“Seriously? I’m scared your dog might eat me and that makes you horny?” I squirmed, trying to get out of his hold.
“My head wants a rub too.” He chuckled and I bit my lip to keep from smiling before he swung me around sharply, forcingmy hands to seek purchase on his chest. “You’ve made an impression on my dog.”
“Maybe he has good taste,” I sassed, my eyes meeting his.
“Just like his owner.” Hands on my waist, he tightened his grip, urging me closer. His skin was hot, his body hard and unyielding against mine. I squirmed to no avail. “Don’t,” he growled, slipping a hand into my hair and guided my mouth to his. Our lips met, slow, deliberate, all memory and defiance. “You taste better in the morning,” he murmured. “Ruined. Sore. Mine.”
“I’m not yours.”
“You’re trying so hard to pretend you don’t want me,” he said quietly. “But your body remembers everything, it will always remember me, little fox.” That voice. Low, dangerous, full of dark promises that made my thighs press together.
Duke shoved his enormous head between us, breaking the heated moment.
“The fuck,” Remo cursed while I tried not to smile. He glared at his pet. “Traitor.”
“Maybe he’s saving me,” I muttered, scratching the animal’s head.
“No, little fox.” Remo’s fingers slid through my hair, his grip pure possession. “If he were, he’d drag you away from me.”
“Why?”
“Because.” He leaned forward, his mouth finding that exact spot he’d marked last night. “I’m not done fucking you.” He sucked on my neck and my knees wobbled, my hands gripping his arms. “And I’m not nearly as patient as I should be.”
Not to be outdone, Duke barked, sharp and demanding and shoved his head between us again. I laughed despite myself and as if he’d just heard an alien sound, Remo froze. It was my undoing. His eyes darkened, not with anger but something deeper. Hotter. More dangerous.
“Eat then come upstairs,” he said abruptly. “You’ll need the strength.”
“For what?”
His sinful gaze held mine, his smile pure, unfettered arrogance. “For trying to resist me.”
My stomach dipped. Duke barked and Remo sighed like he might murder his own dog. I couldn’t stop the traitorous smile tugging at my lips, suddenly loving the animal. Remo saw that too, and his brow shot up before he turned and left the kitchen.
Duke sat there looking at me for a moment and I leaned down to rub his snout. “You’re so beautiful, just like him,” I whispered the last words. The animal whined as if he agreed.
“Come, Duke,” Remo called out from somewhere. The dog seemed to hesitate for just a second, his gaze bouncing between the door and me as if he wanted to stay.
“Go, boy,” I said softly before he turned and trotted away him, nails tapping the tiles.
As soon as they disappeared down the hall, I made a beeline for the door. With no actual plan in mind, I checked it, surprised he hadn’t locked it. Maybe he was reckless, or arrogant, or probably assumed I wouldn’t dare run. I wrapped my fingers around the polished handle and slowly eased the door open, conscious he might have guards on the other side.
A breath of fresh air kissed my skin. I stepped out, one foot landing on the warm stone. One second, I tasted freedom, the next, a hand closed around my waist. I didn’t even hear him, didn’t sense him. He was suddenly just there; a wall of heat pressed against my back.
“I was gone sixty seconds, little fox,” Remo murmured, his voice a silk-wrapped blade in my ear. “How far do think you would’ve gone?” He nipped my ear then sucked on the flesh.
My pulse stuttered. “Let me go.”
He laughed, a soft menacing sound that crawled up my spine before he spun me and pinned me to the wall with nothing but his body, hips locking mine in place, his hands caging my face without touching my skin. His eyes were wild, not angry but much worse.
Thrilled.
“You like being chased, don’t you?”
“No.”
His smile sharpened. “You want me to hunt you.”
“I don’t?—”
