Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 95950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
As much as Jasper is loath to admit it, the other boy is a far more talented quarterback. Without Jasper’s mother being a board member and their clout in the community, there’s no way he’d be first string QB. Even though Jasper’s teammates are loyal, they’re desperate to win. Everyone wants a chance to go to state. And that won’t happen unless Austin Hawthorne is given more playtime.
By the surly expression on my boyfriend’s face, he realizes it as well.
DELILAH
“Good game, Hawthorne,” someone shouts over the noise of the party. “Didn’t think there was a chance in hell we were gonna pull that one off.”
I wince as Jasper gnashes his teeth and hurls his half-filled cup of beer against the wall, soaking the people who have the misfortune to be standing in his line of fire.
“Hey!” Lucus Standish complains, swinging around and catching sight of an enraged Jasper. He immediately lifts both hands before carefully backing away. “Sorry, Morgan. Didn’t realize it was you.”
A second later, he vanishes through the sea of students. I stare after him, wishing it was possible to do the same. Instead, I’m stuck here at Jasper’s side as he not-so-silently fumes. Even though it’s his party, everyone gives him a wide berth. It’s as if they can sense the volatility of his mood and don’t want to get caught in the crosshairs.
Trust me, I feel the same. If it were possible to slink away, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Not even his closest friends or teammates want to be around him. The more people that congratulate Austin, the darker Jasper’s mood becomes.
“I wish that guy would go back to wherever the hell he came from,” he slurs, gaze fixated straight ahead.
Reluctantly, I glance in the direction he’s glaring, knowing exactly who I’ll find. If Austin were smart, he would have avoided this party altogether. But here he is, accepting compliments and congratulations with more dignity than Jasper ever could.
Once my attention is drawn to him, it’s difficult to pull it away. A second later, his gaze fastens onto mine and tingles erupt across my skin.
No one—certainly not the boy at my side—has ever stirred these kinds of reactions within me.
The only thing Jasper instills is stark fear. If he didn’t, I would have broken off this relationship after a couple of months when I realized what a mistake it was. I’m knocked from those thoughts when strong fingers wrap around my lower jaw and my face is jerked to the side. I wince as his fingers dig into my flesh.
“Stop fucking staring at him,” he growls. “You belong to me and only me. That’s the way it’ll always be.”
Embarrassment slams into my cheeks as people turn and stare. Even though I’ll pay a price for it later, I bat his hand away. “I belong to myself and no one else.”
As soon as his grip loosens, I take a quick step in retreat, trying to put space between us.
“Is that so?” The tiny muscle in his cheek twitches. That’s always a bad sign of things to come.
I suck in a shaky breath before inching my chin upward. “Yes.”
Before I realize what’s happening, his hand snakes out and his fingers shackle around my wrist before dragging me through the thick crowd. Classmates scatter out of his way.
The music gets cranked up as I yell, “Let go!”
When I attempt to break the tight hold, his fingers clamp down on the slender bone. It’s almost a surprised when it doesn’t snap in half. Pain radiates through the area as he drags me from the living room down a dark hallway to his parents’ master suite. Once I’m shoved over the threshold, he slams the door shut behind him.
“Jasper!” Shock spirals through me as I gape at him. “What the hell has gotten into you?”
His lips are a tight slash across his face as his nostrils flare. Even in the dimness of the spacious room, the red haze filling his eyes doesn’t go unnoticed. Alarm bells explode in my head as he releases his hold.
I scramble backward, only wanting to get away. He’s like a volcano on the verge of erupting. With him barring the only exit, my chances of escaping unscathed have dwindled to the single digits. My heartbeat thunders, turning painful. It’s tempting to raise my hand and rub away the ache.
Instead of responding, he stalks toward me, eating up the distance I’ve put between us with a few long-legged strides. A burst of adrenaline rushes through me. Eyes locked on him, I retreat. Every step he takes forward has me stumbling in my haste. Too late do I realize that he’s intentionally steering me toward the king-sized bed at the far end of the room.
“Jasper,” I gasp, voice rising with panic, “please.”
As much as I hate to beg or plead, I need him to snap out of the rage that has taken hold and think about what he’s doing. His dark intentions are written clearly across his expression, and they freeze the blood rampaging through my veins.