Chapter 115
1525words
He was sitting against the headboard, the white duvet obscuring everything below his waist whilst a laptop was resting on his lap, what explained the loud clacking noise that I have been hearing. His eyes hardened behind his reading glasses as they were profoundly focusing on the computer screen, making me wonder what he was looking at while aggressively typing away.
Using my elbow, I propelled myself slightly against the headboard. With my mind being foggy and my eyes still narrowed from the tiredness I looked at Mark. Groaning while rubbing one of my eyes with my hand I ushered groggily, "Mark?"
He didn't look my way as he was still typing, only answering, "Yes kitten?"
Pushing myself up so that I could lean back properly against the pillow my eyes flitted curiously to the laptop screen. I pressed my shoulder against Mark's shoulder, leaning in closely to take a better look at what Mark was working on so eagerly. "What are you working on?" I questioned only to have the laptop slammed shut in my face before I could even catch a glimpse of what was written in there- the slamming sound of it startling me in fright.
"What was that for!?" I yelled, trying to reign my racing heartbeat as I glared annoyed at him. He returned me the same look and answered slightly ticked off, "When will you finally stop sticking your noise into something where it doesn't belong to?"
"And when will you finally realize that doing this in my presence and not expecting me to be inquisitive about it is a fool's thought?" I retorted back. "I thought that we had established a form of camaraderie back in the hotel. I guess I was the only one who thought that." I grumbled petulantly, the disappointment radiating off me as my shoulders slumped down. He should have come to a realization that it was better to include me in his plans than keeping me in the dark.
After a moment of me feeling down Mark tched while raking his fingers through his already unruly inky hair before speaking with a heavy breath, "I'm devising a plan to permanently get rid of Casper." He opened his laptop again, the screen brightening up to reveal tabs and emails. He pointed with his index finger at one of the pictures that he brought forth, it showing the charred hallways that he had acquired from the security cameras of Casper's hotel, many of the paintings and decorations burned to dust. "Casper is a perfectionist to the core. He likes to do everything according to his plan. He didn't count on you crawling to the vents nor your beautiful fire bending performance." Mark explained and brought forth a tab with Casper's schedule on it. Next to each meticulous description were pictures of Casper at different locations.
"He must be going crazy right now, thinking of different ways to kill us and having to plan that all over again. So, I am planning to slaughter him before he can utilize his next plan." Mark finished, snickering as he reveled at the thought of his enemy's demise.
"I see…" I drawled, feeling astonished at all the information that he had gathered. I glanced at him and called out his name carefully, "Mark?" not sure if it was wise for me to say what has been lingering on my mind.
He hummed, his mind still musing for other ideas on how to get rid of Casper before diverting his eyes from the screen to focus entirely on me. On the sight of me the hardened look in his eyes mellowed down whilst the corner of his lips curved up, bringing his hand up to pick out the crusty mucus that settled itself in the corner of my eyes. His thumb then follows to caress my prominent eyebag and I had to stop myself from leaning into his warm touch.
"How are you feeling? Did you sleep okay last night?"
His voice that still had some residue of drowsiness left sounded huskier than normal bringing forth a slight heat onto my skin before I could answer him with my own hoarse voice that had been worn out from all the screaming and crying. "I had worse, but I am feeling pretty okay."
At my nonchalant answer he nodded his head, but his eyes told me that he didn't believe me and he was right. It felt like thousands of people had stampeded over my body, every inch of my muscles being in utterly agony and I barely had a wink of sleep. Partly I blamed my mom's unannounced visit for robbing me of my sleep, but at some point, at night my thoughts were wiped to a clean slate and instead were dyed with thoughts of Mark.
Him listening to my story without his normal sardonic remarks to him trying to cheer me up in his own way brimmed my heart with this unexplainable bliss making me feel almost light headed. So much that I didn't mind it when he took me by surprise by claiming my lips. To the contrary I wanted him to kiss me. Whether the cause of my sudden urge for physical contact was because I felt so vulnerable from what had transpired that day didn't matter what mattered was that my heart was yearning for Mark. I was so lost in the tantalizing kiss that I didn't even regarded the hand that went for my breast, shattering me out of my daze.
When my eyes flew open and met the piercing sea blue eyes that were smoldering with heat, my heart that was beating all this time paused for a second, and like a defense mechanism my hand reached out to grab for his hand- thwarting any of his further movements. His lips pulled up in a teasing smile, causing my heart to thunder loudly against my ribcage, rendering me completely speechless.
And when his voice that was densely cloaked with thirst mixed with mischievousness flowed the word "No?" out of his mouth, goosebumps run over my body making me shudder with a rush of excitement. My body and heart wanted to be devoured by Mark they wanted this man to conquer every inch of me, but what they felt didn't align with my thoughts that was shrouded with worries and doubts about what it would really mean to belong to this man.
No matter the circumstances I can't just dismiss all his wrongdoings and ignore the fact that he takes pleasure in hurting and killing people. The safety of the people that I love will be in constant danger unless I somehow get him behind bars or unless I use some other ways to stop him.
So, when he got up abruptly, telling me that I should go to bed a surge of relieve washed over me despite the panging feeling in my chest when the cold air prickled my skin at the absence of Mark's touch.
Mark who waited for me to continue with what I wanted to say gazed at me. Staring him in the eyes as the remembrance of our shameful act filled my mind reignited the heat in my core, leaving me flustered. I averted my eyes and without meaning to directed them on his lips. I felt my own lips that were swollen from all the kissing tingle in response. I lowered my eyes further down as my thoughts were getting too much for me and my breath got caught in my throat at the sight of the sculpted valley between his pecs.
God why is his body so sculpted? Was he born like that or did he gain those muscles from all those years of killing people and dragging their dead body around? A drool was about to escape my agape mouth when a finger hooked itself under my chin, tilting my head up so that I looked in those mesmerizing blue eyes.
A smile that infuriated me, but still caused a skip in my chest was unleased on his face, the bottom of his eyes smiling as he mused, "I would normally love your undivided attention, but since we are talking, I would like to remind you that my eyes are up here kitten."
A throb that I cannot ignore pounded like a visitor knocking; waiting to be welcomed inside. My mind can wander around- ponder if the Stockholm syndrome has finally caught up to me, but it was already too late as the effect that he had left on me was irrevocable.
I like him.
