She shook her head. “What do you mean, all right?”
The slight curve of his lip held menace. “You don’t want me to treat you as breakable?”
So much threat existed in the sentence, she had no choice but to instinctively deflect. “Jared, I’m so tired of your crap.” In a suitable huff, she tried to move past him again.
And didn’t make it.
Did he pick her up? No.
Toss her over his shoulder? No.
Instead, former pirate Jared Reese shot a hand into her hair, tangled, and pulled. He stormed through the kitchen and living room, his hold absolute.
She had no option but to follow along, considering her hair was nicely attached to her head, her face slightly down. “What the holy crap are you doing?” she hissed.
“Showing you,” he snapped back, reaching the stairs.
She plowed a fist into his kidneys. “Showing me what? That you can drag a woman by the hair like a Neanderthal?”
He paused. “I’m not dragging you and you know it.”
True. Yet she had no choice but to move. “You’re showing me you’re an ass.”
“You already knew that.” He twisted his wrist, and her head jerked back so her gaze could meet his. “What you apparently didn’t know is that I can control you with one fucking hand. Just one. If that isn’t the definition of breakable, I don’t know what is.” His fingers tightened just enough to hint pain along her scalp.
“You are such a dick.” Which didn’t explain why her nipples were peaking and her nerves firing. Did she actually like this side of him? Hell, no. So she punched out again.
His hand moved, faster than possible, to manacle around her neck. He jerked her face closer to his.
Her eyes widened.
“Back. Up.” He enforced each word with his thumb against her jugular, pushing her just enough she had no choice but to lift her foot to the step behind her. “Again.”
Okay. So he was making a good point, damn it. Her knees trembled in awareness as she was intrigued whether she wanted to be or not. “Let go of me or I’ll just shoot you,” she said, digging deep.
His chin lifted slightly. “Take the gun out.”
Oops. It figured he’d accept that challenge.
“Fine.” She reached behind her and tugged out the small pistol. One bullet wouldn’t kill him.
He easily snagged the gun and tossed it over his shoulder.
Her mouth gaped open.
He glanced down and pressed a kiss—a very hard kiss—against her lips. Shocks cascaded through her, alighting fire to her every nerve.
“What is this? Vampire foreplay?” she gasped out.
“Yeah.” His thumb tightened right under her jaw, and he lifted up. “Let’s get a couple of things straight right now.”
Even with her chin up, she could glance down at his jeans. “Looks like we already have.”
His lips peeled away from his teeth. “What you saw earlier, what you should’ve interrupted earlier if it had bothered you, was me saying good-bye to Ginny.”
Ronni’s breath caught. “Good-bye. Out of duty, huh?”
“No.” His eyes blazed. “I want you, Veronica. For my mate. Nobody else and certainly not her. Whatever was there was over centuries ago. You’re my present and my future.”
