Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 102708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
“Why would you think otherwise?”
“Have you taken a good look at yourself in the mirror lately?”
“Have you?”
She rubbed her nose against mine.
“You think I don’t want to be with you, Isla?” With my thumb, I rubbed her bottom lip for a few seconds, and she stirred beneath my touch. “How about this?” I whispered. “I’ll tell you after I kiss you.”
And damn did I devour her.
Her scent.
Her taste.
Fucking addicting.
So soft.
So warm.
“Julius…” she softly moaned.
My heart sped up, hearing my name roll off her tongue. I’d never pressure her into anything she wasn’t ready for, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t drive her insane with need.
I might have been falling in love with her, but I wasn’t a saint.
“What, baby?”
I slowly kissed down her neck to her collarbone. She was coming undone beneath me, making me burn with desire. I wanted to capture this moment and hold on to it for as long as I could. I wanted to remember her just like this.
For me.
Mine.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-EIGHT
ISLA
Vodka may not be the answer, but it’s worth a shot. -Unknown
Two months later.
I woke up, yawning, stretching my arms over my head. It was almost two in the morning, and still no sign of Julius. Most of the time, I would lie in his bed, reading or watching movies, and snuggling up with his pillow that smelled like him while I waited for him to get home.
Time just seemed to drag that day, and I must’ve fallen asleep.
I took a hot shower and changed into some cotton shorts and a tank top. Julius preferred my clingy clothes, as he called them.
I shook off the thought. Once I brushed my teeth, I walked downstairs to the kitchen for a late-night snack. I wanted some ice cream. After closing the door with the carton in my hand, I grabbed a bowl, suddenly feeling his presence close behind me.
The smell of alcohol, muffled by the stench of a girl’s perfume, assaulted my senses. My breathing hitched when the warmth of his chest pressed against my bare back, my eyes falling to his hands resting against the counter at my sides.
“Careful, Kitty…” he whispered against my ear. “Dressing like that is going to get me in trouble. I mean, unless you want me to show you my appreciation for it?”
I gasped, hearing him speak to me that way. He reached up, skimming my shoulder to grab the cereal from the cabinet. Setting it on the surface in front of me, he leaned in close to me, close enough that his breath hit the side of my neck, causing shivers to stir down my spine.
“I’m starving, Isla. Aren’t you going to feed me?” A groan escaped his lips, igniting a tingling feeling deep within my belly.
Where did that come from?
I spun abruptly, causing him to move away from me rather quickly. He took the box of cereal with him. Our eyes connected. He sucked in his lower lip, tugging it between his teeth, looking me up and down with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. He grinned as he popped pieces of Cheerios in his mouth, slowly chewing in a way only Kraven could make look hot.
I knew it was the alcohol talking.
“You’re drunk, Kraven. Go sleep it off before Julius sees you.”
He grinned vindictively. “Julius isn’t the boss of me.”
“I’m not saying that.”
“What are you saying, then?”
“He’d be very upset to see you like this.”
“I disappoint him every day. What else is new?”
“Krav—”
“You look good, Isla.”
“Thanks.” I arched an eyebrow. “I feel good.”
“I know.” He folded his arms across his chest, leaning against the fridge. “I remember.”
“When did you get back?” I asked, ignoring his last remark.
“Just now.”
“Were you with a girl?” I blurted, mentally kicking myself for it.
His smile was arrogant. “What if I were? Would it bother you?”
“No.”
“No, huh?”
“What you do with your personal life is none of my business.”
His glossy eyes zoned in on me, trying to see if I was lying. “You're awfully cute when you’re jealous.” He stepped toward me. “You want to know a secret?” He took another step. “Even if I was, it doesn’t matter.” With one last step, he caged me in with his hands on either side of me at the counter. Leaning in close to my face, he confessed, “Because she’s not the one I want.”
I pressed against the counter. “Kraven, you’re drunk. You can—”
He was in my face, pushing me further into it before I got the last word out. “What, Kitty? What can I do to make you purr?”
Through a serious regard, I stressed, “You need to go to bed.”
“Only if you tuck me in.”
“Krav—”
“You ever think about that night? The first time you talked to me. You always remember your first, Isla,” he stated in a low, raspy tone. “It’s only a matter of time.”
“For what?”
“For you to sleep in my bed.”