Page 70 of Sweet Animosity

Keeping my one arm tight over my breasts, I continued to back up as I stretched out my other arm to ward him off. “I’m not doing anything with you. You broke into my apartment.”

He tilted his head as he studied me. “What are you talking about? Did someone break into your place? You should have told me.”

I shook my head. “Don’t play innocent with me. I know that’s why you took my car keys earlier. You made a copy!”

He tossed his shirt aside as he stalked me around the kitchen. “Of course, I made a copy.”

“Ah ha! So you admit it! This was all just a huge manipulation. Hiring me as your assistant. The paintings. All of it. You already know my relationship to the forger.”

His lip curled, exposing his upper canines. “Relationship? Are you fucking him?”

Although quickly sobering, I was still just fuzzy enough to not catch his meaning. “Fucking who?”

“The goddamn forger, Vivian. Are you fucking the bastard? Because if you are, he’s a dead man.”

In my agitation, I swept my arm to the side, catching the two coffee cups, sending them smashing to the floor. “Don’t try to gaslight me. I know you know who I am. I’m so fucking tired of all this fucking bullshit. They’re just a couple of stupid paintings! I don’t care anymore. And you can tell that to the other goon you sent after me, too!”

His gaze hardened as he lunged for me.

With a squeal, I skirted the porcelain shards on the tile and spun around the kitchen island, away from him.

His lips thinned as he slammed his fist down on the counter. “Enough,” he roared. “You’re going to tell me exactly what the fuck is going on and how many men are after you, right now.”

My fingers sank into the sticky chill of the banana split as I fisted a scoop of whipped cream-coated vanilla ice cream.

“I’m not telling you shit!” I yelled before launching my gooey handful straight at him.

The ice cream splattered against his naked chest, oozing melted cream over his flat abs.

A muscle ticked in his upper cheek.

As I turned to escape, his arm struck out and grabbed me by the hair. Spinning me around, he fisted my curls and lowered me to my knees before him. Gripping the whole banana from the dessert, his eyes glowed with unholy intent as he growled, “So you want to play with your food, little girl?”

CHAPTER 26

VAR

“Open your mouth,” I commanded as the crystal dish wobbled and tipped over, splattering her breasts, hips, and the floor with melted ice cream and chocolate sauce as it dripped over the counter edge.

Turning her literally into a living dessert, made just for me.

A dessert that was going to kill me.

This woman was seriously going to be the death of me. From the secrets and lies, to the dangerous mess she’d gotten herself into, to driving me fucking crazy with her filthy mouth and gorgeous, curvy body.

Tomorrow I would deal with the forgeries, the break-in, and whoever was threatening her.

Tonight, I would deal with her defiance.

She pulled against my grip. “Fuck you.”

“That comes later.”

I yanked on her hair, wrenching her head back, forcing her lips open. I pushed the first quarter of the banana inside her mouth. “Suck it. I want to see you lick every drop of whipped cream off it.”

Her palms pushed against my thighs as I pushed the fruit in deeper.

After another moment’s stubborn hesitation, her pink tongue flicked around the sweet flesh.

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