Page 31 of Guarded By the Phantom

“There won’t be a next time. I won’t allow it,” Phantom said at once. “But fine. I’ll pay attention to anything relevant.”

I nodded warily, not fully trusting him, but willing to start. And if he failed me, I could still get the book and read it myself.

“Here,” Phantom said, taking his vampire romance out of his pocket. “You can read this in the meantime. It’s a much easier read, promise. It should suck you right in.”

He chuckled under his breath, and I took the book reluctantly while he sprawled in his chair with the mind manipulation textbook.

After turning the book in my hands for a few minutes, I gave in and cracked it open.

Chapter 11

Phantom

Iglanced at her from time to time as I read. She sat with her knuckles pressed to her mouth, her eyes focused as she devoured my filthy little romance. I knew she wouldn’t get to the good shit anytime soon, but she was invested.

And maybe it was sick, but I enjoyed it. How the well-behaved, fancy princess got corrupted. I had pushed her to uncontrollable rage, to begging and making trades with the wicked—meaning, myself—and now, she was reading a smutty romance.

It was all innocent enough, but everything had to start somewhere, right? And this girl would be deliciously filthy by the time I was done with her.

Or not. I rapped on my empty fucking head with the butt of the knife I played with, drawing an alarmed look from Barbara.

“Just trying to focus,” I explained, which was, shockingly, the truth.

I was distracted, and dangerously so. It wasn’t my job to corrupt the girl. I was supposed to catch the fucker who threatened her and then leave, my task complete.

And yet, my mind went into those forbidden little nooks, my instincts pushing me to act like a psycho. I internally cringed at how I asked her to climb me. As if I couldn’t be any more obvious in how much I wanted this girl who wouldn’t have given me the time of day if I wasn’t her protector.

Pathetic. I should do something to shut down those idiotic instincts fast. Just eviscerate the urge to tease her. To protect her beyond the scope of my assignment. To keep her warm and snug, and happy.

And yet, when Barbara’s stomach growled loudly some time later, I couldn’t help but put the book down and plan where we could eat safely. She was hungry. Ergo, she had to be fed.

Immediately.

“Let’s go,” I said, hooking a foot around her chair’s leg and pulling her away from the table.

She gasped and shot me an irate look. “Did you find something useful? We can’t leave until you do.”

“Lots of speculation. The author is an imbecile. Let’s go.”

I grabbed her arm and hauled her up to her feet. Barbara huffed in anger and pushed me away.

“I’m not going anywhere! You can go if you want.”

I laughed mockingly and grabbed her elbow this time.

“We can come back here after you eat. Come on.”

She took a deep breath, unclenched her fists, and gave me a stern look. “I’m used to being hungry. I want to stay and read until we have something useful. What if someone else gets the book while we’re gone?”

Her stomach rumbled again. I lost my patience.

“Fine.”

Before she stopped me, which she probably would have, I tore off the back half of the book’s cover that had the anti-theft chip attached to it. Barbara made a choked sound of shock, and I stuffed the cover under the carpet by the wall, stomping on it a few times to make sure it wasn’t obvious.

“See? Done,” I said, putting the book in the pocket on my shin. “Can we go now? I get nervous when women are hungry. You get insufferable and all bitch… all unpleasant.”

I turned away from her and made a face.Oops. If Barbara reportedthatlittle word to anyone, I would pay a huge-ass fine. Good thing she had no idea about the contract I signed.

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