Read Online Base Nature by Sommer Marsden - Free Book Online Page A

i o l e nc e . He tast e d like salt and s e x and wil d n e ss. He g r o wl ed , lit er ally g r o wl e d and th e n p u ll e d b ack, p u shi n g h e r fl u sh and kis s ing h e r ha rde r than the fi r st tim e .

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    He came b ack f r o m the b ath r oo m with an e xt r a b lank e t. T he man had a sh ee t o n h is bed —in O ct o ber . He dr ap e d it o v e r h e r and t u ck e d h e r in like she was s o m e thing small and p re ci o u s. L iv cl o s e d h e r e y e s f o r a m o m e nt f ee ling l o o k e d aft er , a w h o lly f o re ign f ee ling since chil d h o o d wh e n h e r m o th e r w o u ld t u ck h e r i n at n ight. “I g ue ss y o u d o n ’ t g e t c o ld m u ch?”
    T he be d s a gg e d u n de r his w e ight. He d i d n ’ t l o o k that h e avy bu t the o ld sp r ings p r o t e st e d as if he w e igh e d a t o n. “N o t s o m u ch. I t ’ s a w o lf th i ng.” G a rre tt b l e w o u t a sigh a nd e v e n s e x - dru nk and e xha u st ed , L iv c o u ld s e e that he was w o rr i ed .
    “W h y ’ d y o u t e ll m e ? W h y sh o w me that? I w o u ld think that the f e w e r p e o ple who
     

    k n o w the be tt e r . A t l e ast f r o m y o u r stan d p o i nt.” T h e n she f e lt st u pid and wish e d she c o u ld s u ck the w o rd s b ack in. W hy p u t w o rr i e s in his h e ad i f th e y w ere n ’ t th er e to be gin with?
    “ D o n ’ t w o rr y a b o u t it,” G a rre tt sai d , c ur ling hi m s e lf a r o u nd h er . She b ask e d in h i s h e at, h e r b o d y still th r o wing o ff little b lips o f pl e as ur e like a car e ng i ne ticking and p o pping as it c oo ls. “I was f re tting and I d o n ’ t k n o w.”
    “ D o n ’ t kn o w what?” L iv t ur n e d o n h e r s i d e to face h im. T u cking h e r h e ad u n de r h is chin to g e t cl o s e r t o him and al s o so s he w o u l d n ’ t have t o l o o k at him. H e r h e a r t was fl o u n der ing r ight a b o u t n o w at the wh o le u n e a r n e d t ru st thing. She t ru st e d E ll e n, h e r m o th er , h e r b o ss, a f e w s e l e ct f r i e n d s. K e vin had bee n the st r aw that br o ke the f r agile gi r l ’ s b ack and n o w she t ru st e d this man f o r n o appa re nt re as o n.
    “I d o n ’ t k n o w w hy I t o ld y o u . I j u st d i d .” He t u gg e d h e r cl o s e r and L iv l e t h im. She p re ss e d h e r e ar to his h e a r t b e at and list e n e d to him bre at h e . H e r e y e li d s fl u tt e r ed , wanting to s h u t, bu t s he want e d t o talk to him. F ig ur e this o u t.
    “ T h er e has to b e a re as o n,” she l a u gh ed . E v e n as she la u gh e d she t ur n e d the q ue sti o n o n h er s e lf. T h er e h ad t o b e a re as o n why she t ru st e d him. Was it s imply his r o u gh-an d -t u m b le e nt r y into h e r h o u se to bo o t K e vin o u t? T he alpha h er o r o le that w e nt o n to sh o w c o mpass i o n. No ang e r o r r age wh e n she sta bbe d him with the tw ee z er s. “Wait! I sta bbe d y o u with silv er! ” She sat u p th e n, the b lank e t f e ll away, h e r r o b e flyi n g o p e n. T he chilly air e m br a c e d h e r and h e r sk i n p ebb l e d with g o o se bu mps in an instant.
    G a rre t t g r i nn ed , ch u ckli n g. “ Y o u d i d . M y Go d , it ’ s a mi r acl e , w h y a re n ’ t I de a d! ” He cl u tch e d his ch e st, r o lling f ro m si d e to s i d e like a b ad act o r in a w o r se m o vi e . She swa t t e d him o n the ch e st, s n o r ting. L iv r o ll e d h e r e y e s bu t he w e nt o n . “ O h the h o rr o r . T he dre a d . I’ m…” He g asp ed , r o ll e d to face h e r s t ill g r in n ing. “ I’ m n o t g o i n g to make it, L iv. G o o n wit h o u t m e . T e ll the ch i l dre n…”
    H i s face w e nt f r o m h u m o r t o dre ad in a s e c o n d . L iv s h o o k h e r h e a d , c o nf u s ed . “What? W hat d id I d o ?”
    “W h y d o y o u always think it ’ s y o u , O livia?”