AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So what movie are we seeing?” People fill the sidewalks in front of us, carrying blankets and coolers toward the beach park.
“No clue,” she chuckles. “It’s movie in the park night. Is that okay?” She looks at me hesitantly. Like there isn’t anywhere I wouldn’t follow her.
“Sounds fun,” I reassure her.
For two hours, I’ve tried to keep my hands to myself. Keep my thoughts pure through the PG movie with hundreds of kids around us, but with each passing second, each innocent brush of her body against mine, I’ve been fighting a losing battle. My head aches, both of them, from trying to read into her touches. Her bare foot sliding against my calf as she sits up or her hand on my thigh, grip tightening when she laughs at something funny. They might be the simplest, purest touches but in my mind, she’s leaving hints to where tonight will lead. And in my head, it leads to her lying beneath me, screaming my name.
“I loved that movie,” she beams as we walk back to her apartment. “I wasn’t sure how I’d like it since the originalis my favorite Disney movie, but wow, it was perfect.” No, it’s not. Little Mermaid is. Her confession catches me off guard. My feet fumble a little as I stare down at her. Catching myself, I shake out of my stupor. “What, you didn’t like it?”
I clear my throat. “No, it was great. Although, I pegged you for the Little Mermaid type.” I regret the words as soon as they clear my lips.
She flashes a lop-sided grin, but her brows pull together. “It’s a strong second place, but Beauty and the Beast is the winner in my book. Why would you think that?”
With a shrug, I relax my shoulders. “I figured you could relate to the independent woman choosing to live her life how she wants. Chasing her dreams.” The bullshit rolls off my tongue like it’s the truth. It’s not. She loved the movie because she always wanted to be a mermaid. Which is funny now I think about it because she lives at the beach, but doesn’t like to go into it?
She rolls it around in her head and nods. “I guess I can relate. But I can relate to Beauty and the Beast too,” she says, softly.
I grip my heart and gasp jokingly. “Are you calling me a beast?”
Her lip barely raises to a smile as she keeps her face forward and the response pisses me off. I know what she’s thinking. “No. You are definitely not the beast.” Her voice is a whisper and I’m not sure she meant to say it out loud. But she did, and she couldn’t be more wrong.
She’s not the beast.
I am.
Chapter Seventeen
Ellie
Will the visible lies marked on my body make him look at me different? Will he finally taste the lies on my lips? He assumes he knows me. I didn’t choose to be an independent woman; I was forced into this solitary life to survive. All my insecurities rise to the surface the closer we get to my apartment.
I’ve never cared about what men thought of my scars. Our time together was as forgettable as they were so there wasn’t any need to harp on my flaws. But Kase isn’t forgettable and I do care. Too much. The desire flashing in his eyes, burns inside me too but the war going on with my feelings has me twisted.
He has scars too. I repeat over and over to myself. Except his are admirable, mine are just a reminder of how parts of my life were ripped away from me. Sighing heavily, I push the thoughts from my head. Kase stops us outside my apartment building and stands tall in front of me. The overhead street lamp shines down, illuminating his strong facial features. His eyes flicker across my face. “If I snapped a picture what would your story be?”
I turn my attention to the red brick building and softly chuckle having heard this question a million times in my photography classes. What would my story be right now? A paralyzed woman who feels her body wake up, each nerve sparking to life. It’s terrifying, yet exhilarating at the same time.
“Little Red Riding Hood?” he teases. “Or maybe Hansel and Gretel?”
I peer up at him. “Why are you picking stories where I’m about to be eaten alive?”
The wicked gleam in his eyes sends a rush of heat down my back. I swallow as he leans down and kisses the curve of my neck. “You should definitely run,” he whispers against my skin. Every brush of his lips against my warm skin melts away the concerns. I want this. I want him.
If a man can’t accept my flaws, our story won’t be worth reading. He’d be moved to my did-not-finish pile. It happens.
I link our fingers, flash a sweet smile and lead him inside my building. We walk up the stairs, stealing quick glances at each other. I try not to focus on how many levels we have left, how my breathing accelerates — and not because of the anticipation — but the apparent need to walk the stairs more often. It’s only six freaking flights of stairs. He fights back a smile, mocking my athletic ability.
I slap him on the arm. “Stop making fun of me,” I say, winded.
His laugh echoes down the hall as he holds up his hands. “I didn’t say anything.”
I squeal in surprise as he swoops down and tosses me over his shoulder. “What’re you doing?”
“I’d hate for you to faint from exhaustion before I get you inside.”
I snort. “My door is only a few feet away. I could’ve managed.”
“Better safe than sorry.” He slaps my ass when we get to my door. “Where’s the key?”
