Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 80197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
"Have you been on dates with Dornan and Elias?"
"Yeah." Her answer doesn't give anything away, but the blush on her cheeks and avoiding eye contact does.
"And did Eddie see you?"
"His friends did."
I nod, understanding that this is about more than Eddie witnessing her moving on. It's about his friends all seeing and realizing how much Eddie screwed up.
"And does that make you feel better?"
Her pretty green eyes meet mine, and the sadness in their depths wraps around my heart and squeezes. But her response is markedly different. "Absolutely." She blinks and plasters a fake smile across her face, but I saw the truth. These bullshit games aren't making her feel better. Not really. They're just something to take her mind off her true feelings. The trouble is, we can bury our hurt beneath layers and layers of distractions, but it still lingers and needs to be dealt with.
"Can I take a selfie of us to post on Instagram?" she asks, already fiddling with her phone and fluffing her hair.
I hate social media, but I get that Celine wants to extend the reach of her games beyond the four walls of this nightclub. Throwing my arm around her shoulder, I focus on the image of us framed on her phone. We're a total contrast now. Light and dark. She smiles broadly, and I focus on looking mean and moody. If Eddie sees this image, I want him to realize that I'm not some simpering college dude he can fuck with. I left all this behind a long time ago.
I watch as she posts the image with some hashtags. When she's done, she places her phone on the table.
"We should dance," she says. "Make sure we get seen by as many people as possible."
"We could sit at the bar," I say. "Would that work?"
Her shoulders slump, but she nods. "Sure."
I take Celine's almost empty glass and mine and find a center spot at the bar with two free stools. Celine glances around for any familiar faces. "I thought it would be busier tonight," she says.
"Do you see Eddie or any of his friends?"
"Only one, and they're not close."
Celine perches on the edge of the stool and nibbles on the side of her finger. Her posture is tight, her shoulders curled forward. The confident woman who asked me to take her out has gone, and in her place is a girl who seems defeated.
It breaks my heart. "Let's give that asshole something to rage about," I say.
Celine seems confused, but I pass her phone. "Another selfie," I say.
When the screen is on camera mode, and she holds it high, I take her pretty face in my hands and kiss her. The camera makes a clicking sound as Celine sighs against my lips. I kiss her deeper, letting my hand cup the back of her neck, pulling her closer to me with a demanding grip. Another click.
Her lips are so soft and searching, and even though we barely know each other, the kiss is both tender and smoking hot.
Jeez.
I can see why Elias was so keen for an opportunity to date Celine. He'd already had a taste and wanted more.
And now, so do I.
Click.
Another photo.
I draw back, staring down into her glazed eyes.
"Are those good enough?"
She nods but doesn't check.
I run the tip of my nose over hers, lowering my eyelids while I catch my breath. "Did Elias and Dornan kiss you?"
"Yes," she whispers.
"Did they fuck you?" The question slips out without enough thought. They know Celine so much better than I do, and if that's where their dates ended up, it has no bearing on what might happen between us tonight.
Do I even want to go there? Stupid fucking question, Trav. Of course, you want to. Whether it's a good idea or not is another question.
"Yes."
"Do you want me to fuck you?" Am I really going there? I guess I am.
"Yes."
"But he won't know, Celine, will he? It'll just be you and me. What's the point in it if he can't see?"
She frowns and looks away, my comment touching the nerve I hoped it would. I want her to see that her actions don't make any sense. She's getting tangled and confused in revenge and lust, and it's a dangerous place to be.
When she turns back, the familiar fire is back in her eyes.
"Eddie doesn't control me, Travis. This isn't about him. It's about me scrubbing the stain of him from every part of me. But if that isn't something you want to do…"
Her eyes challenge me to back away, even as she leans closer to run her top lip between mine.
She's so damned sexy. Too damned sexy for her own good.
"If that's all this is about, then what the fuck are we doing here?"
She blinks, shocked, but I don't know why she is. This is what she's asking for. Was she imagining I'd be more difficult to convince?