SIX

Lily’s POV

Despite my reluctance, I found myself standing in Rune’s suite, overwhelmed by the vastness of the room. It was grander than Carden’s, adorned with opulent furnishings and a gold damn chandelier that dominated the ceiling.

I bet the bedroom was on the other side.

"I'm not sleeping here," I declared firmly.

Rune's lips curled into a smirk.

"Relax, Cookie," he said,

"I promise I won't bite... unless you ask me to."

Heat surged through me at his brazen words, but I refused to let him see how much he affected me.

Ignoring his innuendo, I crossed my arms defensively. "I just need a place to crash for the night," I insisted.

Rune chuckled.

"Well, lucky for you, I've got plenty of room,"

I rolled my eyes,

"Fine," I relented,

"But I'm taking the couch."

Rune grinned knowingly.

"Suit yourself," he replied.

With a sigh, I settled onto the plush couch, trying to ignore Rune's presence.

I shifted uncomfortably as he watched me, his smirk never faltering.

Why was he still here?

"If you change your mind about the bed, it's right through that door," he remarked casually, gesturing towards the bedroom with a nonchalant wave.

I shot him a pointed look.

"I'll manage just fine here,"

My reply was terse, hoping to end the conversation.

“Suit yourself," he said with a shrug, but still stood there.

I turned away from him, pretending to focus on rearranging the cushions on the couch in a feeble attempt to distract myself.

As the minutes stretched, I could feel Rune's gaze still on me.

I finally turned to face him, and he was staring.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" I demanded, my voice more breathless than intended.

Rune's smirk widened into a knowing grin.

"Can't help it," he replied casually.

"You're just so damn irresistible, Lily."

I scoffed at his audacity, crossing my arms defensively over my chest.

"You're delusional," I retorted, despite the butterflies rioting in my stomach

Rune merely chuckled.

"Maybe," he conceded with a shrug,

"Plus, I’m waiting for Andrew to bring our dinner."

My eyes widened slightly at the mention of Andrew.

"He's coming here?" I asked.

"Yeah," Rune confirmed, his tone casual as he took a seat on the table before me.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.

As Rune began to unbutton his shirt, my pulse quickened, a flush creeping up my neck.

Fucking hell.

I stood abruptly,

"I'll take a shower," I declared, making a beeline for the bedroom.

To my dismay, Rune was right behind me, and my shoulder tensed.

I whirled around to face him, my cheeks flushed.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"Are you following me to the bathroom?"

Rune raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

"Relax, Cookie," he replied calmly.

"I just wanted to lay out a shirt for you."

His words caught me off guard.

"Oh," I muttered, feeling foolish for jumping to conclusions.

Rune chuckled softly, his gaze softening as he took a step closer to me.

"I appreciate that you think the worst of me," His voice came out low and husky, and that did little or nothing to ease me.

Heat flooded my cheeks at his words, and I averted my gaze, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"I-I didn't mean to assume," I stammered.

Rune reached out, gently tilting my chin up so our eyes met.

"It's okay, Cookie," he murmured and I knew I could almost lean into his touch but I didn’t.

"I enjoy keeping you on your toes."

I hated that this man, who used to be a complete asshole to me, now seemed to have an inexplicable hold over my body.

I pulled away from Rune without another word, escaping to the bathroom.

Once inside, I double-checked that the door was securely locked.

Standing before the mirror, I shed my tiny dress and panties, leaving only my bra clinging to my chest. With trembling fingers, I retrieved a crumpled piece of paper from my bra.

"I found you and I'm coming."

The words echoed in my mind like a sinister refrain.

I knew I could never outrun Everett, no matter how hard I tried.

With dread settling in my stomach, I folded the paper back into my palm and turned on the faucet, allowing the warm water to run over my trembling fingers until the paper was saturated enough to tear into tiny pieces.

Without hesitation, I dropped the remnants into the toilet and flushed.

With a shaky breath, I stared at the mirror before stepping into the shower, using Rune's supplies that smelled like fresh pine cones.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a spare towel I had found in one of the cabinets, I tiptoed back into the bedroom, grateful to find it empty except for the shirt Rune had laid out for me, sprawled on the bed.

The other room seemed too quiet, and I wasn't eager to find out what was on the other side.

Perhaps they were all gathered for dinner, leaving me to my own devices.

That was good, at least I wouldn’t feel flustered every one minute.

I slipped into Rune's freshly crisp shirt, relishing in its scent, and settled onto the bed.

I curled into a ball, shutting my eyes and willing myself to sleep.

I must have been halfway to dreamland when the sound of approaching footsteps reeled in my senses accompanied by the faint murmur of someone's voice. It sounded like Andrew.

"Let her rest."

The next morning, I found my luggage placed in the room.

As I groggily made my way towards the bathroom, I collided with a solid, tattooed chest that seemed to materialize out of nowhere.

Rune's toned and golden form towered over me.

It was a crime to look this good in the morning, and I, on the other hand, looked like I had just fought off a raccoon in my sleep.

"Morning, Cookie," his deep voice rumbled, drawing me out of my dazed state.

I instinctively pulled away from him, his hands leaving the lower part of my back where they had stayed for a moment too long.

"My name is Lily," I deadpanned.

Rune's gaze raked shamelessly over my body, a wicked grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

"I could get used to this every morning, Cookie," he remarked, blatantly ignoring my correction.

I bristled at his audacity.

I wanted to say something, anything to put him in his place but instead I settled for,

"You got my luggage back," I stammered, my gaze darting towards my suitcase sitting against the wall.

Rune's grin widened at my observation.

"Of course I did," he replied casually, that smugness still in his tone.

"Wouldn't want you to be without your things."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at his blatant disregard for personal space and propriety.

Instead, I focused on refusing to let him see how much his proximity unnerved me.

"Thank you," I muttered curtly.

Rune's grin faltered slightly, but he quickly recovered, his expression morphing into one of mock innocence.

Asshole.

"Anytime, Cookie," he quipped.

I resisted the urge to snap at him.

Instead, I plastered on a forced smile and made a beeline for the bathroom.

I changed back into my own clothes, feeling somewhat more like myself, before stepping out of Rune's suite and joining Harper for breakfast. The atmosphere was noticeably lighter than the previous night.

Harper confided that the wedding functions had been put on hold for a few days while the investigation into Meg's death continued. It was a sobering reminder, but everything seemed normal.

Everyone seemed normal.

As we parted ways, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease. Without my phone, I felt disconnected from the outside world and I needed to check in on Daphne.

For now, I pushed aside my worries, focusing on doing it some other time that wouldn’t blow my cover. Later that evening, I returned to Rune's suite.

I had just settled into the recliner, lost in the pages of a good book, when Andrew walked in.

He was tall and imposing, his tan-colored cotton shirt clinging to his muscles in all the right places.

"You're four minutes away from missing the bus to the hot springs,"