Slow. Dangerous.
“You’re fearless,” he murmurs.
“I’m tired,” I say. It’s the most honest thing I’ve said in days.
“And stubborn.”
“That too.”
His gaze drags over me like a touch.
He leans in just enough for me to smell smoke and something dark underneath.
“Careful, Cassia,” he says. “You’re going to make me enjoy this.”
My stomach flips. My hands curl into fists. I lift my chin and glare.
“Don’t,” I snap.
His smile widens, and I realize I’ve just made myself his favorite problem.
That’s the last thing I should want.
But my body doesn’t agree.
Not at all.
Chapter
Seven
Orpheus
This is turning out to be much more fun than I thought it would be.
My whole point for getting Cassia up here was to overexpose myself to her. If I could see that she was nothing more than another one of my workers, maybe I wouldn’t be so obsessed with her. But the more she’s in my presence, the more I want to know what makes her tick.
Add on the fact that she doesn’t seem to have any filter when it comes to me, and it only heightens the thrill of all this.
It’s too late for me now.
I’m ensnared. Caught in a chase I’ve been trying so hard to get away from. All day, she’s consumed my thoughts, which only did one thing, piss me off. I needed to prove to myself that she was nothing, but it didn’t work.
I’ve quickly gone from trying to prove she’s normal to trying to find more and more ways to push her buttons. I want her to explode. I want all the anger and fury she’s got buried deepinside her. I want to unravel her strand by strand until there’s nothing left that I haven’t touched.
“Who are you to tell me what I should and shouldn’t do? If I want to make you my personal pet, that’s what I’ll do,” I snarl at her, narrowing my eyes as I try to instill some fear in her.
“You’re going to have a hard time doing that. I’m no one’s pet.” Cassia tilts her head and narrows her eyes right back at me.
It’s a good thing the door is closed, and no one on the other side of it could hear what is being said. Cassia’s insubordinate behavior could easily cause issues for those who witnessed it. Those on the second floor, just outside my office, were pleasure seekers and some of the elite. Some of them are even men who work for me and are enjoying themselves while awaiting orders. They’re some of my ferrous men. They work directly under Aziz. Even Priam, though he’s picked up a lot of slack with Aziz focusing more on his mate, works beneath Aziz.
None of them needs to hear Cassia speaking to me with lack of such respect.
Cassia turns on her heel, looking ready to storm out of here, but I’m not about let her walk away from me. It’s something I won’t allow her to do. My hand snakes out, fingers wrapping around her wrist.
“Let me go,” Cassia snaps, head twisting, eyes locking on me with narrow slits.
“Oh no. I know you didn’t think I was done with you, did you?” My muscles tense, and I have to remind myself not to use my full strength while holding her. I could easily snap her little arm if I didn’t keep myself in check.
