Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
"You think I'm joking?"
"I honestly don't know what to think when it comes to you."
And I only find it that much more appealing.
Chapter Seven
EROS
“Does this thing work?” Blair is trying to turn the television on.
“It did when I installed it a year ago.”
“You don’t use it?” I walk over and reach up. It’s mounted above the fireplace, and you push the panel over to hit the power button and remove the remote.
“No, I don’t really watch television.” Blair has given me many looks, but this one appears to be her most shocked. I read. Anything and everything. Doesn’t matter what it is oftentimes. If it’s near me, I’ll pick it up and read it.
“You don’t watch television? What do you do? Doom scroll social media?”
“I don’t use social media.”
“Right.” She barks a laugh, dropping down onto the couch next to her cat. Not sure he and I are on the best terms, but Mac got me these Churu pack things that squeeze out runny liquid. It looked disgusting, but Binx was into it. After I gave him a few, he stopped hissing at me. I think he bullied me, but still, he's growing on me. "I don't see you as the social type."
I have used social media to the degree of learning about different targets but normally just make a screen grab of things and send it over.
"You don't have social media. Another tell that you're in WITSEC."
"One of the many rules." I watch her, fascinated.
"Are you hiding from someone?"
"Aren't we all?" she jokes.
"No, people hide from me."
"Must be nice," she mutters. "There is nothing on here." Blair drops the remote.
"I only want to know if I should worry that a person might be searching for you. Your circumstances are different. Your home is too nice, and the school is costly." I keep trying to read her. She can be good at hiding her emotions unless you catch her off guard. "Or did you put someone away? Give the government a big fish, and they owe you."
“All of the above.” I pick the remote back up and go into settings and bring up a streaming service for her before handing her back the remote. “You want to know, don’t you?”
“I do, but I don’t want to make you tell me.”
“You know, normally I’d give a smart-ass response that you can’t make me, but you could.”
“Maybe.”
“You’d hurt me?” Blair leans forward. Does she think I’m still capable of that when it comes to her?
“I didn’t say that. There are other ways.” I know of them, but I have never read into them. I will later when she is asleep. They are techniques I never thought I’d employ. I didn’t think I’d do a lot of things, but here I am.
“What ways?” I shrug. “You won’t tell me?” Her dark brows furrow. My hellcat is a curious cat. So I wait, letting the silence draw out. She starts scrolling through the movie options before a small growl leaves her and she throws the remote back down on the couch next to her. “Fine, I’ll tell you something if you tell me something.”
“Okay,” I agree.
“So tell me something.”
“You first. It’s your game.”
“It’s not a game; this is serious stuff.” She folds her arms over her chest. Oh, I think it very much is a game; she just doesn’t want to go first.
There are a lot of things I’ll give Blair if she asks me, but right now I’m playing the long game, so I go back to letting the silence hang in the air, growing thicker by the second. I could do this all day, simply watch her. I dislike her hoodie. It covers far more of her than I’d like. Especially since we’re alone. One day soon she won’t feel the need to hide herself from me. I just have to earn her trust.
“My real name is Bonte.” She cocks her head to the side. “And I’m hiding from my dad.”
“Your dad.” Not her father. The word dad is more intimate.
“Yep.” She pops the P. “Now you. How would you get me to talk?”
“Seduce your body.” Blair sucks in an audible breath.
“Not happening.” She rolls her eyes. “You really are a pervert.” Her tongue comes out, swiping her bottom lip.
I can tell from the slight flare of her nose she’s not mad about what I said. She’s mad because she thinks it might be possible. I take that as a big fucking win and an opening to push further. Inch by inch, I’ll close in on her until all she sees and breathes is me.
“That’s never happening, so you need to get that through your head. I’m not going to be your new obsession or whatever.” Blair jumps up from the couch, stepping toward me where I’d sat down in the oversized chair, more of a normal chair for me, but that’s what they called it.