geez, I can see their tongues caressing each other. If I were watching this episode, safe and alone in my flat, I’d be fine. I’d enjoy it. I wouldn’t be this prudish, squeamish mess. At least that’s what I keep repeating to myself.
Oh, boy. He’s taking his clothes off now, showing off the hard wall of his chest and those abs that look like a chocolate block. His hands grab her naked boobs as he trails kisses down her neck until he takes her nipple between his lips. Whoa, he’s grabbing her from behind and screwing the daylights out of her…nope, the book wasn’t like that. As Volia closes her eyes in ecstasy, I hide my face behind my mug. Lynx’s fine, firm arse fills the screen, and then it’s a tangle of naked bodies and pants, tongues, and hands, and I can’t take it anymore.
I put the mug down. “It’s too embarrassing. I’ll have a look at Dart.”
“Why is it embarrassing?” he asks while Lynx and Volia’s lovemaking noises come from the laptop.
“I’m not sure I want to watch that while you’re next to me.” I listen to Dart’s heart with my stethoscope. Good, strong thumping sounds. Great. His gums are a beautiful pink even when pressed. No internal haemorrhage then.
“Why not?” Alex is next to me, too close for comfort.
“Because…” My cheeks flame. “Even that question is embarrassing. I’m not sure I want to watch a sex scene with you when you’re in said sex scene.”
He shrugs. “It’s all fake.”
“It looks pretty real to me.” I tilt my head. The moans and groans are going on. Quite a long sex scene. Even the thumping of the table sounds real.
“It’s not as sexy as it seems, when you’re on set, I mean.” He hangs his head. “There are at least twenty people around you. Someone is eating a sandwich in a corner, someone else is drinking coffee, and someone else is shouting at you to grab the actress’s arse. You’re naked, often cold, and trying to do a decent performance while not making a fool out of yourself.” His sculpted lips form a flat slash. “The director and the people on set have to stare at you. Not sexy at all. I’m not fond of those scenes either, but again, they aren’t real.”