Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 58808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Instead, I pull my bag up over my shoulder and push past him. I hear him following me, yet I pay no attention as I get to my door.
“Avani.”
I don’t turn around, but my hand pauses on the doorknob.
“You’ll understand everything eventually. For now, please stop hating me.”
I gasp at Grayson’s words, and when I turn around, the bus is pulling away, and he is nowhere in sight.
Stop hating him.
That’s the real issue, isn’t it?
I don’t hate him.
Even though I want to.
Even though I should.
There are parts of me screaming to hate him. Yet here I stand, wondering how to do just that.
This game we are playing is going to end disastrously.
Chapter 24
Stubborn as always.
Grayson
She didn’t listen.
But that isn’t new.
She never fucking listened, to begin with, and least of all to me.
I was running late, expecting her to be sitting at the bus stop, but she isn’t.
She’s gone.
Of course she is.
She likes to defy me, and I should spank her for her attitude.
Getting in my car, I drive in the direction of her house and find her almost home. Walking. By herself. I slow the car, and she spots me, her eyes narrowing.
“Get lost,” she yells.
I put the car in park and swing open the door. As I do, she starts to run. Ha, yeah, that’s not happening. Did I forget to mention my favorite workout in school was running track?
But fuck, she is fast.
Her bag drops, and she books it even faster. My legs pump harder before I manage to catch her. Just as I slide my hand around her waist, we both fall to the ground. I spin so I take the brunt of the fall, and she lands on my chest. Her eyes—those hypnotic eyes—find mine, and they are furious.
“You should have waited for the bus,” I scold.
“You should go to your girlfriend,” she snaps back as she tries to get up. I hold her to me as the porch light from a house flicks on as we lie on someone’s lawn.
“Jealous, jealous.” I tsk.
“Control freak, control freak,” she whispers. “Now, let me up.”
“I told you not to walk home. It’s not safe.”
“Yeah, well, as you are aware, I don’t take orders from men.” Avani tries to push away again, but I tighten my hold. “Your damn cock is poking me.”
“Well, stop wiggling on it. You’re making him happy.”
Avani mutters something under her breath before I reach down and grab her ass. She stills instantly.
“What are you doing?” she asks breathily.
“You didn’t behave, and since you seem to have a fixation on spanking, I figured you needed a lesson in obedience.” I smile at her.
Her head whips around, and she looks back at my hands on her ass.
“If you spank me, so help me God, Grayson…”
I lift my hand and smack her once.
Avani’s eyes go wide, and she wiggles against me again.
Big mistake.
My cock goes up like a fucking tent in my pants.
She feels it automatically and instantly stops her movements.
“Stop spanking me,” she whispers.
“Stop moving,” I say, my tone gruff. “And start listening.”
“What does it matter? What, after a whole fucking year, you want to make sure I get home safely all of a sudden?” She laughs while rolling her eyes. “You can’t pick and choose when you want to be the macho man.”
“Who says I haven’t had someone watching you for the last year.” Her breathing stops, and I smile at her.
“You haven’t. I would have known.”
“Would you, though?”
“Let me go right…fucking…now, or I’ll knee you in the balls.”
I release her, and she stands. Grabbing her bag, I climb to my feet. “Have you really had someone following me?”
“Of course I have. Think about it, Avani. Why would I let you go so easily?” I hold out her bag, and she snatches it from me.
“Why?” she asks. “You’ve clearly moved on, so why would you have someone following me?” Her eyes flick to the owner of the lawn we’re on, who is standing out front now with a bat in his hand.
“Get the fuck off my lawn. I’ve already called the police,” he shouts.
“Fuck. Police again. What is it with you?” Avani hurries away, and I flip the man the finger and follow her.
“That was intended,” I tell her.
“So, what? Are you going to go back and kill him too?” She waves a hand in the direction we just left.
“Should I? I mean, if you want me to—”
She stops, then spins to face me, effectively cutting me off. “Don’t you dare! Do you hear me, Grayson? Don’t you dare!”
“I wanted to invite you somewhere,” I tell her.
Avani huffs and turns back around and continues her walk. “To where?” she yells as we get closer to her place.
“It’s a dinner…with a few people. I’ll send a car to collect you. Dress nicely.”
“And what if I don’t want to go?” She gets out her keys and unlocks the door.