Page 40 of The Cruelest Chaos

He looks about my age, and he’s wearing a tight grey sweater that shows the muscles of his arms. I’m taller than him, but he’s bigger than me.

I can guarantee I know which of us is angrier, and it damn sure isn’t him.I’m always angry, asshole.

“I was just checking on you, but so fucking what if Iwasfollowing you?” I step closer to her and Connor steps closer to me, but I don’t give a shit. “There’s not a fucking thing you can do about it,kid.”

Her brows furrow, freckles on her face vivid against her pale skin. She’s fucking pissed.

The feeling is mutual. And I don’t even know why I want to shove her against this shed and fuck her right here. Maybe do something obscene with those goddamn carrots in her hand.

Connor brushes his shoulder against mine and I think I’m going to fucking flip out.

But Ella turns to him. “It’s okay,” she assures him. She drops his hand, offers him the carrots and puts her hand on his shoulder.

I want to rip it off.

“I’ll be in soon, okay?”

Connor’s expression softens as he looks at her, his brows flicking up.

She nods. “I’m sure.”

Connor glares at me one last time and then he stalks off toward the house.

Ella sighs, blowing a few stray hairs out of her eyes and turns to me. She folds her arms across her oversized orange hoodie, like for hunting or some shit. It doesn’t look like her dark ‘I’m-In-the-Dead-Poet’s-Society’ clothes I first saw her in, but it’s smudged with dirt and probably shit, so I guess that’s why she’s wearing it.

“What do you want, Maverick? You check up on all your one-night stands like this?”

I step closer to her.

She backs into the shed doors, and the Guinea pigs go wild.

I don’t touch her, but I’m nearly close enough to feel her tits against me.Nearly.

“You let all your one-night stands hit you, Ella?” I ask her, my words soft, meant for her alone. But I don’t give a fuck who sees me out here. I don’t care if Connor comes charging at me. I’ll break his neck and feed him to the fucking Guinea pigs in that shed.

Ella bites her lip, her pale face turning pink. I don’t think I’ve seen her blush yet quite like this and it feels…good.I wonder what else would make her blush.

“Come to my house.”

She shakes her head, eyes darting down. “No, I can’t—”

“Your mom isn’t gonna care, Ella.”

Her eyes come to mine, her lips parted as she sucks in a breath. “How do you—”

I nod toward the shed at her back, but don’t explain myself.

She doesn’t say anything, just stares at me, her expression unreadable.

I lean in close, my mouth against her ear. She smells like Guinea pigs, too, but I don’t fucking care. “I’ll cook for you. I’ll fuck you. You’ll sleep in my bed. I’ll take you home tomorrow.”

She breathes in. Out. I can nearly hear her pulse, this close to her neck.

“I have to finish here—”

“No, you don’t, Ella. You have to do what I say.”

She takes a deep breath. I wonder if she’s going to slap me again.