Page 77 of Selling Innocence

Talk about awkward…

I’d say that Tor didn’t speak to me the whole way back to the house, but that was pretty much normal. It wasn’t his silence, but the way he remained silent. He never spoke, but it normally had a level of comfort. I always had the feeling I could speak if I wanted, that he was ready to listen.

That wasn’t the vibe after he’d spotted the scar on me. He’d stared, his gaze locked on the mark even as I’d rushed to pull down the fabric and hide it. The embarrassment I’d suffered when he’d soundly rejected me had dissipated at his expression, at the reminder of the wound I’d suffered.

He’d tossed me the sweater, then waited until I’d put it on. His mood had soured so badly that even the friendly man behind the counter didn’t seem all the chummy as we’d walked out.

That same mood had continued in the dark car, a heaviness that made it clear conversation was not welcome. It also suggested this topic was far from over.

Once inside, Tor handed me the bag that had my clothing in it, then pointed toward the stairs. His expression made me want to take a step backward.

It was strange. I knew Tor was dangerous. He reminded me of Colton, of someone not only well acquainted with death but comfortable with it. Maybe my own twisted upbringing meant I found comfort in that.

When I’d met nice guys, I’d felt nothing. Even when people laughed with me, when they told me to go for it because some guy who hit on me seemed sweet and rich and funny and whatever else, I’d experienced no spark. If anything, they made me uncomfortable, always waiting for some dark truth beneath that nice façade.

Maybe that was why I got along with these men—they were honest, at least.

However, Tor’s entire vibe had changed. Instead of some silent guardian, I was faced with the expression of a hardened killer. This didn’t feel like the same man I’d sparred with, the one who listened quietly when I spoke, who sat beside me and made me feel less alone.

I didn’t take the step back, though. This was just another face of the same man.

So instead, I nodded and headed for my room. No doubt they’d all chitchat together, gossiping about what Tor had seen and what it might mean. I’d bet I had a long damned time before I could hope to get to sleep.

Instead of letting myself stress about it, however, I figured I might as well get comfortable. Once I reached my room, I picked out my most comfortable pajamas and ran a hot shower.

I’d worked up quite the sweat from sparring with Tor. Washing it all off would make me feel slightly better—at least, I hoped so.

The scent of my fancy shampoo soothed my nerves as I fell into the familiar motions of washing my hair. I scrubbed the massaging bar of soap over my muscles, knowing that come tomorrow, I’d feel it.

Tor had been careful not to go too hard, not to injure me. If anything, he’d been far more cautious than Rune was. Rune hadn’t minded leaving me with bruises if it taught me a lesson, if it got me to move faster and react better. Tor, however, didn’t seem nearly so tolerant about marks on me.

Still, even with that, I’d feel it tomorrow. It had been far too long since I’d exerted myself so much, and getting thrown to the ground would shake a person up no matter how gentle their opponent tried to be.

Yet…as I rinsed the lather from me, I had to admit that Tor’s plan had worked. The exhaustion that had hung on me was still there, but it seemed that I could close my eyes and sleep for once. Some of that nervous energy that had bounced around inside me had lessened, as though I’d worked them out during Tor and my practice.

In fact, I had a feeling that if we worked out whatever discomfort sat between us, I’d ask him to do it again. I’d always enjoyed practicing with Rune, had even liked the few times Jarrod had worked with me while I’d stayed with him. There was this power that came from feeling as if I could defend myself.

Of course, given Tor’s reaction at the end, I had no idea if he’d be willing.

The memory of how he’d pulled back when I’d tried to kiss me made my cheeks burn in a way that had nothing to do with the hot water or steam.

Well, even if he didn’t want to practice with me, there was no reason I couldn’t work on my own. Rune had taught me how to keep my body fit, what exercises were most important, how to train myself. Maybe it was time to take some responsibility for myself and make my physical health a priority.

I shaved, taking my time to drag the razor over my legs, under my arms, even my public hair. The shaving cream helped the razor glide over my skin, though it reminded me I really needed to exfoliate sometime soon.

A soft laugh bubbled up from my chest as I thought about Hayden standing beside me at the store, trying to figure out what a sugar scrub was.

By the time I’d finished everything, I had a feeling my time limit had expired. If I remained in here any longer, there was a good chance someone would end up dragging me out.

Or not. So far, only Vance had shown any interest in me, and that had been more about me being convenient than because he wanted me at all. I had a feeling the others would do about anything to make sure they didn’t see me naked.

Maybe that’s the trick. I just need to walk around naked and they won’t bother me anymore.

The idea had merit, but I knew damn well I wasn’t confident enough to try that. Nem would pull it off, no doubt. I was pretty sure she could host a meeting with the heads of every large crime syndicate in the country and being naked wouldn’t cause her to even blink.

She was tougher than I was, though, and setting myself against her only forced me to acknowledge it.

I slid on my pajamas after drying off. They were old, now, but they mattered to me. I’d rarely gotten to see the Quad during the years after my mother’s death, but they’d visited occasionally, when they could swing it based on their other jobs.