Novel-novel oleh Cynthia James

I woke up with a start, the sunlight hitting my face much later than it was supposed to. I scrambled for my phone and groaned when I saw the time. I was late. Not just a little late, but "Professor Blackwood is going to kill me" late.I didn't even have time to think about Killian or the weird feeling of his leather vest against my back. I threw on a high-necked sweater to hide the mark, grabbed my bag, and sprinted toward the law building. My lungs were burning by the time I reached the hallway outside the lecture hall."Elena! Wait up!"I stopped, gasping for air, as Jax caught up to me. He looked cheerful, which was the last thing I needed right now."You missed the first twenty minutes," Jax whispered, leaning against the locker next to me. "Blackwood is in a mood today. He’s already torn three people apart for not knowing the case law.""Great," I muttered, trying to straighten my hair. "Just what I need."Jax laughed and reached out, playfully nudging m

The inside of the house was nothing like I expected. I thought it would be a messy warehouse full of beer cans and grease, but it was actually beautiful in a rugged way. The ceilings were high with thick wooden beams, and a large stone fireplace took up most of one wall. It felt solid. It felt like a place that could withstand the strongest wind.Killian didn't say a word as he led me into a massive kitchen. He pulled out a heavy wooden chair at the island and pointed at it."Sit," he said. It wasn't a suggestion.I sat. I watched him move around the kitchen. He said he prepared food, not I will watch him do it, I just laughed. He was so big that he made the room look small. He pulled a pan onto the stove and started cracking eggs. The smell of bacon soon filled the air, making my stomach growl loudly. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until that moment."Do you have a maid or something?" I asked, trying to break the heavy silence. "This place is way too clean for a

I stared at the screen of my phone, the text from "K" burning into my eyes. My heart was thumping so hard against my ribs that I could feel it in my throat. I looked across the wide grassy area of the courtyard, and there he was.Killian didn't look like he belonged at a university. He looked dangerous. He was leaning back, his thick arms crossed over his chest, just watching me. He wasn't hiding. He wasn't creeping around. He was just waiting."Just keep walking, Elena," I whispered to myself. "He’s just one guy. There are hundreds of people here. He won't do anything in public."I turned my back on him and started walking toward the student union. I tried to keep my pace normal, but my legs felt heavy, every few steps, I glanced over my shoulder.He was off the bike.He wasn't running, but his steps were so long that he was closing the gap between us effortlessly. He moved and people instinctively moved out of his way. Students stepped onto the grass just to avoid bumping into him.

I woke up before my alarm even had a chance to beep. The room was freezing, but my skin felt like it was on fire. I stayed under the covers for a long time, staring at the chipped white paint on my ceiling.My life felt like a joke. A week ago, my biggest worry was whether Marcus and I would ever be able to afford a real apartment after graduation. Now, Marcus was gone, and I was being hunted by three different men who looked like they stepped out of a nightmare and a magazine at the same time. I was a scholarship student with no money, a broken heart, and a weird glowing mark on my neck."Pathetic," I whispered to the empty room.I scoffed at myself, throwing the blankets back. I couldn't afford to be a victim. If I missed class or let my grades slip, I’d be back in the town I worked so hard to leave, working a dead-end job for the rest of my life.I stood in front of the bathroom mirror and peeled back the bandage I’d put over my neck. The skin was still tender, and the two puncture

It's been two days since the encounter with Silas and Alaric. I've tried hard to avoid Alaric but I feel like it's becoming impossible. I have a class with him tomorrow and I'm dreading it.The library parking lot was quiet and dark. It was nearly midnight, and my brain was fried from trying to memorize property laws, but mostly from trying to scrub the memory of Silas’s touch and Alaric’s voice out of my head.I just wanted to get to my car. I wanted to go to sleep and wake up as a normal girl again—the girl who didn't feel like her skin was on fire."Elena! Wait up!"I groaned, my shoulders dropping. Marcus was standing by my old car, looking smug. He’d clearly been waiting for me."I have nothing to say to you, Marcus. Move.""You think you’re so high and mighty now?" he spat, stepping into my path. He looked different, his eyes darting around. "I saw you getting into that silver car today. Who was that? Some rich sugar daddy? Is that how you’re paying for this semester?""It’s non

I spent the day walking around campus like a zombie. My neck wouldn't stop itching. Underneath the thick layer of concealer, the mark felt like a living thing, buzzing against my pulse. Does it still hurt, Elena?The way he’d said my name... it was driving me insane. I was a law student. I was supposed to be logical. He can say whatever the hell he wants to but I know it was him that night.I was so deep in my own head that I didn't hear the hum of the engine.I stepped off the curb near the university's main gate, my eyes glued to my textbook, when a screech of tires sliced through the air. I looked up, paralyzed, as a sleek, silver sports car—the kind that cost more than my life—swerved, missing my knees by a mere inch.I fell back onto the pavement, my books scattering everywhere."Oh my god! I am so sorry!"The car door swung open, and a man stepped out. For a second, my heart stopped. The height, the build, the sharp jawline—it was him.But then he stepped into the sunlight, and