Crimson Groves Read Online Free Page B

percent. Good boys and girls!
    When I was finally ready to leave, I grabbed my oversized black purse out of the cabinet and headed out of the bar with a heavy heart. Bronx never came back. I’d probably never see him again. I let out a deep sigh and walked out the door. Bronx was there, leaning against a streetlight. It shone on his face, illuminating his deep, dark eyes. A thin crimson ring wrapped around his pupils. That wasn’t there before. What was it? I stepped closer, straining to see him better. A hazy wave swooped over me and I forgot what I was doing.
    He was beside me. I hadn’t seen him move. He pulled my arm against his chest, intertwining it with his. His shirt was soft on my skin, his body hard, solid, and cool underneath. “Sorry I left unannounced,” he said, voice deep, very resonate. “There was something I needed to do before I could walk you home.”
    My mind struggled with a barrage of thoughts, both cautious and reckless all at once. But then they were all gone, emptied out. “That’s okay. I’m glad you made it back to walk with me.” I crooked my head up, looking up, his face darkened by shadows.
    He gave my arm a tight squeeze and let go. He gently grabbed my shoulders, his face lowering toward mine. I took a deep breath, held it in. His lips were there. I could see them through the darkness. They brushed across my forehead, down to my cheek. They were plump, cool, moist. They inched toward the edge of my face, hovering between my neck and ear. “Shall we get going?” he asked.
    I nodded, couldn’t speak, like my throat was squeezed shut.
    He put his arm around me, pulling me against him, and then guided me down the sidewalk. Most of the shops were closed—lights out, dark inside. The streetlamps were lit, giving just enough light to see a small area around them. I looked up at the black, velvety sky. A few bright stars were scattered across it. The moon, with its wide arc of craters, looked like a smiling Cheshire cat. I guess this wasn’t a good night for walking with Bronx. A moonless night would be at least a week away.
    His grip around me tightened. It felt really good, a little cool, but strong and secure. I started getting crazy feelings of doing just about anything for him. All he would have to do was ask, and I would jump at the opportunity to make him proud of me. I smiled, pulling myself closer against Bronx’s chest, relieved and reassured.
    Our feet moved as one as we walked. His fingers stroked my hair to the side, softly and gently. We came up to the gated entrance of my neighborhood, “The Groves”. A small silver box hung on a brick wall beside the gate. Bronx punched in a code and the iron gate swung open. “You know my code?” I asked, astonished.
    “I live here too.”
    I started to panic, breath deep and short, heart racing out of control. But then I couldn’t remember why. I relaxed, shrugged my shoulders. Everything was okay again.
    I followed along with him, down this street and then another one, dimly lit by lamps. Faint light gleamed from inside some of the houses. A dog was barking somewhere off in the distance. A garage door opened and closed. We came up to my street. I turned but he didn’t. He kept walking, pulling me along with him. I wasn’t worried. Everything was okay. Maybe he wanted to show me where he lived first, or maybe he was taking the longer, more scenic way to prolong our walk. Whatever the reason I kept walking beside him, wrapped up against him like a baby in a blanket.
    A house on one of the dead-end streets in the back of the neighborhood materialized as we made our way to the driveway. It was heavily treed and landscaped which gave it a lot more privacy than any of the other homes in here, including mine. One of the reasons I liked this neighborhood was because of the oversized lots every house inherited. But this home seemed to sit on two, maybe three of them. From what I could see in the outdoor lighting, it was expansive, with