Page 43 of Savage Hope

I’ve been consumed by this man since the moment I got here. I’ve already seen him naked, felt his dick pressed against my thigh. I’ve already imagined the feel of his lips. But what remains abundantly clear is he doesn’t know who I am.

I’m not the new girl with strikingly obvious silver hair who has been tainted by Florentine’s.

I’m simply a mystery.

I’m Midnight.

A virgin.

It's the truth. It's not something I'm in denial over. I am a virgin. Although, the way he touched me made me wish I wasn’t. Especially with the air of anonymity I seem to be wielding tonight.

Lincoln splutters, pressing his fingertips into his temples as he attempts to take a deep breath but fails miserably.

Rubbing my lips together nervously, I consider hightailing it out of here to avoid any further awkwardness as the silence stretches out between us, but as if sensing my thoughts, his eyes lock on mine.

“A virgin,” he murmurs, repeating my words like a curse on his tongue, and I grin. But any response from me is paused as he shakes his head. “That's not possible.”

I frown, tilting my head as I look at him. Even under the dim lights and shadows that cast over the party, his refusal to believe me is somewhat…cute. Yet I can’t help but wonder how he's come to that conclusion. Who would lie about something like that?

Parting my lips, the question runs over my tongue, but before it can meet the air, he's suddenly in my face again. His hands grip my cheeks, curling under my chin as he tilts my face to theperfect angle for him to look down at me. He searches deep in my eyes, pupils blown as he runs his tongue over his bottom lip.

“So, does that usually work on other men? Do you lure them under your midnight spell and tease them with a forbidden fruit?” His words are raspy, sending a shiver down my spine as I gape at him.

“Forbidden fruit?” I repeat, finally finding the ability to speak again, and he snickers like he's in on some kind of joke I’m unaware of.

“A girl like you, who looks like this, is definitely not a virgin.”

There’s a righteous look in his eyes. A defiance he has no right to be wearing.

I can't believe I'm having to defend myself right now, especially not over my virginity.

“And what, exactly, do I look like?” I ask, adrenaline swirling through my limbs as I jut my chin, silently challenging him and his apparent assessment of me.

He huffs, his fingers tightening around my face as the corner of his mouth tips up in a grin.

“Hot.”

The blush that creeps in this time sets my cheeks ablaze, sizzling even more as his breath blows over my face. “You say you’re a virgin, but you kiss like?—”

I snicker, bringing his observation to a halt as I watch him stare at my lips. “I didn’t realize being a virgin meant I hadn’t kissed someone before.” Damn, my voice is raspy too.

“It doesn’t,” he grunts, eyes still tracking my lips.

“Good, then to clarify, I’m a virgin who has kissed. A lot,” I reiterate, and his nostrils flare. I can’t decide if there’s a hint of irritation there, but it disappears quickly as his eyes find mine again.

They’re like bright beacons in the night. My eyes are blue, but his are like crystal-clear waters floating through the land offreedom. Something I’ve always wanted to see up close and in person, but I never thought it would be in this form. Not when I didn’t think I had a future.

“A virgin.” He breathes the words in disbelief, uncertainty still lilting his tone as I offer a single nod.

“A virgin,” I repeat for good measure, and it's like he hears me for the first time now. But to my surprise, he doesn't back away like he did before. He does, however, shake his head, disappointment rippling through him.

“I don't do virgins,” he grunts, and I can't help but smile, a move that seems to confuse him.

“And you won't be doing this one. That's what I've been trying to say this whole time.”

He blinks at me. Once, twice, three times, shuttering those crystal blues from my view before he tosses his head back with a laugh. His fingers remain planted against my skin as the hearty sound vibrates through me more prominently than the music filtering in from the party.

When his eyes finally meet mine again, there's a hint of wonder flickering behind them.

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