Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
I stepped through the opening and gaped at the perfectly manicured garden. I loved flowers and couldn’t help but gasp, “It’s beautiful.”
“Not nearly as beautiful as you.” He pulled a small jewelry box from his pocket, plucked something shiny from inside, and reached for my hand. “I’m glad I’m the one who gets to claim you.”
I stared down at the diamond ring as he slid it onto my finger. The cushion-cut solitaire was stunning, but I didn’t understand why he had given me such an expensive gift—let alone putting it where an engagement ring belonged. “I don’t understand.”
“What’s there to understand?” The gleam in his dark eyes—with a hint of red that must’ve been a trick of light from the moon or something—sent an uncomfortable shiver up my spine. “Your aunt came to an agreement with my parents, and we’re to be married next month.”
“Married?” I shook my head, trying to make sense of his announcement.
“Of course.” He swept his thumb over my finger directly beneath the ring, and I tugged my hand away. “That’s the reason for tonight’s dinner—to celebrate our engagement.”
I took a couple of steps backward, wanting some distance between Jonathan and me. “But I didn’t agree to marry you.”
“You will.”
He seemed unbothered by my negative reaction, standing so still that it seemed like he wasn’t even breathing. His unblinking stare and certainty about our relationship were completely freaking me out. I stumbled back again, making Jonathan laugh. “Go ahead and run, Thana. I’ll even give you a head start.”
I glanced over my shoulder at the opening in the hedges, my heart racing so hard that I felt each beat at the base of my throat. “Run?” I echoed, wondering how far I would get and if it would do me any good since my aunt was behind the mess I’d found myself in tonight.
“The chase will be fun, and the outcome is guaranteed—I’ll catch you and claim a prize before we go in and share the happy news with our families.” I looked back at him, my stomach sinking when he licked his lips. “Hunting you down in the dark will turn me on. Now that the engagement is official, we might as well consummate the occasion.”
It no longer mattered that I had nowhere to go and nobody to help me. I wasn’t attracted to Jonathan and refused to allow him to take my virginity against my will. Running was my only choice, and that was exactly what I did. Fisting my skirt in my hands, I kicked off my heels before lifting the hem off the ground. Then I took off, moving as quickly as I could.
I heard Jonathan laughingly start to count behind me, and his confidence spurred me on. Grateful for the years I spent running cross country and track, I raced through the gardens, looking for an opening that would get me off the property. I spotted a small gate ahead to the left just as Jonathan called out, “Ready or not, here I come!” Once I reached the exit, I quietly opened the gate and shut it gently behind me, hoping the hinges wouldn’t squeak and give away my location.
I squeezed through a hedge, and tears of relief filled my eyes when I saw that I was in another garden with paths that led to a large stone house that looked like a castle. Racing toward the imposing home in front of me, I was panting for air as I stumbled up to the door and pounded on the hard surface. I offered up a silent prayer that someone was home, but I was wholly unprepared for the vision before me when the door swung open.
2
Kieran
I was rinsing out my cup from breakfast when I heard a banging that sounded like it was coming from the back door. It led to a vast garden that was surrounded by tall hedges for privacy.
Whoever was knocking was trespassing, and the interruption wholly annoyed me. Especially since I’d sent my staff home for a few days, wanting some privacy. I sighed and rinsed my mouth to make sure there was no red residue from the blood I’d been drinking. Then I popped to the back door. I twisted the lock and swung it open, only to stumble back at the sight before me.
Big blue eyes stared up at me, filled with terror, and I felt an overwhelming need to rip apart the person who’d caused it. Pouty, pink lips trembled as tears slid down her cheeks, stained with color from exertion, made even more prominent by her pale skin. Luminous blond curls surrounded her, hanging all the way down past her bottom. She was of medium height, with a willowy body covered in a filmy blue material that flared out from her tiny waist into a long, full skirt. And if I’d been able to feel any sort of arousal, I imagined that I would’ve been drooling over her full but perky breasts.