Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 43689 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 218(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43689 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 218(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
I stood frozen in the doorway, my fingers touching my lips where the ghost of his kiss still lingered. My cats gathered around my feet, Binx meowing softly as if asking what had happened. Salem rubbed against my leg while Lucifer sat a few feet away, his tail swishing back and forth as he watched the retreating figure of Chains.
“I don’t know,” I whispered, answering Binx’s unspoken question. “I don’t know what that was.”
But as I watched Chains disappear around the corner, his shoulders set in a rigid line, I knew something had shifted between us. Whatever wall he’d built around himself had cracked, if only for an instant. And I wanted nothing more than to find those cracks again, to slip through them and discover what lay beneath.
I closed the door slowly, leaning my forehead against the cool wood. My heart refused to settle, my skin still humming where he’d touched me. One kiss, and I was undone. One kiss from a man who clearly regretted it the moment it ended.
“What am I getting myself into?” I asked my cats, who offered no answers, only silent companionship as I tried to make sense of what had just happened, and what it might mean for tomorrow.
Chapter Four
Chains
I leaned against the bar in the common room, nursing a lukewarm beer I had no intention of finishing. The room pulsed with music and laughter, but I only had eyes for one person. Ellie moved through the crowd like she belonged there, her black hair falling loose around her shoulders and down her back instead of in that braid she usually wore. We hadn’t spoken since that night in her apartment two days ago, when I’d kissed her, then walked away like a Goddamn coward. Now I watched her smile and laugh with my brothers, and something primal crawled up my spine.
“Christ, man. Just go fuckin’ talk to her,” Knuckles muttered beside me, his face creasing with amusement. “You’ve been staring for an hour.”
“Fuck off,” I growled, but didn’t take my eyes off Ellie. She wore tight black jeans and a blood red top that left her milky white shoulders bare. The clubhouse lights caught on something glittery on her cheekbones, making her skin glow.
Hawk appeared on my other side, his massive frame blocking my view for a second. “Move,” I snapped.
“Touchy tonight.” Hawk grinned, but shifted. “Never seen you this worked up over a woman before.”
I took another swig of beer, grimacing at the warm flatness of it. Across the room, Ellie threw her head back and laughed at something Griffin said to her. The sound carried over the music, wrapping around my chest like a fist.
“She kissed me,” I admitted quietly.
“Bullshit,” Knuckles said immediately. “You kissed her.”
I glared at him. “How the fuck would you know?”
“Because she told Hannah you did, and Hannah told me.” Knuckles smirked. “Also said you ran out right after like you were on fire.”
My jaw clenched. “I didn’t run.”
“Strategic retreat, then,” Knuckles suggested, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Look, brother, just claim her already before someone else does. Half the single guys in the club are circling her like sharks. Not only is she a beautiful woman, she’s fucking sunshine and rainbows and that’s fuckin’ catnip to these fuckers.”
As if to prove his point, I watched Knight approach Ellie with two beers, offering her one with a grin. My grip tightened on my own bottle until I thought it might shatter. “She ain’t interested,” I said, more to convince myself than them.
“Really?” Knuckles pointed with his chin. “‘Cause she just took his beer.”
Ellie had indeed accepted Knight’s offering, though I noticed she placed it on a nearby table without drinking from it. Smart girl. Never take a drink you haven’t seen poured, especially in a place like this.
“Just being polite,” I argued. But something hot and uncomfortable twisted in my gut as Knight leaned closer to her, saying something that made her lips quirk upward. Not a full smile, but enough to encourage him.
“Polite, my ass,” Knuckles said. “She’s waiting for you to make a move, and you’re over here playing a fuckin’ wallflower.”
“I’m not playing anything,” I growled. “Just keeping an eye on her. Three black cats, remember? Bad fucking luck.”
“Yeah, and I’m the King of England.” Knuckles snorted. “You’re scared shitless of her.”
“I’m not scared of anything,” I retorted automatically, the lie bitter on my tongue. The truth was, Ellie terrified me. Not because of her cats or her witchy stuff, but because of how she made me feel. Like I wanted to deserve something good, even after all the shit I’d done. And maybe, if this woman believed in me, I could reach my goal. I could make myself worthy.
As I watched, Griffin joined Knight, trapping Ellie between them in what looked like a friendly conversation but still set my teeth on edge. She handled it with grace, her sharp wit evident in the way Griffin flinched backward, laughing but obviously stung by whatever she’d said as he put his hand over his heart.