Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 124923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
His palm wraps around the front of my throat, angling my head upward as he dives down to capture my lips. I groan when his tongue licks into my mouth. He kisses me so hard I can feel it between my legs, and when he pulls back, I’m practically panting.
“My team couldn’t stop staring you in that uniform,” he says, his hand finding its way under my skirt. “I wanted to rip their fucking eyes out just for looking at you.”
“You’re insane.”
His fingers rub me through my underwear, and I moan, opening my legs for him. “You make me insane.” He takes his touch away too soon, leading me toward the back of the room. He sits on one of the benches, leaving me standing there in front of him. “Take off the sweatshirt.”
Heart racing and skin tingling, I start to pull it off.
“Slowly,” he instructs, leaning back, resting his arms along the top of the bench.
I let my arms fall to my sides, the tips of my fingers trailing up my thighs, slowly bringing the hem of my sweatshirt up. Holden swallows hard, watching me intently. When I finally pull it over my head, I drop it to the ground next to me.
“What now?” I whisper.
“Come here.”
I take a step toward him, and he leans forward, one arm curling around the back of my thighs. “I’ve tried giving you time. I’ve been patient.” I tense, his words setting me on edge, not knowing where he’s going with this. He drags his lips up my thigh, kissing and nibbling. “I want everyone to know you’re mine.”
“That wasn’t part of the deal.”
“Are you really going to act like this still means nothing to you?” When I don’t answer, he shakes his head, as if disappointed in me. “I forgot. The ice princess doesn’t have feelings.” His words feel like a punch to the stomach, especially coming from him. “Tell me how much you don’t need me. Tell me how little I mean to you. I dare you.”
“Fuck you.”
“I’m in love with you.” His response comes without hesitation, shocking me into silence.
My mouth falls open, then snaps shut. “No. You’re not.”
“Yes, I am.” He stands, towering over me, forcing me to tip my chin up in order to hold his gaze. “And for some fucked-up reason, you seem to think you’re unlovable, but I’ve been here loving you all along.”
“Well.” I swallow past the lump in my throat, looking up into his dark eyes. My heart races so fast and hard I think it might beat out of my chest. “I don’t love you.” The lie tastes like acid on my tongue. Why can’t I just be normal and say how I feel?
He narrows his eyes, assessing. “Lie.” I scoff, turning to walk away, but he catches my arm, stopping me. “I know you love me, Valen. Why the fuck is it so hard for you to say it?”
“Because I’m scared!” I yell, shocking both of us. Tears sting the back of my eyes, adrenaline coursing through me. “You turned me into this pathetic version of myself. You made me need you. You made me love you. I hate this feeling.” I bat my tears away, angry at them for falling.
The only people I’ve ever loved—the two people who were supposed to love me unconditionally—they never really cared about me. They tolerated me.
“Do you think I like it?” he shouts. “I’ve lost three of the six people on this fucking earth that I give a shit about. That’s fifty percent. Every fucking day I’m afraid I’ll lose you, too. That one day you’ll cut this off and walk away for good. But you know what I realized?”
“What?”
“It doesn’t matter if we don’t say it out loud, and it doesn’t fucking matter if we don’t put a label on it. If you ended this right now, it would hurt all the same. We’re in too deep to walk away unscathed.” He takes my face in his hands, bending down to kiss my tear-soaked lips. “Tell me you’re mine.”
I clench his shirt in my fists as I bring my lips to his. My tongue slips inside his mouth and he groans, pulling me in closer. Soft, yet possessive quickly turns into desperate and demanding, and I don’t know who is claiming who in this moment. His hand wraps around my ponytail, holding me in place as his lips trail down my cheeks, neck, and collarbone, kissing my stream of tears away. “I’m yours,” I whisper, finally giving in.
“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you to say that.” His teeth scrape against my throat before he sucks the skin into his mouth and releases it. I’m breathing hard, already wet, and he’s barely touched me. I tug at his shirt, wanting it off, and he takes the hint, pulling it off. He straightens, standing to his full height before taking his seat on the bench. He leans back, pinning me with his heated gaze.