“Marcus, up there. Is she really just sitting out there in the open drinking a coffee? I swear, Brother, she’s in so much trouble.”
I looked at her, sitting there looking so small against the backdrop of the crowded shopping center. Her rich brown hair with its red and gold whipped in the wind and moved back from her face. She clutched her drink, something pink, in a cup that dwarfed her hands. She had a book opened and seemed lost in another world.
Glancing down, I noticed a huge suitcase by her feet, making her stand out in the otherwise normal crowd. I couldn’t help the grin forming on my face. Looks like she got what she needed. Sensing us, her gaze lifted.
A flicker of surprise flashed across her features, but it was quickly overshadowed by anger. It was intense, and it twisted her expression into a scowl. Damn, she was cute with her face all scrunched up.
“That’s something we can both agree on. As soon as I’m through with her, she won’t be able to sit down for a week,” I said as Marcus pulled the car up next to the curb and popped the trunk.
“You mean we,” Alek murmured.
Marcus had his door opened and was exiting as Alek and I opened ours. She wasn’t going to wait, it seemed, because she shoved her book into her bag and scrambled to her feet. Her determination was stubborn, if not comical. The suitcase seemed to have a mind of its own. With a frustrated huff, she tugged at the handle, only to have it stubbornly refuse to work.
She gave it another yank and then pulled her hand free from it.
“Are you kidding me?” she fumed, looking down at her thumb and inspecting the nail.
She must have broken it. Serves her right. But in true fashion, she managed to get the suitcase moving and started huffing away.Little shit, I swear. Springing into action, I closed the distance between us as my heart raced.
Her short legs couldn’t carry her fast enough, not when my stride was double hers. With a seamless motion, I positioned myself in her path. She stopped and put her hands on her hips.
“What are you doing, baby girl? Don’t do this. You’re going to make things so much worse for yourself.”
My eyes met hers with an unwavering intensity as I held my ground. The air around us was charged, the world narrowing down to the space between us.
My looks afforded me the luxury of not looking intimidating, but I knew how to easily flow in and out of character. Her breathing hitched, letting me know she saw how little patience I had at the moment.
Her ability to put herself at risk was trying me in ways I’d never experienced. The beast inside warned me. She’d do well to remember my demeanor from the night I kissed her.
While normally it was only a kill that made me crazed, something about her seemed to tap into that intense feeling, and staring down at her, I wanted to let it loose.
Thoughts of kissing her again, tasting her surprise and shock as I explored her mouth, haunted me. There was something to be said about her allure, that was for sure. It was why I’d given Alek as much room as I had.
The stage seemed set as we stared at one another, an unspoken confrontation about to go down. She notched her head high. Her thick, long brown hair whipped around her shoulders, and her eyes matched the cloud cover.
I reached out and caressed her face lovingly. “You’re so proud. Alek says your mouth will be your undoing. However, if you asked me, I’d say it will be your pride.”
Uncertainty shone in her eyes. She seemed to be reading the room rather well, which I was eternally grateful for because that familiar urge to dominate was rising inside me. I wasn’t sure how much of her sass I could handle right then.
“What’s that supposed to mean? How did you find me?” she asked.
I stepped forward, our lips almost touching as I leaned closer, my body flush against hers. Her small hand shot out and pressed against my chest. My eyes drifted down to it, noticing the chipped nail.
The warmth of her hand burned through my shirt. But I had to give it to her. She stood her ground. Even though her body betrayed her. She trembled before me beautifully, innocently. She had no idea what the fuck she was doing to me.
“What do you want from me?” she finally asked, exasperated.
“Oh, malyshka. Do you really want to know the answer to that? Right now, I’d like you naked across my lap.”
My hand trailed down her back. “My hand on your ass.” I ran my palm down the curve of her ass cheek, gripping it painfully. She whimpered in response.
“Spanking you for your outright defiance. But since we’re in public, I’ll settle for your cooperation.”
I moved my hands and brought her face up. Damn, she was stunning as her breathing hitched, my words resonating inside her.
“Now you’re going to be a good girl, and you’re going to let Marcus take your bag.” I reached out and caressed her bottom lip. “And youwillget in the car because I’m done playing games with you.”
She threw her arms in the air. “I wanted to buy my own tampons and go home. Why is that so wrong?”
