Page 46 of Brutal Vows

He laughs abruptly. “Are you threatening me, viper?”

“Yes.”

His laughter dies. He huffs in disbelief. Then he runs a hand over his beard, studying me intently.

The way he’s looking at me makes my entire pelvic floor clench like I’m doing Kegels.

I should call my gynecologist first thing in the morning and schedule a hysterectomy. My reproductive organs have gone insane.

“Now it’s my turn to apologize to you.”

He cocks a brow. “Changed your mind on that threat so soon, have you?”

“No. The threat stands. What I need to apologize for is not giving you a chance. I was a bitch to you from the minute you first walked in the door.” I pause, a smile hovering at the corners of my lips. “I should’ve waited until I knew what aculoyou are first.”

“Culomeans handsome warrior, right?”

My smile grows wider. “Riiight.”

He grins. We stare at each other until our grins slowly fade and we’re somber.

He says gruffly, “You have my word I won’t lose my temper around Lili again. You’re another story, but… I’ll try.”

I glance away, unable to look at his face one second longer. “Thank you. May I ask why you did?”

His pause is short but charged. “No. Now come inside. Your brother promised me you’re going to make me dinner.”

“My brother has the IQ of a tadpole.”

“You will, viper,” he says softly. “You’ll feed me.”

I look back at him and find him gazing at me with burning intensity.

My heart skips a beat, but I keep my voice light. “And why would I do that, Mr. Quinn?”

“Because it’s suppertime. Because you’re a good hostess.” His pause is almost too brief to notice, but the drop in his voice isn’t. “And because I’m ordering you to.”

My heartbeat goes from skipping like a silly schoolgirl’s to pounding with anger. I say coldly, “You seem to be under the mistaken impression that when you tell me to jump, I’m supposed to ask how high.”

He smirks. “You are.”

“Oh, look. The man who thinks he’s Main Character of Earth is back.”

“So’s the woman who could freeze off my balls with one look.”

“Tiny things freeze so easily, don’t they? And thank you for disabusing me of the silly notion that you can sometimes act human. Now get out of my space. You’re sucking up the oxygen with all that mouth breathing you do.”

I grab the door handle and try to pull the door closed, but he blocks it, stepping closer.

“I’m not done with you yet,” he snaps.

“Then let me borrow your gun. I’ll only need one bullet.”

“You want to shoot me now?”

“The bullet’s for me.”

When he growls, I can’t help but send him the kind of smug, shit-eating smile he’s always sending me. “Careful. You’re dangerously close to breaking your promise about your temper already.”