Page 12 of Craved By You
“Astrid.” He had barely said my name in the time that we been talking, but the way it rolled off of his tongue was pleasing to my ears.
I responded, using the same tone, challenging him. “Colt.”
“I want to know everything about you, sunshine. The things that make you get up in the morning, the reasons your heart is hesitant when it comes to love, and the way your naked body feels when it’s pressed against mine.”
“And my favorite color?” I stared at him as he pondered how he was going to answer.
“And, yeah,I guessyour favorite color,” he responded with a chuckle. “Which is neon green, by the way, but you like to tell people it’s clear for fun.”
The response surprised me. “How did you-”
“Lucky guess.” Colt seemed content with his response. “Let’s get out of here, I want to show you something.”
???
The car ride was strangely silent after our non-stop bantering at the coffee shop. If looks could kill, I would be dead on the floor with the way that Sarah stared at me as Colt and I left together, hand in hand. When we arrived at his car, he opened up the passenger door, kissed my hand, and waited until I sat down and adjusted into the seat before he shut it again. No one had ever done that for me before. After that, there was nothing aside from his hand never leaving my thigh until we arrived at a large abandoned building in the middle of nowhere.
Trees breezed by while Colt’s car drove through the twists and turns of the road. I had never explored this part of town, so my silence was more taking in the scenery, and I didn’t want to distract him too hard from the drive. However, seeing where we ended up, I definitely began to question whether or not I should have tried a little harder to convince him not to kill me.
“Welcome to The Shack!” Colt announced while putting his car in park. “What do you think?”
I leaned forward and looked at the massive warehouse. “This looks like more than just a shack.” My voice wavered. “Are we supposed to be here?”
Colt rumbled. “You think I would invite you on an adventure to trespass, sunshine?”
“Well, Ithoughtyou were going to take me to see someplace special, not your murder house.” I smarted off.
“You’re right, this murder housedoesbelong to me.” He smirked.
Either he has a fucked up sense of humor, or I am really bad at choosing guys.I let out a weary breath.
Colt seemed to be able to sense my worry, and he immediately took my hand. “Listen, my house is about two miles up the road.” Like that was supposed to make me feel better. “I wanted to purchase the land around it so that there was no chance of anyone building up the area with residences and businesses. I made an offer and the owner accepted almost instantly. What once was a meat processing facility is now a place where I can store some of my belongings until I expand on my home, a place for the band to get together and play, and space for people to rent out for various things.”
I felt relief when I heard him explain that this warehouse wasn’t some dingy abandoned property, but even after hearing the words come from his mouth I still had uncertainty milling about in my head.
“There’s a pool table inside.” He gestured toward the door. “And I could probably muster up more coffee if you need it.”
I giggled. “Well, now you’ve discovered the way to my heart.”
“That was easier than I expected,” he responded with confidence as he took my arm in his and escorted me to the door, opening it for me.
My apprehension vanished the moment I stepped inside. Gone was the unsettling exterior and in its place was a vibrant, high-tech wonderland. Colorful LEDs and neons lit up the space which consisted of a pool table, arcade games, a coffee bar, and a cozy seating area. It was beautiful and welcoming, unlike the outside.
“Wow.” I spun around and gestured to the welcoming area. “Thisis not what I expected.”
“Like I said, I have people who like to rent this space out on occasion - whether for podcasts or photo shoots - when we aren’t practicing, so I wanted to be sure it was a welcoming environment when they entered. Let me show you the rest.”
“You nailed it.” I continued to look around as we moseyed deeper into the warehouse. Colt showed me rooms where podcasts would be recorded, and the room they used as their recording studio. It was an impressive place and Colt had done well. Once we left the comforts of the business-type environment, things started to feel a bit darker and sinister no matter how protected I felt being next to Colt. “What’s back here?”
The darkness seemed to intensify the blue of his eyes, making them appear almost black. “I told you I wanted to show you something,” Colt mentioned. Leaving me standing there as he stepped back into one of the rooms, re-emerging with what looked to be a gas mask.
“So youaregoing to murder me. Cool, cool,” I tried to respond calmly, but my breath gave me away with its shaking.
Colt released a guttural sigh. “Listen sunshine, I am not going to hurt you in any way you don’t want me to. While I may own you, there are some ways that you are still in control.”
??“Colt.” I hesitated, again. “You don’t own me.”
“Yet.” He slammed me against the wall, his hand bracing against my neck. My head tilted back as he lowered his. Instead of claiming my lips, he whispered against my jaw, his breath hot and ragged which sent shivers down my spine. “Do you want to play a game?” he asked in a husky voice.
