Page 62 of The Secrets of a Sin

Fuck. She was clueless as to the effect she had on me.

I was enamored with every little thing about her, regardless of my constant denial. She wasn’t like other women. She didn’t fall at my feet like the rest so willingly did. Charlotte refused, and as much as I hated her defiance, I admired her strength.

As we come to a stop in front of the house, I can sense the apprehension in her movements as she stiffens beside me.

What was she worried about, anyway?

Was she afraid I would immediately pounce on her like some horny teenager? Fuck yes, I wanted inside her more than I wanted my next breath, but like the hunter I am, I wait for the perfect moment to strike.

And now wasn't it.

“Let me show you inside.” I say in a calming voice that causes her frantic eyes to land on mine. She loosens her frame as if she notices she’s rigid, then nods on a half-smile.

“Okay.”

That’s it, angel. Relax, I won’t hurt you.

We both exit the car, and she trails close behind me until we reach the front door. The see-through windows, painted black like the rest of the house, are adorned with intricate swirls and lines that cover the length of each side. With some little handiwork and new paint, the original door looks brand spanking new, and by the way Charlotte’s jaw is hanging down, I can tell she appreciates it too.

Opening the door, I walk in first and let her take her time before she slowly enters behind me. “Holy shit.” She whispers, and I grin.

The entryway is nothing to praise as the walls are bare, and the floor needs a good vacuuming. My clean house has gone to shit after Phoebe’s death. I feel slightly embarrassed that she’s seeing it like this.

Fuck, I’m never flustered like this around women.

Partly annoyed and in need of a drink after today's events, I usher her into the living room. Opening the cabinet door of my mini-bar, I grab the unopened bottle of whiskey and tear off the cap until the potent smell hits my nostrils.

“I… maybe it isn’t such a good idea to have me here.” Charlotte stutters from behind me as I begin to pour the liquid into my glass. A low chuckle reverberates within the back of my throat as I imagine all the perverse presumptions that are undoubtedly floating through her head.

“Just sit down and relax. I’m not going to fucking maul you if that’s what you’re worried about.” I snarl a bit rudely as I lift the cool glass to my lips and take a short sip. The whiskey burns as it runs down my throat, but it also relieves the tension that has been building up inside me all day.

“That's not...I just figured you’d want to be alone.” She confesses as I spin on my foot to face her uneasy form, standing awkwardly beside my couch. Even in my teetering state of emotions, I can’t fight the compulsion to sweep my eyes over Charlotte's figure. Her porcelain skin contrasted prettily with her conservative black dress that does nothing to conceal her appeal. Her legs shake, violently trembling as if she knows every vile thought surging through my head. Or even better, she is remembering all the sinful things that I have already done to her.

“If I wanted to be alone, I would be.” I bring the glass up to my lips, meeting her heated stare over the rim of the glass. Her throat contracts, causing my pulse to go haywire and my tongue to instantly dry.

“I… I shouldn’t be here. I need to go.” She spins on her heel, escaping down a hallway that leads nowhere. Immediately dropping my glass onto the coffee table, I eagerly chase after her, feeling something other than pain rush through the ventricles of my heart. My feet carry me in heavy strides across the hardwood floor. My chest fills with longing and suspense when her small form stops at the end of the hall. Shifting her head back and forth in each direction, I notice the desperation in her movements. She was trapped with nowhere to go, and damn if the sight of her hopelessness didn’t send a wicked chill down my spine.

With her back to me, her breathing escalates, and her body tenses as a creek in the floors signals my presence.

You can run all you want, angel, but you’re in my lair now.

“Let me go, Arsen.” Her voice quivers as she refuses to face me and come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t going to let her leave.

Sighing into the heavy atmosphere, I trail my eyes over the nape of her neck and down to the tight fabric that sheaths her ass. My jaw tightens, and I stalk closer to her as my insides blaze with a fiery possession. The sensation was completely foreign, as women were nothing more than objects to fill my carnal desires. I used and used until I thought I was no longer a man, that a beast had taken over my soul. I believed I was immune to all aspects of emotion.

“I think it’s about time that I make myself clear and that you get through that pretty little head of yours that when I say you're mine, I fucking mean it.” I say as casually as I can, but every word that spills from my mouth is anything but.

“I’m not yours, Arsen. I never was and never will be.” Her breathy whisper does nothing to ease the excitement that’s building inside me. She was fighting her feelings, fighting something that was making her fucking pull away from me, and I wanted to shake her.

“Oh, but you are, angel.”

She hastily twists her body until she’s facing me with eyes the size of dinner plates and cheeks that match the color of blood. With one step closer, I could wrap my fingers around her slim neck. I could taste those luscious fucking lips and swallow every liquid, every moan that tries to escape her mouth. But instead, I study my prey.

“What is it you want from me? A fuck?” She seethes through gritted teeth. “You want to finally screw the freak so you can get me out of your system, is that it?” Her voice sounds broken like she was on the verge of collapsing, but with her head held high, she remains strong under my presence.

“Get you out?” I chuckle, closing the gap between us, going from safe to deadly, and forcing her eyes onto mine. “How can I possibly rid myself of someone who has embedded themselves into every goddamn part of me?” I demand, trying my damn hardest not to touch her in some way.

Her stare widens in disbelief, but a hint of panic also emerges, and her eyes fill with tears. “You only want me because I won’t bend over backward for you like every other woman you’ve screwed. All I am is a challenge to you. Nothing more.” She shakes her head frantically as her feet carry her backward, away from me.

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