Page 17 of Boyfriend From Hell
Fast.
“We’re almost there,” Raios stated, still holding me firmly to his frame. “The entrance is going to be unpleasant, so sorry ‘bout that—”
The taste of iron coated the back of my throat, my scream fading into nothing more than a hoarse wail.
Raios slid a calm hand to the back of my head, gently pressing me against his chest as if to comfort me.
My heart threatened to seize and stop at any moment, while my mind struggled to grasp the sensation of falling into nothingness.
A rush of warmth covered my face before slowly engulfing my body, the smell of smoke and lavender filling my nostrils. Before I could even process his words, reality winked out, and I was swallowed whole—mind, body and soul––by darkness.
That’s it, this had to be some messed-up, wine-induced dream. Maybe I never even left my apartment. Maybe I was still curled up on the couch, sleeping off my drunken night with a stranger.
I did nearly drain that entire bottle of wine.
Yea, that had to be it.
Heat warmed my face. Despite my eyes being closed, I could feel the sun trying to rouse me from my sleep with its bright rays.
I don’t think I’ve ever slept this well in my entire life.
I burrowed my head deeper into the pillow, reveling in its softness, not daring to open my eyes just yet, refusing to give my brain the satisfaction of fully waking up.
Still, I knew I needed to lay off on the wine for a while. Whatever alcohol-induced nightmare that was last night…I’m good on that.
Footsteps echoed somewhere nearby, causing my feeble heart to flutter.
That dream had been the longest, most realistic nightmare I had ever experienced.
The footsteps grew closer and the desperate, sleep-clouded part of my brain echoedFelix.
The soft click of the door opening whispered through the room, and before he even cleared his throat, a goofy smile had already spread across my lips.
Giddy with excitement and irrational hope, I rustled free from the sheets and shot upright, all previous anger toward him—as always—washed away.
I popped up from the sheets like a prairie dog—and what greeted me was nothing familiar.
My stomach dropped.
A cold sweat broke out across my skin, as my eyes locked onto a man in a finely tailored navy suit whose hair was slicked back tight against his scalp. His eyes widened a fraction as thoughIhad startledhim.
I pinned him with a glare, feeling like a deer in headlights. He awkwardly stretched his arms out to rest what looked to be a silver platter onto a dresser beside him, the cloche glinting in the light.
Terror began creeping its way into my body and my heart became a jackhammer in my chest as my surroundings sunk in. I glanced down and pulled the covers up to my chest. Holy shit,holy shit!Reality closed in around me as my brain caught up to speed. This wasn’t a dream.
Leave it to me to think, even for a second, that Felix had magically reappeared in my life. I don’t know how my brain even tried to convince me of that. Irritation simmered within me now, shoulder checking the previous terror.
Raios took me.
“Who the hell are you?” I barked.
If looks could kill, I hoped the one I was giving him would knock him right on his prim-and-proper-dressed ass.
The man stared at me for a moment as his body visibly tensed from my tone. His eyes darted around the room, making it abundantly clear he was trying to look anywhere and everywhere other than at me. A flush of pink crept across his cheeks, but he said nothing. Without hesitation, he spun on his heels and bolted for the door.
“Hey!” I yelled after him, but the door had closed behind him with a rushedthump.
I took a moment to scan the room once more, trying to recount the last…hour? Few hours? Thick curtains hung in several places, their folds allowing golden slivers of light to slip through the gaps.
