Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 78631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
But still I fight. “You should be, Diana. You should be very afraid.”
My heart clenches as our lips meet once more. She grasps the back of my neck and pulls me closer, forcing me to confront the depth of feelings I have for her.
She’s mine and I’m hers.
Fuck.
In this moment, we belong to each other.
But then she pulls away.
She’s panting lightly, her chest heaving. Her eyes are wide and glistening under the dim light.
“I have to tell you something,” she mumbles, her voice coming out as a nervous whisper. “I’ve been keeping something from you.”
My heart drops to my stomach, and a cold shiver runs down my spine. I pull back slightly, looking into her eyes, which are shimmering with vulnerability. Dread pools in my stomach, and I prepare myself for the worst.
“Tell me,” I coax her.
Taking a deep breath she says, “I’m not what you think I am either, Dragon.”
The world around me seems to crumble as I try to make sense of her words. The confusion is overwhelming; it feels like a storm is raging inside me, tossing my emotions haphazardly. The atmosphere between us grows tense. A knot of unease tightens in my gut as I digest her revelation, her eyes never leaving mine.
“What do you mean?” I ask, keeping my voice steady, hoping to mask the unsettling fear spreading through me.
“I have secrets too, Dragon,” she whispers.
“You’re a member of the Steel family,” I say. “What kind of secrets could you possibly have?”
“You know a lot of them.” She blinks, bites her lip. “It’s all come out. My family…”
“So your family isn’t perfect.” I take her face in my hands. “Who the fuck cares, Diana? You have enough money to last your lifetime and more. You’ve never had to work a day in your life.”
She scoffs. “Are you forgetting I lost my job today?”
“No, I’m not forgetting that.” I let go of her face. “But damn it all, Diana. I’m sorry about that. I am. But it means nothing, really. Maybe the job meant something to you, but you’ll get another, and if you don’t? Your lifestyle won’t change one fucking bit.”
“Fuck you!” she hollers at me. “Fuck you to hell and back, Dragon!”
She moves to slam the door that adjoins our rooms, but I stick my booted foot in the crack, denying her.
Oh hell no. I’m as hot and bothered as I’ve ever been, and I want her.
I ache for her.
“Move your damned foot,” she grits out.
“Fuck you, Diana.”
“Fuck you too.”
I wrench open the door and grab her. “With pleasure,” I whisper into her ear as I bite harshly into her lobe.
She gasps out a breath, but she doesn’t squeal at the pain.
Instead, she arches against me, a moan escaping her as she tilts her head to give me better access. I pull her closer.
God, the anger.
The anger between us has only fueled our desire.
“You’re impossible,” she breathes out, her voice shaking.
“Ditto,” I whisper back.
She locks her gaze with mine as we stand in silence.
“I’m not running away.” Her words hang heavy in the air between us, challenging, defying.
I pull back slightly, taking in her flushed cheeks and wild eyes. “Is that so?”
“Yes,” she says firmly. “I’m staying right here.”
Her proclamation sends a thrill through my veins. Something in my brain screams at me to let her go—to save her from the twisted, dangerous world I inhabit. Yet another part of me—the dark and possessive side—yearns for her. Wants her wrapped up in my twisted world.
I cup her face, tracing her delicate features with my thumb. “Do you understand what you’re saying? You’re diving into a world of shadows. A world you may not escape from.”
“I know,” she says, a stubborn glint in her eyes. “But I also know that running away won’t solve anything. I want to face it all. With you.”
Her words pierce through the haze of my thoughts like a ray of light cutting through the darkest night. They beckon me closer to her, tugging at the chains of restraint I have so firmly put on myself.
I look at her, lost in the depth of her conviction. Her eyes are bright and determined, shimmering with an inner fire that is equal parts captivating and terrifying. And in that moment, I truly am lost in her. There’s no escaping her pull.
“Diana,” I whisper, “you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”
She shakes her head, her gaze never wavering from mine. “You keep saying that, and you’re wrong, Dragon. I may not know every single thing about you, but I know exactly what I’m getting myself into. And I choose to be here.”
A rush of emotion sweeps over me—fear, elation, frustration.
And then one that surprises the hell out of me.
Gratitude.
Gratitude that this woman—this beautifully stubborn woman—chooses me over the safety and predictability of her old life.