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"So it doesn’t irl or not?"

"Nope" I said, which was a huge lie since his flirting with her hat had caused me to wander off in the first place But he didn’t need to know that "You can flirt ho it You don’t sound very convincing In fact, you can’t even look at me when you say it"

I squirether and look over at hi with her or not"

He locked eyes with me "You don’t?"

"I don’t," I said, unable to break aze away from his

He raised his eyebrows "Whatever you say"

"I don’t" My voice sounded strangely high "I really don’t"

He suppressed a smile as he pulled the Jeep into the driveway His cocky attitude was really starting to get under my skin He was so sure of hi crush on him Which I didn’t I swear

Oh, whatever

As soon as he parked the Jeep inside the garage, I ju on a patch of ice I had to grab onto the door handle to catchto help Alex carrying in the groceries I was too irked to care

Thewas off The air felt heavy, puttinglooked fine The sliding back door was closed The lights were off I shook -to-kill-ht on and started for the rooo back there and take a nap Soht help me relax

As I passed the kitchen, the hairs on the back of ht up

"Hello Gemma," said a soft and melodious voice

I didn’t have to turn around to knoho that voice belonged to Nicholas--the creepy guy frorocery store

Before I could even atteht me by the waist and jerked me backward I openedme

"Shhh" Nicholas purred into hurt you"

Yeah, he couldn’t have sounded less convincing if he’d tried

Chapter 27

Soto anyone in the grocery store I still stood by what I said, though--it wasn’t my fault He’d co about it now Nicholas had e

I didn’t think he had a weapon on hith, which felt inhuet up to the cabin at seemed way too quick for any human to pull off Even if he’d driven, I still don’t think he’d have been able to beat Alex and me up here And besides, I hadn’t noticed a car parked anywhere, so I was guessing that he , like say, hh I couldn’t be sure since I had only the vaguest clue about other means of transportation besides by vehicle

Nicholas’s skin felt warainstwith electricity Nicholas’s was e smell to him, like lilacs mixed with forest and the freshly fallen rain The s, and I had to wonder if he’d recently stepped out of a rainforest

Breathing heavily against the pal of Alex’s footsteps heading up the cee There was a soft thurocery bags He took one look at us and the blood drained fros slid to the floor, and a tub of mayo rolled out of one of them For a second, we all just stared at it

Alex folded his arms across his chest "Okay, so who are you?"

Nicolas htly to his chest that I could feel his heart beating through my back, slow and rhythmically like the beat of a drum He didn’t answer Alex, and I found the quietness very unsettling

Alex stared Nicholas down, and I felt Nicholas let out a soft laugh, his grip onthe opportunity, I jabbed my elbow into his stoo of me

"I’m hurt that you don’t remember me, Alex" Nicholas’s voice dripped with sarcasm

Whoa Hold up Alex knew hinition slowly showing in his expression "Nicholas Harper"

"Aw, so you do remember me," Nicholas said with a hint of amusement "I’ irritated "What do you want?"

"Hers through , didn’t she?"

Okay That was it I’d had enough If Alex wasn’t going to do anything to get this guy off of radually lifted upand then kicked him in the shin as hard as I could, while at the sa the back of my head into his face

"Son of a--" he cursed and let go of me

Alex looked stunned as I sprinted over to hi as a barrier between Nicholas andhis nose He took a deep breath and shook his shoulders out like he was shaking rin "Wow, she’s quite the wild thing, isn’t she?"

Alex glanced over his shoulder atat his lips "Perhaps" He quickly shook his head, and his face fell into a dead serious expression as he turned back to Nicholas "Did you co? Or was it just so you could be annoying?"

Nicholas rolled his eyes "It’s aed a bit"

Alex sighed, losing patience "Just tell me what you want"

Nicholas held up his hands "Fine My word You have no sense of humor"