Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 117176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
I surged forward, pushing her back into the wall. Julianna cried out, moving her head to the side, as if to dodge my intention. My fingers curled around her veil and I ripped it off her face.
My heart thudded.
The blood pumping through my veins grew cold.
Time slowed.
My eyes landed on the unmarred, right side of her face. Her skin was soft and flawless, without an inch of imperfection. Her cheek was round; her jaw delicate.
Beautiful.
My breath stuttered.
Familiar.
Julianna’s grey eyes widened in horror and she gasped, quickly turning her face – so I was staring at the scars on the left side of her face. She was almost unrecognizable this way.
But it was too late.
I had already seen what she had been trying to hide for so long.
I pushed away from her, as if I had been burned by her touch – by the sight of her face – and I stumbled back. My throat closed and I tried to breathe, but I couldn’t. As I stared at the ghost in front of me.
A single tear slid down her scarred cheek. She let out a tortured whimper, her hand slamming over her mouth to muffle the sound.
My legs weakened, and I dropped to my knees.
“Gracelynn.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THE PAST
Julianna
“Stay calm,” he rasped, grasping my hand in his and bringing it up to Coal’s muzzle. “He can smell you on me.”
The stallion snorted, but otherwise stayed still. His black coat was soft and smooth under my fingertips. “Do horses remember our scent?”
He kept his hand curled around mine, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. His gentle caress sent a shiver down my body and my toes tingled. The slight callouses on his finger pads felt rough against my skin, but I liked it. I liked how warm he was.
And his manly scent – a unique spicy and earthy smell, with a mix of his aftershave and expensive cologne.
The fact that I have never been in the presence of a man, except my father – let alone, this close to another man, sent a thrill of excitement down my spine.
It was wrong.
But the idea of indulging in something so forbidden was quite exhilarating.
And especially with a man like him.
Killian Spencer.
His chest pressed into my back, his deep voice sliding over my skin like a soft caress. “Horses have a much better sense of smell than us humans. They aren’t as good at scent recognition as a dog, but they are able to identify predators, other horses and their owners by their voices and smell.”
He dragged my hand over to the stallion’s shoulder, making sure our touch was gentle and slow, so not to frighten the horse. “Coal has been spending a lot of time with me for the last two weeks. I’m his only human interaction. He’s practically used to my appearance, voice and smell now. And because he’s such a wild horse, he doesn’t play nice with other humans. But Coal can smell me on you, so let’s see if he’ll be more accepting today.”
My body tensed. “Am I an experiment for him to practice being nice with other humans?”
Killian chuckled, the deep timbre of his laugh vibrating through my body. My stomach fluttered. His laugh was smooth and warm. Decadent and addictive. There was something about the way it made me feel. “Basically.”
“So, there’s a possibility of him kicking me in the stomach or stomping on me?”
“I would say so,” he said.
Fear slithered through me and I stumbled back. “Oh, no. Nope. Get it away from me. Now!”
Killian released my hand, only to grasp me by the waist, holding me against him. “Shh, slow down.” His fingers curled around my hips and he stopped my frantic struggling with a firm hold.
His warm breath whispered along the back of my neck. “I got you and I won’t let Coal hurt you.”
“You just said–”
“I was joking.”
I hissed through my clenched teeth. “That wasn’t a nice joke!”
His thumb brushed over the curve of my hips, moving in circles, as if to soothe me. And it did. Shockingly. His touch had such an effect on me that it left me more confused than ever. “I can see that now. My apologies,” Killian said, his voice softening to a low resonance. “I got you.”
His lips brushed against my ear. “I would have never allowed you this close to Coal if I thought he was dangerous. I won’t let him hurt you. Trust me.”
I blinked, trying to focus on his words and not the way my body seemed to react to his maddening touch. Spinning around, I wrenched myself from his grasp and stumbled away. “I don’t trust people easily and you’re practically a stranger.”
Killian arched a perfect eyebrow at me and the side of his lips curled up in a half-smile. “I won’t bite, you know.”
My heart stuttered. “Why do you say that?”