Page 27 of Dark Awakening

But it’s a lost cause. The shadows envelop him like a loving embrace, giving me only a glimpse of his mysterious beauty. Yet there’s something in the air—some unexplainable bond between us that goes beyond mere words. I can feel the electricity charging up the atmosphere around us. Every breath feels suffocating, like I’m waiting for something incredible to happen.

My throat squeezes tight as I desperately force out my voice. “Why won’t you leave me alone? What do you want from me?”

His giant body looms over me; his hand feels like fire wrapped around my throat. My heart pounds wildly in the silence while I’m nearly naked in front of this mysterious stranger.

Suddenly, he speaks so thick and deep that it crawls through me like honey. “ I came to see you. I know you’ve missed me. Have you been thinking of me like I can’t stop thinking of you?”

The urge to drive my knee into this bastard’s groin for his bold attitude is almost unbearable, but I can’t deny the undeniable arousal that courses through me whenever he’s near.

Fuck this guy! The emotions his presence evokes twist and turn inside me like a raging storm, threatening to break free and consume us both. His cockiness makes it even more unbearable as he revels in his power over my chaotic state of mind.

Every thought of last night and the one before overwhelms me as his skilled touch lights my skin on fire, an unfamiliar sensation. I refuse to let my feelings get the better of me.

Steeling myself, I tell him boldly, “Nope, not at all. I kind of even forgot you existed.” I lie with a sarcastic tone.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about him. As soon as the words leave my lips, his demeanor changes into annoyance. Without backing down, I follow up with a challenge.

“What are you going to do?” He seems taken aback, and my courage rises.

A deep growl of anticipation leaves his lips, sending a wave of pleasure through me. “You can’t hide the truth from me, Angel. And I’d be happy to illustrate just what I have planned for you,” he murmurs into my neck.

His warm exhales fan across my chilled skin, intensifying the heat radiating from my core. I quiver in anticipation as his soft lips ghost a path up my neck.

"You want this, don't you?" he growls, his breath hot on my ear. "My mouth on your skin, my hands all over you. I can smell your desire, feel your body screaming for my touch."

How the hell does he know? Am I that obvious?

He nips at my earlobe with his teeth, making me gasp. Fear twists with arousal inside me. My mind is in a state of panic, whirling with terrified questions.

Will this bloodsucking bastard drain me dry? Rip my throat out and leave me for dead? Or do something even more dangerous—fuck me senseless until I'm begging for more?

I curse myself as my core clenches with need. As petrified as I am, a treacherous part of me wishes for that last option. I want him to take me hard and rough this very second.

"Tell me you want me," he commands, grinding his hips against mine. I bite back a moan, loathing my body for craving this man’s touch despite the alarm bells shrieking in my head.

"Go to hell," I fire back, even as my nails dig into his shoulders and pull him closer instead of pushing away.

He chuckles darkly. "You're already there, Angel. Give in. I can make it heavenly for you."

I should be running for my life. But all I can think about is this dangerous stranger fucking me into oblivion. I'm terrified of how much control he has over me already. Yet I know I'm only one hot caress away from surrendering completely.

Damn him for making me burn this way. And damn me even more for longing to combust in his unholy flames.

I try desperately to push him off, fighting with all my strength. But it's no use—he's far too powerful.

In one swift movement, he grabs both my wrists and slams them back against the wall above my head. I gasp as pain shoots through my arms at the impact. His grip is iron-tight, immobilizing me completely.

"Let me go!" I demand, trying fruitlessly to wrench my hands from his viselike hold. He only presses closer, using the weight of his body to pin me harder against the wall.

"Never," he growls.

Panic rises in my throat as I truly comprehend my helplessness. I'm trapped here with this all-consuming man whose true intentions remain unknown.

My mind screams to fight, but my limbs are leaden and weak with the bone-deep realization that I'm at his mercy now. His scent and heat envelop me as inescapable as the wall at my back.

As his thigh forces my legs apart, some primal part of me wants to surrender, to see how exquisite the darkness can be.

As I stand here, my heart pounds like a drum. I realize this moment is life-changing. He’s not hurting me; his touch feels like I’m already climbing to an incredible peak, and it’s taking over my body. His breath tickles down my neck while he nibbles and kisses it with his lips. His hands are strong but gentle as they hold mine above my head, clasped at my wrist. He’s captured me with his gorgeous body, and there’s no way I’m getting out of it anytime soon.

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