Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 153544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 768(@200wpm)___ 614(@250wpm)___ 512(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 768(@200wpm)___ 614(@250wpm)___ 512(@300wpm)
Then he slowly unclasps his fingers from around my throat and tugs me to his side by a firm grip on my hip, making us face the others.
My face feels like a sauna as I realize the earlier show happened in front of his friends.
Shit.
Is it too late to dissolve into nothing?
Gareth’s brows are creasing. Jeremy is smiling, and Nikolai’s mouth is open.
“She’s mine and, therefore, off-limits,” Killian announces in a calm, threatening voice, staring between his brother and cousin. “Off-fucking-limits.”
And then he throws me over his shoulder like a damn caveman and carries me back upstairs.
I push at his back as blood rushes to my head. “What are you doing? Let me down!”
“No can do. You obviously thought sneaking out of my bed like a fucking thief was a good idea and we have to prove otherwise.”
I try to kick my legs in the air.
Slap.
I freeze as the sting registers in my arse. Did he just spank me?
My eyes widen, and I hang there, stupefied, as he kicks the door to his room open and throws me on the bed.
I don’t focus on the soreness or the ache when I glare up at him. “You should pick up being a caveman as a hobby.”
Killian kicks the door shut and advances toward me with a dark expression. “Shut the fuck up, Glyndon. You don’t want to provoke me when I’m stopping myself from going back down there and murdering my own brother and cousin for getting so close to you.”
I swallow, the gravity of the situation making my heart skyrocket. “You wouldn’t, right?”
“You tell me since you’re the one who thought it was a wonderful idea to flaunt yourself in front of them.”
“I only wanted to leave.”
“You don’t get to leave when you’re sleeping in my fucking arms, Glyndon. I let my guard down because you were with me, but I should’ve known better than to trust a conniving little rabbit. Maybe I’ll chain you to me now. Put a bell around your fucking neck so I can hear you leaving. Or maybe a Taser so no one touches you while I’m not there.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Fuck. I’m going back, after all. Fucker Nikolai didn’t bleed.”
He turns around to leave and do what he promised.
And while I don’t really care about Gareth or Nikolai, I don’t want anyone’s blood on my conscience.
Besides, this is what he looks like when his control is confiscated. It’s the first time I’ve see him out of sorts and knowing I’m the reason fills me with a strange type of empowerment.
He’s cold, calculating, allows no emotions in his armor, but he gave me this power over him.
Unintentionally, but it’s there and I want it.
“Killian, wait,” I whisper before I can think properly about my words.
He tilts his head in my direction with his hand on the doorknob.
I tap the mattress. “Let’s go back to sleep.”
He narrows his eyes. “What the fuck are you playing at now?”
“Nothing, I just want to sleep.”
“You’re more readable than a newspaper, and you want me to believe that you have no ulterior motive behind your unusual request?”
“No,” I say it, and I believe it, too. “Please.”
He watches me for a beat, his body still turned to the door, and I think he’ll ignore me and proceed with whatever violence plot he has, but he releases the doorknob and stalks in my direction.
My heart nearly drops to my stomach as he removes his trousers and slides to my side, then pulls me atop of him.
“Leave again and I will fucking tie you to me,” he whispers against my forehead.
“I won’t,” I murmur back and resist the urge to kiss his chest. What the hell?
It’s just an unnatural reaction to the fact that he allowed himself to be stopped by me.
There’s absolutely nothing more to it.
Right?
Killian’s lips meet my forehead and I’m pretty sure something jostles in my heart when he murmurs, “That’s my girl.”
24
GLYNDON
“You’ll be late anyway, so how about we go back to my very logical idea of staying in bed all day?”
I stare at Killian from my position in the passenger seat of his car. “Are you kidding?”
He taps his finger on the steering wheel. “It’s strange how I rarely joke, but you choose to think that anyway. We need to work on your denial issues.”
I roll my eyes and stare out the window.
“Did you just roll your eyes?”
“And what about it? We need to work on that, too?”
“Yes. That’s an extremely juvenile gesture.”
“Wow. Look at you being all proper. The queen is searching for her etiquette instructor.”
“Doubt she needs one anymore.”
“That was sarcasm.”
“I know.” He offers me one of his rare smiles. “I also know you use it when you’re nervous. It’s useless to keep worrying about being late to class since you will be anyway.”