Jay finally unsticks his feet from the floor but doesn’t utter a word as he grabs his bag, then a handful of the waste ones and heads upstairs behind Kyro with Albert following behind, leaving me and Cherry alone.
The energy around us crackles to life and I know I should leave but with the way Cherry is looking at me, forces me to stay in place. She slowly closes the gap between us and I can feel my heart hammering against my chest. Her polished toes touch my boots and I have to lower my head just to meet her eyes.
“Is your name really Cherry?” I tip my head to the side, hands gripping the metal table behind me. She’s silent for a moment and I can see the way she’s pondering on the question.
“No,” she admits with a coy smile. “It’s Brynne.”
“Brynne,” I repeat her name as I lift my hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She closes her eyes for a moment at the gentle act. “I think I prefer that name.”
“Yeah? Not so keen on cherries then?”
Her tone is teasing and I find myself tracing her jaw with the backs of my fingers until I reach her plump lips. “I like cherries, but I find myself liking you more.”
The admission shocks me and I fear that maybe I’ve already said too much, but Brynne proves me wrong by wrapping her hand over mine to guide my thumb into her mouth. She swirls her tongue around the digit and I let out a shuddering breath.
How can she have so much power over me?
Brynne gives my thumb a hard suck then slips it out of her mouth with an audible pop. “Maybe I prefer you too, more than cherries.”
“You don’t know anything about me?” I say with a seriousness in my tone.
Brynne shrugs her shoulders. “You’re right, but I know there’s something in you that isn’t afraid of the thing that lives in me.”
Her words ring true. They’re so true that it frightens me.
This dark creature scares the shit out of me, because she’s the only person I’ve ever met who, maybe, can see me for what I really am.
For the first time in my life, I’ve come across a man that hasn’t made me want to turn him into a pie.
How strange..
When I called Albert for a clean up, the last thing I expected was for this man to step into my orbit and demand my attention without even knowing— the moment he stepped around that van and into my eyeline, I knew there was something about him.
What? I’m not quite sure, but I’m determined to find out.
Everything about him is a mystery, even his name. I could always ask Albert but I want to hear him tell me, I want to taste the name that falls from his mouth.
“And what’s that thing that lives inside you?” He murmurs, a voice smooth yet rough. It’s enough to send shivers up my spine.
I can hear the others, especially that twat, Jay, who tried to make a move on me, chatting just up the stairs. They’re probably wondering what’s taking so long down here but I couldn’t give two shits. Jay would make an incredible beef wellington or a lasagne, and Kyro? I can tolerate him, for now.
I smirk. “I don’t think I really need to explain, do I? I mean, you saw the job that I called Albert for.”
“That I did,” a smirk that matches mine graces his handsome face. “You’re quite the killer, aren’t you?”
He dips his head lower to accommodate my height and I find myself lifting my chin to meet him. He smells fresh but woodsy, a scent that I could easily get lost in. I feel his rough stubble graze against my cheek, those plump lips barely whispering over the shell of my ear. “Am I to become your next meal, Brynne?”
I turn my head slightly to meet his ear. “That depends..” I whisper, letting my words trail off in the hopes that he’ll reveal his name to me.
“Kincaid,” he grants my silent wish on a heavy breath just as I feel his large hands wrap tightly around my waist. “And what does it depend on, hm?”
Our lips are inches away from each other. His minty breath mingles with mine and it sends my head spinning. I don’t think I’ve ever been made to feel this way before.
It’s frightening, but what’s a little fun without a teaspoon of danger?
Using my own hands, I trace over the veins that sit underneath his skin, trailing over them like a map. The soft touch causes Kincaid to grasp me tighter. “Don’t leave me hanging here, love.”
He brings his head back to face me, eyes like molten obsidian stare back. They’re so dark behind his thick lashes that I can almost see my reflection in them.
