Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“No. Not like them. I’ve never hunted anyone like you.”
“What does that mean?”
“I hunted them to bring them to justice.”
“To kill.”
“Yes.”
“And how is that different from how you’re hunting me?”
“You think I want to kill you?”
She touches her tongue to her top lip, thinking. “I know you’re dangerous. But I don’t think you’re going to kill me. Not tonight.”
“Are you so sure?” I taunt, just to test her. “You came here tonight to tempt me. You like toying with danger. Do you know how easy it would be for me to reach out and take hold of you?” I lift a hand, letting it hover an inch away from her throat. It’s so large it could collar her. “Cut off your airway. Snap your neck.”
She stares up at me, her eyes clear. “I don’t think you will.”
“How do you know?”
“I just know.”
A thrill runs through me. Victory is in sight. “You trust me, little bird?”
“I shouldn’t. But I do.”
I touch her then, cupping the back of her neck and pulling her close. She lets me, sighing, and her eyelids droop. Her skin is silky perfection. I want to bite it, bruise it, and make the marks last.
Soon. It’s over. I’ve confessed my darkest sins. And she’s still here. “I will kill anyone who hurts you. I might kill St. James just for meeting with you.”
“He’s your business partner.”
“I don’t care. Nothing comes between me and you.” I knead the vulnerable nape of her neck. “You don’t fear me, do you?”
“No.”
“No. You fear yourself. Your attraction to me.”
Her breath catches. “I shouldn’t be here.”
“You’re right where you need to be. With me.”
“I shouldn’t be with you.” She rests her hands on my bare chest but doesn’t push me away. “This is wrong.”
“Tell me.” I’ll be her confessor if she needs one.
“I let you in.” Her face twists, showing her internal struggle. “I let you touch me. Of all the people in the world, why would I choose someone like you?”
“It had to be me.”
“I could’ve chosen anyone.”
“No.” I grip the back of her neck, holding her so she can’t escape. “It had to be me. I wouldn’t allow it to be anyone else.” If she’s so torn up over this, let me be the villain. “You’re it for me. I knew that the first time I laid eyes on you, and I know it now. There’s no one for you but me.” I dip my head so our foreheads touch. “You don’t have a choice. You never did.”
The tiniest bit of tension melts out of her shoulders.
“We belong together. I just have to prove it to you, little bird, and I will. Let me prove it to you.”
She shuts her eyes. Whispers, “Okay.”
“See? That wasn’t so hard.” I lower my head and let my lips brush hers. Under the water, my dick jumps. She tilts her head, ready to accept my kiss.
She’s clay in my hands, molded, ready for the fire.
“You’re my good girl, aren’t you?” I murmur against her mouth. “You want to please me.”
“Yes.”
My body aches like I’ve been beaten. I need to claim her. Plunder her depths and consume her. “Admitting it is the first step. Proving it won’t be so easy.” And I push her head under the water.
Inara
The water closes over my head. Rex’s hand is hard, locking around my throat. It’s huge and heavy, an anchor guiding me and holding me down.
He dunked me so quickly that I didn’t have time to draw breath. I strike his hard stomach and thighs, fighting as best I can. He stares down at me, still as a statue, his face distorted by ripples.
I realize two things: He’s not going to let me go. But he won’t let me drown.
I let the rest of my air flow out of my mouth in a stream of bubbles and force myself to relax.
He won’t hurt me. He won’t hurt me. He won’t—
He pulls me up. I suck in air as soon as my head breaches the water. He steadies me, studying my face like I’m a netted fish. I gasp and sputter and lean against him. He’s solid as a boulder and a lighthouse built on the rocks. Danger and protection all in one.
I quiet and let my forehead lean against the stone slab of his chest. He tucks a strand of wet hair behind my ear, his fingers gentle.
“Were you afraid that I would kill you?”
“No. Never.”
“You’re right, little bird. I’m not going to kill you. I’m going to keep you.”
I shake my head, not in denial but from overwhelm. His hand slides lower, spanning my breastbone, and I shudder. I need his hand to continue its descent.
“You belong to me. This heart beats for me. Every breath you take from this moment on will be because I allow it.”
He’s loving this. He’s got a god delusion. He enjoys playing with deadly power, deciding who lives and who dies. “You don’t—”