Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 134133 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 671(@200wpm)___ 537(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134133 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 671(@200wpm)___ 537(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
He nods. “When I was a kid.”
“Well, obviously, she started falling for him while she was still his captive.”
“Right.”
“But it wasn’t until he let her go and she was able to come back to him that… she was really able to choose him. If he’d never let her go, how would we have ever really known it was her choice? Maybe she was just making the best of a bad situation.”
He cracks a smile. “That’s funny.”
“What?”
“We watched that movie very differently. Even as a kid, I was like, ‘What’s this asshole doing sending the girl he loves out into a snowy forest at night to help her dad all by herself?’ He’s a prince, for god’s sake. Keep her there and send someone to bring her bumbling father back to her. Or, hell, go with her and bring him back yourself. It’s no reason to let her go.”
I laugh. “Oh my god. Of course, you didn’t think Beast was kidnappy enough.”
He grins. “He wasn’t. Fuck that guy. I’m not an ‘if you love something, let it go’ kind of person. I’m more, ‘if you love something, why the fuck would you let it go? Hold on tighter so it doesn’t go anywhere.’”
I shouldn’t be so delighted, but I shake my head, finding myself reluctantly charmed. “You’re crazy.”
“Maybe,” he says, but he’s obviously sharing in my amusement.
I shake my head. “I must say, as your current captive, this isn’t very encouraging.”
“Might as well give up,” he agrees.
I tilt my head to look back at him. “Are you really going to let me leave tomorrow?”
He brushes my hair back from my face, then runs his knuckles along my jawline. “You won’t be going far.”
“Will you miss having me in your bed?”
“Every night.” He kisses the corner of my mouth. “I’ll be sad.” He kisses a little lower. “Lonely.” Another kiss, this time on my lips. “I’ll reach out for you in the dead of night, and you won’t be there. Heartbreaking shit.”
My fool heart drops even though I know he’s deliberately tugging on the strings. “Don’t say that.”
He smirks faintly, tracing the curve of my lips with his fingertip. “You don’t wanna break my heart?”
“No,” I murmur, but it feels like a shameful admission. Like I shouldn’t care, I just… do.
He’s quiet for a moment, then in a more sober tone, he says, “You’re allowed to like me, you know?”
I don’t think I am, but I don’t say that.
I don’t say anything else.
I’m already pulled so close I’m nearly facing him, so I turn in his arms the rest of the way and drape an arm over his shoulder.
He closes the distance between us. My heart skitters, but I know I invited it this time. His lips find mine in the dark and my eyes drift closed as a swarm of butterflies burst free in my stomach.
It’s so easy to get swept up in his kisses. I wrap my thigh around his hip as he rolls on top of me. Since we just fucked, there’s no urgency to do it again. We’re just lazily kissing and touching. I slide my hand around his side and grab his back, keeping his body close to mine.
I very much enjoy the feel of his body beneath my hands. He has a very nice body, so I’m sure I’m not the first girl who has.
The thought of other girls touching him leaves an unpleasant feeling in my gut, but I try to push it away. He tangles his fingers in my hair and angles my face, dominating my mouth, leaving me breathless.
He breaks away to come up for air, but he keeps my head cradled in his hand.
I lick my lips and look down.
He pulls me in, resting his forehead against mine.
“You’re a very good kisser,” I tell him.
“I know. I’ve had a lot of practice.”
I roll my eyes and try to push him away, but he just laughs.
“I’m kidding.”
“No, you’re not.”
He smirks, yanking me closer since I tried to push him away. “You’re the only girl I want to kiss now, so you don’t have to sound so salty about it.”
He’s arrogant and far too audacious, but I settle in and enjoy this last cuddle, anyway.
It is our last night together, after all.
I know I’ll still see him, I’m even sure he’ll still have sex with me, but it won’t be like this.
All weekend, he’s had unlimited access to me.
Tomorrow, we’ll go back to him only seeing me when he can arrange it—and I’m learning all his tricks, so I like to think I’ll be able to do a better job of avoiding him when I don’t want to see him.
I wonder how he’ll cope with that.
I know Silvan is accustomed to always getting his way, so if I had to put money on it, I’d say not well.