Read Online Closer: A Novella by Dannika Dark - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dannika Dark
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instinctively dragged down to her lips. Kane thought about leaning in and finding out how soft her mouth really was, and if it tasted as sweet as it looked. His mind swam with provocative images of kissing her so deeply that she would know to whom she belonged. He gave himself a snap with a mental rubber band and discouraged the thought; he’d never sought that kind of claim on a woman and it didn’t make sense to allow that idea into his head now, given the circumstance. It’s not real , he kept telling himself, and she’s not mine .
He admired the curve of her neck and licked his lips as he thought about pressing a kiss against her shoulder.
There he went again, distracting himself.
A laugh rumbled in his chest like thunder. It was a good thing that she couldn’t read his mind.
“What’s so funny?” She smiled a little, waiting for his answer.
“Nothing. I was just thinking about how we met.”
Chapter 5
No one had ever used her name in the intimate way that Kane did, and Carrie loved the way the vowels rolled off his tongue . He carried an air of confidence about him that was attractive—one that had nothing to do with his looks, and everything to do with being an honorable man that you could count on to do the right thing. Kane didn’t have the body of a fighter, but he had taut ropes of muscle in his arms and an air of assuredness whenever he spoke. Carrie felt protected in his strong arms.
Safe. As if he could keep anything bad from happening to her.
He also smelled good, which didn’t make any sense. They were inside her head, so only things derived from her own memories should be detectable. Yet when she buried her nose against his chest, his scent was dark and heady. It wrapped around her mind and body as if it had complete control.
The room chilled and she curled around his warm body like a python.
Kane was more than a flame; he was a torch in the darkness.
It seemed like hours had crawled by when he left her alone again to try to wake her up. What if he never came back? Who could blame him? Trapped inside the head of a soon-to-be dead girl sounds like a great way to spend an evening. Maybe it was too much for her to expect such intimate companionship from a stranger.
Watching the dwindling hours of her life tick away with every breath was agony. At least she didn’t own any pets to worry about; the only things that depended on her were a few ferns. Then the thought of Jesse looking for her gifts on the balcony made Carrie sad. The longer she thought about it, the madder she became.
Mad and scared. It was the kind of fear that made a person feel insignificant and powerless. At least she was able to fight against the man who tried to take her life—but how could she fight inevitability?
Carrie paced the quiet room and tried to listen beyond the walls. The air licked at her skin like a sheet of ice. She slid down the wall and pulled her legs up, hugging her knees.
Alone. Kane had left her and she was going to sit in here by herself until she went crazy or slowly died. She hadn’t felt so abandoned since her father’s disappearance.
“Caroline? Could you hear me?”
Tears spilled from her eyes when Kane reappeared.
“No, it isn’t working and you keep leaving me.” Shivers embraced her like a cold lover.
Kane’s brow pinched in the middle, leaving a deep crease. When he disappeared again, Carrie put her head down on her knees and squeezed her legs tightly. What if she couldn’t wake up?
Several minutes elapsed. When Kane returned, his arms wrapped around her like two protective shields. He wasn’t just holding her; he was enveloping her with his warmth.
“Since we’re in your head, why don’t you imagine a couch to sit on with lots of blankets? You don’t have to freeze to death in here; build a fire.”
She loved his voice; the rich vibration when he spoke made it easy to believe anything he said. It soothed her like a crackling fire and she wanted him to keep
He admired the curve of her neck and licked his lips as he thought about pressing a kiss against her shoulder.
There he went again, distracting himself.
A laugh rumbled in his chest like thunder. It was a good thing that she couldn’t read his mind.
“What’s so funny?” She smiled a little, waiting for his answer.
“Nothing. I was just thinking about how we met.”
Chapter 5
No one had ever used her name in the intimate way that Kane did, and Carrie loved the way the vowels rolled off his tongue . He carried an air of confidence about him that was attractive—one that had nothing to do with his looks, and everything to do with being an honorable man that you could count on to do the right thing. Kane didn’t have the body of a fighter, but he had taut ropes of muscle in his arms and an air of assuredness whenever he spoke. Carrie felt protected in his strong arms.
Safe. As if he could keep anything bad from happening to her.
He also smelled good, which didn’t make any sense. They were inside her head, so only things derived from her own memories should be detectable. Yet when she buried her nose against his chest, his scent was dark and heady. It wrapped around her mind and body as if it had complete control.
The room chilled and she curled around his warm body like a python.
Kane was more than a flame; he was a torch in the darkness.
It seemed like hours had crawled by when he left her alone again to try to wake her up. What if he never came back? Who could blame him? Trapped inside the head of a soon-to-be dead girl sounds like a great way to spend an evening. Maybe it was too much for her to expect such intimate companionship from a stranger.
Watching the dwindling hours of her life tick away with every breath was agony. At least she didn’t own any pets to worry about; the only things that depended on her were a few ferns. Then the thought of Jesse looking for her gifts on the balcony made Carrie sad. The longer she thought about it, the madder she became.
Mad and scared. It was the kind of fear that made a person feel insignificant and powerless. At least she was able to fight against the man who tried to take her life—but how could she fight inevitability?
Carrie paced the quiet room and tried to listen beyond the walls. The air licked at her skin like a sheet of ice. She slid down the wall and pulled her legs up, hugging her knees.
Alone. Kane had left her and she was going to sit in here by herself until she went crazy or slowly died. She hadn’t felt so abandoned since her father’s disappearance.
“Caroline? Could you hear me?”
Tears spilled from her eyes when Kane reappeared.
“No, it isn’t working and you keep leaving me.” Shivers embraced her like a cold lover.
Kane’s brow pinched in the middle, leaving a deep crease. When he disappeared again, Carrie put her head down on her knees and squeezed her legs tightly. What if she couldn’t wake up?
Several minutes elapsed. When Kane returned, his arms wrapped around her like two protective shields. He wasn’t just holding her; he was enveloping her with his warmth.
“Since we’re in your head, why don’t you imagine a couch to sit on with lots of blankets? You don’t have to freeze to death in here; build a fire.”
She loved his voice; the rich vibration when he spoke made it easy to believe anything he said. It soothed her like a crackling fire and she wanted him to keep
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