Page 47 of What I Should Have Known

He chuckled. “Kit Kat, I’m pretty sure you are the last person who can have an opinion on that.”

“And why’s that?” I sassed, dropping my hands to my hips.

“Because you’ve never had sex. I feel like that’s the bare minimum in this situation.”

“Okay, then if that’s the requirement, go get your fucking cinnamon toast butter or whatever and prove it.”

His mouth fell open in sync with mine. I slapped a palm over my own lips as he slowly looked away from me and pushed his jaw closed.

“Bernie, I—”

“Nah, you don’t get to take that back,” he immediately inserted, stepping toward me.

“You need to…” My heart raced like a hurricane. Heat roared warm on my skin as a dull pulsing erupted between my legs. “You have got to stop doing that.”

“Doing what?” he asked, taking another step toward me. His voice lowered; this deep raspiness rolling across his words had my stomach flipping.

“I say stuff I don’t mean to around you,” I hesitantly whispered.

He smirked again and closed the distance between us. His fingers captured my chin and he jerked my head back so he could stare directly into my eyes. “This is going to be really fun, Kit Kat.”

I swallowed stiffly. “W-w-why’s that?”

“Because, like I already told you, I get really obsessed over what I want. And what I want is you,” he replied, stepping into my body. “And I’ve been in your bedroom, Kit Kat. I know where you live. Where you sleep. I know what your house looks like, which floorboards on your stairs creak.”

All words slipped my mind, my tongue unable to form any coherent sentence as not a single thought tumbled through my mind. His mossygreen gaze long since shifted from its usual playful sparkle to that of something dark and depraved.

Whatever I’d agreed to had certainly become something I’d never expected. Whatever game we were playing, he was in complete control of it. And I wasn’t sure if I wanted to fight it or give in to it. I wasn’t sure what to think, or how to react. I wasn’t even sure what the game was.

His smirk widened, and he gently released his tight hold on my chin. “Now, what’s gonna be the excuse as to why we disappeared for, well, a rather long time?”

“I-I-I-You asked to see my horse and-and I showed you, like, the herd of cattle too,” I muttered, absolutely locked into whatever game he’d just started.

“Believable and simple,” he replied, taking a step back.

“And no one has to know about whatever this is,” I quickly said.

He chuckled, deeply. “And ruin all of the fun?”

“This isn’t just a game, Bernie,” I managed to snap at him.

“You asked for this,” he replied.

“Not a game!” I reiterated.

Bernie tipped his head. “I know, Kit Kat. Relax, we’re just two people getting to know each other. Two people who clearly want to fuck each other.”

“Oh my gosh, did you have to say it so crudely?” I gasped.

He reached forward and slipped an arm around my shoulders with a cheeky grin. “Come on.”

Rolling my eyes, I fell into step beside him as he tugged at the leash, urging Muffin forward.

“Oh,” he continued as we neared camp and paused. “Don’t say a thing about the situation with Wyatt. Let me do some digging. I can get away with shit as a newcomer.”

I nodded slowly as he dropped his arm from around me. “Go wash your face, Bottle Cap.”

“You too.” He winked and turned away.

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