Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 147021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 735(@200wpm)___ 588(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 735(@200wpm)___ 588(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
Which is a colossally bad idea.
I don’t know what the hell I’m thinking when I grab both of her hands and step into her room. The electric hum between us is almost unbearable. Touching her when we’re both half-dressed is dangerous. So is spinning her around and caging her against the wall, but I do it anyway—release her hands and crowd her space. She’s all I see.
“Why do you keep pushing my buttons, Princess?” I should give her some space. Get some perspective. Her eyes drop to my chest. If Roman walked in, this would look beyond bad. And yet I don’t seem capable of making the smart, logical choice. Which would be to walk away.
I grit my teeth as her warm fingers skim my forearm. That gentle caress lights a fucking fire in my veins. I should stop her, but God help me, I don’t want to.
“What’s happening, Hollis?” Her throat bobs with a thick swallow. “I don’t know what’s happening anymore.” Her fingertips drift along my arm, up my biceps. “This doesn’t feel like nothing.” As she lifts her head, our noses brush.
“What does it feel like, Princess?” This is a stupid, dangerous game to play. Wanting her is entirely selfish. Her star is rising, and mine is on the way down. She deserves better than me.
“I ache.” Her fingers skim my collarbones. “You could make it go away.”
I could give her that. Give in to the temptation. Take something for myself. Just one taste. One kiss.
She exhales a tremulous breath as she tips her head up. And that’s when the smell of tequila hits me. She’s been drinking. She’s not thinking clearly. Tomorrow, when she’s sober, she’ll regret this. Be embarrassed. We’ll have another awkward conversation.
Logic and desire battle in my head. I move a frustrated palm against the wall, and Peggy startles. “Go to bed, little girl.”
I push away from the wall, my chest caving at the way her shoulders curl in. But I can’t give her what she wants. It’s one thing to have opened Pandora’s box; it’s another entirely to dive in headfirst. Especially when we’ve both been drinking.
I step around her and disappear into my room, locking the adjoining door behind me. That was close. Too close. I don’t like how easy it is for me to lose my head around her. And I don’t know how to fix it anymore.
CHAPTER 10
HAMMER
It’s been four days since Hollis caged me against the wall. Four days since I felt the warmth of his breath on my lips. God, he was glorious. Frustrated and sexy and looking a lot like he wanted to devour me.
In my fantasies, he doesn’t tell me to go to bed. Instead, he takes my face in his hands and explores my mouth with his. Then he fucks me against the wall. I’ve had no less than ten orgasms to that particular fantasy. It’s getting out of hand. But then, everything about this is.
“Aurora? You okay?” Jameson taps me lightly on the shoulder.
“Huh?” We met after class to work on one of our group assignments. The other two members left about ten minutes ago, since it’s going on six thirty. I was close to finishing this section, so I decided to stay put. I’m also avoiding dinner with my dad and Hollis again.
His brows are pulled together, eyes concerned. “You’re really flushed. Are you feeling okay?”
I press the back of my hand to my cheek. My skin is hot to the touch. “Oh. Uh, maybe I should head home.” Here I am, sitting in the middle of the university café with my classmate, thinking about my dad’s best friend. Again.
“I hope you’re not coming down with something. One of my friends in res said there’s this flu going around, and it’s been a real nightmare.” Jameson closes his laptop and slides it into his bag.
I shuffle my notes together. “Communal bathrooms and the flu sound like a special kind of hell.”
“I lived in them during first year. That was enough for me.” Jameson zips up his backpack while I do the same.
“I’m sure it was fun, though.” I slide my water bottle into the exterior pocket of my backpack.
“You’ve always lived off campus, right?”
“Yeah. My dad worried about the constant party in residence.”
“It could be that way, but mostly it was just fun to be around people my own age.”
We shrug into our jackets, and Jameson passes me my backpack. We leave the café and head toward the subway. It’s blustery today, but the cold air feels good on my overheated skin. When we reach the subway, Jameson takes his hat off and runs a hand through his hair. “Uh, a bunch of us are going clubbing downtown this weekend. I’m not sure if that’s your scene or not, but you’re welcome to join us, if you’re feeling okay, anyway.” He rubs the back of his neck.