Seven

Chapter 81

"Why do you have a photograph of me?" I bite my bottom lip to try stop myself from grinning at Seven's embarrassment.

"I just do. Now give it back." He reaches for it once again but I turn around and move onto the bed so he can't take it away.

"You printed out a picture of me." I state and he runs an awkward hand over his hair. I don't even remember the last time I printed out a physical copy of a photograph.

"I printed out all the photos I had of you on my phone. In case I lost them." Seven admits, climbing down on to his bed next to me.

"Then where are the others?" I can't hide my smirk any longer as I ask him.

"Down stairs in my lock box." He shrugs, trying to play it off like what he's done is totally normal and not an act I should be getting excited about. Though I am getting excited about it. He printed off my photos and has put them in a bloody lock box for safe keeping. I'm flattered and warmed to know the extent of his affections for me in the ways he'd never admit to. If I had never found this photo I would've never known , it's the small unspoken things like this that I like about Seven. He's hard on the exterior, scary to some people yet he's always been soft when it comes to me. I don't know why but I find it extremely attractive and it kind of turns me on.

"So why is this one up here then, huh?" I ask with a grin, my brows dancing suggestively.

"I don't know." Seven's eyes dart to the roof and I know he's lying.

"You don't know why you have a photo of me in a bikini by your bed?" I tease. I know full well why it is there and by the way Seven covers his face with his hands, falls back into the bed and let's out an embarrassed laugh he's clicked that I know his dirty little secret. I giggle with him and drop the photo on the bed next to me so I can try pry his hands away from his face, wanting to see Seven in his rare vulnerable state.

He's a lot stronger then I expect so I throw my leg over his hips to sit above him, giving myself better leverage to pull his hands off his face. We both laugh at my struggle before he eases up and let's me move his hands away. Seven's entire face is red as he smiles up at me, his arms above his head on the pillows as I hold his wrists prisoner against the bed.

"I think you might like that photo a little too much." I tease with a wicked grin.

"Shut up." He begs with a chuckle, the corners of his eyes crinkle in the most adorable way. Our light laughter slowly dies down between us comfortably and we're left just staring at each other. I release his hands and slowly retreat as Seven's dimpled grin disappears. His green eyes dilate as he stares up at me hovering over him. He leans up slowly, bared back lifting only a fraction off the bed, his liberated hands take to my hips to pull me down so we make contact as I sit over his lap. My black dress bunches up, collecting at the tops of my thighs where his fingers now run slowly over the exposed skin.

My heart hammers in my chest at the feeling of his silky touch and the hardening of himself against me. That electric energy that was zapping between us only moments ago on our passionate scaling of the stairs has come buzzing right back but this time its charge is slightly altered. I can't explain it but there's something temporised in the way we are now, a hesitant nervousness to do something even though we've done this many times before with one another.

"We don't have to do anything if you don't want to." Seven's voice is husked as he speaks. His statement a complete contrast to the burning look in his melting green eyes and the delicate strum of his fingers over my thigh just below the seam of my underwear.

"What makes you think I wouldn't want to do anything?" I've thought about being with him more times then I'd ever admit since he left.

"I don't know? I just don't know what you've got going on in your life these days." Seven glances to my lips but quickly looks back to me. Immediately I'm confused by his comment.