Love Me in the Dark novel Chapter 4

RIVER

KRYSTYN WAS right about this place—it was a getaway that no one would get any idea of finding me. Or maybe I had no reason to complain because of the big bear frowning next to me, the same man that I almost ruined years ago, but I wasn’t sure with his silence if it was a yes or he was still debating whether to help me or turned around, drove the car back to the airport, and say goodbye.

The million-dollar acreage home was luxurious, contemplating with lush greenery surrounding us. No wonder Krew preferred this place over his penthouse in New York.

I stayed quiet as we walked into the humongous entryway. The white grand piano at the corner and the living room at the far end. I followed him as he climbed up the brown striped carpeted c-shaped staircase that added to the interior while I was admiring his firm ass. As he walked like his majesty the King, head held up, with effortless confidence, he hadn’t said anything aside from showing me one of the rooms where I would probably going to spend days in or worse, it would last weeks.

Krew was dead serious when he mentioned his privacy. From what I heard, he hated the spotlight, and he seemed recluse in contrast to their brother, Kai who loved attention and power.

The Selik wasn’t born rich. Koby Selik was a self-made billionaire when his children were still young. When he died, Kai took his place as the CEO, and Krew chose to work behind the desk as one of the members of the board.

Right now, I had to be grateful to him for giving me a roof as my temporary haven.

Then I realized that there was really something wrong with me. I couldn’t help but admired his dark chocolate eyes that darkened into almost obsidian black when he stared at me, his dark hair that I knew was soft, his perfectly straight nose, full red lips, and he had shoulders broader than years ago.

I was lost in the thought of how perfect he was until he called me to get my attention, or more likely, growled my name, but still, I found it sexier on his tongue. God, I needed to get rid of this obtuse obsession over him.

“River,” he called me again. His voice crawled shivers up my spine, his gaze razored sharp as he pinned it to me. The more he did that, the more my heartbeat picked up, and I couldn’t break my dark thought out of it.

I swallowed. “Yeah?”

“Do you need anything else?”

You. My skin tingled. He definitely caught me gawking at him. So what? I was single. It wasn’t that he still wanted me, or he was into me. He was drunk when he kissed me, and we almost had sex in that break room. I really had wished he was into me though, but in our latest encounter, he already made a point that he resented me. What was I expecting? Humility from Krew Selik? Okay, that was a little bit tad dramatic, but I should behave now that my last relationship had ended up bringing me here.

I felt degraded—abased when he sent his lawyer with a cheque and NDA. And I was stupid at that time. It hurt me with the idea that he thought everyone had a price tag. So I went to the Selik Tower and tore the NDA and cheque in front of the receptionist when he did not want to see me. At that time, he and his brother had an interview with the business magazine. Kai was always in the headline in any news channel even on the trashy gossip sites and social media. And I nearly ruined my life in the end. Of course, who would give a damn about a nobody over the Selik?

My humiliation did not end there. My face was flaming when a strange look crossed his face. He growled something that he only could hear and understand. He was probably disgusted.

“I need something to change from this.” I looked down at my crumpled dress I wore at Journey’s engagement party.