Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen
Zen’s POV
I needed a shower. I felt filthy after my conversation with Elizabeth, and I couldn’t stand the look of horror on her face when learning about who I really was. The worst part about having a past like mine was that there was no way to twist it to make me look like less of an asshole. As long as I wanted to be honest, she would continue to learn about the same disturbed man Danny described the day before; one who didn’t even deserve to see sunshine, much less stand next to a saint like her. I didn’t know if it was possible for me to be redeemed for all the shit I had done, but I would be starting with protecting Princess with everything I had.
I began stripping myself of my clothes, but stopped when I heard Elizabeth cough. I raised a brow and cocked my head. Her eyes were focused on the table in front of her and her cheeks were blazing red. Was she embarrassed that I was getting naked with the door open? She snuck another glance, her eyes widening when she saw me watching her with my arms crossed. I chuckled when she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.
“It’s nothing you haven’t seen before, Princess.” I winked at her. She allowed her now wet lip slide back into position, making my eyes darken. Fuck. How could someone be so naturally sensual?
“Right…” She muttered, raking her eyes down to my boxers that were growing tighter by the second. I hopped in the small tub before I had the chance to pull her out of that chair and bend her over the fucking table. Our next tryst would have to wait. We needed to get the hell out of that town.
The water was absolutely freezing when I first turned on the tap, making my shower short and miserable. I hopped back out quickly, taking a risk with the towel on the hook. I wrapped it around my waist before stepping out. Elizabeth was already at the sink, brushing her teeth whilst staring at the mirror. She quickly rinsed then turned around to hand the small plastic brush to me. I smirked at her defiant expression.
“I bought you your own, you know.”
“I wanted to use yours.” She retorted, shrugging before turning back to the mirror and trying to fix her hair. I loved how she went from being shy one second, to confident and clever the next. It was clear that this was payback for me embarrassing her earlier. I tried to fight my smile as I nodded and stepped closer to her, close enough that she could feel my body heat on her exposed skin, but not close enough to touch. She tensed immediately, her eyes flickering to mine in the mirror.
“Excuse me, ma’am.” I said curtly into her ear, before prepping the toothbrush she had used and sticking it in my mouth. Her eyes widened as she stared at me frozen for the entire duration of me brushing my teeth. She stepped back to allow me to rinse, clearly trying to hide her amusement. I gave her a wide smile, making sure to show off all of my freshly cleaned teeth, then leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on her neck. My hands rested lightly on her hips and I brought my lips up to her ear once again to whisper, “You taste amazing, Elizabeth.” I smiled against her ear when I heard her breath catch. She surprised me by grabbing hold of the towel hanging on my waist, pulling my hips closer to hers.
“Then taste me.” She whispered into my shoulder. Like a dog finally let off its leash, I pressed into her until her back hit the bathroom door behind her. I captured her sweet mouth with force, tangling my hands in her long, wavy hair and pulling myself flush against her. She moaned into my mouth as I hungrily devoured her, pulling her bottom lip between my teeth and giving it a playful bite. Her hands released my towel, roaming their way back and landing on my ass.
I had always taken pride in my ability to control myself in all things. After all, that was the core of being an assassin. A killer without self-control was sloppy and bound to get caught. This extended to my sex-drive. Luring a woman often required a level of apathy and confidence that most would find cold. Yet, it worked. The more I acted like I could do without, the more women would try to prove me wrong and make me desire them. I used a similar technique in the park with Elizabeth. I avoided looking at her so that she would crave my gaze that much more.
The problem was, the more time I spent with Elizabeth, the more my self-control dwindled. I found myself thinking and acting like a love-sick teenager with her, and it scared the shit out of me. Every little damn thing about her drew me to her, and not even in a subtle romantic way, either. I wanted to pounce on her, consume her, know her in every conceivable way. I felt like a fucking stalker with how much she intrigued me. I knew that it wasn’t healthy to feel how I felt. I just couldn’t help it. Before her I was calm, controlled, and precise. Now, I was becoming impulsive and crazed. The worst part? I didn’t give a shit. I liked it. It was like chasing a high that I never wanted to come down from.
I broke away from her, my breathing rapidly mixing with hers. My thumbs tenderly stroked her heated cheeks, and I stared into the eyes of the woman who singlehandedly broke me, searching for the spell she must have used on me to make me this way. She just stared longingly back at me, making my chest ache as if a fucking elephant had stepped on it. I cleared my throat, trying to salvage my voice so it didn’t break when I spoke to her.
“Why don’t you take a shower? We have to get out of here soon.”
“Where are we going?” She asked, furrowing her brows in confusion.
“I’m not sure yet, but we’ll take a cab somewhere.”
“What about your car?”
“It wasn’t my car, Princess. It was stolen.” I gave her a second to process my words. The look she gave me was strange… almost pity? “I bought you a dress at the truck stop. I’ll check the phone book and get us someone who will take us across state lines. I know it isn’t ideal right now, but I promise you will be safe soon.” I leaned down to brush my lips across hers again. She nodded and I stepped back, exiting the bathroom to get dressed. I dug out an extra set of clothes I had packed, basic jeans and a navy flannel shirt. I rolled my sleeves up to my elbows before reattaching my dagger to my ankle and placing my pistol in my waistband.
I hunted for the other gun that I had kicked behind the bed and placed the safety on before tossing it back in my bag. Finally, I went to the bags sitting by the door. I pulled out some basic hygiene items as well as the dress, sandals, and body spray I got for Princess. It was cheap, but I tried to find one that smelled the most like her soaps at home. I settled on some organic cucumber and melon scent. I really hoped she liked it. It was subtle, no harsh perfume smell, and had a calming sweetness to it. I placed all of her items on the bed.
About five minutes later, she exited the shower with a towel on. She looked surprised to see the door open, since she had closed it before getting in.
“I want to be able to see you’re safe. Doors are a no-go.” I explained, unscrewing the cap to my water bottle. I swear I saw her smirk before she turned towards the mirror.
“I don’t have any underwear.” She stated, turning back to face me with a questioning look. I smiled, taking long steps to her.
“I know. You will have to go a day without, Princess. We can find a mall today and get you whatever fancy lingerie you want.” She blushed as I took a lock of her hair to my lips and kissed it. I was disappointed to discover that most of her cucumber smell had faded already. I gently grabbed her shoulders, facing her towards the bed.