Page 101 of The Reign of Blood

“I was summoned by my mother. That’s why I wasn’t there.” He stares down at his hands for a moment before looking at me with a darkness in his eyes that I haven’t seen before. “I waspromised to Vallie when I was three years old. It’s never been my choice, and I’ve never been given an option.”

Wow. That’s some heavy shit. Heavier than I can fully process right now, but I guess it all makes sense.

Patting my knees, I force my smile wider. “Okay. If you feel better for explaining now, you can leave.”

He stands, disregarding the chair as he takes a step toward me. “I’m far from done, Adrianna.”

I stand too, not liking his extreme height advantage while I’m still seated. “You’re getting on my nerves,” I grind out, desperate for him to leave.

“On your nerves or under your skin?”

Fucker.I shake my head. “You’re unhinged.”

“You’re beautiful.”

“Don’t give me that shit,” I grumble, inching toward the window when he takes a step toward me, eager to keep as much distance between us as possible, but he doesn’t seem to get the memo.

“Is everything always a battle with you?”

“Maybe,” I retort with a shrug, feeling the tingles of irritation curling up my spine.

“It’s all you’ve known,” he says soothingly as he takes another step toward me, and I quickly match him with a step back.

“Don’t assess me.”

“You don’t want to know my assessment of you?” he asks with a cock of his brow, and I shake my head despite the curiosity creeping beneath the surface.

“Just leave, Raiden,” I murmur, forcing myself to stand my ground as he takes another step toward me.

“No.”

My chin tenses as he reaches out, his long fingers curling around my cheek. His breath ghosts over my skin as he stares deep into my eyes, penetrating my soul.

I can’t think with him this close.

Pressing my palms against his chest, I do the only thing I can think of and push him away. He stumbles back a step, jaw ticking as he looks at me through his lashes. His nostrils flare, and a second later, he’s charging toward me.

I brace for impact, acutely aware that I have nowhere to run, and my back collides with the wall, stealing my next breath.

His body touches mine, from head to toe, as he crowds my space, leaving nothing between us. Our chests rise and fall rapidly as we try to catch our breaths, but it’s pointless. It’s all pointless.

I don’t know who moves first, but my concern for the matter quickly disappears as our mouths collide with force. Battling for control, I ball my fingers into his t-shirt as I attempt to draw him closer than he already is.

His tongue delves between my lips, taking everything from me as I battle to take a part of him too. With me tugging at his t-shirt, his hands move from the wall beside my head to my waist, clenching the material of my leggings so tightly it pulls against my skin.

Sinking my teeth into his bottom lip, I grin with triumph, feeling the upper hand within my grasp. However, he quickly regains control as he tugs hard and fast at my leggings, tearing them in two.

“Fuck,” I gasp against his mouth, unable to catch my breath as he tilts my head back and kisses me deeper. I feel the cool air wrap around my legs, ghosting over my panties that shield my core as he turns his attention to my t-shirt.

The material snags from my body, along with my leggings, leaving me in my white bra and panty set, along with my sneakers and socks. Eager to even the score, I yank my mouth from his, attempting to catch my breath as I twist my hands further into his t-shirt before pulling as hard as I can. The telltalesnag echoes through the air as I rip the red fabric from his flesh, revealing his toned abs and firm pecs.

Nobody should be able to make me this hot and mad at the same time.

“It’s taking too long,” he rasps, and before I can piece together what he means, he whips the rest of the clothes from his body, sneakers and all, before ridding me of anything attached to my skin.

Gaping at him, my chest and pussy exposed, I peer into his eyes with a sense of wonder I can’t explain. We both stare at each other, unsure what the next move is, until I place my hand on his chest and he kicks into action.

I yelp as he hoists me up in the air, hands gripping my thighs as he leans me against the wall. If someone were to look up at my window right now, I’m certain they would be able to see his profile, but I don’t care enough to move.

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