Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 102708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
I learned a lot about her. From her childhood, or lack of, to the way she curled up in a ball to sleep at night. The way her breathing would even out, how warm she was, how soft. I wasn’t lying when I said she was mine now.
I treated her as such.
Except I could tell she was still holding back from me. We hadn’t had sex since that first time, but honestly, it didn’t really matter. We were intimate in ways we hadn’t been before. I began playing my piano for her while she lay in my bed.
There was no longer a wall between us. Now she was right there experiencing it with me. I never played for anyone. It was just the two of us, unless it was Julius and me practicing. It wasn’t weird, feeling as if I was baring my soul to her.
She also slept in my arms every night. I didn’t ask; she just did. After we had sex, we ended up in my bed, and she hadn’t left since. Not that I wanted her to. However, the unavoidable question of when Julius was going to make his presence known loomed in the back of our minds. It was always right there, waiting, lurking, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
I hate it.
One way or another, we couldn’t go forward, nor could we go back. We were stuck in the same place we’d been, sitting in neutral, anticipating the weight of Julius’s foot on the accelerator. He would be the one who would drive us off a cliff.
Later that night, after we had eaten dinner, she pulled back the covers as I crawled to her. Getting under the sheets, she lay down, and I followed suit. Except I laid my head on her stomach, demanding a head and back scratch. Her nails were like claws.
The second I felt her nails dig into my scalp, she moaned.
“Careful, Kitty.” I glanced up at her. “That’s an invitation.” Rubbing my nose against hers, I baited, “Is that what you want? Me lying on top of you?”
“Kraven…” she rasped in a tone so low I almost didn’t hear her.
“What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, kissing me instead. Caging her in with my arms, I hovered above her frame. Her breathing escalated as she ground against me, creating friction on my dick.
She was trying to forget.
It was what we did for each other.
I intended to lie with her and catch up, but the desire I had for her made my balls ache and my cock throb.
I needed to slow down.
She always felt amazing and smelled so damn good. Up until this second, I held on to my restraint, though it was becoming apparent that I wanted her in more ways than just hearing about her day.
There was this buildup.
This hope deep in my bones.
Our flirty banter.
Her smile.
Her laugh.
How easy it was to fall back into this place where the lines were blurred and the future unknown. I didn’t believe in love. Yet with her, it felt like I was.
Claiming her.
Making her mine.
It fucked with my head more than I could have ever imagined.
She’s more than I can ever imagine…
Pussy never meant anything to me. Now Isla, she meant something in every last part of me.
Pressing my forehead on hers, I muttered, “Do you have any idea how bad I want to fuck you right now?”
She moaned in response, kissing me.
I kissed her back, whispering, “If I don’t stop…” I paused, trying to gather my thoughts. “I’m a selfish asshole, Kitty. I want you all to myself. I don’t want to share you with anyone. Especially my brother. I can feel him here between us, although I can’t see him.” Shifting my eyes to hers, I said, “You let me kiss you… You sleep in my arms… We’re… I’m—”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“Then let me make love to you. I—”
The words barely left my mouth when my bedroom door slammed against the wall, rattling the whole house.
Isla flinched.
I turned…
And the golden boy and lone wolf finally collided.
With his fist to my face.
ISLA
I felt him before I ever saw him.
There he was, after a month and a half.
Julius.
The moment I realized it wasn’t just a feeling I’d been experiencing all day, his fist was already in Kraven’s jaw.
“No!” I shouted, instantly standing. “Don’t do this!”
Neither heard me.
Rage quickly took over every last fiber of their beings. Kraven took off, hauling ass toward Julius, confirming my suspicions that this wasn’t going to end well.
This was a fight to the death. There was no denying it.
No pretending.
It was right there in front of our faces, the betrayal.
I screeched, “Kraven, stop!”
He rammed his shoulder into Julius’s chest, slamming his back against the wall behind him. The impact of his assault sent drywall crumbling to the floor.
Julius didn’t waver, attacking him to the ground to get on top of him.