"No," I whisper after a lingering silence, surprising even myself with my answer. "If you remove the blindfold, then everything becomes real. And I'm not sure if I can handle that yet."
"I understand," Blade responds with a sigh, his own hesitance evident. Without another word, he turns and leaves the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click. Theroom falls silent once again as I lay there, contemplating the weight of my decision.
53
Igentlywrap my knuckles against Red's door, taking a deep breath before letting myself in. She stands before me, fresh from a shower, a towel wrapped snugly around her body. Her hair is still damp and the scent of lavender wafts toward me. A warm smile spreads across her face when she sees me enter. I hold up a pile of clothes in my hand and a fresh blindfold on top.
"Last time, I promise," I say softly as I hold the blindfold out to her.
She chuckles and moves to perch on the edge of the bed, tilting her head to give me easy access. "Good morning, Shadow," she purrs playfully.
I set the clothes down on the bed beside her and gently wrap the blindfold around her head. "Blade said you didn't want to see our faces." Once it's securely tied in place, I remove my mask and set it on the nightstand.
She simply nods in response as I kneel before her, helping her into a pair of leggings. She drops the towel to the ground and I can't help but admire her half-naked form as I stand back up to pull the leggings up for her. My fingers graze overher waist and breasts, savoring every inch of her soft skin. She lets out a soft whimper as my thumb brushes over one of her nipples and she bites down on her lower lip, dragging it between her teeth.
"Shadow," she warns softly as I laugh, grabbing Blade's t-shirt from the pile of clothes to pull over her head.
"I know. Are you hungry?" I ask, my eyes roaming over every curve of her body.
She nods eagerly, reaching out to take my hand as I turn away. "Kiss me?" she asks sweetly.
Without hesitation, I lean down to press my lips against hers. My hand cups the back of her neck as our mouths move together in a familiar dance. She moans softly, her body leaning into mine as she kisses me back with equal passion. My desire for her grows stronger with every passing second, and I struggle to control myself.
With a reluctant sigh, I finally pull away from her, feeling her soft lips lingering on mine. I clear my throat and take her hand in mine, linking our fingers as I lift my mask with my other hand. "Come on. Time for breakfast, Red," I mumble, trying to distract myself from the physical longing I feel for this woman.
As we enter the kitchen, I guide Red to her seat at the table where Raven and Blade are already seated. The aroma of sizzling bacon fills the air as I gently place Red's hands on the table in front of her, showing her the fork and plate. "You're on your own today," I say with a smile.
Red chuckles as she nods, taking in her surroundings. She slowly moves her hands around the table, finding her cup of coffee without hesitation. As she brings it to her lips, all of us at the table are captivated by her every movement. Her lips curve into a satisfied smile after she takes a sip, and she setsit back on the table. "I can feel your eyes on me," she says playfully.
"And how does that make you feel, Red?" Raven teases, taking a bite of his bacon.
Red shrugs nonchalantly before responding with a cocky grin. "I enjoy being the center of your attention. I enjoy you guys taking care of me."
"We like taking care of you," Blade admits, while Raven and I nod in agreement. A comfortable silence falls over the table as we all take bites of our food, watching Red eat slowly and carefully. In just a few days, she had become the center of our little world. And now, as much as we hate to admit it, we have to let her go back to her ownlife.
54
After breakfast, the time has come for me to return Red to her reality. I lead her to the front door, Raven and Shadow following closely behind. Raven wraps his sweatshirt around her. “I’m going to miss you, Red.” He speaks with a hint of playfulness in his voice, trying to mask the heaviness of the moment. But I can tell from his expression that he feels it just as deeply as I do, and I know Shadow does too.
Raven cups Red's face tenderly between his hands and presses his lips fervently against hers before she can respond. She stumbles back slightly as he releases her, her fingers flying up to her lips in surprise. I chuckle at her reaction as she regains her composure. "Me too," she finally says, still caught up in the kiss.
“There are flip-flops in front of you on the ground,” I offer as she nods, gratefully slips them onto her feet.
“Thank you,” she replies, her head searching. Shadow takes her hand and gives it a gentle squeeze before planting a kiss on her cheek. "Goodbye, Shadow."
"Goodbye, sweetheart," he replies, causing Red to blush from hisendearment.
I take her hand again and place her clutch and phone into it, guiding her out the door. We leave Shadow and Raven behind to clean up the house after our weekend together.
Once we are settled in the van, I drive toward the city. "Where are you taking me?" Red asks, holding up her clutch. "Did you look at my driver's license?"
"No," I respond as I focus on the road ahead. "I will take you into the city and then you'll have to find your own way home. Okay?"
She nods thoughtfully, turning her head to peer out the window as if trying to see through the blindfold. "So you don't even know my name?"
I chuckle again as we continue our journey. "No, just your initials. And thank you for that, by the way. You know I've never let anyone cut me before."
"Why did you let me?" she asks, turning her head back to face me.
