Viktor(30)

His frown only deepens, but then his eyes widen out of nowhere and he reaches for his face, tapping himself with his hands as if he can’t believe he even has a face.

Once the realization settles in, his eyes dart from me to the mask on the table. Within an instant, he’s grabbed it covered his face with it again.

“The fuck did you do?” he growls.

“What I needed to do,” I say.

“You had no right! No right!” He points his finger at me as if it will help prove he’s right.

“And you had no right to keep me prisoner. Did it bother you? No.”

He stutters. “Wha—This is totally different. You took my mask off my face.” He points at his face this time.

“Yeah, so?”

“So?” His voice rises in tone. “It’s on there for a reason.”

“Yeah, so you can hide. But you were passed out, and the mask was broken anyway.”

He holds the two split parts together while I hear them crack even more.

“Doesn’t mean you can just take it off!”

Now, it’s my turn to point at him. “I did what I had to do! I dragged you all the way back to your car, drove you home, and helped Winston take out the bullets. Don’t you fucking start with me.” He tries to get up but flinches and sinks back down on the couch again.

I grab his arms, swallowing, trying not to let his muscles reduce me to a puddle of wetness as I push him back down. “Stay.”

“Don’t you fucking tell me what to do.”

“Do you always accuse people of doing the same things you did to them?”

He growls but slams his lips together, refusing to answer me.

Sighing, I grab the cloth again and pat it down around his other wound, cleaning up the blood. He keeps growling, snarling at me like some animal. Like a real fucking grizzle bear.

“It hurts,” he mutters under his breath.

“It wouldn’t hurt so much if you’d just keep still and stopped growling at me like a grizzly bear.”

“It’s your fault I’m hurt,” he says.

I put my hands on my side. “No, you got hurt because you made me run away.”

“I wouldn’t have chased you away if you weren’t constantly trying to put your tits in my face.” I catch him stealing another glimpse of my tits right then.

“And I shouldn’t have to put my tits in your face to make you want to free me after imprisoning me in your home!”

“For trespassing!”

I lean in. “For rescuing my sister, which she obviously needed, looking at the way you’re acting now!”

He grunts and slams his lips shut again, rubbing them furiously. I can almost hear the grind.

“Fine. It’s my fault. Happy now?” He turns his head and crosses his arms, all while lying down. He reminds me of myself … We’re both big kids. Quite funny, actually.

I smile to myself.

“What you smiling at, Lexi?”

My jaw drops. “What did you call me?”

“You heard me.” He playfully raises a brow at me.

I throw the cloth in his face and turn around too. “Clean yourself then, Grizzly Bear.”

A rumbling laugh emanates from deep in his chest, which makes him cringe in pain too. “Grizzly bear? That’s a new one.”

He sits up, and my eyes can’t help but hover to his muscular abs. God, he’s so fucking sexy… even when he’s bleeding and mad at me. He picks up the cloth, wiping it casually over his abs to place it on the table next to him; wet droplets create rivulets on his body that almost sizzle from his hotness.

I lick my lips and suck in a breath to compose myself, but his eyes have already caught me staring.

He muffles a laugh, and a flush appears on my cheek. But then he cringes and groans.

“Be careful.” For some reason, I immediately move closer, feeling the need to help him. “You’ll pull the stitches.”

“You’re suddenly very caring,” he murmurs.

My brows draw together. “Me? Caring?”

“Yeah.” I thought he was joking, but it sounds like he’s serious.

I don’t know what to say.

The only thing I know is that my hand hovers near his face in an attempt to touch him, but he still leans back a little. I drop my hands in my lap and look at him with concern.

Bringing his hand to his mask, he says, “You’ve seen my face …”

“Yes …”

His eyes briefly flash at mine.

“Does that mean you’re gonna kill me now?” I muse.

I hear him grin. “No.”

“Lucky me.”

“Do you have to be so catty all the time?”

“As long as you keep yelling all the time … yup.” I shrug.