Page 19

Phantom

I followed her, my armor clicking into place so I could be a bulletproof shield if need be. Barbara’s movements were jerky and decisive, and I couldn’t shake the pink from my eyes. Touching her, holding her, and then facing her delicious anger made my head swim with little hearts. My dick was in agony, still throbbing, now hidden under armor. I wanted to hit my head repeatedly on the wall for denying myself even just a little touch of her sweetness, and at the same time, I felt incredibly proud of myself.

She deserved better. I was a veritable hero for not plucking that flower for myself and getting it all tarnished.

Because sweet, innocent Barbara didn’t know a crucial thing: after fucking an abomination, human sex would never be enough. I did her a favor, really. Thanks to my heroic restraint, she’d be able to get married to someone in her own league one day and enjoy him in bed in blissful ignorance of what she could have had.

Now, though, she was angry, and I enjoyed watching her furious little walk. Her hips swayed sexily when she was annoyed. It distracted me so much, I finally forced myself to look away from her ass. In a desperate bid to regain control, I tightened the plates over my crotch, squeezing my throbbing dick even harder.

Ow.

There was no time to process my agony, though, since Barbara headed fast in the direction of her mother, who stood with none other than Ernest Landizza. I knew his name—everyone did. The man was brash, colorful, and often appeared in the media speaking on various social and economic issues.

By his side, two vaguely familiar young men lingered, listening politely while he spoke with Clarissa, who was all charming smiles and cordial laughs.

It surprised me that she cozied up to the self-made media mogul who now held three quarters of the country’s news stations in an iron-clad monopoly. Landizza wasn’t an old-money name like the Ashfords and the Kingsleys, and I knew enough to realize that should have made him a nobody in Clarissa’s eyes. She was big on dynasties.

Ernest Landizza was the son of poor immigrants. He made his first million when he was nineteen and went on to dominate the media industry. I wracked my brain, trying to remember if the Landizza name appeared anywhere in the articles about the senator I’d read, but I came up empty.

There was no connection, and yet, here was Barbara’s mother, apparently setting up her daughter with one of the man’s sons. Or was I wrong?

“Barbara!” Clarissa called out, extending both hands in a warm welcome that was so at odds with the cruel greeting she gave her earlier. “Here you are, my diamond! I’m so excited to introduce you to Adonis. I’m sure you will hit it off at once—Adonis rides horses, as well. You have so much in common!”

One of the men stepped forward. He was tall and smoldering, his skin sunkissed, dark hair swept fashionably back. He wore an impeccable suit, and when he smiled, revealing blindingly white teeth, I saw a ruby glittering in the tip of his left canine.

Adonis, indeed.

“Such a pleasure to finally meet you, Barbara,” he purred, bowing over her hand.

She intended to give him a handshake, but he turned her palm and brushed his lips on the back of it. The pink fogging my eyes turned red with possessive fury. Uh-oh.

“Likewise, Mister Landizza,” she said in a cool, polite voice. “I hope we can be good friends, since we share a passion for riding.”

I just caught the moment the smile on Clarissa’s lips froze. Barbara didn’t play her role as expected.

Adonis frowned, his perfect brows furrowing gently. “I hope to be much more than your friend,” he said, recovering quickly. “Will you dance with me, Barbara? I’d love to get to know you better.”

She smiled her perfect, radiant smile, and my heart stuttered, my vision graying out for a second. She was going to say yes, wasn’t she? He was pretty, after all. He was a gentleman and knew how to behave in society. Of course, she would agree to the dance, and then she’d fall for him, and…

And good for her. A princess deserved a prince.

“Thank you so much, Mister Landizza,” she said, still smiling blindingly. “But you will have to excuse me. I am leaving. I just wanted to say hello to my dear mother’s new friends. We can dance another time, perhaps. Goodnight, then!”

She nodded at each of them in turn. Clarissa’s smile was pinched, but Ernest laughed jovially.

“You’re not an easy girl, eh?” he asked, winking at Barbara. “Very good, very proper. Pure and decent, as women should be. Hat off to you, Clarissa, for bringing up a lady!”

He laughed again, while Adonis gave him an annoyed look. Barbara smiled once more, nodded, and turned away, gracefully gliding out of the ballroom.

“Well, that was awkward,” I murmured as we sat in the car.

She huffed without looking at me, her face stubbornly turned to the window. “Was it? I barely noticed, since I was too busy thinking how annoying you are.”

My heart skipped a beat. She really was angry, but that wasn’t even the best thing. I realized she didn’t pay the pretty human man much attention, because she was thinking about me. More pink flooded my eyes, and I shifted uncomfortably, trying to get my dick to behave.

No , I told it. We’re not getting her. We’ll be heroes, you and I, you’ll see. Self-denial is our new thing.

“It’s one of my many talents,” I said with a strained laugh. “I annoy the hell out of people.”

She groaned and turned to me, her eyes flashing with menace. “Why are you such an asshole? Is that because you think I’m easy? You think I should be a proper, decent woman? Well, shake hands with Ernest Landizza. You seem to have similar tastes.”

My jaw dropped at her vicious tone. She positively vibrated with fury, and I didn’t really think it was because I rejected her on the balcony. It was about something else, and I was very curious as to what exactly.

So I did what I did best. I poked the bear.

“I don’t think you’re easy,” I said with a chuckle. “After all, I had to buy you that atrocious coffee, bring you pie, and save your life. That’s a lot of work just to dip my wick.”

“Then why won’t you do it if you’ve worked so hard?” she hissed, her hands balling into fists. “Am I not good enough for you? Of course, I’m not! I’m never good enough!”

She broke off, breathing hard. I waited, watching her explode. Even in the grip of fury and self-loathing, she was beautiful.

“Of course this is why she did it, but she wouldn’t say it, would she?” Barbara snapped, taking her diamond earrings off with hands that shook from anger.

“All my life I’ve tried so fucking hard! I did everything I could to please her, everything! But that doesn’t matter. I made one mistake, one , and she’s throwing me out like trash!”

I shook my head, not really grasping what she meant. “Throwing you out?” I asked. “Hold on. Why do you think…”

“Don’t interrupt me!” she hissed, throwing the earrings onto the seat between us. “She hates Ernest Landizza, she’s always hated him! He is an impostor, immigrant trash, a rich man with a poor man’s manners! That’s what she always said about him. And I don’t care, I don’t! But she does, and now she’s giving me to them! To the people she hates!”

She groaned in helpless rage, kicking off her shoes.

“All this time, I’ve been trying so hard to be good! I did everything! And for what? So she can give me away to people she doesn’t even respect? Without asking me first? Without telling me so I could get ready? Fuck this shit! I’m done. Whatever I do, I’ll never be good enough, so why should I even try, huh?”

“Let me get this straight,” I said, thinking fast. “Your family and the Landizzas aren’t friends, right? This isn’t what was supposed to happen?”

She shook her head violently, her newly cut hair swinging around her nape. “I was supposed to marry someone from a family like mine, with a good lineage and yada-yada, all the stupid stuff she cares about. I don’t even know why she’s doing this anymore. And you know what? I’m done! I’m done waiting for her to love me!”

Her voice wobbled, and she wiped angry tears from her cheeks with jerky movements. I swallowed thickly, hating to see her cry. I thought I finally understood what the core of the problem was—she thought her mother didn’t care about her.

“I’d rather she kicked me out of the house,” she said bitterly, training her red-rimmed, angry eyes on me. “That would be honest, at least. But this is perverse! I’m supposed to pretend to be happy about marrying a man I know she looks down on? Hell, no! I’m done pretending. And I’m done being obedient.”

She stared at me for a few seconds, her chest rising and falling with harsh breaths.

“Fuck me.” Her eyes burned with anger, her voice belligerent. “Do it like you said, publicly, so there are pictures. In the driveway, so the paparazzi can see it from the gate. Let them be useful for once.”

I gasped a hoarse laugh, but then realized she wasn’t kidding. Her face was tight with determination, eyes hard. When I shook my head, she raised a mocking eyebrow.

“Not good enough for you, huh?” she said with a snort. “Thought so.”

“No, hold on. Calm down,” I said, but it only made her laugh bitterly as she folded her arms, turning away from me. “No, doll, listen. You’re not thinking straight.”

“Oh, yes, I know. Because I’m asking for things I’m not supposed to ask for. Because I don’t know what’s good for me,” she sneered, her leg bouncing with frenetic energy. “I get it. You know better. Fine.”

I groaned in frustration. “First of all, yes, you’re not thinking straight. If you are caught fucking your bodyguard in the open and there are pictures, they will serve as proof that you’re unstable. And I know I promised to get you out if they send you to an institution, but maybe let’s try not to get sent there in the first place, okay?”

She froze and then deflated, nodding grudgingly, her back still to me. In the dark car window, I saw the reflection of her sullen profile.

“And secondly, I’m not sure if I want to be your little rebellion,” I added. “You want to shock everyone by fucking someone like me, I get it, but have you considered that maybe I don’t want to play that game?”

She shook her head and turned to me with an angry huff. “What are you talking about? You or a random guy on the street, that’s all the same to them. And I’d rather it be you. But I get it. If you don’t want me, just say so.”

I sighed in frustration at her words, but the car had just arrived at the estate and I had no time to set her straight on what I did and didn’t want. The gate opened automatically, and the few paparazzi still camped out in front of it took pictures. Barbara’s hands were balled into fists in her lap, her mouth pressed into a line as she looked straight ahead, her entire body rigid.

As soon as the car stopped, she bolted out of it, forgetting her shoes and earrings. I grabbed her stuff and followed as she ran barefooted into the house.

“Doll, wait,” I called, chasing her up the stairs, but she only ran faster, like she was trying to escape.

Well, that wasn’t going to happen. I had things to say, so I ran after her, making it just in time to get her bedroom door slammed in my face. I pushed it open without losing a beat and barged in, pulling her to my chest.

“Let go,” she snarled, fighting my embrace.

“Later. Once you understand.”

“God!” she screamed, pushing my torso as if her weak human arms could make me budge. “Just leave me alone! I have things to do, stuff to plan. Go catch that guy, and then you’ll be free!”

I laughed under my breath when she raked her pink nails down the armor on my stomach. She seemed to realize fighting me was futile, so she hit me once in pure frustration and stopped struggling. Her hair got messed up during our scuffle, so I pushed it off her temple, earning myself a furious hiss.

“You really are a kitten,” I said with a laugh. “And you fight like one.”

She growled, not unlike a cat, and I laughed again. “Fine, fine. I’ll let you go. In a minute, once you understand something.”

She didn’t reply, her chin jutting out rebelliously as she looked away, folding her arms on her heaving breasts. I still held her firmly enough not to let her bolt. She felt so good in my arms.

“Look, doll. I want you. I want you so bad, okay? It’s kind of pathetic, really.”

She looked up, not yet convinced, but her features softened a fraction. I took a deep breath and removed armor from my palm, cupping her cheek. She swallowed, her throat bobbing, and let me touch her.

“But you and I will never work,” I continued now that I had her attention. “Let’s face it, baby: you are nobility, while I am scum. You’re this innocent good girl who’s afraid of dogearing a book, while I kill people regularly. And I hate to say this, I really do, because I want nothing more than to ride you raw, but I can’t. It would end in tears for both of us.”

She huffed and pushed me away. I stepped back, wishing I could tattoo the feel of her on my skin, because I was pretty sure this was the last time she would ever let me hold her. And yet, I had to do this. If I fucked her, I would belong to her. And who would put me back together after she came to her senses and told me to fuck off?

I might be attractive in the dark of the night, with my bad boy aura, crude language, and abomination dick, but once they saw me in daylight, human girls tended to flee in shame.

And it was fine when it happened with a casual hookup, but with her? I would be destroyed.

She eyed me with that angry glare that made me all hot and bothered, until her lips tipped up in a challenging smile. It made me weak in the knees even as foreboding crept up my spine. She nodded once, coming over until we almost touched. I was frozen in place, staring down at her eerie smile.

“You really think you know everything,” she said, sliding her thumb over my outer teeth. Her scent enveloped me, and my skin tingled, needing to lose the armor and feel her heat directly.

“But you don’t know how hard I work once I have a goal,” she finished in a whisper, standing on her tiptoes.

Her lips brushed my chin, a barely-there kiss, and she pulled back, watching me with dark, determined eyes.

“Goodnight, Phantom. And watch out.”