He chuckles. I watch him with a smile, at least my pathetic lie managed to draw a rare, genuine chuckle from the usually smileless Zloban.
He makes me sit on the bed before standing. “Tell Wen that you’ll be staying here tonight, then come to my room.”
My brain automatically adds, “to get fucked” at the end of his sentence. I press my thighs together on one side. Why is this horny body of mine getting ready for something that’s not going to happen? I’m still in my “playing hard to get” era.
“What if I don’t do that and go to sleep with Wen?” I mutter.
He bends down. “I will come after you, pick you up, and bring you here. Then you’ll spend the whole night tied to my bed.”
It always catches me off guard when Zoan says these types of things. I nod, licking my lips.
He watches me, smiles, then straightens and walks out of my room like a king who knows this woman living in his palace will obey every command. I narrow my eyes. Or does this king know I’m not going to listen and still leave me alone with such confidence? Whatever. Let’s make Zoan’s life a little more difficult.
I get up from the bed with a grin. I put on my jacket and saunter downstairs, put on my shoes, and walk out of the house. The temperature outside isn’t too cold, that’s the beauty of San Diego’s winter, it doesn’t freeze you.
Instead of walking toward Leo’s house, which takes ten minutes, I decide to go somewhere else. If he’s going to drag me back here, why should I tire my legs? I stroll down the hill.
I walk down the track, where more and more trees start surrounding me, it’s scary as hell.
I turn my head and look back. The mansion is still clearly visible, I’m not that far yet. I decide to stay here.
I lean against a nearby tree, listening to the sound of leaves rustling with every wisp of air. After half a minute,I realize I’m not a fan of horror and decide to head back inside, but then I hear my name.
“Avira.”
Footsteps approach, and the fear of some unknown ghost lurking among the trees fades. I silently move behind the thick trunks.
“Avira, come out. It’s not a place to play at night,” his voice comes closer.
I keep sliding back, and now where I’m standing, it’s complete darkness. My heart is hammering with unrestrained beats. I feel incredibly free in this moment, surrounded by tall trees, wild grass under my feet, and darkness all around me, holding a rare sense of control over the man who loves keeping control in his hands.
“Dove, come out. Don’t test my patience.”
I pick up a stone from the ground and throw it in his direction. I know my aim isn’t perfect, it probably didn’t reach halfway to him, but the sound surely attracts his attention.
“So, you want to play?” he says in an amused voice, coming closer in my direction.
I carefully move back from one tree to another, keeping my eyes on him.
chapter 36
Zloban
What does a predator love the most? Hunting his prey. And this woman is doing the very thing I love. She is giving me a challenge, and the challenge is finding her in darkness, in the wild. Finding the thing I love most in a place I know best. It’s as easy as breathing, yet exhilarating.
She isn’t making a sound, but I know I’m close. I can hear the faint shuffle of her shoes brushing against the grass. I go still, tuning in to the soft rustle of leaves, the whispering wind, and the distant cry of a night bird—then I shut them all out, narrowing my focus to the almost imperceptible sound of hermovements.
My eyes adjust to the darkness by the time I reach behind her. I can see her now, taking small steps, one hand on a tree, looking around. She can’t see as clearly as I can in this dark, she’s not trained for this. I take two steps closer to her. Still, she doesn’t sense my presence.
I take another two steps and stop. I’m close enough for her to feel my presence. My Dove’s survival instincts are poor, but she doesn’t need to worry about that. I have more than enough for both of us.
I take two more steps closer. This time she catches my presence. She turns around and screams, but her voice only escapes for 0.8 seconds before I shut her mouth with mine.
I hold the back of her head and tilt her face up to get full access to her sweet mouth. She recovers from her shock quickly and starts responding. Her fingers reach my scalp, scratching me with her small nails.
Our tongues meet in her mouth. She sucks on my tongue, and I press her lips between mine harder.
She pulls back a little, dragging long breaths from her mouth. I lift her up, she locks her legs and arms around me. I claim her lips again with a hunger that has no end. I hold her waist with one hand while holding her neck with the other. She pushes her tongue inside my mouth. I tighten my grip on her, licking her tongue, then biting her lips.
