Thorneless (Rose of Thorne Series) (4 page)

I know she’s going to feel like shit when she wakes up this morning, so I postponed our departure until later.
 Brushing back the hair from her face, I can’t help but feel the tugging it causes in my chest. She’s my broken angel right now and I’d give anything to take away all her pain.  Sebastian had shattered everything inside of her when he broke her heart.  Because of him, she may never be able to love again.  

What had he done that’s so unforgivable? Had he cheated on her? Had he lied to her about somethin
g?  I know he would never lay a hand on her, but if I find that to be the reason, I’ll fucking kill him.  It just pisses me off that here I am looking at the shell of what once was the most loving, beautiful soul I have ever known.  He did this to her and for that, I’d never forgive him.  

Yes, right now my gorgeous girl is lost, but I’ll help her find herself.
 She’ll learn to laugh and love again.  I just pray that when she finally does, it’s me that she loves in the end.       

Skylar

Shit!  My head is killing me!  Why is the clicking of that clock so damn loud?
I cover my eyes with my arm and shield it from the sunshine that is saturating the huge room.

Seriously Kylie, invest in some damn shades and a quieter clock.
 Wait . . . clock?  Kylie doesn’t even own a damn alarm clock.

I shoot up in the bed and look around.

Where the fuck am I? Oh no! Did I go home with that guy from the club last night?  

I look down and cringe.

Shit! I’m wearing a guy's t-shirt!!!

I hear the shower running in the adjoining bathroo
m and I begin to freak out.  Quickly, I spin around to get out of the bed to find my clothes, but the sudden movement makes my stomach begin to roll violently.

Oh shit! I’m going to be sick again!

Throwing the covers back, I try to stand, but find myself hunched over holding my mid section.  I quickly make my way to the bathroom as the vomit begins rising in my throat.  Throwing back the door, I make a run for the toilet and barely lift the lid in time before losing the contents of my stomach. The shower door opens, but I don’t even have the energy to look to see my one night stand’s face right now.

So this is what a hangover feels like.
 Why do people do this to themselves a second time?

I prop my head on the toilet and sit there in agony
as I hear footsteps approaching. Still, I don’t bother looking up because I am disgusted with myself at the moment. The water at the sink turns on and off and it’s then that I feel him kneel down before me and gently lift my hair away from my face.  He tenderly wipes my face with the cloth and I keep my eyes closed at my humiliation.  At least one night stand guy is sweet about it I guess.

Once my face is clean, I feel him move in closer and I smell t
he amazing woodsy leather aroma in the air.  Only one man can smell like this. I open my eyes and find Lucas smiling back at me, sporting nothing but a towel.  
Holy shit he looks like some Abercrombie model standing with his ripped muscles and broad shoulders.
 The dragon tattoo that I love so much is glistening with beads of water that remain from his recent shower.

I wish I could stand upright now so I can run away and hide, but instead I just close my eyes and groan at my stupidity.

“Hello there, my gorgeous girl.  How are we feeling this morning?” He teases and I flip him off.  

Laughing, he
squats down beside me on the cold tile floor.  He lifts my hair and begins securing it back with a hair tie.  I won’t ask where he got that from, but I’m glad to have my hair out of my face.  Lucas takes the cool rag and begins wiping the back of my neck with it.

Oh that feels better
. I lay my head over the seat of the toilet and pray for the nausea to stop. It doesn’t, of course, but neither does Lucas.  He hasn’t ceased caring for me since I came in here.

I really just want to die. Actually I am pretty sure I’m dying at this point.
 I have never felt so horribly sick in my entire life.  I thought if I could just keep swallowing the shots that eventually Sebastian would leave my head, but even at my drunkest point…he remained.

Oh n
o! No! I’m going to be sick again.

Lucas

Although she still hasn’t completely recovered from her hangover, she’s now mostly back to herself. The sight of her in my kitchen makes me smile. Even though we had dated for a little while, she hadn’t been to my place too many times. She has me completely mesmerized, watching her move about so comfortably in the large room. She belongs here and I want that more than anything.   She hasn’t noticed me yet, so I duck around the corner of the room and study her long beautiful legs in that oversized t-shirt of mine that she’s still wearing.  Her long hair is still wet from her bath and is now springing into curls across her shoulders.  

She looks cute as hell trying to cook us pancakes this morning for breakfast.
 I stand there and try suppressing my laughter as she frantically tries to reach the maple syrup above her on the top shelf of the pantry.  Trust me, from where I am standing; I have the perfect view of her deliciously perfect ass. Each time she stretches and jumps, her hot pink lace underwear plays peek-a-boo out from underneath the hem of the shirt. She is tempting my cock in ways I have never known and has my manhood saluting the heavens above me.

Holy shit
, I shouldn’t be wearing these lounging pants. They’re so not going to hide the massive hard on I’m sporting right now.

Once I tame myself, I slowly make my way around behind her.
 Her intoxicating smell floods my senses and I fight like hell to not take her right then and there.
Damn it!  Why does she have to smell so fucking sweet?
Holding my breath, I reach around her body and savor her delicious aroma as I retrieve the syrup off the shelf.  

“Oh, thanks,” she says with an embarrassed smile.
 “I didn’t know you were awake.  I would have changed out of this if I had known.”

“And why would you want to do that? I happen to like what you are wearing,” I tease her while I wiggle my eyebrows up and down. She rewards me with a sweet smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.
 Those beautiful eyes of hers are still dull and lifeless when I look back into them.

“Breakfast is almost ready.
 I know you haven’t been shopping in a while so I found enough stuff to make some pancakes. I hope that’s alright,” she says with concern.  

I look behind her at the huge stack of hot pancakes and can’t resist teasing her a bit.

“Yeah, well it’s actually not alright.  I can’t eat pancakes,” I say with a serious face. Inside I am cracking up at the look of horror that shoots across hers.

“Oh, I’m sorry.
 I didn’t know. I can fix us some toast and eggs,” she says nervously as she begins frantically removing the stack of pancakes from the counter.  

I reach over the island and grab the plate from her hand and lock eyes with hers.
 

Fuck me, she’s so gosh damn breathtaking.

“You didn’t let me finish.
 I said I can’t eat pancakes . . . without lots of powdered sugar on top,” I tease and she slaps my arm. “Ouch!  You are ruthless!”

“A
nd you’re mean to pick on me!” She smiles back at me with her hands on her curvy hips.  

Damn that shirt is riding up again!!

“I’m sorry. You looked just too damn cute not to try to mess with you. Friends?” I say as I extend my hand to her.

“I’
ll get back to you on that one,” she teases and winks back at me.  I shake my head at her and sit in one of the large island stools.  She turns around and opens the cabinet next to her and begins making our plates.

I wonder if she is wearing a matching bra to those pink panties. That’s it. Reach a little to the left. Oh, sweet Jesus!! Look at those ass cheeks!!

My phone buzzes on the counter and brings me out of my fantasy.

Damn this phone!
 

My pilot was messaging me that everything was loaded and ready for our noon departure.
 I message him back that we would be leaving on schedule and lay my phone down on the granite counter beside me.

She slides the hot pancakes over to me and tries to hide her giggles.
 
God it’s so fucking good to hear that sound.
 When I look back to the plate, I see the reason for her laughter.  Not only had she piled a freaking foot of pancakes on my plate, but she had also dumped half a bag of powdered sugar on top.  I smirk back at her and watch her as she situates herself on one of the bar stools and places her legs beneath her. I have to hold my breath and lean into the counter.

Is this girl trying to make me blow my load in my pants this morning on purpose?
  

She is still waiting on my reaction to the monstro
sity of sugar in front of me, but I don’t let her get off that easy. I rub my hands together and eagerly pick up my fork and knife and begin cutting into my breakfast.  I shove a huge mouthful in my mouth and grin back across to her as I chew.

Holy shit
! This is off the charts good!  

I eat a cou
ple of more huge bites and listen to her continue giggling while she eats.  I would fucking strip down naked and run through the streets if it keeps her laughing like that.  For a brief moment, I can see a glimpse of the old Skylar.

Come on
, baby, come back to me
.

I wait until she’s finished eating and then I decide to make my move.
 This isn’t going to be received well, but I can’t help myself.  I have to do it.             

“Skylar?” I call her name and she stops to turn around and face me
 

“Thank you for breakfast. It was delicious, but can I ask you something?” I say with a serious face and make my way to her.

“Sure, what’s that?” she says while still holding our plates in her hand.

“Do you like powdered sugar?”

She looks at me confused and nods her head.

“Um . . . of course I do. Doesn’t everyone?” she asks.

“Well, I’m really glad to hear you say that actually. It makes it easier for me.”

“Easier for what silly?” she replies.

“Easier for this!” I scream as I grab a handful of powdered sugar out from the bag behind me and rub it in her face.

“L
ucas!” She screams through her shock.  Her face is now covered in white film.  When she opens her fucking glorious turquoise eyes at me, I swear they glow with mischief.  The left side of her delicious lips turns up and I prepare for what comes next.  I’ll definitely take one for the team.  

“You didn’t finish your pancakes. Here let me help you with that! She laughs while grabbing a handful and shoving them in my face.
 She takes her time smearing my breakfast into my head and then sits the empty plate down and takes off running. I grab for my eye to distract her and pretend to have something in it.  I take the full bag of sugar discretely off the counter and wait for just the right time.

Her laughter stops when she sees me bent over and she immediately makes her way to where I am standing.
 

“Oh my gosh!
Did I get some in your eyes?” She asks and I nod with my back still to her.

Her hand goes to my shoulder and I turn and toss the powder up in the air.
 White smoke fills the room and so does her laughter.  I chase her around the side of the island and she makes a grab for the syrup.  She squeezes the bottle and shakes it toward me, but I overtake her and unscrew the top.  I hold it up above our heads and drench us both with the dark maple liquid.  Taking the opportunity, I grab a hold of her and kiss her on top of the forehead.  She smiles and looks back up at me sweetly.

These eyes are seriously going to be the death of me.

And then I see it. There is a faint twinkle of hope in
them. I knew all along that it was there hidden beneath all of that pain.

All the pain that he caused her.
Please, angel . . . come back to me.