Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 106003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Creep gets up. “So, would you like the rug?”
“Only if you let me buy you something too.” I shoot to my feet, flustered by his behavior. Is being with him just another case of me choosing badly? I swear he’s unlike any man I’ve dated.
Creep rubs his forehead, looking around with a thoughtful expression. “I… I’d like a medium-sized box. Would you choose one for me?”
I immediately feel more at ease and grab his hand, feeling like I’ve misstepped somehow. I hate hurting people’s feelings, and while I’m allowed to not want to move to a cave, I still feel guilt over upsetting Creep. I take my time in the area dedicated to small storage and choose a medievalish chest made of dark wood. It has intricate carvings on all sides, and even locks.
“How about this one? I want you to like it.”
Creep inspects it from all sides with a growing smile that brings me relief. “I love it. I… I like fantasy books. Especially with dragons, and this reminds me of that kind of thing.”
Aaand, now I know how I’ll try to refurnish the cave. “And werewolves? Like Kargle?” I tease about the book I read in his cave on that first day.
He scowls. “No. Not like Kargle. It had so many plot holes. And he wins? Against the Crystal Knight?”
It’s only fair that my Creep was rooting for Ser Tarragon, considering he’s my knight in shining armor. “In that case, we should go to a renfaire together. I want to see you in big metal gauntlets,” I say, maybe a bit flirtatiously as we make our way to the cash register.
Unfortunately, I have appointments back in Vulture Hollow, and while I’d love to spend more time with Creep, we’ve been here longer than I thought we would.
“No.”
I cock my head, surprised how strongly he feels about that. “No? Okay, no gauntlets then—”
“I’d be a rogue.”
My smile stretches, and I poke him with my shoulder. “You are so right. I can help you dress up. Now… what should I be—” I mutter absentmindedly as we wait for someone to show up at the counter.
My heart flutters at how he seems to light up about fantasy costumes. This scary-ass biker is nothing like Domino. “A magician of some kind.” Creep leans down to my ear, so close his warm breath tickles me. “Or a courtesan.”
Am I blushing? Maaaybe… A costume would provide an excuse to get new earrings.
I let out a high-pitched chuckle. “Either way, I’m going to wear robes. Yay for easy access, right?”
We’re interrupted by the saleswoman joining us at the register, and after what feels like the slowest checkout on the planet, we’re out. Creep offers me a trip to more shops, since he will be visiting the town tomorrow to pick up our shopping anyway, but I can’t bail on hair appointments when I’m trying to establish myself in Vulture Hollow.
I’m growing giddy not only about the things we bought, but also about mounting the bike again and hugging Creep.
He hands me the helmet, but doesn’t get on yet, instead toying with his own.
“There’s this biker rally next week. Would you come with me?”
Excuse me? After sleeping with Domino, I was content none of the bikers threw an F-slur my way. And now he feels ready to take me to a motorcycle event as his plus-one?
That’s…
That’s really sweet, and I itch to agree until the ever-present shadow of Domino reaches me, and I shake my head. That fucker could be there, and the longer he doesn’t know where I am, the better.
“It’s not really my scene.”
Creep nods and puts on his helmet, which makes reading his emotions impossible. But I’m pretty good with auras, and his has just darkened.
Chapter 22
Angel
At this point, I’m no stranger to Creep’s silence, but it felt different during our return to Vulture Hollow. He claimed to be fine, but how could he be when my throat was overly stuffed with words I should have said instead of the ones I had? We couldn’t have talked during the drive anyway, but the easy closeness from the start of our date was replaced by a tension that would keep growing until my chest felt swollen from a sickness I brought upon myself.
Of course he was hurt.
In his place, I would be too. Creep isn’t the kind of man who opens his mouth unnecessarily. Asking me to attend the rally as his date must have taken a lot of courage from a guy who seems to still doubt whether he deserves my attention. I wanted to tell him how much I’d love to go. That I trusted him and his friends to keep me safe if someone from another MC disagreed with my presence, but I didn’t dare tell him about Domino. The bastard is so deep in the closet he refuses to admit he’s there in the first place, and seeing me with the Vultures might trigger all the alarms in his head. He told me many times that he’d kill me if I out him, and I believe him.