Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“I don’t want to take you away from your fiancée. I’m so sorry.” My hand lifts to my chest as I turn to Maya.
“It’s no problem.” She beams at my use of the word fiancée and doesn’t correct me. On the other hand, Reon looks like he’s about to crack his teeth from how hard his jaw is clenched.
“Thank you. It was lovely to meet you both.” As we walk out, I slide my hand into the crook of his waiting elbow. Reon says nothing, but I feel him staring at me as we get closer and closer to the door. As soon as we’re out of the room and the door shuts behind us, he turns and pushes me into the women’s bathroom, slamming the door and locking it from the inside.
“Reon.” I smile at him and step to the sink. Turning the faucet on, I wash my hands and then reach for a towel to dry them.
“Did you think I would let you run again?” He pushes off the door and stalks toward me.
I throw the towel in the trash and turn to face him. “I was hoping you would chase me this time.” I give him a wink, and it pauses his approach.
“Why?”
“Has your man had trouble finding me lately?”
His chin lifts, and he smirks. “Clever Little Caterpillar.” He tsks at me. “You did well at hiding this time.”
“My name is Lilith, Reon, you know this. Maybe you should give Maya a nickname.” The closeness of him affects me as chills run over the back of my neck. He doesn’t let on that he’s affected, too. But why else would we be here? He’s locked me in a bathroom and cornered me, for fuck’s sake. He may not express it in words and possibly has tried to kill me multiple times, but I’m sure I have the same effect on him.
He likes me.
He simply has a funny way of showing it.
“Maya doesn’t need to develop into anything, Caterpillar. She knows who she is. It’s you who is struggling.”
“That’s why I’m here,” I tell him, one of my hands gripping my hip as I look up at him. “No more following, and no more stalking.”
“Does this include you?”
“Yes, of course it does.” I smile. “I am a lady. I’m true to my word, Reon Holloway.” I give him a playful smirk. “Now, as a gentleman, I want you to be true to yours.”
“Who said I was a gentleman, Caterpillar? I’m the furthest thing from one, especially around you.”
Licking my lips, I nod and then hold out my hand. “Truce. As soon as we walk out of this bathroom—”
“I don’t do truces with the woman I plan to fuck,” he says, cutting me off.
“We fucked, past tense. There’s no plan to,” I challenge.
Leaning in closer, he bends and touches his lips to my ear. “Oh, there is a plan, all right. I plan to have you in my bed, on the floor, on the fucking roof of my house. You don’t get to call this thing off, Little Caterpillar. You started it, and now I will finish it.”
I pull back from him. “You’re with another woman,” I point out.
“I’ll be ending it,” he declares, thinking he’s ending all discussion on the subject.
“You can’t,” I argue, shaking my head.
“I can do anything I goddamn wish.”
“I’m over you, Reon. It’s why I’m here… to tell you I’m moving on.” I smile at him. Tomorrow, I will meet with my father’s therapist. The one who can help me. Or so he says. But I need to start fresh, away from what has held me captive for the last year.
Him.
If steam could leave his ears right now, it would. It would shoot straight out and set everything alight. His jaw is hard, his teeth clenched tightly.
“You’re over me?” he asks, gripping the counter so tightly his knuckles turn white. “Over me? Is that how you’re putting it?” I remain quiet. “You can’t simply get over me, Caterpillar. I’m a part of you at this point. There’s no escaping me, whether you like it or not.” I gasp. “Do you want me to break you again? Break you so you can see that no other man can compete?”
Little does he know he’s already achieved that. Literally, every second of those nights we shared was perfect for me.
Even the part where my husband found us.
Perfection.
And I knew I had to run; otherwise, it would be ruined.
Why ruin a good thing?
“You would break me?” I ask.
“Don’t sound like you wouldn’t enjoy it, caterpillar. You did once before.” He smirks, dipping his hand into his jacket pocket. He pulls a box out and hands it to me. It’s a ring box, and I don’t want anything to do with it. “Take it,” he insists.
“How about no?” I glare up at him.