Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
But it doesn’t matter, not right now, not when I feel Cassian’s gaze burning into me. I need to remember that Cassian is not only older than me, but also more experienced than me. He’s probably had a hundred women in his bed. A thousand. I’ve had zero men. I’ve never felt what I’m feeling with him, but maybe it would be like this with any man. When Jet looked at me, what did I feel? No, I don’t want to think about that. I won’t think about whatever that was. All I know is that it was different than what I feel when Cassian looks at me. When he touches me. What I felt when Jet looked at me was angrier. Was, well, I’m not sure what it was, but Jet doesn’t have my belly fluttering.
“Moth,” Cassian says.
When I look up, he’s still watching me. I remind myself he cannot read my mind. He’s not superhuman. He’s a man. And now is not the time to unpack whatever that was.
He sets his hand at my lower back, and I shudder.
I clear my throat. “You can go meet whoever you want. You don’t need to, um, clarify anything.”
“Oh, but I do.”
We walk into the lobby of the casino. Atlantic City has several casinos along its boardwalk, but Blackstone’s stands out. I know it the instant I step into the elegant lobby from its huge blown glass chandelier in every color of the rainbow, to the rich polished wood of the front desk to the elegantly uniformed staff. Elevators stand ready to whisk us upstairs to the casino and exclusive boutiques and restaurants line the hallways leading off on either side of the lobby.
One of his men is standing at the elevator. The doors open and a well-dressed woman exits. The soldier buttons his jacket and blocks the doors from closing as we step inside. He positions himself so as not to allow the couple who is also clearly waiting for an elevator to enter. Once the three of us are inside, the soldier slips a card into a slot and the button for the penthouse lights up. Does he feel the tension between Cassian and I? Because electricity is crackling, ready to spark a fire.
I watch the ocean as the glass-walled elevator carries us up. Once the doors slide open, he waits for us to exit then follows us. There are two sets of double doors at either end of the hall. Two penthouses, I guess. Soldiers stand at both.
Cassian leads me to what I assume is his. He punches a code into the keypad and, after a short beep, a green light blinks and he opens the door. He gestures for me to enter. I do and I’m immediately wowed. I stand just inside the door taking it all in. This apartment is as modern as the church is gothic. It has floor to ceiling windows along one wall with a balcony that spans the length of the room overlooking the water. Every polished surface shines, from the beautiful wide-planked, white-washed hardwood floors to the glass table tops, to the gold-veined white marble waterfall counter with its six stools and bowl of perfect green apples on top. In fact, they’re so polished that I’m not sure they’re real until Cassian picks one up, takes a bite and chews while watching me take it all in.
I slip my bag off my shoulder and walk to the wall of windows that overlook the ocean far below.
Cassian is beside me a moment later. I hear the crunch of another bite of apple and glance his way to find him watching me while he chews, a smile on his too-beautiful lips. He holds the apple out for me to take a bite. I bite into the crunchy, juicy fruit. We watch each other while I chew and he wipes juice from the corner of my mouth before taking one more giant bite and tossing the core into the trashcan. He returns to me and when he sets his hands on my hips, there goes my heart again, beating wildly.
“Good apple?” he asks.
I nod.
One corner of his mouth curves up wickedly. “Now that I’ve fed you, Little Moth, let me be sure you understand me.”
“I understand you just fine.” My heart races anticipation.
“No. I mean in here,” he says, pressing the flat of his hand to my chest. “Not just here.” He taps two fingers against my skull. “When I’m finished with you, you’ll know in your soul that you belong to me. Only me.”
Before I can even think, he lifts me in his arms, making me gasp as he carries me effortlessly into a bedroom. He kicks the door closed behind him and sets me down at the foot of the bed which is centered against the wall that faces the floor-to-ceiling windows with the same view as those in the living room.