She looks sexy as hell with her skirt riding high on her thighs, her grip on the wheel turning her knuckles white, and the hard set of her jaw as if she’s stockpiling a bunch of insults ready for when she will inevitably need them.
“Oh, this is… different,” I say as the kind of houses change around us.
“It’s Kyle’s brother’s place. It’s what he could afford.”
She pulls up in front of what I can only describe as an old person’s bungalow before killing the engine and climbing out of the car, as if merely breathing the same air as me is annoying her.
“You need to stop running from me, Hellion,” I call as she jogs up the few steps to the wrap-around deck.
“I know. It seems you always fucking find me.”
Pushing the key into the front door, she disappears inside, leaving me to either stand out here like a loser or follow.
By the time I close the door behind me, I find her bent over, searching inside the fridge for something.
Grabbing what she wants, she stands tall again and knocks the top off the bottle of Bud Light she found.
“I’m okay, thanks.”
“I wasn’t offering.”
She tips the bottle to her lips and swallows down a generous amount, the muscles in her neck rippling in the most delicious way. My mouth waters for a taste, and not for the beer.
“Anyone would think you’re nervous, Princess.”
“Me? Nervous?” she asks, pointing at herself. “I don’t think so.”
“Oh that’s right,” I murmur, taking a step toward her. “Nothing ever fazes Estella Doukas.”
Her eyes narrow on mine before she holds up her hand in a futile attempt to keep some distance between us.
It doesn’t work.
Batting it aside, I step right up to her, knowing that my closeness makes her brain misfire.
“I-I thought you wanted to tell me some things. Get on with it so I can leave and you can fuck off.”
“Baby,” I whisper, my voice rough with need as my hand slides up her neck, cupping her jaw and forcing her to look at me.
Something flickers through her eyes, something that makes excited tingles spread through my body and my cock swell in my jeans.
“I missed you.”
She chuckles. “Smooth, Seb. Really. Anyone else would probably fall for it.”
“It’s the truth. When I found you… fuck, Stella. I thought you were fucking dead.”
Her gasp clues me in to the fact that everyone has done as I asked and not told her the details of that night. I wanted her to hear it from me. I wanted her to know just how fucking wrecked I felt in those few minutes as I held her limp, lifeless body in my arms, waiting for help to come.
“That cunt… he left you at the graveyard.” All the air rushes out of her lungs. “He sent me a photo. I have no idea if he intended for me to find you dead or what. But he left you there.”
“Why?”
I shake my head, wishing I had some kind of answer for her. “I have no idea.”
“So whoever it is has something to do with you?”
I shrug, wishing I could tell her it didn’t. But while I might believe this is all to do with Galen, I’m not naïve enough to think I’m not racking up my own epic enemy list.