Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Cassian shrugged. “We don’t need them.” His arm tightened around her. “They’re probably getting drinks, or dancing, or swimming, or maybe already fucking.”
She gaped up at him, and he laughed.
“What did you think we meant when we said lagoon party?”
“Not that.”
He chuckled. “You’ll have fun, especially if this is your first time.”
He had no idea how literal the term ‘first time’ truly was for her.
The air came alive with something sinful. Crystal-blue water shimmered as it lapped at the banks where pale pebbles and pink shells glittered atop the white sand. The tranquil setting seemed at odds with the throbbing music and gyrating bodies dancing around the grotto.
Beautiful women lounged on the larger rocks like jewels on display. They wore tightly fitted dresses, elegantly detailed sarongs, and glittering bikini tops. All of them were in impeccable shape, with figures that could make a supermodel jealous.
Fragrant, tropical flowers grew wildly among the dunes. The salt air rolled off the sea, disrupting the naturally fruit-scented breeze of the Never Lands, hinting at something ominous unfolding.
She searched the horizon but only saw darkness. Soft splashing mingled with low moans along the banks of the lagoon as techno music pulsed from the grotto. Wendy preferred the outskirts of the party, but Cassian pulled her closer.
“I’ll catch up in a minute,” she said, slipping from his grip.
He hesitated only a second before loping off toward the others.
Wendy scanned the lagoon as palms waved overhead. What was she doing there?
A woman laughed, the ethereal sound singing through the breeze like a haunting melody that stole everyone’s attention, including hers. And there was Peter, lying amongst a school of women petting and fawning over him.
Wendy’s lips firmed into a flat line. He was certainly making progress on his goals.
“Oh, Peter, you’re so muscular,” one woman purred, stroking his bare chest where his shirt had been unbuttoned.
Her gaze went to the water where others swam naked, no doubt performing dark deeds beneath the surface. Didn’t the cold bother them?
While the sand still held a bit of warmth from the sun, the wind was cool. She had no plans of going near the water, so she kept a safe distance and stayed hidden in the shadows of the trees.
Despite the serene nature of this place, an ominous shroud hung in the air. The idyllic, dreamlike mood boasted of fantasies, but there was also a lurking sense of danger. Though the lagoon mimicked a careless place of temptation and seduction, an undercurrent of peril waded in the undertow.
The mysterious women reminded her of sirens, the kind that tempted the sailors to their deaths at sea. From the melodic way they spoke to the captivating way they lured the men closer, they enchanted everyone who came near enough to get swept away by the current of lust and desire.
Then she noticed the familiar figure of another woman hiding in the shadows, much like herself. Belle was scowling at Peter as he lounged amongst the sirens while they poured him wine and massaged his body.
Wendy quietly approached Belle, wondering if their exclusion somehow created an alliance. “Is it always like this?”
Belle glanced at her dismissively, her scowl returning to Peter. “Yes.”
Wendy followed her gaze, feeling forgotten by Peter but not as betrayed as his little outcasted friend. She didn’t know or care to know their history, but she personally lost interest in being more than his acquaintance after seeing how quickly he jumped from female to female. No wonder the woman was angry.
She glanced back at Belle, taking pity on her. “Are you in love with him?”
“Only a fool would love Peter.”
Maybe she was a fool then because she appeared deeply bothered by the sight of him with other women, and she’d tried to drown Wendy for merely showing up tonight.
What was it about Peter that made him so captivating? Women not only loved him, but men also craved his attention. Perhaps it was that his attention never lasted longer than a few minutes, and its rareness made it all the more valuable.
Wendy didn’t love Peter, but she certainly allowed him liberties she’d never allowed anyone else. At the hint of regret, she turned her focus to other things.
“You aren’t friends with those women?”
“Who? The mermaids?” Belle curled her lip. “Fuck those bitches. They’ll sweetly drown you all the while acting like they’re doing you a favor.”
“Like you tried to drown me?”
Belle met her stare. “I wasn’t pretending to be sweet. At least with me, you know where you stand.”
Speechless, Wendy could only blink. They were all bitches.
“You’re all wasting your time anyway.”
Wendy frowned, not liking the idea of being grouped in with those women. “What do you mean?”
“Everyone knows Peter’s future’s promised to someone else.”
“Who?” Her father certainly knew no such thing. Neither did she for that matter.
“He’s betrothed to Lyra Wilde.”