Love Me in the Dark

KREW

One thing I loved about being away from the city, I could focus on things at hand, making my work a lot easier. I had my office all to myself without someone barging in, and no traffic to piss me off and waste my time.

Aside from the charities I supported, I found more ways to help in my own way and be the son Dad had raised me to be. When I met Anna and Caleb, I realized how fortunate I was to have certain privileges that others had not.

“Can I help?” River asked warily.

Still, I tried and overlooked the fact that we were going to live under the same roof together. I fought with Kai over the phone when I told him about the woman he wanted to buy her silence was with me, thanked my sister. Considering she was a Rouge, Kai became raving mad.

“Make yourself useful. Just don’t break anything.” I cooked in the kitchen once a week to help Anna feed her guests, and now I just found an annoying and hot as fuck partner in crime. Her kitchen was old-school to the stone oven she used. Anna was very hands-on and very particular with cooking styles. She used most of her spices from the herbs she planted in her garden. And I would like to think it helped save mother earth, not that I was an environmentalist.

“I don’t know you can cook,” River remarked.

“Then you don’t know anything about me. You should try to be a little bit less judgmental to someone you don’t know shit about.” I was a douche again, but that was the truth. She did judge me even though she apologized profoundly.

She silently picked up the knife.

“I hope you’re not planning on using that on me.”

Instead of answering me with her sass, she sliced some mushrooms in silence. I felt terrible that I couldn’t keep my lividness to myself. She did change my life, though, but I learned to forgive her a long time ago, and she never had to ask. I wasn’t also this douche. I used to keep my opinion to myself rather than sharing my emotions, but with her, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.

Still reveling in silence, she grabbed the bread and took the poor thing’s fate in her hands.

“If you wanna stay with me, and the fact that I’m now your boss, we should learn how to communicate. Don’t think for a minute that I would be lenient because you’re a friend of my sister. You’re now my employee, and you talk to me with respect when I am talking to you. That’s what an employee should do.”

“Yes, Mr. Selik.” Irritated countenance had crossed her beautiful feature. Call me Mr. Selik again, or you find your hands pinned above your head as I press you against this wall.

of three platters full

view around us. Up to this moment, I couldn’t shake off how beautiful her eyes were, so mesmerizing that I could get lost with a little effort. And how could I ever forget what we did in that break room? That was one of the boldest things I’d ever done in my life. I was supposed to ask her out and tell her what I knew, but things didn’t go as I planned when she was so gorgeous and showing

was like an angel back then, so delicate, pure, and innocent as she stared at me with those big blue eyes, then I took that opportunity handed to my on a silver platter—I kissed her. Here we go again. I

house, and still keeping

lot when it was only to waste my time and strength, but they said no man is an island. I just disagreed with people doing the work for me when I could do it on my own, or when someone made decisions for

a foodie, coffee lover, and disliked

the

to the screen of my laptop, but I could feel her checking out

this house with state-of-the-art surveillance. When I told her I would keep her safe, I meant every word I said. After I moved in here three years ago, I hired a company specialized in building a panic room to do

gain my trust first to know that kind of ultra-secure sanctuary in this house existed, unless it was

exactly the work you offered? My last job

“I know.”

could sense her

One big fat lie. But she didn’t have to know. “You’re a good girl. Not a single parking ticket? That's impressive. I wondered if it has something to do with the

think it’s

You screwed me once, and I won’t let that happen again.” Asshole move, Krew. Jesus, how did I turn to be so presumptuous? Mom would not be so happy with me for how I

bottom lip into her mouth. Damn, I’d love to be the one to do that. Christ! I shifted my gaze off of her, or I wouldn’t be able to drag it away any longer. River was like a Renaissance art. The more you kept it, the

royally, and I could feel her slipping through my fingers, but

at her picture like a warmth filling my chest—a surge of protectiveness imbued inside me.

something—to impress her. Yet here I was, tragically failing. Instead, I was pissing her

to impress

lying naked in my bed. It was not that she wanted

to search and watch your apartment