Page 11 of Savage Desire

“So where does this leave us?” he asks, and I tighten my fist around my coin as I desperately try to find the answer, but there isn’t one.

“As lost as we were before,” I admit, hating how true it is.

He shuffles closer, his fingers tightening around my leg as his eyes widen on a plea. “We don’t have to be lost alone, Polaris.”

My gut twists at his words, hope blossoming deep inside of me, but I can’t forget his words from moments ago.

“But you don’t trust me.”

“Do you trust me?” he retorts, giving me a pointed look.

I gape at him for a beat before I sigh. “I don’t know you.”

“Exactly, but you could get to know me,” he insists, and my bottom lip wobbles despite my best efforts to act as unfazed as possible.

“I thought that’s what we were working toward,” I mumble, brushing a loose tendril of hair back off my face.

“We were,” he states, his hand clasping tighter now. “We are,” he corrects, stretching his free hand in my direction. “Pinky swear it with me.”

I frown at him, staring at his little finger as he waves it at me insistently. “What?”

“Pinky swear,” he repeats, curling his finger around mine tightly. “You can’t break it,” he states.

“Why?” I ask as he peers deep into my eyes, leaving me exposed before him.

“Because it will break my heart.”

I gulp as I nod, not entirely sure what it is I’m agreeing to, but it seems with him, I’m willing to agree to anything.

After a few moments, he smiles, releasing my little finger from his as he unfortunately lets go of my ankle too.

“What now?”

“Now, we eat because it’s dinner time and you’ve slept the day away,” he states, rising from the bed, and I instantly shake my head.

“I don’t want to go anywhere,” I blurt, but he ignores me as he heads to the door. He opens it like it’s his room to reveal Bryony on the other side with what looks like a pizza box in her hands. She offers me a reassuring smile as she steps over the threshold, kicking her shoes off as she nears my bed.

I have no idea what’s going on until Tatum is hovering over me, fists coiled on either side of me as he stares straight into my eyes again.

“See you tomorrow,” he murmurs, another statement that leaves no room for argument.

Despite the nerves bundling tight inside of me, I nod. “Tomorrow.”

He taps his cheek and I instantly sink my teeth into my bottom lip as my face heats. He angles his head, waiting patiently, and before I can think twice about it, I cut the distance, pressing my lips against his soft skin for the briefest second before he’s gone.

It’s like a whirlwind; one moment he’s there, the next he’s not, and the door is closed behind him. If Bryony wasn’t sitting beside me with a gaping grin on her face, I would have believed it was all in my head.

“Girl, why do I get the feeling you’re entwined in a whole heap of trouble?” she asks as she opens the box to reveal a Margherita pizza, and I sigh, unable to hide from the truth.

“Because I am.”

5

POLARIS

“Polaris, I swear, you look exactly the same, as gorgeous as ever. Now, we need to leave before breakfast is over,” Bryony complains, giving me a pointed look from her spot by the door. She folds her arms over her chest for good measure and I sigh.

“Don’t try and give me cute compliments like that just so you can get me out the door. I feel… weird,” I grumble, tugging at the neckline of my oversized black hoodie. I know I’m using it as some ridiculous attempt to shield myself from everyone, but it feels like I’m failing. Massively.

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