Page 18 of His Wild Seduction

Nothing.

Awake now, but turned away from me, she looked so much like she had all those years ago. I took a moment to study her, committing this version of her to memory.

Still so petite. Too fragile for this world. So precious.

Her hair was spread out against the white pillow behind her head, and I clenched my fists to stop myself from reaching for it.

The color was so like the fire I’d seen in her eyes those precious few moments she’d been animated in that boardroom.

It might be sick, but I loved it when she told me off.

Whatever.

I knew what I was. I was a fucking monster. A big, scary guy who intimidated most people. But Meredith was never afraid of me. Not then and not now.

I fucking loved that. Loved her confidence and her courage.

I stood there for a moment, just taking her in. Her face looked too pale. She seemed tired. She’d been running herself ragged.

I now knew what she’d been up to. What she’d been doing for work, and with her life over the past fifteen years.

My best research team was on it. They’d started sending reports on what they’d learned about her as of thirty minutes ago. The updates were still coming in as they uncovered more.

It seemed Little Red wasn’t quite so spoiled these days.

She lived in a shitty little apartment and spent most of her time at St. Elizabeth’s Shelter for Women and Children in downtown Jersey City.

Of course, I had them running background checks on all the employees and inhabitants.

If Meredith was going to spend time at a place like that, I needed to make sure she was safe.

Call it a biological imperative. Every instinct I had demanded she be safe and secure.

There’s only one way to accomplish that, Josef. Tell her.

Closing my eyes to silence that Big Bad part of me, I exhaled softly, not wanting to interrupt her train of thought.

She looked like she was pretty deep in it, and I understood.

Hell.

I was in danger of drowning in the past myself.

I always knew the day would come when I would have my revenge. I just didn’t expect to feel so fucking concerned about the woman who’d given her virginity to me so wantonly one hot summer night, only to leave me the next day like so much garbage.

It made me angry that I still cared.

It made me fucking furious at myself for feeling that way, and at her for evoking those same feelings inside me.

The sounds of the sheets moving as she turned reached my ears. Meredith must have felt my heavy stare.

Good.

She turned towards me. And I held her stare.

I didn’t look away. Neither did she.

Stubborn thing. Gorgeous little firebrand.

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