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)
I try to brush past him, but he grabs my hip, stopping me right next to him.
My heart nearly stops.
His firm touch should make my skin crawl, but it doesn’t. It does make me nervous, and I look up at him with more caution than before.
“You haven’t told me who you are,” he states immovably.
“A farm girl.”
He smirks, his gaze traveling over my body with interest before returning to my face. “Yes, I can see that. Does the farm girl have a name?”
“She does, but she’s very busy right now.” I push his hand off my hip, relieved that he lets me, then try to move past him.
“Pigs to feed, cows to milk. I get it.” Despite saying that, he moves to continue blocking me when I try to walk past him. At least this time, he doesn’t touch me. “Are those contacts?”
A wave of annoyance tinged with self-consciousness moves through me. “No. I have heterochromia. One brown eye, one blue. All-natural.”
He nods. “I like it. Now, your name.”
His command should annoy me, but I realize he won’t leave me alone until he has it, so I give it to him. “It’s Sophie.”
“Silvan," he offers.
I cock an eyebrow. “Your name is Silvan?”
He nods somberly. “My parents are assholes.”
Reluctantly, I crack a smile.
“It’s a nice name, I’ve just never heard it before. Silvan what?”
“Silvan Koch. Do I get a last name, too?”
“Sophie Bradwell,” I say, since he’s apparently obsessed with learning my name. “Now, it’s been a pleasure, but I really have to…” I lean over to peer around his shoulder, but when I do, Harley Quinn is no longer being harassed by Batman—she’s being ravished by Joker. Judging by the way he has her pinned against that wall and the way her arms are locked around his neck, she is much more amenable to his attention.
Silvan glances over his shoulder to see where I’m looking. “Friend of yours?”
I shake my head. “Some creep was bugging her. I was going to help her out.”
He smirks. “She must like creeps.”
I roll my eyes. “Not the guy she’s making out with, some other guy dressed as Batman. I guess Joker scared him off.”
“Villains are better. Clearly, she agrees.”
I'm taken off guard when Silvan suddenly reaches out and traces the curve of my jaw with his finger. The touch alone causes my breath to catch and my tummy to tumble, but then there's the intense way he's looking at me...
“Well, if you're into villains, I don't know what you'd do with a sheltered farm girl like me, anyway,” I say with forced lightness, trying not to let his touch affect me.
He shrugs nonchalantly, but I can see interest glinting in his eyes as he drops his hand. “I've got some ideas."
I bet you do.
Since he's looking at me like he'd like to devour me, I can guess what kind of ideas he has, and I don't want any part of them.
A shiver runs down my spine, and I know I need to get away from him.
"Now, if you'll excuse me..."
I half expect him to stop me again, but this time, he lets me pass.
As I walk away, I can feel his eyes on me, watching my every move. But I refuse to let him feel how uneasy it makes me.
A normal person would feel bad if they made someone uncomfortable, but I still can't shake the sense that he would enjoy it.
Chapter two
Silvan
I sip the expensive Scotch I stole out of my father's liquor cabinet, letting it burn its way down my throat.
As I drink, I watch from the shadows as the girl who caught my eye earlier wanders aimlessly through my house.
I didn’t invite her, so I wonder who did. Clearly not a boyfriend. Maybe a friend, but I haven’t seen her spend much time with any of the girls, either. Could be a party crasher, I suppose. I’m sure there are people here who weren’t invited, just heard about the party and decided to show up. Doesn’t seem like her, though. I don’t know her, but just observing her here, I can’t imagine her going out of her way to come to a party she wasn’t even invited to.
She seems utterly out of place at this party, not at all the charming socialite I'm usually attracted to.
I don't know why she intrigues me so much, but I’ve been watching her since I noticed her sneaking out of one of the empty rooms… alone.
It’s not unusual for people to sneak off together at a party to hook up, but as I continued to keep an eye on her, I watched Sophie creep in and out of our private rooms completely alone and for no apparent reason.
Odd behavior, that.
I might think she’s here to spy on us, but no one in their right mind would send a girl with such unusual eyes to evade notice. Catching her gaze once means you have to look again, and she’s hardly skilled at blending in with a crowd. Sophie stands out like a sore thumb. I can’t seem to keep my eyes off her.