Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 127146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
"You don't need to worry about it. She means nothing to me."
He glares after me, and I hear him as I walk out the back door of the house. "If she means nothing, why the fuck did you feel the need to punish her, then?"
It takes a few minutes to walk down the long drive to the main campus, then cut across the courtyards to the library. It's the only place I know I'll always find her.
Sebastian's words continue to ring in my ears. He's right. If she meant nothing to me, I'd just drop her, not punish her. I’d have no need to mark her, and ensure everyone knows who she belongs to. I sip my coffee as I walk. Usually, I bring a travel mug with me, but I feared what I'd do if I stayed in the kitchen with Sebastian. No doubt we'd have progressed to an argument or worse. The inside of the library is quiet. It's still early. I’m honestly surprised to find her here, especially after last night's events, but she’s determined when it comes to her studies. She's in her usual spot; a freshman from the baseball team, I think maybe, sits beside her studying his math textbook.
I stop by her cubicle, and they both look up at me. I point at the kid. "You...go."
To his credit, he doesn't ask questions. He simply gathers his belongings and leaves, just like that.
It pays to be king.
I sit and slouch into the chair he vacates, and she gapes at me with her mouth open. "What the hell, Drew? I'm working here."
"You were working, sure, but now you're not. Plus, I want to talk to you, and I can’t do that with your clients standing next to us."
She removes her glasses and sets them carefully on the book in front of her. "You have no right to come in here and order him around. I highly doubt he’s going to pay me now."
Carefully, I scan her features. There's a faint red mark on her cheek where I pinned her against the window and a smudge of a bruise on her neck where I bit her. All my other marks are covered by her clothing.
When the memories surge back, I set my coffee on the desk and lean toward her. "Are you okay?" I didn’t ask last night, mainly because I wasn’t sure how I felt after it all happened. When I held her in my arms, it felt perfect and right, and as much as I didn’t want the moment to end, it needed to. In the world I live, there is no chance between her and I.
She glares at me, but there’s a strange softness that lingers beneath. "After your caveman routine last night? Yes, I'm fine. You must’ve got up early and left?"
I lower my voice and take her hand. When she doesn't pull away, I squeeze it between both of mine. It's warm, soft, and so delicate. "Yes. I left at five o’clock. I usually get up and work out during football season. Now don’t evade the question. Are you really okay?”
"What’s it matter? You can’t take back what happened. The better question is, are you going soft on me? Is that icy heart of yours slowly unthawing? Because you’ve never asked me if I was okay before.”
It's my turn to glare, and I release her hand. "Call me soft again, and I'll make you try to say it while you choke on my cock. How about that?"
She rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to her notebook. "I don't have time for this. I'm fine. You could’ve texted me to ask me that, not sent my client away and cost me one hour's worth of work."
I grab the back of her neck and steer her head back to look at me. "No, I'm not going anywhere. And I'm not checking on you because I'm fucking soft. It was a question. I meant more so after what happened with fuckface."
In my murderous haste to punish her, I never thought to discuss with her if she was okay after everything that happened. I sent Lee a text before I went into Bel’s dorm to break both of the fucker’s hands and leave him in a ditch somewhere. It’ll teach him not to fuck with me and what’s mine. I wanted to kill him, but I didn’t want to hurt Bel, and if someone came sniffing around asking questions, she’d be the first person they go to.
Bel frowns. "I’m okay. The whole thing made me feel stupid, and now I need to cancel his tutoring appointments. As much as I need the money, I can't trust him."
Sitting back in the chair again, I sip on the mug of coffee. She glares, reaches for the mug, and snatches it from my grasp. I watch as she slowly brings it to her lips and takes a sip.