Page 42 of Poison Touch (Monarch Vipers #1)

His mouth glides along my jawline until our lips are almost touching. I wet my dry lips. His mouth skims over mine. Still holding my hand, he tightens his grip. I don’t know if he’s aware or not. I, on the other hand, am aware of every one of my nerve endings that ache for more of his touch.

He releases my hand and slides it along the bare skin of my waist until it settles on my lower back. “I’m going to assume sweet and gentle is not the way you want it.” He jerks his hand, pulling my hair, which is still wrapped around his finger, to make his point. “Is it?”

I whimper in response. The fact that he knows me in this way is as disturbing as it is arousing. I hate myself for reacting to him, his touch, his words, like I’m a lovesick girl. It’s the last thing I am, but fuck, if it doesn’t take effort not to collapse against him.

“No,” I whisper.

He lightly kisses the hollow space between my shoulder and neck.

Slowly moving his mouth to my ear, he plants a soft kiss just beneath it.

His hand squeezes my waist. To anyone looking on, we appear to be a couple, or at the very least, we seem to like each other.

And he’s telling me a secret. For me, though, he’s too close, dangerously close.

A threat of the worst kind. Skillfully seductive.

I still don’t know what his motives are, but he’s found a way to infiltrate all of my boundaries and take control of my body before I can escape.

His lips brush the shell of my ear with each word he whispers. “The next time you touch yourself, I want you to imagine my tongue trailing up the inside of your thigh to your throbbing clit.”

He kisses my neck. I’m frozen in his embrace and his taunting words.

My lips are the only thing to move, parting as I visualize the seductive image.

As if making good on his promise, his lips part against my neck, and his teeth graze the tender flesh, nipping, then stop just short of piercing the skin.

I jerk at the sudden ignited pain. He holds me tight against him as his tongue soothes the bite. Shivers of need course through my body. My breaths quicken into shallow gasps. I swear I can feel him between my legs.

“As you’re rubbing your clit and pushing your fingers deeper into your wet pussy, imagine it’s my tongue sliding through your slick folds and my fingers curling up into that sweet spot until you’re coming harder than you ever have in your life.”

It’s with those final words that my knees weaken, and his grip on me tightens, holding me upright.

“That’s right, hold on, Ninja baby.” He takes my lower lip between his teeth, biting it hard enough to create delicious pain throughout my entire body.

Then, achingly slow, he glides his tongue along the tender flesh.

“What I wouldn’t give to slide my fingers inside of you right now to see how wet you are for me.

” He places a delicate kiss on my swollen lips.

“I would bet my life that you’re fucking drenched. ”

Holy fucking hell.

He’s not wrong.

“Until then…little Ninja.” He uncoils my hair. The ringlet falls against my cheek. His hand drops from my waist. Relaxing his lustful gaze, he frees me from his mesmerizing hold. It seems like hours have passed as if I were transported to another time and dimension.

In a daze, I make my way back to the dressing room.

Luca doesn’t say a word as he slides the drape closed after me.

Taking a minute to regain my composure, I sit on the round, pink, cushioned seat in the corner.

Each time Edge touches me, the pull drawing me to him intensifies.

It’s electric and captivating as fuck. I’m drowning in the intoxicating ocean of Ledger Hunt.

I change out of the dress and hand it to Luca through the open seam of the curtain. After the few moments it takes for my breath to return to normal and for me to change back into my shorts, I join Luca at the counter.

The sales lady arranges the dress on the hanger, places it in a garment bag, and then hands me a bag containing the shoes.

“How much is the total?” I ask.

“You’re all set, dear.”

I look at Luca, then back at her. “But I haven’t?—”

“The handsome gentleman who was in here a few minutes ago paid for your purchase. He took care of it while you were changing.” She hands me a small piece of paper. “He also asked me to give you this.”

I unfold the note. Written in neat handwriting is a phone number.

The second we leave the store, I look up and down the mall for Edge. He’s already gone. I’m not sure if I’m relieved or disappointed.

Luca spins me toward him. “Girl, you listen here. You are buying me a big, fat, dripping mozzarella meatball sub and telling me everything there is to know about Prince Charming.”

Absentmindedly, I nod. The first thing Luca needs to know about Edge is that he’s neither Prince Charming nor a knight in shining armor.

He’s a poisonous viper, prepared to strike at any moment, and he doesn’t pretend to be anything else.