Twisted Circles (Secret Society 2)

“Stella.”

Slap.

“Stella.”

Slap.

“Ste—”

“Jesus Christ. What is wrong with you?” My eyes popped open and I sat up straight, batting the hand away, my head woozy as I focused on my surroundings. I didn’t know where I was, but I could make out Adam’s face too close to mine. “Is slapping women your kink?”

“You passed out.”

“I had a spell.” I shimmied my body and pushed myself away from him.

“A spell? You faint often?”

“Sometimes.” I shook my head and waved a hand. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Depends where you get them I guess.” He frowned. “Have you been to a doctor for these?”

“I take a thousand pills for a thousand ailments. Yes, I’ve been to the doctor. No, they don’t help.” I got a better look at him. “Why are you wearing that ridiculous red cape?”

“Cloak. It’s part of the first night of initiation.” He flung it behind him to reveal the tuxedo he wore beneath. I definitely wouldn’t admit it aloud, but Adam was hot.

“Right. Initiation. What are you doing in my room anyway?”

“I was making sure you were getting ready. I kept knocking, you didn’t answer; I figured we had a case of a runaway, so I decided to come in and check.”

“Right. Since you have the key.” I eyed the key in his hand. He tucked it in his pocket.

“Exactly.”

“Are you going to use that key to come in here in the middle of the night?”

“Are you inviting me to?” He cocked an eyebrow, but his hazel eyes were twinkling.

“No.” Even as I snapped the word I knew I wouldn’t throw him out if he did show up. Adam broke whatever was brewing between us by standing up.

“You’re due downstairs in half an hour.” He glanced at his watch. “Twenty-five minutes now.”

“How did you just dock five minutes from me?” I stood with the help of the nightstand beside me.

“You were passed out for five.”

“Five whole minutes?” My jaw dropped. “And what exactly were you doing, Prince Charming, staring at me?”

“What was I supposed to do? Kiss you?”

“I guess that would have been slightly creepy, being that you’re wearing a red cape and all.”

“So if I’d taken the cape off it wouldn’t have been creepy?”

“Still creepy, just slightly less.” I brought a hand up and used my thumb and forefinger to measure an inch. “I just think it’s beyond creepy that you stared at me for five minutes.”

“I also measured your pulse.”

“Oh, you measured my pulse while you slapped me. Well, thank you, Adam.” I placed a hand on my heart. “You have revived me. You can go now.”

“Twenty minutes.” He turned around and closed the door behind him.

I ran over and locked it for good measure, not that it would keep him out. I needed to figure out a way to move the dresser in front of the door tonight. There was no way I’d get any sleep knowing someone had access to this room.

“Eighteen minutes,” he said from the other side of the door. I jumped.

“Are you going to stand there the whole time?”

“Yep.”

I grunted out my disapproval loud enough so he’d hear me and marched over to the bathroom.

Chapter Six

When I opened the door, twenty-five minutes later, Adam was indeed standing on the other side of it, waiting for me. His eyes didn’t even move past my face to see how I looked. He just shot me an exasperated look, as if to tell me I took too long. I shrugged and raised the mask in my hand.

“Am I supposed to wear this?”

“Was it with your dress?”

“Yes.”

“Then, the answer is yes.”

I put it on over my hair, which I’d managed not to mess up while I showered and changed. There was no way in hell I could recreate salon hair on a time restriction.

“Have any of the other girls gotten here?”

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve been standing outside of your room for the last hour.”

“I didn’t even take an hour.”

“Sure felt like it.”

“Aren’t you the president? Shouldn’t you know who’s arrived?” I held on to the rail as we started going down the stairs.

“I’m glad William decided to fill you in on all things Adam.”

“All things Adam.” I glanced up at him. He was still taller than me even in the four-inch heels I wore. “Do you even hear yourself talk?”

“Yep. Same as everyone else.”

“Normal people don’t talk like you.”

“Good thing I don’t like normal.” He winked.

I shook my head and looked away. “So, this party, am I your date or something?”

He chuckled. “Don’t you wish.”

“Um, excuse me, sir.” I looked up at him, pausing mid-step. “Don’t you wish. I’m just asking so I can act accordingly. I don’t know how this whole initiation thing works.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you. I’ve never initiated a woman before, but something tells me you’re going to do a lot better than all of the guys who have come before you.”