Page 40 of Pursued-

I raise my eyes. “If you said no—” I shake my head. “It would hurt.”

His breathing takes on weight, growing heavy. “Am I supposed to trust you? I left you alone, and you walked three and half miles through the woods to escape.”

“You kidnapped me. If you can’t trust me, whose fault is that?”

“If I take you out, do you swear to do what I tell you to?”

My heart thuds in my chest. Do I even know what I’ll do if I have the chance to be free of him?

“I’m not sure what I’ll do,” I admit.

The corner of his mouth curves up.

I sip the drops at the bottom of my glass, chewing on a half melted cube. My gaze returns to his face. “Should I try to talk you into it? Should I be Zoe?” I ask, batting my eyelashes. I catch his shirt in my left fist and try to pull him toward me. “Please, Sasha?” I mock beg, then pout my lips.

“Cut it out,” he murmurs.

“Zoe’s sexy enough to pull that off. I’m too—something. Serious?”

He takes my hand, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. He lowers my hand and releases it.

“Find something to wear.”

I smile. “Really?”

He nods.

“So it does work for me,” I say, batting my lashes.

“That’s not what works.”

I tuck the tips of my fingers in the front pockets of his pants and pull myself forward, so I’m flush with his body. I crookmy finger to get him to lean down. He does, and I rise up onto my toes and brush my lips over his neck. “Thank you.”

ANVIL

Fuck.It’s what I want to do when she comes downstairs in a black and burgundy lace dress.

“Hello, Patience Raine,” Trick says under his breath, referring to a vampire victim turned vampire hunter in one of the book series she reads. “Remind me what you see in her again, ’Vil? Oh, right, the fact that she can pull off a corset-topped dress at four in the afternoon.”

“That’s some dress,” C says, looking her over.

“It’s all I have here. I wore this to a club in Boston. We stayed overnight and the dress ended up at Zoe’s apartment because I wore jeans the next day. I guess I’m lucky I forgot it.”

“What club?” Trick asks.

She arches a brow. “Why? Have you run out of girls to corrupt in town?”

He smirks. “Not at all, since I’m hoping Anvil’s going to let me try to corrupt you.”

Fuck off, I think, but outwardly I ignore his attempt to bait me.

Zoe appears at the top of the steps in a short bronze dress and towering heels. Five miles of leg showing, she steals C’s attention.

“The goddess descends,” Trick says, still smiling, but now looking at Z.

“You need a girl of your own, Trick,” Zoe says.

“Maybe I’ll kidnap one. That’s become a C Crue special.”