Karolina
Please, Bones. Give me a few minutes. I told you I’m at the library.
He simply forwards his earlier message:
Bones
Now or never, Karolina.
I can’t lose him.
My fingers shake slightly as I put in my headphones and connect the call.
A camera icon appears on my screen. Bones is requesting a video chat.
I wince and don’t accept the request.
Instead, I whisper, “I can’t do this right now. I’m sorry.”
“Not nearly sorry enough. Not yet.”
His gravelly voice is a balm to my frayed nerves, even as my pulse ratchets up a notch. I didn’t realize how much my heart ached over the loss of our relationship. Now that he’s speaking to me again, relief washes over me, despite my predicament.
“It’s good to hear your voice,” I admit quietly.
He doesn’t answer for a moment.
“Are you there?”
“I’m here, kitten.” His tone is still rough, but he’s softer now.
My phone buzzes. Another video call request.
I squeeze my eyes shut.
“Please…” I beg.
“You’ll get no mercy from me,” he warns. “Accept the call, Karolina.”
I swallow hard and obey. My screen remains stubbornly black.
“I can’t see you,” I say.
There must be something wrong with the connection.
“No,” he replies. “But I can see you. Your cheeks are the prettiest shade of pink right now. I should embarrass you for my amusement more often.”
Damn my body for reacting to that cruel taunt with a rush of lust.
“Are you alone right now?” he asks.
I cast a frantic glance around the reading area. “There are a couple of other students nearby.”
The young woman closest to me shoots me an annoyed glare for being on my phone, even though I’m barely breathing the words.
“Go find a quiet place.”
I shove my books into my bag. “I can be home in fifteen minutes.”