Page 6 of Another Curvy Girl and Grumpy Vamp

And yet… the doors slide open.

Merri.

She steps in, her movements hurried, dark brown curls bouncing as she fusses with the strap of her bag. She doesn’tnotice me immediately, too focused on the panel, her hand hovering over the buttons. But then she senses it, her head jerks up. Her eyes lock with mine. Surprise. Panic. Guilt settles on her features as she freezes in place. She doesn’t have to say a word.

She’s caught.

Her posture shifts, her eyes widen and scurry wildly as she searches for an escape. There is none. The doors close behind her, trapping us in the confined space. Her gaze flickers to the panel again, like she can somehow will herself out of this situation. But there’s no avoiding me now. I step forward, my eyes narrowing. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how much trouble she’s in. The only question left is how she got access in the first place. Javier didn’t mention a missing key. That means someone gave her the keycard behind my back.

And I need to know who.

“So,” I start, my voice low, anger curling around the edges of it. “Stolen any parking spots lately?”

Her eyes flash to mine. I wait, watching her fumble for an explanation, her fingers twitching as they clutch the strap of her backpack.“One or two,” she says, her voice barely audible.

I smirk, leaning a little closer, letting my body heat envelop her. I know what she’s thinking—that I should be cold. But I’m not. The heat between us is real, and it builds with every second that passes.

“Tell me,” I continue, “does this tendency toward thievery explain how you have the keycard to my private elevator?”

For a split second, her expression shifts, and I swear she’s about to make an excuse. But instead, she catches me completely off guard. She leans toward me, batting her lashes and letting out a sultry, low purr. “You should know, a lady never tells.”

I narrow my eyes, flattening my lips to keep them from turning up. She’s trying to flirt her way out of this, thinking she can play me. Cute. But it’s not going to work. Without breaking eyecontact, I slam my hand down on the emergency stop button. The elevator jerks to a halt, and she stumbles back, her eyes as wide as the elevator’s buttons.

“Not acceptable,” I growl. Her body tenses, heat floods her skin, and my body stiffens as I step closer, deliberately closing the distance. She backs up until her spine presses against the mirrored wall of the elevator. Her breath quickens, her pulse pounds so loudly in my ears I could count her heartbeats without even looking at her. “Try again, Meredith Collins, from the South Side of Chicago,” I continue in a gravelly voice. “Where you lived with your parents, Mirabel and Jackson. Your father is a city bus driver, and your mother teaches math to kids with special needs.” Her eyes widen, panic flashing in them as she realizes I’ve done my homework. I know more about her than she expected. I take another step, my body towering just inches from hers. The top of her head nearly smashes my chest. “Shall I go on?” I ask, tipping my head to look down at her. “Do I need to recount the scholarships and awards you received? Great job, by the way.” The look on her face says it all. Merri’s breaths come in shallow gasps. She’s stunned. Good. She should be.

“Who gave you that key?” I demand, my tone nearly cracking the mirror. “Who let you believe it was okay to park in my spot and use my elevator?” Her eyes snap back to mine. Anger? Defiance? I can’t read her emotions. But, whatever they are, it only makes me push harder.

“All this for a fucking parking spot?” she spits, her voice trembling, but not with fear. No, this is something else. Something darker. Violent. “Keep your fucking spot. I hope the garage crashes down on it. But give up that name? No.”

My nostrils flare, and I close the slither of air between us. Still, she refuses to back down. “You found out everything else,” she continues, her voice shaking with barely contained rage. “You can find it out, too.”

I smirk, letting her defiance wash over me. “Do you imagine I can’t? I could, easily. A name, a face, it’s nothing to me.” My words feather her face. “I can get that name any time I want. But I want it from you.”

She blinks up at me, her lips parting slightly as if she’s struggling to comprehend why this matters so much to me. And honestly, I don’t fully understand it either. But the jealousy is there, gnawing at me, driving me to demand answers I shouldn’t care about. “Why?” she breathes, her voice softer now, confused.

My jaw tightens as I press my body against hers. My heat envelopes her. “Because,” I say through gritted teeth, “whoever gave you that key is obviously after something I want.” Her eyes widen, and I see the realization dawn on her face. My words hit her like a punch, and for a moment, she’s speechless, staring up at me with those wide, defiant eyes. I’ve pushed her into the corner, physically and emotionally. She’s fighting it, I can see that much, but there’s no denying the pull between us. Her hands press against my chest, weak and ineffective, but they’re not pushing me away. Not really.

“What?” Merri asks.

“You,” the answer tears from my throat. Set free before I give it permission. “I want you.”

Her breath catches, and she shifts when I do. It’s as if the fight drains out of her all at once, replaced by something deeper. Her lips part, and the space between us disappears. My hands snap to her waist, pulling her into me, and my mouth crashes down onto hers. The taste of her is immediate, intoxicating, and my body responds with a hunger I haven’t felt in centuries. Her lips are soft, but her body stiffens. I don’t stop. My hands move up, tangling in her curls, my fingers scraping against her scalp as I deepen the kiss. She lets out a soft groan, that shatters her resistance. She opens for me, allowing me access. Her tongue meets mine, hesitant at first, but then with more urgency,more need. Our kiss becomes a battle, a fight for control, for dominance, and neither of us is willing to give in. I savor the sweetness of her mouth, the slide of her tongue against mine, the curve of her bottom as it fills my palms.

Her hands grip my shoulders now, pulling me closer, holding on like I’m the only thing keeping her steady. And maybe I am, because I sure as hell feel the same. This kiss, this moment—thiswomanhas become the center of my world. The only thing that matters.

I don’t know how long we stand there, locked in a kiss, but when we finally break apart, we’re both breathless. Panting like we’ve just run a marathon. Her eyes are glazed, her lips swollen, and I know I’ve left my mark on her.

“That’s what I wanted,” I murmur, my voice rough as I press a final kiss to her forehead.

She stares up at me, her chest heaving, and for a moment, we’re both silent, caught in the aftermath of what just happened. Something between us has shifted, something I can’t ignore any longer. I step back, giving her space. Gift her air that crackles like a live wire. She’s trembling. My hands are unsteady and the elevator feels too small, too charged with everything that just happened between us. As it seems to contract and expand in sync our heavy breathing.

Then reality slams back into place, and panic paints her beautiful face.

Without a word, I press the emergency release button. The elevator jerks back to life, continuing its journey as if the world hasn’t shifted.

She doesn’t speak. Doesn’t need to say it. She’s going to run. It’s written in the way her hands twitch by her sides, the way her pulse races in her neck. The doors open, and before I can say anything, she bolts.

Merri rushes past me, her curls bouncing as she practically flees down the hallway. I watch her go, my jaw tight, my fists clenched. Something primal roars inside me, demanding I follow her, to stop her, to pull her back. But I lock my feet in place. Forbid them to take a damn step.

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