Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 65683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
“Can’t a guy just say hello to a new friend?”
“We’re friends now? When did that happen? I can already tell that I don’t like you.”
I narrowed my eyes at her, calling her bluff. “That really hurts.” I smirked, holding my hand over my heart in a dramatic gesture that had yet to fail me.
“You’re full of it.”
“And you’re beautiful,” I asserted, not missing a beat.
“So this is how it works, huh? I don’t know if I should be offended or flattered that you’re already hitting on me.”
I chuckled, a throaty sound escaping my lips. “If I had to choose, I’d prefer the latter.”
“Well, thank God you aren’t, then.”
I slowly nodded. “Is this how you’re going to play it? Because I’m trying to be a gentleman here, but your sassy little mouth is making me think twice.”
“A gentleman?” She looked around, pretending to see if someone else was there. “You might want to look it up in a dictionary because you’re doing it all wrong.”
I tugged on the end of her hair before we were interrupted by Steve, a fucking dumbass who had no business trying to get in her panties. Thomas called me back over to our table, so I left her with him. It was all I could do.
For far too long, I had to sit there and endure his unsubtle longing looks for her. He devoured her body with his eyes, and his constant touches made me want to break his fucking fingers. He just wouldn’t stop, and I was minutes away from being the person to stop him.
Our eyes connected several times. It was like she was doing it to get a reaction out of me. I couldn’t be around them much longer before I snapped. Jealousy washed over me, and the new emotion wasn’t lost on me. This wasn’t who I was or even wanted to be. This wasn’t me, yet I liked the challenge of wanting something and not getting it.
I watched her get up and make her way across the room into the hallway. Once again, before I knew it, my feet were moving forward. I found myself following her as she made her way to the restroom. I was grateful it was secluded in the back of the restaurant as I waited for her to come out.
“You trying to piss me off, sweetheart?”
She gasped, placing her hand over her heart. “Jesus! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
I cocked an eyebrow, leaning against the wall with my arms folded over my chest. Her eyes followed my every move.
“No, just trying to make you scream any way I can.” I purposely licked my lips.
She shrugged. “That’s awfully pretentious of you.”
“Is that right?”
“Damn straight.”
I nodded, narrowing my eyes at her. “Well, allow me to be more forward.”
“By all means.” Her amused smile said it all.
“You sure you have time?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I pushed off the wall, walking toward her. “Oh, you know, your date is out there. I wouldn’t want to keep him waiting.” I tugged on the ends of her hair. “Boy’s probably lost without your tits sitting in front of him.” Releasing her hair, I continued my assault, grazing her collarbone. “God knows he hasn’t been staring at anything else.”
She shoved my hand away. “You asshole!”
“Never claimed to be anything but.”
“I’m going to go now.”
“No one’s stopping you, Tru.”
Her eyes widened in shock, making her beautiful blues shine bright as they tore into mine.
“How do you know my name?”
I ignored her question. “If you really wanted to go, you would have already left.”
Her chest heaved. I was clearly getting to her.
“What you want and what you’re going to get are two different things.” I reached for the side of her face, and my knuckles caressed her cheek, tucking a misplaced hair behind her ear and causing her lips to part. “You want me to play by your rules.” I slowly moved my fingers to her mouth. “Watching you these past few hours is doing me no favors. I see the looks you’re throwing my way and how your pretty little mouth smirks every time you do.” With my thumb, I rubbed her bottom lip for a few seconds. She stirred, and I immediately took my hand away, slipping it into the pocket of my shorts. Making her miss my touch.
She cleared her throat, shaking her head. “What do you want?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Her eyebrows rose.
“Don’t dig, sweetheart, because you might not like what you find.”
She dramatically sighed as I backed away from her.
“The only obvious thing is how much I don’t like you, Vaughan.”
I smiled, big and wide.
“Looks like someone knows who I am too.”
She glared at me.
“By the way…”
I winked at her before I added…
“My friends call me Van.”
CHAPTER 6
TRU
Now: Later that night at the party
I opened the door to apologize to Vaughan, feeling bad about the way I treated him in my bedroom earlier. Our mutual hate was just so lethal.