Series: Webs We Weave Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 167
Estimated words: 162520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 813(@200wpm)___ 650(@250wpm)___ 542(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 162520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 813(@200wpm)___ 650(@250wpm)___ 542(@300wpm)
A girl squeals. “Do you see the way he’s looking at her?”
Rocky has another smug smile on me, and I launch a second kernel at him. Right in his mouth. Ugh, enough. Now I really am feeding him.
I should probably thank Sidney for her heroic recap of Grey Thornhall defending my honor at Trent’s party. I never thought people here would swoon over the idea of me and Rocky getting back together.
The toxic ex-husband is no more. How easy perceptions change.
Slowly but surely, I’ve been seen out more with Rocky all summer. But we haven’t set a date for when we’ll be official in public. We haven’t planned out some big reveal.
Should we have?
Ignoring the spectators, Rocky leans into me and roots a hand on the back of my chair. “You know what I think?” His intense gray eyes are heavy on me. I smell his intoxicating musk and the expensive leathery cedar cologne he spritzed tonight. He’s rolled the sleeves of his black button-down to his strong forearms. Veins spindle toward his wrists. My lungs inflate as he’s inches from me, my skin tingling.
“What?” I whisper.
“That you’re attracted to the morbid, fucked-up shit.”
I grind away an abrupt smile. “Or it’s attracted to me,” I counter. “I’m a magnet for the macabre. Perfect example.” I wave a hand at his face. “Gruesome. Terrifying.”
His hot breath hits my ear. “You should be terrified of what I’m going to do to you tonight.”
I almost snort, but the danger pulsing in his dark gaze is a tether drawing me in. I’m letting him as his eyes travel over me in the least platonic way conceivable. My imagination runs rampant with flashes of Rocky pounding inside of me.
My breath becomes shallow.
Especially as his fingers graze the fallen spaghetti strap of my red sundress. His knuckles brush my skin. A shiver ripples along my entire body at the sensitivity.
Caging more breath, I go very still.
He lifts the cotton fabric back to my shoulder and pushes strands of my dark blue hair off my neck, exposing more sensitive flesh. What is he doing?
His closeness is a heady, inviting rush. I want to crawl toward the feeling with everything in me, but a weird panic screams, Run away!
Self-preservation. This is what I’ve been taught.
Protect our identities.
Do not give in to my desires. To the longing for Rocky.
We’ve never had a real kiss with a real audience.
I tilt my head slightly to meet him head-on. It causes our lips to nearly skim. People are watching. I hear the two teenagers whispering at an audible octave as they take their sweet time to reach the exit.
“I told you they’re really together, Grace. Look.”
Yes, yes, we are together! I want to shriek it like a banshee. But my lips are padlocked on instinct.
Is it too early?
Is there a right time? Should we actually map this out? Strategies, logistics, things…my mind melts into molten lava.
Because Rocky hasn’t ripped his gaze off me. He suddenly tears the popcorn bucket from my hands, setting it on the ground.
“Rocky,” I warn. “I’m not a movie theater litterer.”
“I had no idea.” He skates another coarse hand through his hair. “It’s not like I haven’t been to the movies with you a hundred fucking times.” His dry tone is just drowning me in confusion. I can’t tell if he’s ready to leave or not.
“I always went with your sister,” I correct him. “You just tagged along.”
He lifts his brows. “Could that be because you both were trying to sneak in flasks of vodka, and I didn’t want you to get caught underage-drinking in a fucking Cineplex?”
Out of all the lawless things we’ve ever done, that has to be bottom tier. “That was one time,” I whisper, my gaze dropping to his lips. Heat roasts my cheeks as he notices. “And don’t act like a moral authority. You literally stole our flask and drank half of it.”
“It was good liquor. And I’ve never been a moral anything.” He cocks his head at me, like I’ve forgotten who he is.
I direct my scorching face away from him, and I freeze. Is it my paranoia or is the theater still half full? I know my relationship has been B-level entertainment for this town, but that B doesn’t stand for Blockbuster.
Rocky rises to his feet, but before I can follow, he suddenly seizes my hips and lifts me. He places my ass on the top of the theater chair, and I clutch his biceps like he’s thrown me halfway across the room. What the hell? What the hell?
I can’t catch my breath. This is…this is hot. One of his hands settles on the bareness of my thigh where my sundress rides up. And his hard gaze dives into me, searching me at rapid, unrelenting speed.
My legs dangle on either side of his waist, and I almost, almost wrap them around him. I almost bring him closer. I’m clutching his arms in a death grip. My heart is pounding out of my rib cage.