“I guess that remains to be seen. Who assigned the case to you?” Alexander snapped me back to the moment’s reality. The coldness had returned. The yin and yang of him was too much, too intoxicating.
He wanted me to fear and desire him at the same time.
“Get away from me.”
“Answer my question, Catherine. I won’t ask you again.”
I was breathless, my nerves on edge the same way my body was on fire.
“The DA. And don’t you dare try and discredit him. We are simply a very busy office since there are throngs of criminals running amok in New Orleans.” My snap was off the cuff as beads of perspiration formed on the top of my lip.
Maybe I was fighting for words to try to stave him off whatever horrible deed he had planned for me. The ridiculousness of what I’d just said weighed heavily. Why was it that this man unnerved me more than any other?
“When was the time of death, Catherine? When did the man I supposedly killed die?”
I wanted to scream at him to stop saying my name. Hearing the syllables oozing from his lips was far too sexual, the deep timbre of his voice cascading prickles down my arms.
“When?” he pushed.
The question caught me off guard. I scoured my mind to try to answer the question. “I will need to look that up. In truth, I didn’t remember seeing it on the information I was provided.”
His laugh was laced with bitterness.
“Mmm… I find that interesting because it’s pivotal to the case. It’s something that any first-year attorney should know to look at when accusing a man of a crime that he insists he didn’t commit. And yes, even a monster like me can be wrongfully accused of a crime. Or are you so jaded that you can’t see the possibility?”
Taking another step away, I threw out my arm. “There isn’t a criminal alive who’ll admit their guilt, especially you.” Maybe I was jaded. The man was making me question everything, which was ridiculous. Who the hell did he think he was?
“You don’t know a thing about me, Catherine. As you just said, you were only assigned the case this morning so you assuming guilt surprises me. We’re not much different, you and I.”
“Bullshit. We are very different.”
“Why? Because I’m a killer? Are you so certain of that? If so, why is it that you’re craving to learn more about me, including if your earlier accusation about my dick is accurate?”
“You fucking son of a bitch. How dare you.” Why was my pussy throbbing so much? Why was it that I couldn’t breathe around him?
“How dare I? My life is on the line, Counselor. But you should be searching for the real killer as there have been two dead bodies in the last week. My guess is that there will be more.”
What was he getting at?
I had no idea what he was trying to say. Maybe putting doubt in my mind, questioning the officials? I’d yet to inform him that I’dlikely be yanked off the case faster than my head could spin after what had occurred.
Playing word games with him held no interest for me. “I’ll be certain to tell the DA when I talk with him. I’m certain he’ll want to reassign the case since it’s already been tampered with.”
“Perhaps you should ask him why you were assigned at the last minute, forcing you to be in that courthouse at the right time.”
“Stop. Just stop. I’m not going to hear this.” If he continued to crowd my space, I was going to punch him in the face. My nipples ached, my body swaying. Why?
“I can tell by your expression that there is some reason you might have enemies of your own.” He glanced all the way down to my feet. Once again, he was devouring me as if I should give myself to him. That would never happen.
Damn him. Damn everything about him.
I don’t know what I thought I was doing, but between the terror and the frustration, I was fresh out of managing any common sense. I headed to his fancy bar, thumping the glass down, immediately moving further away and storming toward the door.
Why I’d been stupid enough to think I could just walk out the door was beyond me. When he advanced, I spun away, almost making it to the door when he grabbed my arm. His fingers dug into my skin, the pain bringing tears to my eyes. With a hard jerk, I was in his arms once again.
My mind was having difficulty processing his insinuations, my body straining against his determined mental domination,which was why I snapped, screaming at him, “What do you want from me?”
“Your obedience.”
