Page 45

I despise that he calls to that primal part of me that I'd tried my entire life to bury. I hate that even though my mind knows him to be facetious and a betrayer, my body fails to recognize the danger he presents to my entire being.

"Why did you bring me here, Vlad? What game are you playing now?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.

He's so tense I see the outline of his muscles through the material of his suit. His eyes don't leave mine as he takes a step forward. And another.

And so I take one back.

"Are you bored? Is that it?" I ask, backing further into the room.

I wish I wouldn't be so intimidated by him, but his mere presence dwarfs everything around him.

"Vlad!" I snap, raising my voice. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What the hell is wrong with me?" He's in front of me before I can even blink. "What do you think is wrong with me, Sisi?" He smirks at me, his hand reaching out to grab my hair, unraveling my updo until the strands fall down my shoulders.

"Don't touch me." I swat his hand aside.

"Oh, come on, hell girl, you can't tell me you haven't missed my touch," he drawls, his suave voice affecting me even as I try to remain stoic.

"No. I can't say I have," I reply drily, seeking to avoid his roving hands.

"Liar," he whispers, leaning closer to inhale my scent. "You don't fool me, Sisi. I can feel the way your body yearns for mine." His finger trails down the bodice of my dress, and while it might make me atinybit breathless, it doesn't erase the fact that I'm dealing with an android disguised as a human.

Catching his finger, I fling it off of my body.

"I said don't touch me, Vlad. I mean it. You may have threatened my family to get me to sign my name on that marriage certificate, but you lost your chance long ago," I tell him, my tone serious. "What happened? Got bored and decided to play with the poor nun again? Is that it?" I try my best to keep my voice under control, but his mere presence combined with his audacity make me want to get in his face.

"Sisi, you're breaking my heart," he jokes, taking my palm and fitting it over his chest. "See how it's beating for you?" he asks smoothly, a smile curving up.

For a moment–averyshort yet embarrassing moment–I find myself feeling for his heart and trying to understand its beats. But it's just a moment before I recognize my own weakness and I push against him.

"You're insane." I shake my head, convinced he must have had some mental breakdown.

Why is he behaving like nothing happened? Like he didn't use and discard me just a while ago?

"Yes." He gathers me so close to him, our faces are barely apart. "I'm certifiably insane. And it's only because I've been without you for so long." He nuzzles his face in my hair, the gesture so incomprehensible I can only stay as still as a statue, trying to understand who this man is.

Because he's not the Vlad I know.

"Get off of me," I say through gritted teeth, the proximity killing me softly.

If this isn't the worst type of punishment, then I don't know what is… being taunted with the one thing you've ever wanted only for it to be wrenched away from you at the last moment.

I won't fall for the same trick twice, though.

"No," he answers matter-of-factly. His big hand splayed over my nape, he holds me close to him, his arm circling my back, so he has me flush against his body.

His mouth hovers over my face as he breathes me in, his eyes closed as if he's relishing the flavor.

"I'm never letting you go, hell girl," he rasps, his eyes open, dark and fearsome as they stare at me with unwavering conviction. "Never again," he says right before his mouth descends on mine, his kiss bruising as he tries to coax my lips open with his tongue.

Flexing my arms, I try to escape the cage he has me in, but he's too strong to even let me budge. No matter how much Istruggle to get out of his grasp, it's in vain. If anything, his arms tighten even more around me as he forces me to return the kiss.

I keep my mouth shut, my lips firmly sealed as I deny him even the smallest opening.

"Open your mouth," he commands against my lips, but I just give a small shake of my head, my hands trapped between us as I keep pushing against his chest.

But when nothing works, I realize I need to change strategies. I let my body become slack against his. No more resistance, but no reaction either.