Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 102929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
We started to roam around other rooms, each one more graphic than the last, until we ended up in the basement. Kraven stopped once we were standing in front of the fridge.
The Caribbean-blue shade in his eyes was so damn enticing, luring me into his smile. As soon as he caught me staring at his defined arms and broad chest, I blushed, looking back at the fridge. He was dressed in a blue sweater, jeans, and boots.
Before he opened it, he asked, towering over me, “Isla.”
It was weird hearing him call me that when he didn’t use my name often, and he said it with such fondness. The way it rolled off his tongue was doing things to me, making me feel those familiar flutters in my stomach. I didn’t know if it was from the way he said it, but it brought a sense of calm over me, making me feel safe for some reason.
“How old are you?” he asked out of nowhere.
I mouthed, “Almost seventeen,” and he watched my lips move intently.
“You drink?”
I had never drunk, but I still nodded.
He grabbed two beers out of the fridge, and we were on our way again. The party was even more packed, leaving very little room to shift through the crowd. It made it nearly impossible to see over everyone’s heads. I tried my best to keep up with Kraven, but I lost him for a minute in the madness.
Before I could panic, I felt his strong hands grip my waist, pulling me back into his hard body. He smiled down at me with a look of reassurance as I glanced up at him, making my belly flutter and my heart beat faster.
He repeated, “Stay close,” in my ear as he grabbed my hand, guiding the way.
“Hey, there,” a girl greeted, abruptly standing out in front of him and halting our descent. “You left me hanging last night.” Locking eyes with me for a second, she openly showed me her disdain and then glanced back at him. “How about you make it up to me tonight?”
I cleared my throat, trying to pull my hand away, but all he did was hold it tighter and closer to him.
“If I left you last night,” he emphasized in a charming way, “what makes you think tonight is any different?”
She sneered, peering over at me again. In one breath, she let out, “I thought she was your brother’s girl.”
I jerked back, surprised by her revelation.
Is he talking about me?
“She has nothing to do with you. Let’s get that straight.” His tone was laced with dominance and persistence.
Is he being possessive?
She opened her mouth at the same time Kraven sidestepped her, taking me with him. The way he handled conflict was interesting, to say the least. I guessed he had to have the last word.
His grip only increased, and we didn’t stop until we got to a bar. He grabbed a bottle of vodka from the cooler, taking two cups and a few club sodas. I followed him back outside, walking past the partygoers, going to the field where most of the cars were parked. He never let go of my hand, which I was grateful for. I still wasn’t entirely comfortable with the whole situation, so adding whoever that was to the chaos didn’t help.
There was entirely too much coming to light, causing dizziness to override. The nerves were getting to me. Maybe this was too fast, too soon. I wasn’t used to being protected, and the fact that it was Kraven who was doing it was just too unexpected for me. It was my tipping point, spilling over into a mess I never intended to create.
He pulled down the tailgate of a massive, souped-up Chevy truck, patting the metal for me to take a seat. I went to jump up, but he gripped my waist as if I weighed nothing, setting me down on the tailgate instead to step between my thighs, and still, he didn’t let go of my waist when he was done.
“You alright?” he asked, breaking this spiral I was falling into.
I mouthed, “Your ex?”
He laughed, smiling widely. “She wishes.”
I didn’t know how long our gazes stayed connected. It was the kind of stare that etched into your skin, burning into you. No words were exchanged until he spoke with actions, simply letting me go.
I shook off the side effects of what could only be described as hurricane Kraven.
He reached behind me to grab a red Solo cup, filling it more than halfway with vodka, and then threw in some of the club soda.
With a nod, he handed it to me. “Has your name on it if you want it.”
I appreciated that he wasn’t pressuring me into drinking, giving me the choice. Usually, I would have turned it down. However, the tension was consuming me whole. I had to shift my mindset into another timeline to make it out of there with my sanity intact. I took a sip and immediately cleared my throat from the strong taste burning its way down my chest.