Page 12 of Infernal Bonds

I pivoted and ran for the balcony door, but he caught me around the waist.

“Stop being difficult.”

I elbowed him hard in the ribs, forcing him to release me, and ran for the door again, but he recovered quickly and grabbed me, looping one arm around my waist and another across my sternum.

“I’m getting real sick of your shit, but I’m the only one here to deal with it. So you can do it the easy way…” He grunted as I struggled in his hold. “Or the hard way.”

“Fuck you.” I sank my teeth into his forearm.

He shouted and released me, looking down at his arm. “You wanna bite me?” He laughed, a deranged grin crossing his beautiful features.

Shit. I guessed I’d poked the bear a little too hard.

He lunged at me.

I screamed and ran across the room, grabbing a pillow from the bed and chucking it at him.

He shook his head, his gaze dropping to the pillow at his feet before he started prowling toward me.

“Get out!” I snatched another pillow and chucked it at his head.

He sidestepped, then growled when I threw a half-empty water bottle that hit him in the shoulder.

Before he could close in on me, I dove across the bed and crawled to the other side, where I could make a run for the bathroom and lock myself inside. He wanted me in there anyway, so maybe he wouldn’t follow—even if I had pissed him off by biting him.

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” He charged for the bed.

I struggled as he yanked my ankle, but it was pointless. He dragged me toward him, grunting as I kicked him in the chest. Maneuvering me beneath him, he straddled my hips and pinned my wrists beside my head.

“You like to bite, brat?” He pressed his pierced tongue against his double fangs. “Which one of us do you think has the sharper teeth?”

I brought my knee up, but he was faster, pushing my leg down with his and looping his feet over my ankles to pin me in place.

“You said you wouldn’t take my blood without my consent.”

He let out a low growl, more animalistic than human—as if his fangs weren’t a reminder of his lack of humanity. “I won’t.”

“Then stop trying to scare me and move.”

“What’s the matter? You’re the one who bit me.” His grin made me want to smack his perfect face. “It’s only fair that I get to do the same.”

“Fat chance.” I lifted my hips, trying to unbalance him, but all that did was bring his body flush against mine, his lips within a breath of my own. I turned my face away from him before I could make the stupid mistake of ending up with his tongue in my mouth… again.

It would benefit me and my libido if I remembered my anger toward him whenever we ended up this close together. Or better yet, if we didn’t end up so close at all. That sounded preferable—even if my body said otherwise.

His warm breath ghosted my neck as he dragged his nose across my skin. “Tart.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, hating that he could scent his effect on me while I felt his growing erection pressing against me. “I’m not doing this with you, Cyn. Get off me and get out.”

“Fine,” he whispered against my skin before dragging his fangs lightly down the column of my neck. When I squirmed to push him off faster, they scratched my skin, making him curse.

Shit.

4

TRUST

CYN