Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 125140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
I smirk. I sit on the floor and start to go through the books. I read the titles out loud.
“The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle. The October Country by Ray Bradbury. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes. Last Days by Brian Evenson.”
I curl up my lip in disgust. “This is your reading style?” I frown.
He glances up. “I like horror.”
I widen my eyes. “Boring.”
His jaw ticks in annoyance. “What do you like to read?”
I purposely bend over, revealing my naked ass. “I like raunch.”
“Figures,” he replies as he flicks the page angrily.
I put my hand on my hip. “Why would that figure?”
“Because you’re a sex maniac.”
I smirk. “Can you tape that please and show it to my ex-boyfriends.”
“Why would I do that?” he replies flatly.
“Because they all complained that I hated sex.”
His eyes rise from his book as if suddenly interested. “Did you?”
“With them?” I ask.
He nods.
“Pretty much.”
His eyes hold mine. “Do you hate it with me?”
“You’re the first man I have enjoyed it with.”
“Why is that?”
“I don’t know.” I pause for a moment. “Maybe because I know we can never amount to anything and I have to say goodbye to you soon.”
We stay still as we stare at each other, the air crackles between us.
“You go alright for someone who supposedly hates sex,” he murmurs.
“It’s easy once you find a man who knows what to do.” He raises a brow. “You know how to make me ache for it.”
He readjusts his length beneath the blankets. “Ache for it?” he questions.
“God, I ache for it,” I breathe.
“It?”
“You, Stace. I ache for you.”
He grabs his cock through the blankets and his haunted eyes hold mine.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask.
“Like what?”
“Like I’m the enemy.”
“Are you?”
I frown. Why is he talking in riddles?
“I suppose so. I am someone you took against their will who is now…” I trail off. I don’t understand this myself.
“Who is what?”
“Who only feels safe when she is in your arms and I know that’s wrong.” He frowns. “I’m going fucking crazy.” I throw the book back into the box in disgust. “I feel sick when I hear myself say it out loud.”
“I make you sick?” he asks.
I smile sadly. “You should.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
I shake my head, our eyes are locked, and after a moment I reply, “No.”
“What do you think?” he asks.
“That’s the thing. I can’t think when I’m with you.”
He frowns as if understanding.
“When you touch me, nothing else matters,” I breathe.
He stays silent.
“I missed you when you were at work today.”
He drops his head. “Don’t.”
“I know I shouldn’t have.” I fake a smile as I try to justify my feelings. “I should hate you.”
“You should,” he snaps.
I walk over and sit on the bed next to him. His eyes meet mine. “Kiss me,” I breathe.
The room is filled with unbridled desire, so thick you could cut it with a knife.
He puts his hand up, cups my face, and gently kisses me. My eyes instinctively close. “Stace,” I breathe. I feel like I’m about to break, this is too much. The intimacy I feel from him is too much. I need to hate him. How am I going to do this?
As if sensing my fear, he whispers, “Shh.”
I screw up my face as we kiss.
“This has to stop,” he breathes.
“I know.”
“Last time,” he murmurs into my lips.
I kiss him and feel myself lift off the floor. “Okay.”
* * *
I look left, I look right. It’s just past noon and the coast is clear.
Stace has called a meeting about Vikinos’ visit next week. They need to get everything in ship shape. This is probably my only chance where everyone is preoccupied. The girls are up on top deck sunbathing, and all of the staff are on the maintenance level going through operations. I told everyone I was going to be sleeping.
I walk along the rows until I get to the container I need and I take out the two keys. I don’t know which one is which. I turn the first key and it doesn’t work. Fuck.
I take the second key and jiggle it a bit and it opens. I smile as my guilty eyes dart around. I open the padlock and remove the key and then put it back on the lock and swing it until it looks closed. I then open the door and peer in. Pitch black, I take out the small flashlight I took from the maintenance floor the other day and peer around. It said under the floor. I walk in and slowly pull the door to so it looks like it is closed from outside.
I put the flashlight in my mouth and bend down and tap the floor. Yep… It’s under the flooring. I walk around the perimeter of the container concentrating on the floor. I need to find a bit I can jimmy off. How do I do this without making noise?