Frostbitten: The Complete Series by Ilia Bera Read Free Book Online Page A

at his lap. “I hope this isn’t coming out of nowhere...” Connor started.
    Brittany leaned in closer to Connor. “What’s that?” she smiled. She bit her lip as she caught a whiff of Connor’s fresh scent.
    “How do you know that Hanna girl?” Connor asked quietly.
    Brittany’s flirtations were apparently in vein. She looked into Connor’s eyes for a moment longer before looking down at her lap.
    “She went to the same school as me. I never really knew her to be honest. She never talked to me.”
    “She seems nice,” Connor said.
    Brittany looked up at Connor. “I don’t know—She’s got some loose screws. She would sit under the stairs at lunch by herself every day—apparently writing weird poems about wanting to kill other people or something. The police came to the school and it was a big deal.”
    “Is that actually what she was writing? You know how rumours can start...”
    “I heard her read one of them out loud. She stopped showing up for school after word got around that she slept with half of the volleyball team.”
    “Really? Did she?”
    “Apparently.”
    Connor nodded apprehensively. “Kids always start rumours like that—they’re rarely true.”
    “I didn’t hear it from any kids—the volleyball coach himself told us.”
    “Seriously?”
    “Yeah—He said that he walked in on her... You know Other teachers said the same thing. The girl couldn’t keep her panties on.”
    “Wow…”
    “I feel bad for the girl, to be honest. Her dad was a psychopath. He was the executioner at the prison—what’s it called—The Fort Daevins Penitentiary. My parents told me to stay far away from them—I guess the dad was a total creep.”
    “Executioner?”
    “Yeah—after they brought back the death sentence, he was the guy who did the dirty work.”
    “Wow,” Connor said.
    Brittany finished the final sip of her drink.
    “It’s funny—we live so close together but we’ve never even met,” Connor said, smiling handsomely at Brittany.
    Brittany bit the edge of her soft lip and blushed.
    “Is that your real eye-colour?” Brittany asked.
    “What do you mean?” Connor asked.
    “Your eyes. Are they really that blue, or are those coloured contacts?”
    “These are my eyes,” Connor laughed.
    “I hope you don’t mind my saying, but they’re stunning.” Brittany smiled.
    She’d always been a lightweight. It usually only took a drink or two before she loosened up.
    Gently, she placed her hand down on Connor’s firm, athletic thigh.
    “Hey Connor?”
    “Yeah?” Connor asked.
    “You seem like a really cool guy. We should really hang out like this again sometime.” Brittany smiled flirtatiously at Connor.
    “Um,” Connor said uncomfortably. “Brittany?”
    “Yeah?” Brittany asked, gently massaging Connor’s leg with her fingertips.
    “I think you’ve got the wrong impression.”
    Brittany’s expression dropped.

CHAPTER SEVEN
REJECTION STINGS
    “Brittany—You seem like a nice girl, but I’m not really looking for—looking for a relationship, if you know what I mean...” Connor said.
    Brittany sat frozen for a moment, and then she retracted her hand from Connor’s thigh.
    “Oh—I think that you’ve got the wrong idea... I—I wasn’t hitting on you, if that’s what you think. I—I wasn’t hitting on you.” Brittany laughed nervously as she looked away.
    “Oh,” Connor said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
    “—No, no. I’m sorry. This happens a lot,” Brittany laughed. “People are always mistaking me as flirting.” Brittany laughed. “It’s funny, really. I’m sorry.”
    “Oh. Okay—good. I didn’t mean to assume anything.”
    Brittany forced a smile at Connor as Andrew returned with the drinks. “It’s fine,” Brittany said, her face red with embarrassment. “It happens.”
    Brittany felt sick to her stomach. She hid her trembling hands between her thighs. The rejection stung deep, and time seemed to have suddenly