Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 140780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
“I...” I shook my head, my tongue refusing to work. Memories of him touching me, licking me, looking up at me from between my legs with such lust glowing in his pitch-black eyes...
Now, he looked at me as if he already hated me and it hurt.
It hurt that I hadn’t been cut out for the world of Snowflake Corp. It hurt that I hadn’t been strong enough for what truly went on behind those lab doors.
In a way, I’d been made for his world.
A world where I only found an anchor when I was with him.
Rubbing my aching heart, I opened my mouth again, but nothing came out.
“Who are you? Why can I suddenly feel your pain? Why am I becoming more and more aware of you the longer we spend time together? What exactly are you hiding—?”
“I’m not hiding anything.”
That scary scarlet ring appeared around his pupils. “You know...I thought you’d leap at the chance to finally talk. I stupidly believed you weren’t like the rest, but I’m beginning to think you might have fooled me the most.”
Shaking his head, he shrugged with agonising sadness. “I really, really don’t want to have to kill you, Rook, but if you were tasked to kill me. If everything up till now was planned and I fell right into your trap, then just tell me.”
“H-How can you even ask that? After everything that’s happened between us? After what we just did?”
He didn’t seem to hear me as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just spit it out. Tell me whatever it is that you’re hiding because with the burning pain I’m in, I’ll give you one shot. I’ll give you something I’ve never given anyone.” He dropped his hand as his eyes locked on mine. “I’ll give you a single chance to put me out of my misery because right now, I’m hurting and lost and—”
“God...you just had to pick this moment, didn’t you?”
His eyes narrowed. “This is the only moment I have left. I’m taking you home. I’m bringing you into my inner world where I’m at my most vulnerable. I’m willingly keeping you by my side where you could choose any moment to drive a dagger into my back.”
“I did drive a dagger into you, remember?” I snapped, my temper finally waking up. “But into your chest—because you commanded me to.”
“And now I’m commanding you to tell me what I want to know!”
“Do you really think this is the place to talk? We’re on a plane. In the sky. And you’re not exactly doing all that well. If you burn up again—”
“I’ll only burn up if you tell me something I don’t like.”
“Yes, well...that’s kind of inevitable at this point, isn’t it.”
He never took his eyes off me. “So there is something you’re keeping from me?”
“I’ve never lied to you. Not once.”
“Lying by omission is the same thing.”
“Look, I’m not saying I won’t tell you...just that being on board a highly flammable machine might not be the best place.” Glancing at the scorched blankets, I added softly, “You dragged me in here because you were ready to snap. You were steaming for goodness’ sake. Y-You...burned my underwear off. What if you lose control again and we fall out of the sky like a blazing asteroid?”
“I’ll control myself,” he snapped.
“Like you did when you set the wallpaper on fire in the B&B?”
“Did I burn you? At any point where I’ve lost control, have I hurt you?”
“No—”
“Then answer my goddamn questions!”
“Fine!”
“Good! Wait...” He held up his hand. “How are you so calm about all of this? How can you talk about me burning your clothes and hotels and not freak out? I’ve spent my entire life with an inner temperature that exceeds that of everyone else—always knowing there was something obviously wrong with me—but you...you don’t even blink when I say it’s getting worse. So...how?”
“How am I not screaming and trying to jump out of the plane to get away from you?” I asked gently.
Whisper whimpered outside the door as if he longed to be part of this conversation but neither of us moved to let him in.
He just nodded and I didn’t have a choice anymore.
He’d asked for the truth and I would give it—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
“I was going to do this when we were safely on the ground but...I’ll tell you.”
“Thank you.” He gritted his teeth.
“I’ll tell you everything...”
“That would be good.” He stiffened. “Tell me what exactly?”
“Tell you that the reason I have so much money, why I have a bodyguard, and why I’m not freaking out about you is because...on paper, I’m Brimstone’s biggest competitor. My name really is Rook Snowdon. Dillon is just my bodyguard. And me...” I shrugged, bracing myself to die. “I suppose you could say I’m your greatest enemy—business-wise—and...” I flinched, my voice falling to a whisper. “...maybe, possibly—I really hope I’m wrong—I might be the reason you’re burning in the first place.”