Reaper

3

A/N:

^ My face after seeing that they flagged the edited book cover too 🥴🥲 Hopefully this is the last time I'll have to change the cover 😩 Please confirm in the comments that you see a book cover there. It should be a girl and a strip pole.

Pecan.

Walnut.

Pecan/walnut.

Pecan and walnut?

A/N: type in shades of brown color palette because the color pallet is darker than the actual tree nuts' color. Don't y'all come for me okay 🙄💖🥴

His complexion was somewhere along those lines, but none of that mattered. From the way that he was watching me, I just knew I wanted his nut. He was so fucking fine!

"Your name," he spoke, and the bass in his voice made me want to melt. Melt right into those dark chocolate eyes. He was perfect...

"Uh..." I froze. He was so tall, his height dominating mine by much. He was also more handsome up close, as if he didn't already look dumb good in the photo that I had been shown. "Uh..."

I looked away as I tried to gain composure. I couldn't seem to control my nerves, and it was getting embarrassing.

He cupped my chin and lifted my head so that I could look him into his eyes once more, and the shivers that rolled down my spine was enough to distract me from anything else going on in the room. It was just him and me. "Ace doesn't need anymore liquor," he said while taking the liquor bottle from my hands. It was true, his friend seemed way too drunk, but I was more focused on the uneasiness I felt when his fingers grazed mine. He grabbed a clean glass and poured me a glass of whatever it was that was in the bottle.

I shook my head, refusing the drink.

"Won't drink. Won't smoke. Won't dance," he pointed out. "Yet at a party..." The girls that were dancing on him started rubbing on him, and he told them, "Not now," so they instead started dancing on each other at a distance.

Mustering up some courage, I replied, "You're observant."

"So she speaks," he teased, his face still withholding expression, but his eyes teasing.

"Is your face always that blank when you make jokes?" I asked with attitude, and he smirked, making the first facial expression I had seen from him so far.

"And she's feisty," he added before downing the liquor he had offered me.

I teased, "Don't get that a lot?" A minute ago, I couldn't even tell him my name, yet now I was over here flirting with the target.

He shook his head while eyeing me slowly, and I couldn't hide the fact that I liked his attention. I could feel a dimple popping out of my left cheek. "You don't seem too interested in my brother. Makes me wonder what you're doing up here."

"He's your brother?!" I asked with raised eyebrows. I was sure I fucked up any opportunity I'd get to cozy up to him.

I figured that good genes ran in their bloodline though. We'd make beautiful children...

"Answer the question," he said lowly, resonating the bass in his voice even more.

I shrugged, "To be fair, you didn't ask a question..."

He stepped closer to me, so I backed up, and right as the table started tripping me, he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me into his chest while grabbing the table as well. I looked up into his eyes as he stared down at me with curiosity burning in them.

His eyes went to my lips for a brief moment before connecting with my eyes, and I batted my eyelashes in an attempt to flirt with him. "You should go back to my brother. He gets bored quickly."

"And you don't? Don't seem too interested in your three blondes," I shrugged.

Was his type white girls? Is that what Michael was referring to?

"Is that a request to take their place?" he asked, his face blank with playfulness evident in those dark eyes of his.

"No." I answered before walking away. I didn't know what exactly happened, but within the blink of an eye, I was backed into the wall with his hands on my waist. Not to mention, I was sure I had gotten a little moist. Yet again, little might had been an understatement.

He whispered into my ear, "Your name, now."

"Does it matter?" I asked while fighting the temptation to give into submission. He stared at me, unamused with my games, so I answered, "Sapphire."

"Who sent you?" he asked, taking me by surprise.

"...God?" I asked, and he gave me another unamused look. "Is it that obvious?" It was time to put my improvisation skills to work. "I recently lost my dad, my mother's sick, and I simply don't know what to do about it. Parties aren't my scene but I needed to get my mind off things, so here I am. I didn't feel comfortable down there with so many people, so when Ace offered to bring me up here, I agreed. Anymore questions?" His eyes never left mine, as if they were searching for a hole in my story. "What's your name?"

He gave my eyes a final search before releasing me. He walked to his seat and sat down with a sigh, but I was sick of being ignored, so I walked over to him to continue nagging him, but before I could speak, he pointed in his brother's direction, telling me to go.

"N-" I was about to tell him no until the look he gave me. I guess he wasn't used to that two letter word. I sat on the handle of his chair before saying, "You get my name but I can't get yours? Doesn't seem like a fair trade off..."

"Reaper." He lit his blunt and took a pull.

I teased, "Aren't we at the real name stage?"

He looked into my eyes with a cold expression before saying, "You're not my type."

A/N: If you guys have any pics/model suggestions for the characters at any point during the book, I'll be glad to consider using them! We can maybe do a little poll or something to see which gets used.