Savage Hearts (Queens & Monsters #3)(34)

She’s getting desperate. I see her struggling to find a way out of this, to find an escape, and almost laugh out loud when I finally see her give in.

She licks her lips, then says defiantly, “Fine. Kiss me. But I won’t like it.”

Challenge accepted.

Instead of pressing my lips to hers, I turn her head and run the tip of my nose along her jaw. Beneath her ear, I inhale. Then I kiss her there, my mouth barely brushing her skin.

I have to suppress a chuckle when she shivers.

I think I might’ve been going about this revenge business all wrong.

“One more thing. You have to kiss me back. Lie there like a cold fish, and your friend Spider eats a bullet.”

“I take back what I said about you being a gentleman.”

“I’ll burst into tears over that right after you give me your fucking mouth.”

She inhales, closing her eyes and swallowing. When she opens her eyes again, I know it’s war.

I’ve seen hardened killers look less psychotic.

My smile makes her gnash her teeth.

“Ready?”

“Go to hell.”

“Can’t. The devil has a restraining order against me.”

“That’s not even original! I saw it on a T-shirt once!”

“You want original?” I put my mouth close to her ear and growl, “I want to impale you on my cock. I also want to wring your neck. I’ll settle for a kiss, instead.”

She mutters, “I can’t believe I didn’t let Spider shoot you when I had the chance.”

Ignoring that, I press my lips to hers.

It’s gentle, not hard like the first time. A warm, lingering touch, mouth closed. I do it again, brushing our lips together lightly.

She wasn’t expecting gentleness. I can tell because she stares up at me, startled.

“Close your eyes. Unclench your hands from my hair. And get your knee out of my ribs.”

“How many more rules will there be for this one kiss?”

“Do it. Now.”

She does everything I asked. Grudgingly. Then, when I only stay still, staring at her sweet mouth, she whispers, “Hurry up and get it over with.”

Her voice trembles.

I know it’s not from fear.

I also know the way to deal with her isn’t with brute force. She won’t respond to that. It’ll only make her fight harder.

This girl needs to be teased open.

Unfurled slowly, one petal at a time.

I gently kiss one corner of her mouth. Then the other. Then I softly kiss her nose and chin.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Kissing you. Shut up.”

She makes an aggravated noise, which I ignore. Trailing my lips down the side of her neck, I pause to press another gentle kiss to the pulse throbbing there. I stroke the tip of my tongue along it.

A fine tremor runs through her chest.

She says my name breathlessly.

I ignore that as well.

Nuzzling my nose into the curve where her neck meets her shoulder makes her shudder. I inhale deeply against her skin. She smells so sweet, I want to bite her.

So I do.

“Malek!”

“The sooner you stay quiet, the sooner this will be over. Keep interrupting me, and I’ll make this kiss last all night long.”

Which, now that I think of it, might not be a bad idea.

She’s breathing hard now. Tense and trembling beneath me. I know exactly why she wants me to stop. It’s the same reason I won’t.

She likes the feel of my mouth on her skin.

And I like how much she hates that she likes it.

I kiss a soft trail along her clavicle to her shoulder, nosing the neckline of her white cotton T-shirt aside to get there. I kiss my way back and dip my tongue into the dent at the base of her throat.

“Please. Stop. Stop this.”

Her voice is hoarse. Her whole body trembles. I feel like someone just lit me on fire.

“You want Spider to die?”

“I just want this to be over.”

“It will be.”

“When?”

“Soon enough.”

When she opens her mouth to protest, I slide my thumb inside it and growl, “Suck on that, or I’ll give you something to choke on.”

Her teeth press down hard against my finger. I fist my other hand into her hair.

“Draw blood, and I’ll make Spider’s death last a few weeks.”

She makes an angry noise, staring up at me in fury.

“You want this to be over? Close your eyes. And suck.”

Our eyes clash. She doesn’t obey me immediately, so I wait to see what she’ll decide.

I know full well that the bite of an adult human can cause massive destruction to a finger. Possibly even sever it. She’d do damage to her teeth and jaw, but I doubt she’d care.

I don’t care, either. It would be worth losing a finger just for this look on her face.

Finally, she closes her eyes. She exhales a short, angry breath through her nose.

When she starts to suck on my thumb, my already-hard dick throbs in response.

I lower my head and kiss her throat, licking and nipping at it. She moans around my thumb.

That sound shoots an arrow of heat straight through my body, right down to my balls. I’ve never heard anything sexier.