Bloodshed (Order of the Unseen, #1)(42)

Because the truth is… why would anyone still want me after already having me?





The smell of a bonfire travels through the late afternoon air. My hair blows freely in the wind, as I anxiously tuck a loose strand behind my ear. My black combat boots crunch through the leaves covering the grass.

Walking up the front steps to the Salem public library, a smile claims my face. One of my favorite places to escape the world around me. Clutching my notebook tight against my chest, my gaze roams the library as I look for a quiet place to sit.

My mind wanders, and I just can’t seem to get everything that happened last night out of my head. No matter how hard I try, I can’t stop thinking about them.

I’d do anything to take back my one-night-only condition.

Sitting down at the table in the back of the building, I lean back in my chair. Opening my favorite romance novel, I breathe in the fresh, crisp pages. Now, it’s not so much fiction to me like it was before.

I can now say that I’ve lived out my darkest fantasies, and I have no regrets.

Flipping to the page where my bookmark rests, goosebumps rise on my skin, and the hair stands up on the back of my neck.

“You really thought I could let you go?”

Suddenly, he steps into my view, and my heart flutters. “Ghost.”

He slips into the chair, sitting across from me at the table in what appears to be a manic frenzy. Hair disheveled, eyes wide, with dark bags beneath.

“I’ve been watching you from a distance for too long,” he breathes.

A strong blush settles on my face, until it hits me. “You’ve been watching me?”

He nods. “Yes, I have.”

“How?” I ask, my stomach immediately sinking. “For how long?”

“A while,” he bleakly responds.

My eyebrows knit together, and I draw in a long breath once I finally connect the dots. He had looked so familiar last night when he had first taken off his mask because I’ve seen him before. Mainly, on campus, but also on several other occasions.

At the park. The mall. Downtown Salem, lurking in the distance.

I’ve seen him all over.

“And after having you last night, I’m keeping what I want. You’re mine, little Quinn,” he slowly lets out. “Say it.”

Time seems to stop, and a sudden chill sweeps through me.

And without a doubt in my mind, I obey. “I’m yours.”

Reaching across the table at once, he takes the book from my grasp, sets my bookmark in place, and shuts it in front of me. He rushes to his feet and takes my hand. My heart races as he guides me toward the very back of the library, practically dragging me behind him.

The moment we are out of sight, he turns to face me and lifts me off the floor. I gasp, as he sets my ass onto a rack of books and eases my back against the bookshelf.

“I can’t wait any longer,” he admits, taking my face between his hands.

Our lips collide.

Ghost kisses me with everything in him.

There’s so much passion. The chemistry between us is intense. With one hand, he grips my thigh, while the other trails down my face slowly. He curves his fingers around my throat, and I arch my back, my body dissolving against his masculine frame.

He slips his tongue into my mouth, and I moan into the kiss, relishing the rich, lingering coffee on his breath. I inhale the scent of his intoxicating cologne. It ignites something inside of me, and I immediately find myself a hot, impatient mess, craving more.

I fist his jacket, clumsily, my hands trembling.

“Mmm,” he hums, kissing me deeply, the slight scruff of his face rubbing against my chin. My arms find their way around his neck, and I pull him against my chest, closing the space between us entirely. He takes my bottom lip between his teeth and softly bites down, his hands framing my face as he draws back his head, breaking our kiss.

His hauntingly beautiful and piercing blue eyes will surely be the end of me.

But I’m ready for oblivion.

He stares at me, and even though it’s only for a few seconds, it feels like an eternity.

Without wasting another moment, I take hold of the back of his head and bring him back, pressing an urgent kiss on his lips. Standing between my legs, he pushes his crotch into my pelvis. My thighs take him hostage. A feeling of warmth spreads across my cheeks, and a dull ache settles between my thighs.

His tongue brushes mine, and his fingers curve around my throat. His grip becomes tighter, threatening to cut off all oxygen. I lean into him, savoring the feeling of his masculine build against my petite frame.

“Oh,” a soft voice chimes in from somewhere beside us.

Breaking our kiss, I turn my head just in time to see a girl walking by. She abruptly stops and stares at me. I gasp, unsure how to react.

Although Ghost doesn’t show any signs of stopping. He presses his lips against my cheekbone, before grazing them along my jaw. He bucks his hips into me, craving the close proximity, while groaning sharply under his breath. Suddenly, I can feel his straining erection beneath his pants, his need for me evident, on full display for anyone nearby to observe.

Without warning, he slips his hand into my pants, and I freeze.

The girl’s eyes widen as she remains motionless. She continues to watch, entirely caught up in the show, unable to look away.

Shifting back on the bookrack, my legs spread involuntarily, granting him all the access he needs. When it comes to him, I simply can’t help myself.