Page 131 of Driftwood Daffodil

She might not be tired but I was fucking exhausted.

“Let’s play a game!”

“I don’t want to play a goddamn game.” Unless that game involved making her cry, which was more than likely impossible in her current abnormally happy state.

Nova groaned and crossed her arms, “You’re no fun.”

She got that right. I was no fun. I was the mean and scary man that wanted to see her suffer. She should be running for the hills. Not laughing on my goddamn loveseat.

Why the fuck wasn’t she scared of me? That was the thing that really bothered me. I tried to kill the girl twice and she still continued to get in my face. Did she have a death wish?

I looked over to where Nova was sprawled out.

There was no shaking, no trembling or fear tugging at her face. Just serene comfort and disturbing calmness. She was always calm. Well… not always. There were a couple of times when she freaked out.

I couldn’t help but think back to yesterday and the look she gave me when I pulled my mouth off hers. Terror. But of what? Was it what I might do or something else? I had my theories of course.

My brow arched as I tipped my head.

Now might be a good time to test some of those theories out. Nova’s inhibitions were lowered meaning that wall she normally hid behind might finally have a crack in it. I might actually get a glimpse into what makes her tick.

I pushed off the bed and made my way over to where Nova was laying.

Her big hazel orbs glimmered up at me as I stood over her.

Neither one of us spoke, we just watched the other in silence. I don’t know what Nova was hoping to see, or if she was hoping to see anything, but I was searching for a particular spark. One that I’d seen before hidden in the jade and copper flecks in her eyes.

It wasn’t there, but the longer I stared down at her the more I noticed. It was little things. A small twitch in the corner of her mouth or the brief way her brows pulled together. Cracks in her otherwise calm demeanor. Novalee didn’t like me studying her, but I think it was the silence that made her uncomfortable. Proof of which came when her pink lips parted.

“Why are you staring at me?”

Interesting.

Not moving an inch, I simply stood there and continued to stare down at her. The moment she broke was nothing short of beautiful. I saw reality smack past her drug-addled mind and flood into her eyes. Lighting up those bright orbs with a prey’s fear of danger. That was one instinct not even Nova could fight. That shit would crash through any wall with the weight of impending doom and smack you right in the face.

“Stop that.”

That’s right, Gattina, squirm under my glare.

“Go away.”

The slight squeak in Nova’s tone almost made me smirk, but I managed to stay exactly how I was and revel in her discomfort.

“I’m tired,” she suddenly declared. “I want to go to sleep.”

No she didn’t.

The only thing Novalee wanted was for me to leave her alone. That wasn’t happening. Especially not when she folded her arms over her chest. That action wasn’t done out of anger. She was trying to shield herself from me. Nova didn’t like me looking at her, and the more I saw her struggle to keep eye contact, the harder I got.

“Gio…”

I liked the breathy unsureness in her voice way too much for her to be saying my name. Her small trembles had my dick hard as hell, but I was having too much fun toying with her. That didn’t stop my eyes from trickling down to her shuttering chest.

And when she whispered, “Please go away,” I couldn’t keep quiet anymore.

“What would you do if I fucked you right now?”

There was that spark I’d been waiting for.

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