Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 86597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
I sense the intensity of his gaze on my back, so I try to focus on seeming like I’m just looking at a shop window in passing when in fact, I don’t even know where we’re going. On top of that, I can’t stop thinking of the intense and straightforward way in which he proclaimed his intentions. I imagine Nico taking me into some alleyway, pushing down my jeans and going for it. Which is hot, as a concept, but also frightening if I consider it seriously. I don’t know how much I’ll even like sex.
When Nico catches up to me, my heart skips a beat, because he walks even closer than before. “We don’t need to be, but we could. I don’t get why you’re so opposed to it. I would be the best boyfriend.”
“Until I do something to piss you off and you cut off my legs so I can’t run,” I tell him, trying to calm myself as pressure rises in my chest.
Nico’s frown deepens, and his lack of answer is more terrifying than I could have imagined.
“Oh my God!” my voice rises in panic. “You’re actually considering it!”
“I wasn’t!”
The frosty air stabs my throat as I suck it in and cross the street, wondering if I shouldn’t ask someone for help after all. He wouldn’t dare make a scene in the town where everyone knows him.
This has been a terrible idea. I should have acted immediately, and now all I want is to return to the side of the street with more people.
My breath turns into vapor. My mind is scattered, and I couldn’t have been more aware of the tall presence behind me as I step onto the sidewalk.
I back out toward a shop behind me while watching his every step.
“Blake. This is completely unreasonable. Be careful on the ice—” he says, but then glances up and before I know it, he dashes at me like a mountain lion hungry for flesh.
I scream out when he grabs me, ready to fight tooth and nail for my life as I land in his tight hold. Only several loud thuds right behind me make me realize what’s happening as I look over my shoulder and see snow collapsing to the ground alongside long claws of ice that might have speared my head, had Nico not held me back. Focused on the danger, he pulls me farther away as I go limp in his arms, clutching onto his jacket for dear life.
“Oh, dear God,” someone calls out before people around us erupt with expressions of shock.
Nico points to the rooftops. “Watch out for the thawing icicles!” he yells to the public, hugging me. “I’ve got you,” he whispers to me and kisses the side of my head. “You’re safe.”
I’m melting.
Heat streams in my limbs and pools in my chest as Nico holds me up, proving just how strong his arms are. With the world spinning around me, I have a hard time rejecting his embrace, and when he stands straight and pulls me against his chest, I stay there, my eyes closed as I inhale his scent to calm down.
As scary as this man is, stepping away is the last thing I want.
“What the hell? Someone should have removed the snow long ago,” I mumble.
“It happens,” Nico says, stroking my back.
When a few people start clapping, I get so embarrassed I finally pull away, but my wobbly feet are like marshmallows.
“Thank you. So, um… where are we going?”
Nico beams at me and points to a cafe not far from where we’re standing. “Our date begins there.”
The sandwich board outside states: Cookie decorating workshop today!
“Will it be all Christmas trees and gingerbread men, or will I get to also do zombies and severed heads?” I mumble, but my heart skips a beat, because this is one of those things I’ve always wanted to do but never got to. I often watch my private chef cook, so maybe that counts for experience?
I don’t have friends, not in real life, and the idea that Nico came up with this on his own warms something deep inside my frosty heart.
“I’d love to do a severed head with you,” he says sheepishly as we start walking again, away from the argument erupting around the broken snow and ice, and I find myself gravitating closer, until I can sense his warmth on my hand. I’m not ignorant of how crazy my actions are, but I’m scared, and he saved me, and we’re going to decorate cookies together, as if he’s known me for years, not three days.
I press my fingers to his hand, which twitches before grabbing them as we pass beautiful Christmas displays in shop windows.
I probably shouldn’t encourage him, but I did promise him a date.
Chapter 11
Blake
The cookie decorating class was even more fun than I expected. We created a whole herd of zombies, one of which I even based on my brother. And while I still remembered accusing Nico of wanting to take my legs, the longer the date lasted, the sillier I felt about jumping to such outlandish conclusions.