Stolen (Originally Once Bitten, I'm Smitten)

30 - I won't look.

Suki watched me as I kneeled at her bedside, lightly pulling off her shoes as she continued to study me.

"You're watching me quite carefully there," I said then, smirking as I started pulling off her socks. "Are you regretting the decision of me dressing and undressing you?"

She was silent for a moment. "Don't try anything."

"I will not," I told her then, sitting up straighter as I lowered her jacket off her arms.

She just continued watching me.

I remained in front of her, finishing with unbuttoning her collared shirt and exposing her tan bra.

She started breathing shallowly then.

"Relax," I said then, pulling off her skirt, "I won't try anything. You have my word."

She continued scanning my form as I unclipped her bra and lowered it off her.

She immediately raised her arms to cover herself.

I gave her an annoyed glance before sighing and picking up a neatly folded shirt next to me.

As I unfolded it, I just brushed down the wrinkles. "You really have trust issues, don't you?"

"I have my reasons," was her response.

My lips thinned. "I know, Angel."

They did many things while you were held captive. I can see the fear and uncertainty in your eyes.

I then set the shirt aside and gazed up at her, watching her curiously as her face remained pale rather than flushed.

I lightly set my hands on her arms. "I won't look," I promised her. "You told me not to, remember?"

"I meant it?" she said then, sounding genuinely cautious.

"Yes," I said honestly, "you did. So lower them. I won't look."

"Why do I need to?" she retorted.

I just sighed and closed my eyes in annoyance. "How do you expect me to get a shirt on you without using your arms?"

Her stance seemed to falter then, and I watched her start shaking. "Promise to not look?"

"I promise."

"Swear on our contract that you will not look," she stated then, making me gaze up at her to find her expression filled with fear and anger. "Swear on it."

"I swear on everything that binds me to you and this universe," I told her, smiling gently. "I will not look."

She then lowered her arms, and I kept my eyes on hers as I guided her arms through the sleeves and pulled the collar over her head.

I then lowered the shirt over her. "See?" I smiled as her cheeks reddened a little. "I'm a good listener when I want to be."

I gazed down to brush down the wrinkles, immediately drawing back her sheets as she got under the covers.

I pulled the covers over her and watched her for a moment. "Are you uncomfortable around me?"

"No," she said then, lashes lowering, "I just have trust issues."

"I can see that," I said then, smiling a little when I pulled back the covers and got in beside her.

She seemed fine with it because she moved backward to give me room.

"Do you trust me now?" I asked her then. "Do you trust that I will keep you safe?"

"I trust that you will allow to harm to me," she stated, "I trust that you will be by my side every day until I die. I trust that you will not let me fall. What I am uncertain about is your ulterior motive."

I just smiled. "What do you mean by that?"

"You're doing this for blood," she said then, keeping her eyes trained to the cover, "and for something else, too."

I just watched her. "You think I'll betray you?"

"No," she said then, burying her nose into the covers, "worse."

"What's worse than betraying you?" I said then, blinking. "I'm already going to kill you, so that isn't an option."

"An infatuation," she said immediately.

The words slammed against me like a sledgehammer.

I stared for a moment, but she kept avoiding eye contact. "You think me falling in love with you will make things worse?"

"Yes."

"How?" I said then, more curiously.

"The contract..." she said quietly, "broken... and then... and then what do we do? If it's an infatuation, then I will never figure out who killed my sister."

I stared for a moment.

But my lashes lowered, and I smiled.

I just lightly tucked her hair away from her face. "Angel, let me assure you of something."

She just gazed up.

"Even if the universe ended, the contact would not be broken. Even if everyone in the entire planet died, it would not be broken. I am bound to you forever, understand? So even if I fall in love and don't want a meal out of you anymore, the contract cannot be broken. We would still have to find your sister, I would still belong to you, you would still belong to me. It will never end."

"It's that powerful...?" she said quietly.

"Yes, Angel."

She looked more relieved now which was a tad abnormal for people who sign with me.

I smiled back now. "So, other concerns?"

She shook her head, gazing up at me.

"Good," I said then, lashes lowering, "now close your eyes and go to sleep."

She listened then, letting her lashes fall immediately.