Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 102929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
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.”
I should have left or pushed him away, but I couldn’t get my arms or feet to move. It was as if I was watching a train wreck right in front of me, unable to look away. His touch seemed so familiar, and that confused me more than anything. Something about him at that moment captivated me, drawing me into his hypnotic spell.
His lips pursed together like he knew what I was thinking, what I was feeling. He was purposely causing my internal struggle. When he got what he wanted, he pushed off the counter and backed up—never taking his eyes off me until he had to, leaving me with nothing but unease.
I spent the rest of the night tossing and turning and thinking about what the hell that was. It lingered all night, along with the feeling he stirred inside me. The truth was, I liked having him around. I enjoyed talking to him, but tonight proved to be something else entirely.
Whatever it was, I needed to put a stop to it. At the end of the day, Julius had my heart.
I woke up the following morning in a haze from the lack of sleep. I lay there staring at the ceiling, coming to the decision not to tell Julius about what happened with Kraven last night—him coming home wasted. I hoped it was only a one-time thing and not a recurring stunt.
It was pointless.
It wouldn’t do any good. I already kept all of his other secrets… what was one more?
I needed to clear the air with Kraven. I spent the morning thinking about it, following my usual routine: eating breakfast, lounging on the couch, reading a book, and getting lost in a captivating story while waiting for Kraven to wake up.
It wasn’t abnormal for Julius not to come home, especially if it was the weekend. We didn’t text much when he was working. I didn’t want to distract him or get him in trouble with his boss. It was well into the afternoon by the time Kraven finally came out of his bedroom.