Lib Novel Page 24
He grabs my hand and pulls me to him. The boat sways from one side to the other, and I shriek, digging my fingers into his arms hard enough that I might leave indents in his skin.
“I have you,” he says, low and full of conviction, putting me at ease instantly. I loosen my grip on him, and he lowers us down gently.
Seated, we face each other. The moon dances in his eyes, which are focused on me. It’s such a heady sensation, being the center of his attention. While I hate attention, I want his so badly—another mystery I can’t solve.
“Stop looking at me like that.”
He leans back on his palms, not losing eye contact. “Like what?”
A pause falls between us, bathing us in a strange intimacy.
“What are you thinking about?” I blurt, not knowing how to deal with this electrifying tension wrapping around us that zaps every atom in me.
“You.”
“And what do you think of me?”
I need to hear those words—cold, bitch, shallow—so I can cut this cord, escape this connection, and snap out of whatever trance he has me trapped in.
“Beautiful, so fucking beautiful—”
“Never heard that one before,” I say, dejection coating every word. A doll. That’s what everyone sees.
He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, and my heart pounds an erratic beat.
“I didn’t finish. You’re astounding. Fascinating. Captivating.”
A smile teases the corners of my lips.
“And you?” he asks.
“We’re not playing twenty-one questions.”
He arches a brow playfully. “Afraid my answers will be smarter?”
“I doubt it.” I snort a laugh, and then my hand flies to my mouth. I forget all manners—and myself—when I’m with him.
“You wound me, princess.” He says that with a pout, melting my insides.
Why does it sound endearing coming from him? It shouldn’t, especially in that deep, husky voice of his.
“You’re missing the party.”
“I’m right where I want to be.”
Me too.
Averting my gaze, I fidget with my fingers. “You’re wasting your time with me.”
He palms the side of my face, his thumb caressing my cheek, drugging my senses and capturing all my attention once again. “Where is that boyfriend of yours? Because if you were mine, I’d spend every free moment with you.”
Back at the dorm, in his apartment, where I should be as well. Instead, I am with him, and the most disturbing thing is that I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
His touch is soothing, a magic spell that compels me to stay rooted.
“Is it true?” he asks.
Ah, the rumor mill. Like the cold bitch I am, I snatched Kaden from Celine. She felt so betrayed that she moved across the ocean, which solidified the role I’ve had to play after everything went down.