She snapped her head up, and, whatever she saw in his expression, forced her to keep her mouth shut. If he could keep getting away with a single stern look, he'd never have to resort to physical punishment.
Nine crawled toward him, swallowing pride he didn't know Unfortunates were born with. Her auburn hair cascaded down her arms and circled her palms, their ends kissing the shining wooden floor. Eventually, she knelt at his feet and lifted her chin to lock eyes with him. Kade knew he should commend her for coming so far and to let her go…
...but he couldn't.
There was something about her that called to his soul, something that gripped his gut and squeezed.
"Closer," he demanded, keeping the arousal he so strongly felt from his voice.
Nine inched closer until her body was pressed a
