Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
“Damn,” I mutter to myself.
Suddenly, the door is flung closed behind me, and before I know it, she’s gripped me by the shoulders and shoved me against the door. A knife is shoved under my throat, and I lean back into the wood, gulping.
“You tricked me.”
That doesn’t sound like a question.
“Admit it.”
“With what?” I ask, confused.
“Don’t play coy with me,” she grits, obviously upset, but all I can look at are those deep, dark eyes I just want to drown in. Shit, I can’t even focus on what she’s saying.
“You only invited me to that sandwich shop to catch me in the act, didn’t you?”
“What? No, I—”
“Don’t lie to me,” she hisses, pushing the blade even further. “I’m not afraid to use this.”
“I’m sure you aren’t,” I reply, raising my hands. “I really wanted to take you out on a date. That’s it.”
“Right. That’s why that money was marked. That’s why Silas and Heath came after me. That’s why they marked me.”
My heart begins to bleed.
I can’t tell her.
I can’t say the words out loud.
I was there.
I watched and wished I was the one licking her off instead of Silas.
But what kind of messed-up guy would want that?
“I didn’t know they marked that money, I swear,” I say, swallowing with the metal pressed to my skin. “Heath forced me to take it. I didn’t know what it was for. Or that you were going to steal it. Why did you?”
“That’s none of your concern.” She grabs my shoulder and flings me away from the door. “You thought I’d be an easy victim? That I’d play along nicely?”
I shake my head, but while backing away, I bump into a chair and fall. The knife immediately meets my throat again. And I’m not gonna lie, it’s kinda hot.
“Answer me,” she growls.
“No,” I say. “I never thought you were easy. I never thought you were anything but … perfect.” Her eyes flicker with interest. “I’ve been nothing but enamored with you ever since I first saw you. You have to believe me.”
She tilts my chin up, forcing me to look her in the eyes, and my God … I’m blinded by her beauty.
She inches closer and closer, her warm breath fanning my skin, and I can barely resist leaning in. I want to kiss her so badly. But would she let me?
“You were the one who found me last night, weren’t you?”
I should lie.
But I also shouldn’t tell her this.
Heath and Silas would kill me if they knew.
“Yes.”
Fuck.
Ivy
My lips shudder as I suck in a breath, looking down at the boy who fell into the chair while his puppy-dog eyes are permanently glued to my face. “How did you know where I live?”
There’s a reason I didn’t go back to my house, and then this fucker suddenly pops up like he already knew where I lived.
“Are you sure you want to know?” he asks.
I nod, the knife still firmly lodged into his neck.
I can’t trust him. I don’t. Yet … something about the way he looks at me, like he would bow at my feet, keeps me intrigued.
Keeps me wanting to know more.
“Tell me.”
He gulps.
“I’ve been following you home … ever since I first saw you.”
Wow. But that feels like ages ago.
“The first time, I came in through the window.”
My eyes widen.
He’s … been stalking me?
That means I wasn’t dreaming when I felt like someone was watching me that night I came home to Cora wandering out of bed.
“It was you,” I murmur.
So I was right all along.
He knows where my house is. It’s too late to hide. Too late to save Cora.
“I promise I won’t tell a soul where you live,” he says. “I also brought your bike back after I took you home. I put the wheel back on and fixed it.”
What is this? A plea for forgiveness?
My grip on the knife tightens. “How did you get into my home?”
He gulps. “I stole a key the first time I came into your home.”
Damn. I should’ve hid them better.
“Why? Why did you do it?” I ask.
“I couldn’t help it. I had to see you. Over and over again,” he says, straining against the chair like he’s trying his very best not to lean in to the knife. “It’s never close enough.”
I have to say, it’s kind of a kick to have a guy like him, with the power he has and the frat house he belongs to, practically fawn at the idea of being close to me.
And even though I’m angry as hell that he knows where I live and sneaks into my house … I really want to know where this could lead.
If I could take back some of the power those boys have siphoned off me.
“I’m addicted,” he murmurs.
“How addicted?” I hover so close to his face I can practically taste his desire from the air he breathes. “Show me.”