Page 56 of Hunting Pretty

“Where’s Liath?” I demanded.

His eyes narrowed. “You think I had something to do with her disappearance?”

“She was being stalked right before she disappeared,” I accused. “Know any stalkers? CauseIdo.”

I gave him what I thought was a blistering look.

He merely snorted out a laugh. “If she had a stalker, it wasn’t me.”

“Then why are you trying to make me stop investigatingher? I think you’re afraid that I’ll find out that the person who took her wasyou.”

He smirked as his gaze traced over my face, my cheeks feeling hot at his scrutiny.

“If I were going to kidnap anyone…takeanyone…” His voice dropped to a rumbling whisper. “…it’d only beyou.”

Then take me.

I shoved that stupid thought away as a shiver went down my spine.

“Now,” he said, leaning in like he was going to kiss me, “be a good girl, and leave Liath alone before I make you regret it.”

He spoke such threatening words like he was whispering words of affection.

My stupid body reacted as if they were, my nipples growing hard against his chest.

“No,” I mumbled against his mouth.

He pulled back. A darkness came over his face. “You need to leave. Now. Get out of this house anddon’tcome back.”

“Why?”

He shook his head, strands of his messy dark hair falling over his eyes. “You really have no fucking idea, do you?”

“Thentellme.”

“Whoever was—”

The sound of Liath’s bedroom door handle jangling cut him off and my stalker’s eyes widened.

Shit!

Someone was coming.

He reacted faster than me. He pushed us past a row of gowns and into the back of the closet.

I winced as they clanked.

My stalker pushed me behind him, his broad back taking up almost my whole vision, as if trying to make himself a black-clothed shield.

Was he… trying to protect me?

“Ms. McKinsey,” the butler’s stern voice called out into the room.

I froze.

His hand reached back, finding my fingers and threading through them, squeezing my hand as if to reassure me.

The shock of this strange action—so different to the threatening darkness he exuded—had my head spinning.

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