Page 6 of Of Flesh & Bone

Chapter 3

Eve

Ifeel that pricklingheat on the nape of my neck all throughout class.I thought it was him, Captain, when I felt it before, but he's not in my class.Now I think I may be imagining things especially since I feel it now as I walk to the library.Ah, the library.My safe space away from home.

Walking straight to the stacks where I know I’ll find what I’m looking for, I see the book I've been thinking about.The Davenport Library here at Eden University is home to the most extensive collection of books I have ever seen, and libraries are a hobby of mine, so I have seen quite a few.

Pulling the book from the shelf, I read the back excerpt.

'A compelling and compassionate exploration of the death industry and the people—embalmers, detectives, crime scene cleaners, executioners—who work in it and what led them there.'

There are quite a few people here because it’s the middle of the day.Normally, I don’t like to come when it’s so full, but I finished my latest read late last night.Or was it early this morning?

There it is again.I feel it.I feel it so intensely that I know I can't be imagining it. Looking up and turning my head to the left...It's him.The skyscraper.Although, he’s looking suspiciously more menacing than he did either time that I saw him before.That may be because he’s glaring directly at me.He doesn’t even seem to care that I see him staring.He just continues to bore a hole straight through me even though he’s been caught.

Wow.He's even more beautiful than I realized the first time I saw him.His coal black hair is styled in a way that looks accidental, and his eyes are so dark that they appear to be an abyss.That jaw.That is the most dangerous jawline I have ever seen.HE is the most beautiful man I have ever seen.However, even though he is beautiful, I can still sense the danger.The library is cold, but the chill isn't the cause of my goosebumps.

I know without even giving it much thought that, he could hurt someone without remorse.I instinctively know thathe HAS hurt someone, and he isn’t spending time feeling bad about it.I need to move and get far away from this hulking behemoth.He's dangerous and not in a good way.

I turn in the other direction, going out the opposite end of the aisle.With book in hand, I trod toward the check-out desk.I've almost made it when the gigantosaurus steps out from the aisle closest to me, putting himself directly in front of me.He startles a gasp from me.I hate being caught off guard or showing people that they’ve gotten to me, butDAMN, he is getting to me.

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?”His tone is deep and haunting.

I narrow my eyes at him.“And what business is that of yours?”

“Anyone ever tell you it’s not nice to call people names?”

He sounds rough and dark now.It’s the kind of voice that will either give you a stroke in a dark alley or melt your panties off in any other setting.Right now, I think it might be doing both.

“Excuse me?”

“Earlier, when you so rudely ran into me.You called me a, what was it...oh yes, fucker.You called me a fucker and then walked off as if you hadn’t just tried to mow me down.”

“Oh,” I clear my throat.“Right.Well, I called you a fucker because you looked down on me like I was a bug on your windshield.I hit the ground so hard I nearly cracked a hip, and you didn’t even ask to see if I was okay.So, I stand by my earlier assessment.”

Then, sounding more dangerous than ever, he says, “Is that right?”

“That’s right.”This is said with more courage than I feel in this moment.

“Hmmm...I wonder what I could do to change that?”

“Change what?”

He arches one perfect brow.“Your assessment of me.”

I sigh and look back at him, performing my own assessment.Why is he here?Was he here before me?Did he follow me in?No, of course, he didn’t.Why would he?Unless...does he actually care that I think he’s a fucker?No.He couldn’t possibly.He oozes ‘I don’t give a shit and will run over your grandmother while she’s carrying presents for orphans’ vibes.He definitely doesn’t care what I or anyone else thinks about him.Well, maybe he cares what Ada thinks since, as he said yesterday, she’s his girl.I definitely don’t care about that.I don’t care about her anymore and I have never cared about this intimidating tower standing in front of me.

“I wouldn’t waste time on that if I were you.”

“Are you saying that you have already judged me so harshly that you can’t imagine your opinion ever-changing?”

Is he guilting me?

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