Page 97 of Death is My Ride or Die

“You lead with your emotions,” Death said gruffly. “Your feelings guide you through life. That’s your downfall. That’s your Achilles’ heel. When you’re upset, you leave all reason to the wolves. Logical decisions are cast aside. There’s no balance between what you feel and what you need to do, and that’s why your power is so unpredictable.”

“What exactly are you asking me to do?” I climbed to my feet and stood over him. “You want me to stop feeling? Smother all of my mortal emotions? Or do you want me to stop seeking answers and stop holding you accountable for your actions?”

“Get out of my face, cupcake.”

The threat was calm and quiet. I backed off a bit, but I wouldn’t back down.

“You can’t handle me, can you? It frustrates the hell out of you. Hate to break it to you—I’m not going anywhere. If I could, believe me,I would. But I can’t. I’m stuck here with you and your ancient, decrepit ways. So, suck it up, asshole.”

“Watch,” he snarled, rising to his commanding height, “your mouth.”

“Orwhat?” I asked, jabbing at his chest.

Death glared down at my finger through slitted eyes, as if he wanted it to shred it apart with his fangs. Instead, he rolled back a broad shoulder and stalked closer until he loomed over me.

“Or I’ll pop the cherry between your legs and shut you up myself,” Death purred.

A slow, ruthless burn settled in numerous locations of my body.

Death’s mouth cranked up into a wicked, twisted grin. “I wanna ask you a personal question.”

Flustered by the way he was staring at me, I intended to put distance between us, but with every step back, he only prowled forward, pursuing me in a slow, predatorial manner.

“What have you done?” he questioned.

“W-what have I done?” I stumbled back against his bookshelves. How had the tables turned so fast?

In an attempt to hide his smirk, Death wiped the thumb of his gloved hand across his bottom lip. “Sexually, Faith. What have you donesexually.”

“You already knew I was a virgin because I wore slacks to the interview. Why don’t you figure it out?”

His arm shot out, trapping me in a corner between a wall and a shelf. “So, nothing.” His grin widened, showcasing white fangs. “You’ve done nothing.”Like I already assumed, added his wicked eyes.

“My personal life is none of your business,” I said, trying to sound as unruffled as possible. I’d never been obsessed with boys and sex the way other girls at my school were. I was pushing the concept of dating to the side until college.

Death reached for a book next to my head, reading the title as if he were interested in it. “Have you ever touched yourself?”

I straightened, burning hot. “I think that’s enough questions.”

He shut the book with a thump, catlike eyes gleaming. “Youhave.”

“It’s time for my date with Ace,” I said and tried to maneuver around him.

Death shelved the book and lowered his arm to block me, while his free hand gripped the shelf next to my head to cage me in. “Now who’s running away, cupcake?”

Swallowing a lump in my throat, I tried to concentrate on anything besides how strikingly handsome his face was, or how the delicious, crisp scent of his cologne was like a freaking sex-bomb air freshener. Or the way he had to bend when he loomed over me because he was so damn tall.

“I’m running away because you’re a deceitful pig.” God, it was so nerve-wracking to look at him when he was this close. “You run away because you’re a coward. Two very different things.”

“I never run from you,” Death said, his voice slipping into a velvet tone. “I run from myself because I don’t want to lose control. But then that enticing, delicious scent of your soul reels me right back, and I . . . can’t . . . help myself.”

I could feel the madness surfacing before I saw it brimming in his eyes. He raised his gloved hand, and I shivered as he brushed the communion cross above my cleavage with a leather fingertip.

“The Fates are laughing at me, you know,” Death murmured. “Those twisted three have poked and prodded at their favorite plaything for two thousand years. They know I have a godforsaken sweet tooth. So, they put you in my path. To torture me.” His catlike eyes flicked up to pierce into my soul. “Toruinmy every waking moment with the temptation of having you. I try not to blame you for what you are, and if you can imagine it, a sliver of myself occasionally wants to even make amends . . . ”

Then he moved in for the kill and turned his head in to my neck. My hand braced against his chest, and my breath escaped in a rush.

“But then you go and torment me all on your own,” he growled against my throbbing pulse, his gloved hands sliding down my waist to the hem of my T-shirt. “Wearing sexy fishnets for your silly fake date with Ace, and I know you’re not an innocent after all. Not in your heart, not in your soul, not in the war between us.”

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