Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 48567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
“Yes,” I say gruffly and offer my arm.
“The car’s waiting, apparently we’re going to make an entrance at the Gala a few blocks down.”
She flinches and takes my arm after a few seconds, she’s wearing a diamond bracelet and her nails are painted a pretty nude to match her shoes. Rather than a normal necklace encased in diamonds, she has a large intricately woven black lace choker that dips strategically down her cleavage, almost like a collar.
My fangs refuse to retract, and the more I talk, the more she’ll have the chance of seeing I’m not entirely normal or human.
Marvin, my driver, opens the door to the black Lamborghini SUV and does a double take of Ava.
I have to clear my throat twice before he looks away and nods in my direction. I shut the door without entering and cross my arms.
“Don’t look at her.”
Marvin’s brown eyes widen.
“I’m sorry, I was just surprised, I won’t stare ever again, please don’t fire me!”
“Well, if you weren’t so good at your job and training me for a marathon, I kind of feel like I probably would.” I curse and look away.
“Sir, your fangs are showing—” He points.
I bat his hand away.
“Why do you think I’m taking a minute to calm down?”
I’m about to be stuck in a small space next to her for the next five minutes before making an appearance at the biggest gala of the year, I cannot werewolf out in front of the press.
“Hold your breath?” Marvin offers.
“It’s a nice night, why don’t I roll down the windows?”
I stare down at my shoes and the cement.
“It would ruin her hair.”
“You hate hair.”
“Hair that’s not attached to the body,” Though briefly I imagine one of her hairs just dangling in the wind and I don’t immediately want to puke. In fact, my mouth salivates more.
No!
Just no.
“Drive,” I bark.
“And make sure to keep the windows cracked.”
He smirks.
“Yes, sir.”
“Stop being amused.” I call after him.
“Yup.” His shoulders move like he’s laughing as he gets in, leaving me to open my own door because he knows I don’t give a shit.
Once I’m in the car, the smell of her hits me like a wall.
“Everything okay?” She smiles over at me.
My lips part. I know I need words to respond to her but all I have are angry ones from my own projection, my own rage, and need to stay far away when every instinct in me tells me to lean in close.
The vein on her neck pulses.
Mating bites only take place there, it’s truly the only thing we have related in our rituals to vampires.
The pulse, the vein, closest to the heart while you claim their blood and soul.
“Stellar.” I finally announce in a voice that sounds angrier than it should, causing her to jump next to me and scoot a few inches away. Great, now I’m scaring her on top of treating her like shit.
But damn that outfit, what the hell was I thinking?
Clearly, I wasn’t.
I clear my throat and stare straight ahead while I sit in actual torture. She drums her fingertips against her thigh.
“Oh.” She jerks toward me, it’s my turn to jump a foot.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” Her smile’s small, tentative, like I’m about to yell at her any minute. She bites down on her lower lip.
“I was just going to ask if there were any important people that I need to know before we’re there, I mean, I’m sure I’ll recognize some people, but important ones to you or any charities you run? The company?
She knows I run charities.
She knows what to ask.
Magnificently off-limits woman.
I reach for my tie to adjust it and realize that nothing’s there, that I’m wearing nothing but a black suit with a black shirt that’s open down the collar.
I said no to the sunglasses. It’s already dark and it just feels stupid.
“No.” I take a deep breath.
“But I appreciate your dedication.”
Her pretty eyes lock on mine, the car jolts to a stop, nearly sending her into my lap, as it is her hands move to my chest, I allow myself one more inhale and pray that she can’t see my fangs.
I start to pant while she stares at my mouth like she’s never seen lips before. I do it out of pure reaction and instinct, I lick my lips and taste the air between us.
I should have never.
I grip her by the shoulders, mouth aching. My reaction is probably lack of sleep, right? And all I had was my coffee today.
Yes, it’s a nutritional imbalance with exhaustion tapped in.
She snakes a hand up my neck.
“You smell good.”
I’m ready to respond when Marvin clears his throat.
“We’ve arrived sir, they’re waiting.”
Forget firing him. I’m going to kill him and feed him to a hairless cat when I get home.
“Right.” I pull away from her.