Love Me in the Dark novel Chapter 21

RIVER

Shock is an understatement.

Home. He made it sound so pleasing. Damn him and his arrogant bastard handsome face.

Home. It rang in my ears again. Did he just say home after he kicked me out of his freaking house? Well, he didn’t know me if he thought I would come with him willingly.

I stared at him, and he looked so cool and almighty. Then something surfaced in his eyes—an emotion I couldn’t identify. Then it smoldered quickly as fast as it flowed. If I didn’t know better, I thought he cared.

“Just leave.” I laid back on my side, leaving him there. But I had a bad feeling he was not going anywhere.

“I’m not going anywhere without you.” See? That’s what I thought.

“Then you’re not going anywhere because I have no plan on going with you.” Trembling, I closed my eyes, hoping he would still be here when I woke up. Honestly, I was terrified. The last encounter I had with Briar, had left me bruises.

“You’re being irrational and difficult, River.”

“And you’re insane. After you kissed me, you gave me hope, then denied me and changed your mind. I can feel that you are struggling internally, Krew. You should have that emotion checked up. I was willing to wait for you to open up, and you suddenly became so unpredictable. I get it you don’t do relationships, and what we did was scaring you. And that’s exactly the reason why we should stop doing this. I would be fine here. Clear it now in your conscience. You know your way out.”

For a few moments, the silence was killing me. Krew must have been battling whether to stay or leave. Then I heard rustling and clinking. What the hell was he doing? I was scared to move and look at him that I might like what I would see and forget my brewing anger. Then the mattress had shifted. Blood throbbed in my neck.

Crap.

When I couldn’t take it anymore, I turned. My eyes were surely as big as the tribal tattoos and the flaming phoenix on his back, its head just below his scapula. It rose from its ashes on his spine, head below his scapula.

I couldn’t move. My lips had gone dry, yet my fingers itched to trace those lines of beautiful ink in his skin.

Krew was typing something on his phone. I finally realized that he was only on his black boxers, and hIis back, man. This man was beautiful from any angle. My body erupted in quivers, and I couldn’t keep my throat from making inappropriate noises.

Hair had no feelings, right? But I swore I felt the electricity shot through my scalp into my entire being as my fingertips started tracing the ink on his skin, making every muscle in my body tighten. He stiffened against my touch, the muscles on his back contracted, and he let out a guttural groan.

“Beautiful.” I thought it was my voice, murmuring.

He then shifted and placed the phone on the nightstand. Now I realized what he was doing.

“What—what do you think you’re doing?”

“I haven’t rested for almost a day, thinking and worrying about your damn stubbornness.” He joined me in the blanket without hesitation, turning to face me. “Can we sleep without an argument?” He looked tired, but I felt his hand on my waist before he slipped his arm under my pillow, pulled me against his body, and held me tight.

My breath held in my lungs, stiffening as I stared at him in shock. “Krew—” I gasped again as his fingers raked through my hair, fisted, and pinned my head against his grasp. “This is—”

“Fucking insane,” he finished my words with a growl and kissed me. It was a deep, hot, toe-curling, punishing, and desperate kind of kiss.

I pushed him against his chest, but he was too strong, and I felt melting in his arms as he snaked his arm around my waist, fingers curled possessively against my skin, pulling me even closer.

I was hopeless. My pulse doubled, my body vibrated, heated, and melted with needs. I ached everywhere—ached for him. He kissed me as if his life depended on it. His mouth was demanding and hot, and I was too weak to resist. So I kissed him back with the same urgency.

I was not a damn damsel in distress. I was strong, but no strong woman could resist how he kissed me, how he made me feel, and I would not deny it. He was the only man who could make me feel like this through a single kiss.