“Duly noted,” I shot back. There was fire and brimstone in his eyes, but I had no doubt he could see the same look in mine.
He nodded toward the door, waiting yet undoubtedly with his patience waning. What troubled me more than the fact I’d been basically kidnapped by the man was how he affected me. He was without a doubt the most devastatingly handsome man in the most dangerous of ways.
Were my memories correct or was I simply looking for someone to blame?
Or perhaps someone to grasp onto for reassurances.
I studied his face, trying to picture the young man I’d remembered. Suddenly, everything was fuzzy. My mind. My thoughts.
My emotions.
There was no choice but to play by his rules. I rose to my feet, refusing to surrender to his desire to intimidate me. I snagged my heels from the floor, holding them tightly against my chest. While he opened the door as if I was truly nothing more than a guest, the moment he placed his hand on my back, I involuntarily tensed.
He guided me through a series of elaborate hallways, each more garishly decorated than the one before to a set of stairs. Whatever situation he was being forced to deal with would at least allow me time to think, to perhaps plan another method of discovering the truth.
He carried himself with enough smug confidence that his allure continued to capture my imagination.
Navarro remained quiet, only the combination of our footsteps heard as he escorted me to the end of a hallway. Seeing a lock on the outside of the door caused an immediate tense reaction.I pressed against him, a subtle yet audible gasp slipping past my lips.
“Relax, Fallon. As long as you follow the rules, your stay inside the room will be short term.”
“Why, yes, sir.”
“I could get used to that.”
“Don’t. It won’t happen again.”
Then what? What did he plan on doing with me?
Once inside, I moved away from him quickly, dropping my heels and turning around. The room was sparse, a single bed and nightstand the only pieces of furniture. There were no pictures on the walls, no books or shelves, just a single lamp other than the harsh light on the ceiling.
“I love what you’ve done with the place.” The retort was automatic based on anxiety. With my nerves fried, fear swept alongside, my pulse racing.
His chuckle was more irritating than unnerving. “There’s a bathroom through that door. If I’m kept longer than anticipated, I’ll have someone check on you. Just remember, there are guards posted outside.”
In an action I’d likely come to regret later, I advanced rapidly, slapping my hand across his face. “What gives you the right to keep me here?”
Even with his eyes closed, I sensed his immediate rage. After taking a single deep breath, he snapped his hand around my throat, pushing me with force against the wall. The brutal thud was jarring and I immediately clawed his arm. My breath waschoked raggedly from my throat as he peered down at me with soulless, obsidian eyes.
I gazed down at his tattooed hand and arm, the dark swirls capturing my rapt attention. They were an indication the man was a killer.
His hold remained strong and unyielding and for a few seconds, we were caught in a silent dance of predator and prey.
“That wasn’t very nice of you, Fallon. I’ve chosen to make you a protected guest, yet you defy me every step of the way. I don’t appreciate being attacked in my place of residence.”
“Then let me go.”
A slow and knowing smirk crossed his face. He was well aware he had full control over me.
He took labored breaths as he dropped his head by another few inches. “That’s not going to happen. The sooner you accept what I’ve told you, the happier you’ll be with your stay.”
His heated breath skated across my skin and instead of repulsion, a tickling sense of desire emblazed my skin once again. “You mean my incarceration.”
“Semantics.” His lips mere centimeters away, I realized I’d involuntarily arched my back, my fisted hand now curled around his shirt. The few seconds that passed were awash in uncertainty.
Until he kissed me. Unlike the surprise of before, I knew what to expect, the warmth of his lips turning into a wave of electric current. I found myself clinging to him, hating every moment of my sheer intoxication with the man as he pressed his tongue past my lips.
With my blood hammering in my veins, I dared not move, dared not give him any indication how intense my cravings were.
