“Did we…uhh…we didn’t…right?”I stammer.
“Didn’t what, Ava?”
“I…” the words get stuck in my throat, “you know…”
My face is on fire now and I’m certain my cheeks are beet red.I’m not a prude.Sex isn’t new for me.I’ve been with men before, plenty of times, and never thought anything of it.Talking about it with Gray feels different, more intimate somehow.
A devious smile lights up his obnoxiously handsome face.“Are you asking if I fucked you?You want to know if I shoved my cock into your needy little cunt?Made you scream?Made you beg to come on your master’s cock like my good little slut?”
The words dry up in my mouth, so I just nod.My belly spasms at the obscene picture he paints in my head.I’ve been called a slut before; every woman has and it’s terrible every time…except this time.My core floods with arousal.I pinch my legs together, feeling it drip down my thigh.
He steps toward me, his long legs eating up the distance between us.My feet stumble backwards.He moves again, refusing to let me get away from him.I shuffle back until my back bumps into a wall.He doesn’t care about my need for space.He steps into me, pressing his hands against the wall to cage my head between them.His head dips, his nose running a line from my shoulder to my ear like, he’s scenting me.
I pinch my lips together, blocking the sound that clings up my throat when his breath tickles my ear.
“No, precious, I didn’t fuck you,” he whispers, “I want you to remember every time I touch you.”I shudder as his teeth scrape against my earlobe.“And as I’ve said before, I’ll only fuck you when you beg for it.”He lifts his head and grins at me.“But, you did try to kiss me.”
I shake my head.“I would never kiss you.”
His eyes harden, the sparkle of humor winking out as he presses his face closer to mine.His breath ghosts against my chin, drawing my attention.His lips are inches from mine.I stare at them, remembering the way they crashed against mine after I ran from him in the forest.My mouth dries up, all the moisture in my body seems to have changed course, heading south instead.I swipe my tongue across my bottom lip.
He hums a sound of approval.“That’s what I thought.My needy girl.”
He pushes off the wall and grabs my hand.“Come here,” he says as he leads me into the kitchen.
He motions to the stool at an island in the center of the large kitchen.I raise my eyebrows in question.
“Sit,” he says.
Yanking my shirt down over my legs, I pull myself onto the stool.My fingers rub circles on the white marble countertop, grounding myself with the feel of the cool stone.I almost dive out of my seat when the clatter of metal hitting metal rings out, echoing in the minimalist space.
“What are you doing?”I ask, watching Gray drop a frying pan onto the stove.
He pulls eggs and a package of bacon out of the refrigerator.“Making us breakfast.”
Making us breakfast?Making us breakfast!?I groan, shoving the heel of my palms into my eyes.My stalker is making us breakfast.The big, raving lunatic is just making us breakfast willy-nilly, like this is no big deal.My murderous shadow stands half-naked, looming over the stove like a muscle-bound Grim Reaper, and he’s making scrambled eggs.
“We’re not dating!”I bark.“I’m not your girlfriend, so stop acting like it.I don’t need to have breakfast with you.Just give me my clothes and call me an Uber so I can go home.”
Gray goes still.The muscles in his back twitch as his spine straightens.In the back of my mind, an alarm sounds.The instinctual warning system all humans have that alerts us to the presence of a predator, something higher on the food chain than us.Gray is that kind of predator, a monster inside of an alluring shell.
With painful slowness, he turns to face me, his eyes filled with dark promises.He didn't like that,the frightened voice in my head squeaks.He didn't like that at all.
My legs quiver, the muscles tightening, preparing to run.They spasm beneath my skin, and yet, I can't move.I'm frozen in place as he steps toward me.He moves slowly.Closer, closer.My heart rate ticks up with each inch until I think it might explode from my chest.
His fingers grip my thighs and my breath catches in my throat.He shoves them apart, pressing his body between my legs.I turn my face downward, staring at my boobs to avoid his gaze.His finger presses beneath my chin, forcing me to face him.
He looks down at me, his mouth quirked into a taunting smile.“Are you sure?It seems an awful lot like youaremy girlfriend.”He holds up his index finger.“You texted me when you were upset, wanting me to bring you home from the bar.”His middle finger pops up next to the first.“You woke up in my bed, wearing my clothes.”He leans in, his soft lips almost brushing against mine.His nostrils flare and he stretches out a third finger.“And you used my toothbrush.”
I shove my fists against his chest.Putting all of my strength into pushing him away, I grunt out a very unladylike sound.He doesn’t move back an inch.If anything, he presses himself closer.My nipples pebble beneath the thin cotton shirt as they connect with his stomach.The heat returns to my cheeks, if it even left in the first place.Whenever I’m around him, I feel like my face is on fire.
My face pinches into a scowl.“I didn’t ask you to kidnap me, you psycho.”
“No?”he asks, his eyes gleaming with humor.“But you knew I would when you texted me.You’re a smart woman, Ava.”His finger moves from my chin to my throat.His hand wraps around my neck.His grip is soft, a warning, a reminder.His hand doesn’t squeeze, and yet, I can’t breathe.I won’t let myself take a breath, because if I do, I’m not sure I can stop the sound that might come out when I let it go.
The threat of his rough touch does something to me, something it really shouldn’t.The heat of his hand on my throat seeps into me.It spreads through me, rushing downward, sending a flood of arousal to my core.He’s a monster, I force the thought into my head, pounding it against my skull over and over, hoping it will stick.Of course, another traitorous voice inside of me counters,a monster you want to fuck you, claim you, keep you.
“You knew I’d come for you,” he says, “and we both know that’s why you texted me.You wanted to see me.You missed me.”
