Page 8 of Hush Little Martyr, Don't You Scream
“Okay,” I agreed cautiously. “Sorry. Partying isn’t really my scene.”
“That’s okay. We can go in at your own pace.”
I shot him a grateful smile and hesitantly stepped through the door with Felix right on my heels. When the door clicked shut again, it was like a gunshot going off in the dead of night. It didn’t help that it was pitch black in here either.
After a few seconds, the lights came on, blinding me in the process.
The breath seeped from my lungs, my eyes widening in response. There were rows upon rows of bookshelves adorning the entire room. This place was insane.
“Holy shit,” I muttered under my breath.
“My mom’s a book fan too. I can show you her reading nook if you’d like.”
All I could do was nod in response. I’d died and gone to heaven. It was the only plausible explanation.
Felix whipped out his phone and typed on it for a second before returning it to his pocket. “Come on,” he urged, placing a gentle hand against my lower back.
When we reached the nook, the urge to nerd out nearly overpowered me. There was a large couch with a coffee table positioned before it, and bookcases surrounding the space to make it more secluded.
“What kind of books do you like to read?” he inquired, stepping away from me.
“Horror and thrillers mostly.” I shrugged, a small smile tugging at my lips.
A thoughtful expression overtook his features. I watched as he walked off until he disappeared around one of the bookshelves.
When he returned, he had a book in his hand. He offered it to me, which I reluctantly accepted. It was a hardback with a gorgeous cover and felt amazing pressed beneath my fingertips.
“You want to sit down?” he pressed, motioning toward the couch.
I’d much rather be in here than out there with all those people. Plus, there were books. If Felix wasn’t here, I’d probably sit here for hours checking them all out.
“Yeah, sure.” The tension slowly seeped from my shoulders as I made my way over to the couch and lowered myself onto it.
He joined me moments later and I could feel the heavy weight of his gaze as he quietly assessed me. Glancing down at the book,I opened it, excitement sparking through me when it made that crinkling sound. Either his mom hadn’t read this one yet, or she took really good care of it.
Turning the page, I quietly skimmed over the dedication before moving onto the prologue.
When Felix’s body heat became more potent, I tightened my grip around the book and forced myself to focus. There was no way I was going to allow myself to get caught in his gaze.
He started to lean in, his breath tickling the side of my neck before his lips closed in on the sensitive flesh. My heart lurched into my throat, a current of contradicting emotions slamming into me. His hand dropped to my bare thigh, his fingers treading dangerously close to slipping up my black skirt.
At last, I turned toward him. I wasn’t sure if it was a mistake or not. He pulled away slightly, our faces inches apart. The heat in his gaze seemed to build and build, captivating me as I watched it swirl through his irises.
He reached forward, cupping the side of my face with his hand before smashing his lips against mine. The kiss was a little sloppier than expected, but I chalked that down to his urgency. With his other hand, he rested it along the curve of my hip and pulled, closing any remaining distance that might have been there before.
Shuffling sounded from beyond, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. I abruptly pulled away, horrified by what I’d just done. I didn’t go around kissing random boys, and definitely not football players.
“S-sorry,” I stuttered nervously. “I have to go.”
I closed the book and placed it down on the coffee table before rising on shaky legs.
“I thought we were having fun.” He frowned, shoving a hand through his dark hair to push it back.
“Sorry,” I repeated.
I turned my back on him and started toward the exit. But something warm and hard collided with my back before I could even make it a foot away. Felix’s arm slipped around my chest, his hand closing in on my throat. The other one banded around my waist, holding me in place.
“Felix.” I gasped, fear coiling through my stomach.
