Page 67 of Manic

The soft click of my bedroom door forced a breath out of me, though a smile slowly spread across my face. He might be my kidnapper, and I might have helped him relieve a bit of pressure, but I think I needed that more than he did.

17

SUTTON

My eyes flew open, a gasp tearing from my throat as I shot up from bed. Everything was cold and wet and…

I glanced at my soaked white nightshirt, molded to my body like a second skin. My nipples poked from beneath the thin, wet fabric, pink and as hard as rocks.

“What the fuck,” I panted.

Manic leaned over the bed with a smug grin, tracking the water crawling down my neck like a treasure map. He wore a tailored black dress shirt and held an empty, dripping cup in his hand. He’d poured ice-water on me. I gasped again as I leaned against the headboard. Water squished beneath my palms.

Everything was drenched.

“Are you back to being an asshole?” I gritted, a shiver racking my body. “What was that for?”

“I just wanted to see if you’d win in a wet t-shirt contest,” he remarked, stepping away to inspect his handy work. Amused. He angled his head and rubbed his jaw, yet my entire body flushed under his gaze as his perusal stretched.

One second. Two.

He ran his tongue over his teeth before giving me a slow smile. A light shone in his eyes today, meaning he either got some sleep, or what we did last night actually relieved his pressure. That thought alone made me anxious and excited all at once.

I covered it up with a scowl and pulled at my shirt. “What’s the vote?”

He shrugged. “You’d win.”

“Is there an actual reason you did that?”

“You need to get dressed. We’re going to the casino today. Your outfit is hanging up in the bathroom.”

The casino? My outfit? Wait, how long had he been here?

Before I could ask, he turned on his heel, cup in hand, and called over his shoulder. “If you get ready within twenty minutes, I’ll stop for coffee.”

I bolted out of bed.

In fifteen minutes flat, I’d dressed, managed to tame my hair, and throw on a bit of makeup. By the time we entered the car, I was slightly out of breath and a little flustered. Though I refused to think about Manic picking out a silk white blouse, pinstripe slacks, and black strappy heels for me to wear, considering they weren’t mine.

Did he shop for them, or were they some other woman’s? I pushed the thought into the back of my mind, refusing to acknowledge the heat crawling up my neck and the way my fingernails dug into my palms.

It still drizzled outside, but it was more of a mist rather than full droplets of water. It trailed down the windows.

Axell drove with Vince beside him in the passenger seat of Manic’s black Mercedes. Axell usually had the nightshift at the penthouse, but since Manic had sent him home last night, he seemed well rested enough to show up this morning.

Manic sat beside me as I sank further into the leather seat, my knee bouncing. The scent of his car hit me, and the memory of him driving me home from his club resurfaced. A weird sense of nostalgia tightened my chest. I glanced at Manic before dropping my gaze to his hands, and the vague memory of him holding mine fluttered behind my eyelids.

My brows furrowed. Was that a dream?

He typed on his phone, knees spread, and his suit molded to his frame like he owned the damn city. In a way, I guess he did. I tugged at my blouse, my nose scrunching because I looked the same.

“Why are we going to the casino today?” I asked Manic, but he remained fixed on his phone, as if refusing to look at me. It made me wonder if he’d regretted what we did last night, but he hadn’t said anything.

“We’re having a meeting with your father to figure out a schedule for the ports to open. You’ll also be looking at his numbers as a second pair of eyes.”

My stomach soured. “Who else will be there?”

I didn’t want to see my father. I didn’t even want to be in the same room with him. After his willingness to let Ronan do whatever he wanted to me, my desire to ease my father’s worry and protect his casinos started to dwindle. If anything, my sole focus was on gaining my freedom and leaving the city.