Page 77 of Hunt Me

I’d be damned.

She would never cease to amaze me.

“You should know better than to try and escape.” I lunged closer, grabbing one ankle. Fortunately, I’d remembered and anticipated her reaction just as she hauled off and tried to kick me in the face with her other foot.

Almost succeeding.

I jerked her from the open window while she continued to struggle. When she let off a sharp scream, I cut it off by slapping my hand around her mouth and pulling her against me. We were both slightly out of breath.

Fuck. She’d almost made it out the window. Hell, my skills were rusty.

I yanked her arm, pulling her in front of the mirror and crushing her against the counter while we both took a few minutes to catch our breath.

“That wasn’t very nice of you, Bristol. Now, I’m going to take my hand away from your mouth. Do not try and scream. Understood?” The venomous look in her eyes was practically endearing. As soon as I slipped my hand free, she issued another sharp cry.

What the hell was it going to take to get through to her?

Snatching my tie, I jerked it from around the collar of my shirt, immediately wrapping it around her neck, twisting until I managed to grab her full attention. She would need to learn she had no control over what would happen to her.

Her eyes opened wide as she began struggling to catch enough air in her lungs.

Exhaling, I allowed the hot breath to cascade across her face as I dragged her against me, keeping the silk tight. “I don’t think you understand the seriousness of the situation you’re in.”

She opened her mouth, a few strangled sounds mixing with her scattered breathing, several moans giving her desire away.

“I can smell your arousal,” I whispered, the scent intoxicating as hell.

I glared at our combined reflection in the mirror, angry with myself even though the girl deserved every second of punishment that I’d given her.

Her mouth closed, her hands dropping, but not out of acquiescence. She was still rebellious as hell. I wanted to burst into laughter. The audacity of the woman to think that kind of behavior would work on me, perhaps soften me, was ridiculous.

She wiggled against me, her actions creating way too much friction.

Her actions created a primal surge from deep within, the kind of aching need that swept through me like a tidal wave. It was difficult to comprehend why this woman ignited the dark passion within me, but there was no denying my intense yearning.

She was mine.

I snorted as I pressed my lips against her heated skin, using my other hand to roll it down her arm. “You are truly a beautiful woman, Bristol, but we aren’t playing games any longer. There’s too much at stake.”

Goddamn, I was aroused by her tenacity and refusal to accept her predicament. I backed off on the stranglehold while keeping the scarf in place.

She coughed, although she did everything in her power not to react, enough so tears of frustration formed in her eyes. She quickly sucked them away, hissing under her breath. “You can’t keep me. I have a job, a life. My father will wonder where I am and trust me, he’ll send out every office in the city to find me.”

“Imagine when he learns you were involved in a murder.”

I could tell by her expression she’d already thought of the consequences she could face, which wouldn’t bode well for her father’s reputation. That’s the reason her call had been anonymous.

When she stopped struggling, I took a deep breath, allowing my gaze to fall to what she’d chosen to wear. A dress. The body-hugging attire was enough to push my cock against my trousers.

Another act of defiance. Another way of attempting to break through my defenses. I had to give the woman credit. She wasn’t just a fighter. She was determined to use her defiance to break me instead.

It would be far too easy to lose track of what I was doing and what I needed from her. I had limited time before I’d need to set her free or determine how to control her future actions. I couldn’t do so if I allowed her to dig deep into my psyche.

Yet my need to possess and break her was strong, so much so I reached under her dress, wrapping a single finger around the thin elastic of her underwear. With a snap of my hand, I ripped it away, immediately pulling the material to my nose.

She gritted her teeth, slamming her hands against the mirror.

“Yes, you’re very wet. I think you crave another taste.”