Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Wren rushes through the large space to get in line. There are only two people in front of her as she grabs a tray from the stack. I swoop in front of her, grabbing the tray from her hand to use it as my own. She groans in annoyance before grabbing a new one.
“I’m surprised you can afford the food here,” I say, loud enough for everyone around us to hear. “I figured you would bring some peanut butter sandwiches from home, or whatever else you poor people eat.”
“Not everyone can be born with a silver spoon in their mouths,” she snaps.
“No need to be so jealous, bird.”
“I’m not jealous,” she grits the lie through her teeth.
“Whatever you say, bird.”
“And stop calling me that. My name is Wren.” Her voice drips with anger, and I know I’ve hit a nerve. I grin.
“What’s wrong with bird?” I ask, genuinely curious, while my lips stay drawn up into a smile. I’m curious as to why she hates it, but now I know that she does, I will most definitely keep calling her that.
“None of your business,” she says in a stern voice that’s supposed to scare me away.
“Everything you do is my business now, because I say so. Have you still not gotten that through your head?”
It’s my turn in line. I take one of the personal-sized lasagnas, an apple and a water and pile them on my tray before sliding it over to the cashier. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her do the same behind me. The cashier rings me up, and I hand him my credit card.
“See this chick behind me?” I ask the cashier.
“Yeah, what about her?” He answers with a question while eyeing Wren behind me.
“From now on, charge her double for everything,” I order him.
For a split-second, curiosity and shock flicker across his eyes, and I know he wants to ask me why. The flicker is gone as he comes to his senses and simply nods.
I take my tray and step aside so Wren can take my place. I look down at her face. Her eyebrows are drawn together, and her lips are puckered in an angry way. Clearly, she heard what I just told the guy, but then she shakes her head and gets out her wallet like she doesn’t believe that he will actually do it.
A moment later, he announces what she owes. “That’ll be $29.60.”
“You are kidding, right?” she says in disbelief. “You are actually charging me double?”
The cashier presses his lips together into a tight line, staring at Wren like he doesn’t know what to tell her. When he doesn’t say anything, Wren grabs the water bottle from the tray and slams it onto the counter right in front of the cashier’s chest. “Then I’ll just have the water.”
Without a word, he types in the new order and says, “Then it’s just $5.12.”
With a scowl on her face, Wren opens her wallet and fishes out five wrinkled one-dollar bills, slamming the cash onto the counter before going back into her wallet for the cents. After she deposits those as well, she snatches away the water and mumbles a sarcastic, “thanks,” under her breath.
My lips curl up once again, reveling in her anger and misery. I don’t remember the last time I smiled this much.
Wren tries to scurry past me, but she doesn’t take more than two steps before my hand wraps around her upper arm, pulling her back toward me while I balance the tray with my free hand. She stumbles backward into me, and I almost lose my fucking tray from the impact. I recover quickly and so does she, standing straight before twisting her head up to face me.
“Let go of me,” she snaps, letting her fierceness overshadow the fear in her eyes.
Instead of letting her go, I tighten my grip on her arm and pull her closer. Her vigor fades and the background fear I sensed a moment ago is now on full display. Her eyes grow wide and her lips part with a tiny tremor. She is scared of me right now, and she can’t hide it anymore.
My dick twitches in my jeans. Fuck, her fear is such a turn on. I enjoy her anger and annoyance, but her fear… fuck me. I want more. And want all of it.
Her throat bobs as she swallows, the fear in her eyes amplifying as I tighten my grip. At this moment, it’s only me and her in the cafeteria. No one else exists inside our little bubble.
“I didn’t say you could leave,” I growl, inches from her face. “You’ll sit your ass down next to me and nowhere else. Understood?”
Her jaw clenches and her lips set in a tight line as she slowly nods.
Satisfied with her response, I let go of her arm, watching her rub the spot with her free hand. Shooting her an expectant glance, I walk past her and motion with my head to follow me. I don’t have to look to know that she does. I can feel her behind me. Her eyes probably glaring daggers into my back as I take a seat at the closest table.