Erasing Faith(94)

I didn’t stop. Instead, I nipped at his skin with my teeth and was rewarded when he growled in response.

Before I knew it, my hands and lips were touching nothing but air as he tore my body from his and tossed me, none too gently, onto the bed. My whole frame bounced with the force of it. I glared up at him hotly, pissed off by his rough treatment, and saw his face was set in stone, his arms muscles bulging into cords as his hands clenched in tight fists by his sides.

He stared at me for a long moment, sprawled on the bed looking up at him with a haze of lust and liquor in my eyes. He said nothing but, as I watched a muscle tick in his jaw, I thought he looked like a man pushed to his breaking point and forced to hover there for far too long… like someone on the verge of snapping.

He was breathing hard, his nostrils flaring with each labored pull of oxygen. His eyes were darker than I’d ever seen them. His mouth tightened, his lips holding in words I was sure he wanted to scream at me, but he was silent as he simply turned on his heel and walked away. I heard the distant, splintering sound of wood as the screen slammed closed. Normally, his anger would’ve concerned me. Right now, though, my eyes were already drifting shut.

I fell back against the pillows and consciousness faded once more.

***

Shit.

Total mortification consumed me before I’d even opened my eyes.

I had a raging headache and one hell of a hangover, but that was nothing compared to the pain I felt when I thought back to my actions last night.

I’d called him beautiful.

And I’d licked his neck like some kind of sex-crazed, whiskey-fueled hooker.

Jesus Christ. I was never drinking again.

At least, not until I was out of this cabin and far, far away from this man who made all my common sense flee faster than my self-control.

I fell back against the bed, pressed a pillow against my face to muffle the sound, and screamed until my breath ran out.

“So, you’re awake.”

Shit.

I pulled the pillow away and lifted my head to peek at the man who’d just walked inside the cabin. I tried to gather my composure as I sat up and ran a hand through my hair, but it was hard to feel composed when I was still wearing yesterday’s clothes and my mouth tasted like day-old whiskey.

Perfect.

“Advil,” he said, nodding toward the small bedside table where he’d placed two tablets and a glass of water.

“Thanks,” I whispered, reaching out a shaky hand for them. Within seconds, I’d swallowed the pills and drained the glass, my hangover improving almost instantly.

He nodded. “Next time you plan on being an idiot, getting piss-drunk, and falling asleep outside, do me a favor and tell me first. By the time I got to you, you were half-frozen.”

“I didn’t plan it,” I muttered, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks.

“The passing out part?” he asked, his voice dropping to that dangerously soft tone. “Or the trying to kiss me part?”

My eyes fell to the quilt and I felt my stomach clench. “I didn’t plan any of it,” I snapped. “But thanks so much for throwing it in my face and affirming, once and for all, that you’re not even remotely a gentleman.”

He scoffed. “It took you this long to figure that out?”

I raised my eyes to his. “Sorry, it’s a little hard to keep track of what’s real and what’s fake when it comes to you and your ever-changing identities.”

His eyes narrowed in anger. “I was never a gentleman and I never pretended to be. Even back then.” He took a step closer. “That’s what you liked about me. And, if you were honest with yourself for a goddamn minute, you’d realize it’s what you still like about me.”

I threw a pillow at him. “I don’t like anything about you.”

“You’re a shitty liar.” His cocky grin made me scream.

“Don’t pretend you understand me.” My voice was dark as I scrambled to my feet. “You don’t know anything about me!”

“I know you’re a f*cking minx who drives me up a wall.”

“Well, you’re a bastard! And a liar!”

“Find a new insult, Red. That one’s wearing thin.”

I fought the urge to throw a lamp at his head. “You… You’re an arrogant, domineering prick.”

“And you’re a royal pain in my ass who’d rather fight with me than admit she still cares.” He stepped closer and I backed away until I felt my shoulders hit the wall. He kept coming, until only a foot or so separated our bodies. My chest heaved with anger as I glared up at him, daring him to close the distance between us. If he tried, I’d punch him.

“I don’t care about you,” I gritted out between clenched teeth. “I never cared about you.”

“Now who’s the liar?” he asked, his eyes glinting darkly.

“Still you. Always you.”

“Fine, you don’t want lies. Let’s see if you like the truth any better. I have a feeling you won’t.” He stepped closer, and the space between us dwindled to inches. I inhaled sharply at his sudden proximity. Though he wasn’t touching me, I could feel the heat of his body and his breath ghosted across my lips when he spoke.

“Truth number one: I want you and you want me. I’ve wanted you from the minute I first saw you in Budapest, and I know you feel the same. You might hate me, but your body doesn’t, Red.”