Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 158635 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 793(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 158635 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 793(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
My mouth opens, but I force it closed.
So he is mad.
It’s hard to tell when he appears angry all the time.
He tugs me forward and I stumble, nearly dropping my books as we come to a halt in front of a huge bike.
The same bike I’ve caught glimpses of him riding a few times.
This thing is monstrous, and I resemble a stray mouse next to it. Jeremy, however, fits the vibe.
He looked to be in complete harmony the last time I saw him on it. He had one leg on the ground, helmet on, and his hands hung nonchalantly on the handlebars.
Jeremy finally releases my elbow and I resist the urge to massage the spot where his fingers assaulted my skin.
He plucks a helmet out of the saddlebag and leans toward me. It’s really bad for my self-esteem whenever he’s in my vicinity, because the only thing I can think about in this current situation is how to escape.
One of my legs steps behind the other and I jolt when my back hits the bike.
I jerk one hand up. “Stop it!”
He swats it away effortlessly, as if it’s nothing more than a cardboard prop, then shoves the helmet on my head.
I try to resist and grab his wrist to push it away.
He pauses and glares at me silently, so silently that it’s creepy.
How does he not want me to call him a creep when he scores a hundred for the vibe alone?
The moment he stops strapping the helmet in place, my struggle stops, too. Mostly due to his glare.
“If you want to touch me, all you have to do is ask. There’s no need to play hard to get for it.”
Heat flares in my cheeks when I realize I’m cradling his wrist, fingers stretching across his warm skin. Now that I’m not fighting him, it’s like I’m trying to grab his hand or something.
I release him with a jerk and he uses my flustered state to finish strapping on the helmet.
“Can you let me go?” I ask, softly this time, imploringly even.
For someone who obviously gets off on violence, countering it with the same medicine probably wouldn’t be as effective as trying the exact opposite.
“Not yet.” He grabs the top of my books and I hug them further to my chest, which causes his fingers to brush against my breasts.
A zip goes through me and my hold falters around the books. Jeremy all but yanks them out of my arms.
The man doesn’t have one gentle bone in his body.
He dunks them in the saddlebag. “Why are you confiscating my books?”
“You’ll get them back when we’re done.”
“Done with what?”
He casts me a glance, and I can’t help noticing the smudge of blood on his palm that he got from beating up those guys.
Then leaving them wailing and groaning in the middle of the street.
That’s the type of person Jeremy Volkov is. A man who solves problems with his fists and likes stealing other people’s identities just to teach me a lesson.
So how come I’m caught in his web?
“You’ll find out.” His tone is final, prohibiting any other questions.
He straddles his bike and revs the engine. I’m pretty sure he sees me flinching at the loud sound, and unless I’m imagining it, there’s a twitch of his lips, too.
I’ve always hated superbikes, sports cars, and anything with loud engines and crazy horsepower.
The sensory overload hurts my ears and makes me want to hide in the nearest nook.
I cast a glance at my surroundings. The lot he parked in is isolated, but there are two roads ahead. Surely, if I run, I’ll be able to find a passerby—
“Don’t even think about it.”
My wide eyes land on Jeremy, who’s casually sitting on his bike and watching my every move.
“How do you know what I’m thinking about?”
“You’re a lot more obvious than you realize.” He strokes his index finger on the clutch, back and forth, as if he’s performing some sort of a ritual. “If you want to run, go for it. But you should know that I’ll chase you, and I can’t guarantee what I’ll do to you the moment I catch you, so if that’s an option you’re willing to gamble on, by all means, go ahead and run. If not, I suggest you hop on, peacefully.”
A whole-body tremor goes through me, and it’s due not only to his calmly spoken threats, but also to his words.
The innuendo behind them. The deepening in his inflection when he said them.
He wants to chase me.
I can see it in his dark, ash-gray eyes that he wants me to run.
No, he’s wishing for it. He’s hoping I’ll run so he can get off on chasing me.
Like in that forest.
He’ll pin me down, rip my clothes off, and have his way with me. He’ll unleash the animal inside him and devour me.