Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 94834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“What?” he questions, not missing a damn thing.
“Why do you call me Firefly?”
A soft smile settles over his face, not smirky or wicked like I usually get from him. This one is sincere and makes his eyes soften, stealing the breath right out of my lungs. “You really want to know?” he asks.
“Would I ask if I didn’t?”
The elevator dings our arrival on the ground floor and we step out together, walking out to the valet parking. Dalton doesn’t respond, just simply nods toward the valet who hastily retrieves the keys to his bike and hurries off to get it.
We stand in a strange silence for a few moments, and I start to wonder if everything he said to me up on the roof was all bullshit just to get me to spread my legs for him, but when the familiar rumble of his bike sounds through the underground garage and finally arrives at our feet, he dazzles me with a wide smile. “After you,” he says, offering me his hand.
I take it greedily and he helps me onto the back of his bike, and not a moment later, we’re taking off, heading out of the city and back toward our apartment complex. He pushes his bike to its limits and we fly through the unfamiliar streets until we pass by Danny’s Bar and then finally pull to a stop in the parking lot behind our building.
Pressing my hand to his shoulder, I balance myself as I climb off, and as I go to step back and give him space, he captures my hand and pulls me in closer. “The reason I call you Firefly,” he murmurs, his voice so soft I can barely hear him, “is because when I first saw you walking through the darkness, you lit up the night like a fucking firefly.”
Warmth spreads through my body, and I don’t know how to respond, but he doesn’t give me a chance before he’s moving off his bike and nodding toward our building. “Come on, maybe tonight you’ll even let me walk you to your door.”
I laugh and roll my eyes. “Don’t think you’re going to get lucky again,” I tell him as he slips his key into the main door of the building. “I’ll have you know, I’m a lady.”
We step in through the door and let it fall closed behind us, and not a moment later, my back is up against the wall. “You’re anything but a lady,” he growls, his lips brushing against my throat as he presses his body up against mine, setting me off once again.
Hunger blasts through me. “Okay, I changed my mind. You can definitely get lucky again.”
His soft chuckle is like music to my ears as he steps back, putting space between us and offering me a chance to catch my breath. That twisted smirk returns, and I roll my eyes, enjoying his company far more than any girl should. I’m in dangerous territory, but I stand by what I said on that rooftop. I don’t want anyone falling in love with me, and I sure as hell won’t be returning the favor. I’ve got college to get through and rent to make. Casual, hot, steamy sex with dangerously wicked men is where it’s at.
We start making our way down to my apartment, and I fish my key out of my pocket as he patiently leans up against the wall. Though, if we were smart, we’d take this to his apartment. As far as I know, he lives by himself. He hasn’t mentioned anything about a roommate, and I know Cara is cool, but I’m not so sure how she’d feel about listening to me ride this asshole until the sun comes up. Though to be honest, she’s probably the type to listen through the wall and get off with us like some kind of messed-up threesome.
The door unlocks, and just as I glance toward Dalton, I hear the soft click of a door behind me. Knowing exactly who lives across from me, my heart kicks into gear, a gasp of fear sailing through my lips.
I whip around, but I’m too late. He’s already here, towering over me. A scream tears from between my lips, and like lightning, his hand shoots out, capturing me behind my neck as his other slams up over my face, a cloth wedged between us, muffling my screams.
I fight for breath, inhaling the strange scent on the cloth, my mind instantly going fuzzy as I desperately try to fight for my freedom, searching around, but Dalton is nowhere to be seen.
Fear like I’ve never known consumes me, and as I look up at this terrifying stranger towering over me, I know this is the end. My body goes limp, my eyes close, and just like that, I fall into his strong arms as my world turns black.