Page 38 of Haunting the Hunter

“Finish that and go to bed,” I say, turning away from her to pick up the books.

“Sure,Cade,” she says sarcastically.

I turn back to her, taking the glass and throwing it off the balcony. I push her chair back on two legs, her feet coming off the ground. My face is inches from hers.

“Make no mistake, pretty girl, I amnothinglike your brother. Compare me to him again and I will make you regret allowing the words to ever cross your lips.”

Her eyes are wide. She speaks softly, breath smelling of whiskey.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know how long you have been following me, but I don’t know you.” She gently places her hands on my shoulders as I place her chair back on all four legs. “I’m used to weird shit, but a demon showing up and taking care of me was not on my bingo card. So forgive me for coping with sarcasm.”

I stand up. She may have a point, and I may have overreacted. I walk over to the mess of books sprawled out on the floor, noticing that Karma has made herself a bed out of one of them. I smile downat the little feline, cooing, “Let’s find you a more comfortable bed.” I reach down and scoop her up, noticing the cover she had occupied. A black-and-white picture of a shirtless, tattooed man. I quirk a brow. “Karma, you are dirty just like your mommy,” I say, setting her on the bed before picking up the remainder of books.

Placing the stack back on the shelf, I notice Calli walk behind me and throw herself onto the bed.

“Remind me when I’m sober not to summon anything while I’m shit-faced,” she says, face squished into the pillow.

Her comment pulls a smile from me as I spot a paperback still out of place. I slide it back onto the shelf, my thumb catching on yellow tabs marking the pages. I open it to a random marked page.

Oh. Literary. Fucking. Porn.

This girl is filth in angel’s skin. I grin, flipping to the other pages labeled in yellow. I know what I’m doing tonight, and this could give me some ideas.

I bring the book to her bed and pull the covers over her. She’s so pretty when she sleeps. Probably because it’s the only time she shuts up.

Curious. Smart. Dangerous. And she has no idea.

I just know she would taste like honey. I’ll have her. I will. Mind, body, soul. She’ll beg me not to stop until I ruin her.

That mark on the back of her neck pulls me in, and I lean, drawn like gravity, like a moth to a flame. Her skin looks soft, the delicate little baby hairs rising at my breath.

She tenses, mumbling. “You smell good.”

Good. She feels me, even while asleep.

Her chest rises as she rolls onto her side. I slide next to her on top of the blanket and open the book to chapter one.

I finish the book and look over at the clock, the sky slowly brightening.

Five a.m.

Where the hell did the time go? I close the book and get up to place it back on the shelf when she begins tossing and turning. She must be having another one of her nightmares. I sit next to her, hand on her shoulder, and she seems to calm before jolting awake. I quickly pull away.

She reaches out and clicks on the lamp, pushing herself up.

I lie back, watching her move around her room in that worn nightgown. When she strips out of it to change into jeans and an old T-shirt, I lick my lips.

“You put on quite a show,” I say with a rasp in my voice, and she jumps.

“Fuck!” She turns, hand on her forehead. “Why are you in my bed?”

“I was reading. You have quite good taste in literature, I must say.”

She rolls her eyes as if annoyed, but I see the pink in her cheeks.

“Nothing to be embarrassed about, sweetheart. I quite enjoyed it.”

She shakes her head, snatching the book off the nightstand, and walks away.