Page 13 of Craved By You
I blinked, disoriented. “Uh, sure,” I managed, the words feeling foreign on my tongue.
Well this is fucking random.
I didn’t know what kind of game we would be playing, but I’d read books, and the heat radiating from him made all of my senses ignite with a dangerous kind of anticipation.
“You have all of this space you can use to your advantage, sunshine. Use it.” Colt still hadn’t disclosed what we were doing, but by his instructions, it was definitely seeming like a game of hide and seek. “When I find you, you’ll officially be mine.”
“And if you don’t?”
Colt took in a whiff of my hair. “That isn’t going to be an option.”
Did I want him to find me? Yes.
Did I want to give him the satisfaction of winning that easily?Where would the fun be in that?
A fierce internal struggle started to rage within me. My mind screamed “restraint” while my lips told a different story as theytrembled with the urge to claim his in a twist that he would have never expected.
“A-and what does that entail?”
“I’m going to catch you, and then… I’m going to show you something you never knew existed. You’ll never want to belong to anyone else again.”
Bewilderment washed over me.What was he trying to say?
A surge of hope threatened to consume me, but I forced it down, reminding myself to be cautious. His presence was a battle against my own emotions, leaving me flustered and unable to focus on the task at hand.
Don’t get caught.
“I’ll give you a head start,” Colt informed me, with a sly grin.
I paused, hoping to buy some time. “How long?”
Ignoring my question, he held my gaze, his eyes burning into mine. He slipped the gas mask over his head. Then, in a deep voice barely above a whisper, he said… “Run.”
Chapter 8
Colt
Astrid took off, stumbling slightly in her haste. This was not how I had pictured our afternoon going.
Sure, Colt, just start off like this and let her see that you're crazy. She didn’t seem to fear me, though. From what I could tell, she was a combination of excited and confused. Fighting between right and wrong, and how quickly things were moving between us. If I had my way, she’d already belong to me. Frustration gnawed at me, but the sight of her eagerness mirrored my own feelings, and a smile touched my lips.
I pulled out my phone, checking the app to see what direction she was headed.
While I could rely entirely on my senses to find her in this giant warehouse, the app would help me expedite the search. I took the time to have it installed on her phone, I may as well get some use out of it.
Perfect, she’s making life easier.I watched as she rushed toward the area where I normally tortured my victims before Ikilled them. It was a good thing I always cleaned up thoroughly, otherwise, I could scare her off before we even started.
She’s going to look beautiful on my table.The mental image took over as I slipped my phone back into my pocket, the timer going off and letting me know it was time to begin the hunt. Slowly, I started meandering down the hall.
“You are my sunshine…” The words I sang echoed in slow motion down the dark passage as I got closer to where I figured Astrid had chosen to hide. The only issue was that she could hide in so many places in this wing. “My only sunshine…”
My mother used to sing this song to me as a child. It always made me feel better when I was afraid of the monsters hiding under my bed. Little did I know that one day, I would be the monster, watching others from the shadows.
I stopped, listening to the silence. Listening for any hushed breaths, footsteps, or anything else that could give her location away.????
Nothing.Damn, she’s good.
I continued moving forward, when I heard it. Nervous laughter came from behind me, followed by a gasp as I turned around.
