Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 111359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Not when she was . . . when she wasn’t herself.
So she wouldn’t wait around for him to take her back to her friends like he’d asked. She could imagine the way they’d react.
“Those guys won’t bother me. I know them.”
“Then why didn’t you ask them to move?”
Because she hadn’t taken a good look at them, so she hadn’t registered who they were. It seemed like she spent half her life in a haze, not taking much in. She’d been too worried about getting past without touching them.
But she didn’t say any of that. Instead, she just shrugged, unsure what to say.
“Hannah, is something wrong?” He stepped forward.
Oh no. She didn’t want him to touch her. He shouldn’t touch her.
She stepped back.
His eyes flared open.
Shit.
Raid Malone might be crazy and wild. It might seem like all he wanted was a good time. But she knew that he was smart and could be very observant.
So it wouldn’t be a good idea to spend too much time around him.
Or to show too much of herself.
“Thank you. Bye,” she blurted.
Thank you, bye?
She ducked into the bathroom, barely holding back a groan. She was such an idiot.
Thank you, bye?
What happened to Miss Cool, Calm and Collected?
Yeah. That seemed to fly out the window every time she was faced with all the hot deliciousness that was Raid Malone.
She entered a stall, determined to be quick and get out before he did.
3
As she left the bathroom, she found Raid waiting in the same spot. She barely bit back a sigh of exasperation. She should have known it would be impossible to get rid of him that easily.
Put your armor on.
Don’t let him get to you.
“You waited.”
You waited?
Lord, she was just full of witty conversation tonight, wasn’t she?
He nodded, still eyeing her. There was something in his face she didn’t like.
He looked contemplative.
Not good. Really, really not good.
“I have to get back to my friends,” she told him.
“You’ve changed,” he said abruptly.
She straightened her shoulders. “Everyone changes.”
“Not this much. Not over such a short period of time. When I was in the clinic getting stitches, you weren’t like this.”
Right, because that was before Steven.
“Like what?” she asked.
What was she? A glutton for punishment? Why did she ask that? She didn’t want to know what he thought of her now.
Was she trying to make him say something that would hurt her?
Hannah took him in hungrily. Raid had the most gorgeous eyes. They were hazel-green. He had eyelashes that she would kill for. Long and lush. He obviously hadn’t shaved in several days, but that only added to his appeal. He was built thick and wide. Powerful.
She wondered what it would be like to have Raid at her back. Protecting her, backing her up. She bet no one would mess with her if she was with him.
That would be amazing.
But he deserved far better than her.
“Removed, cold, as though you’ve detached yourself from the world. You’re acting like you don’t care anymore.”
Nothing was further from the truth. None of this was because she didn’t care.
It was almost like she felt too much. She was too scared to do anything, to go anywhere.
Too scared people would figure out what had happened. That they’d look at her differently.
That they’d see how dirty she was.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. And, considering we never knew each other well, I don’t think you have much of a right to talk to me like this.”
“Is that so?” There was a heated note in his voice that made her insides quiver.
She didn’t like that he might be angry with her. Hannah was a people pleaser. She enjoyed doing things for other people. It filled her bucket.
And she hated that anyone would be upset with her. She especially hated the idea of Raid being angry at her.
Wait, no. That wasn’t her anymore. New-Hannah wasn’t a sub. She no longer went out of her way to make others happy . . . even at the expense of her own happiness.
That’s what had gotten her into this mess to begin with.
So rather than cave and apologize for her attitude, she threw her shoulders back. It was better this way.
For him.
Raid needed to stay away from her. That would keep him safer.
“It is so. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my friends are waiting.”
Not that she was in a big hurry to get back to the inquisition.
As she strode past, he reached out to grab her arm. Hannah jumped with a gasp. She couldn’t help it. So she tugged her arm free from his hold, aware that the only reason she could do that was because he let her.
Her breath shuddered in and out of her lungs.
“Fuck, Hannah. What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” She practically spat the word at him.
Chill. Calm.
Even though she knew it was dumb to show any weakness, she couldn’t stop herself from taking a step back.