Page 113 of Assassin's Obsession

"That's got to be uncomfortable." I slide my leggings down my hips, putting a little wiggle in as I bend down to pull them off over my feet.

Angelo groans.

I hide my smile before I straighten and start tugging up the hem of my top one slow centimeter at a time.

"When you spend so much of your life not feeling much of anything…" His eyes hot on my body, he fists his hands at his side, like he's stopping himself from reaching out to touch. "Having a constant source of emotional stimulation isn't always a comfortable experience, but it's one I revel in."

Wow. Okay, yeah, he's said stuff like this before. But the idea that when he's not around me, he doesn't feel much of anything makes my heart ache.

I pull my top over my head and toss it to him, grinning when he lets it fall at his feet.

"What about you?" he asks in a gravelly voice. "Does being around me keep you on a slow burn of arousal?"

Am I always on the verge of wanting to have sex when he's around? The startling answer after years of having almost no sex drive is, yes. Yes, I am.

"Even when I've been kidnapped and I'm lying on a sofa, trussed up like a mummy."

He steps forward and reaches around me to undo my bra. "You're not going to hurt my feelings if you tell me you're not as excited by my presence as I am by yours."

"I just told you—"

"That during a time of high adrenalin, which can have an amplifying effect on the libido, you were turned on. You don't have to find my presence the same stimulant I do yours. It's okay. Everyone is different."

He's really not getting it. "You read that in your book didn't you?"

"Yes." Tugging my bra straps down my arms, his eyes never once stray from mine.

"You and that book." I let the bra fall. "I'm not sure if I should hug the author or smack them."

"If you hug them, I'll have to smack them, so how about neither?" Dropping to one knee, he presses a kiss to my tummy as he slides my panties off.

"Was that a joke Angelo?"

He smiles that pirate smile I'm coming to love. "Maybe." Then suddenly, Angelo, the enforcer comes over him. "Or was it?"

I shiver but not from fear. "Your death mask shouldn't turn me on so much."

"You mean the mask at the Halloween party at the club?" Lifting my panties to his face, he inhales deeply.

My thighs clench and it's all I can do to remember the question I'm supposed to be answering. "No, that mask on your face you get when youbecomeDeath.

He frowns. "I'm always Death."

"I know that, but sometimes that part of you eclipses all the other parts."

"Most people think there are no other parts."

"Most people are wrong. And by the way, my adrenaline doesn't spike when you go allDeathon me because I trust you, but it still makes me wet. So, yeah, being around you is a pretty constant turn on."

His jaw so taut it looks hewn from rock, Angelo sweeps me into his arms and carries me to the pool. He steps into the water without hesitating.

There must be stairs, because I feel the jostle of each step before he sinks down to sit on something. Hot water bubbles around us, not too intense to enjoy but warm enough to relax my muscles.

I moan, and it's not entirely sexual. The water feels so good. "I would spend hours in here if I could."

"The temperature is set at a perfect 98°. You can soak in the water as long as you like." He shifts me so my back is to his front and my legs dangle in the water on either side of his thighs, his erection pressing against my spine.

I let my head fall back against his shoulder. "Good to know."

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