Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 58521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 293(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 293(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
Last night I’d pulled my little Honda off along a small break in the Avenue of Oaks before I’d gotten all the way to Oleander Manor. So I’d just make my way through the overgrowth back to the car and no one would be ever be the wiser that I’d ever been here at all.
Except for Walker, obviously.
Walker. Sigh.
I had to slow when I got into the forest to spare my bare feet. There were enough fallen logs and branches that had sprouted moss to make for gentle enough walking if I was careful, but it was much slower going.
It wasn’t as if I didn’t have plenty to think about, though. In spite of the absinthe, I could remember last night vividly. Walker had sparkled amidst all the dancing colors. Really, he’d shone like a god. And every touch of his skin had been—
Magical.
I’d never felt more beautiful in my entire life. Not when Mama buffed me to a shine for those beauty pageants underneath sweltering lights, with judges deciding how to rate me from every angle. No, because Walker hadn’t been seeking fault in me. He’d been worshiping me back.
The look in his eyes when he’d entered me. Full of so much wonder…
I wrapped my arms around myself, smiling so hard it made my face hurt. Walker St. Claire always seemed like such a serious, focused boy. And now, a man. He was going to do great things and everyone around him knew it.
Nothing distracted him. But last night—and this morning!—I had. Beneath that solemn exterior he was actually playful. And spontaneous. And sexy and dominant and—
Not that it mattered. I tried to remind myself of the seriousness beneath our banter this morning. We both still had our roles to play. Mom would no doubt be dragging me off to some godawful brunch with another godawful potential suitor. My stomach dropped out at the thought. Because after last night, how could any man compare?
But we both had our roles. My heart sank even further at the thought. Walker might have spent last night with me, but after he brought me my clothes, he’d be going back to his belle. Did I really have any right to be jealous?
No, and neither did he. But that hadn’t stopped jealousy from flashing in his eyes when I’d brought up my potential brunches and Mom trying to set me up with his own brother. So maybe a little jealousy on my part wasn’t completely uncalled for.
The connection we’d had was special… wasn’t it? Or was I just another dumb girl wanting to think her hot one night—okay, two night—stand could ever be more than what it was?
I reached up and clutched a hand to my head. God, it hurt.
Maybe I should just count my lucky stars we’d managed to get away with it. That I’d stolen for myself two nights out of an eternity doing exactly as I pleased without one fucking person telling me what to do. Or any consequences. Really, it was more than a girl like me could hope for.
Oh good, there was the car. I could wait inside until Walker brought my clothes and keys. I hurried towards it. And honestly, my heart was still so giddy that I still felt like I was all but floating.
All the way until I reached for the door.
Because just as my fingers closed around the handle and started to pull, I glanced in the window’s reflection and saw a man reaching for me.
I screamed but it was too late.
A bag was already being thrown over my head and my arms pinned behind my back.
10
WALKER
It was hard to feel like a grown ass adult as I snuck into the Oleander to hunt down Jasmine’s clothing hoping no one caught me, or her, in this secret of ours. Nothing like feeling as if I were a teenager sneaking in past curfew. The real truth of the matter was that the Order of the Silver Ghost had my balls in a vise as long as I was going through my Initiation, and the suffocating hold was reaching a point where I wondered if I could continue on with the weeks remaining.
As I approached Jasmine’s car, I scanned the area for her and didn’t see her waiting or even hiding in the distance. But what I did see was my father and other Elders approaching me as if they knew I’d been outside all night and where to find me.
I stuffed Jasmine’s dress, panties, and keys behind my back, tucking them beneath my belt to try to conceal the items the best I could from them, but a part of me knew I was wasting my time. The fucking Elders had a way of knowing about everything, and most likely they woke up this morning and saw that Jasmine and I were by the lake asleep. But I still had to have some hope that maybe they had no idea what occurred last night and with whom.