Page 289 of Midnights
But I'm not staying here. So that’s all it can be.
A long, scalding shower does absolutely nothing to clear my head. If anything, it makes it worse, because now I'm warm, restless, and dangerously aware of what I really want.
I yank a brush through my hair, throwing my dress back on—because it’s all I have. The estate is too quiet and it’s almost unsettling.
When I reach the kitchen, it’s empty. No coffee cups, no half-finished breakfast, nothing.
I wander down the hall, checking the rooms I’ve already been in, but there’s still no sign of them. Which is weird. Where would they have gone?
The library's my best guess. If he’s not in there, maybe I’ll try his office—assuming I remember how to find it. My footsteps echo in the silence, and I can feel the restless energy crawling under my skin.
My phone buzzes in my hand, making me jump and my heart skips up a beat when I see Kane’s name on the screen.
Kane: You’re getting warmer …
I freeze, looking up from my phone.
The hallway's empty. No sign of him, nothing but my pulse hammering in my ears. He’s obviously here or he wouldn’t know that I’m gettingwarmer.I feel the unmistakable weight of his presence pressing against my skin, winding around me like a predator circling its prey.
I force my shoulders to stay loose, even though every nerve in my body tightens knowing he’s watching me.
I roll my eyes. “Stalker.”
Knowing him, he’s close enough that he can probably hear me too.
I move forward, fingers clamped tight around my phone like it's going to do me any good.
“Where are you?”
I scan the hallway again, and my nerves won't sit still. My eyes keep darting to the archways like he's going to pop out at any second.He could be anywhere.
“I donotlike this game, just so you know.” My tone's sharper, irritation threading through every word. I really hate hide and seek. Still, I inch forward, even with my stomach knotting tight.
“When I find you,” I mutter under my breath. “I’m going to punch you.”
The second the words leave my mouth, my phone goes off again, making me jump. My nerves wind tighter with every step.
One glance at the screen and my stomach drops at his reply.
Kane: Don’t tease me with a good time, Princess.
Fuck.
My phone's seconds away from snapping in my hand. My thighs press together like that'll help the little self control I have left. One fucking text and I'm already wet enough for him to slide right in.
I don’t have time for this.
I need to find him, not stand here like an idiot, burning from the inside out. But damn it, he knows exactly how to wind me up, exactly where to push, and exactly how to pull the thread as tight as can be without ever snapping it.
I move down the hall, keeping my shit together, even though my body's not getting the memo.
Another buzz has me rolling my eyes.
Kane: Left or right, sweetheart? Choose wisely.
My lips part as I snap my head up, scanning the empty hall. If I wasn’t sure he was watching, I am now. I can feel the weight of his stare sliding over me and my grip tightens on the phone.
That arrogant, smug, infuriating—
