I couldn’t help it. I softly chuckled.
“Now nod your pretty little head if we’re on the same page?”
Of course, my stomach decided to flip-flop the second it heard the word “pretty” out of his mouth.
I gave a slight nod, mostly because I wanted to see where this was going.
“Great.” He grinned with a flicker in his gaze. “Since we have that out of the way, the next order of business is that you’re going to have to follow my orders. Are we clear?”
I glared at him again, this time in disbelief.
This was the most he’d ever said to me, and all he was trying to do was boss me around.
Who the hell did he think he was?
“Let’s get this straight, so there’s no confusion. Alright?” He paused, waiting for my nod. I didn’t give him the satisfaction.
“I’m not Julius, and I have no interest in pretending I am. He asked me for a favor, end of story. I also owe you one, and I always make good on my promises. Which makes youmyresponsibility this weekend, and I take that very seriously.”
I didn’t move a muscle.
“Great, you agree.”
My eyes went wide as I firmly shook my head, showing him the opposite of agreement.
“Yeah, I know.” He pointed at himself, smiling widely. “I’m always right.”
Oh my God, the nerve of this guy.
I shook my head so hard it hurt my neck as I abruptly stood, literally standing up to him.
“Now last but not least,” he executed with conviction.
This was where he almost knocked me on my ass when he demanded, “You’re going to actually speak to me.”
KRAVEN
Seeing her get flustered was far more entertaining than I thought it would be, and knowing that I was the sole cause was just as comforting.
Ignoring her blatant dissatisfaction with my disregard, I stated, “I’m so glad we see eye to eye. Now get dressed. You’re going with me to a party.”
With that, I spun to leave, but she grabbed my arm, holding me in place.
A literal spark of electricity rang between us, and I blamed her. “Are you trying to start a fire?”
She yanked her arm away like I’d burned her, making me wince for a second. I hated that she saw it, but mostly, I despised that she pulled away from me.
What the hell is that?
It was my turn to shake my head, shoving away those thoughts and questions. She spun around to the desk and started writing something on a piece of paper before handing it to me.
There, in front of my eyes, in all caps, she wrote:
FUCK YOU!
I laughed so hard my head fell back until she began laughing too. Rolling her eyes, she smirked. Catching this moment between us like I had. It was weird to laugh with her, but it was also easy, if that made any sense.
Using this to my advantage, I spoke the truth. “Do you see why I need you to talk to me…?” My words hung heavy in the air, fueling my next truth. “Unless you want me to spend the entire weekend twisting your mixed signals and us fighting to communicate because I don’t speak black cat, then I highly suggest you get your shit together and use that pretty little mouth for what it’s for, talking.”
