Behind the Mask by Abbi Cook

Author:Abbi Cook
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2020-07-03T02:49:19.155250+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Kaia

The grounds of Ryker’s home are nothing short of impressive with meticulously trimmed shrubbery and perfectly arranged flower beds flanking the straight stone walkway, but as we continue to wander through them, he seems almost disinterested in the entire scene. I sense his gaze on me, never wavering as I take in all the beauty of the French-style garden.

“Do you come out here much?” I ask as I turn to face him just before we make a turn left in the path.

He shakes his head, and for the first time since we began touring the garden, I’m struck by how much his skeleton mask doesn’t belong in these surroundings. Everything is natural and real around us, yet he is anything but that because he hides his face.

“No. I pay professionals to make sure it looks like this, but nothing about this garden or the grounds to this house do anything for me.”

Before I can stop myself, I say what jumps into my mind. Looking around, I ask, “How can all of this beauty do nothing for you? If I had an estate like this, I’d be out here every day. The wonderful scents and the way it looks are so good for the soul. All this green makes me feel so grounded. Nature brings things into focus. At least it does for me.”

Suddenly, I feel his stare boring holes through me. I’ve said too much. Clamping my lips shut, I press them together and look away, hoping I haven’t ruined everything.

He says nothing for a long time as we stand there. Afraid to move, I keep myself as perfectly still as the tall, manicured shrub nearby. My heartbeat pounds in my ears, and with each moment that passes, dread builds inside me until I can barely stand the anticipation of what he’ll do.

“At least someone enjoys it,” he says in a low voice before he starts walking again, leaving me standing there in shock.

When he gets a few feet away, Ryker stops and looks back at where I stand. “Let’s keep going, angel.”

The need to repair the damage I may have done by saying all of that presses down on me with each step I take toward him. When I finally catch up to him, I smile and say, “If you have a doghouse, I’d willingly stay in that to be able to enjoy the fresh air. It’s such a beautiful night out.”

But my attempt at lightening the mood between us falls flat.

Ryker stops walking and looks down at me with what looks sadness in his eyes. “You are not a dog, Kaia.”

His response confuses me. At times, he’s treated me no better than an animal he detests, so why would a joke about keeping me in a doghouse bother him?

We begin walking again in silence. I wonder what he’s thinking surrounded by all of this beauty. I wish he’d be thinking of letting me go. I can’t be doing anything useful for him.

As soon as that thought pops into my mind, I dismiss it and the memory of him coming to my room for sex replaces it.

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