Page 37 of Butcher

Picking the cloth back up, I stood and started to move toward the bathroom. A strong hand gripped my wrist, pulling me to a stop.

“Where are you going, Isla?”

This man. I wondered if he realized the chokehold he had on me. He wasn’t charming and smooth the way Toxic was. He was rough and gruff and often looked pissed off. And I seemed to like that. Far too much. I might try to kill him again later just to see the fire light up in his eyes… Just for fun, of course. I wouldn’t put my whole effort into it or anything.

“I need to wash out the cloth,” I said, holding my other hand up to show him the blood-streaked material. Really, I just needed a moment to breathe. A second away from him so I could gather my thoughts and hopefully get control of myself.

He didn’t release me. Instead, he pulled me closer.

“Butcher-” His name ended on a yelp as he tugged me onto his lap and wrapped those massive arms around me.

“Stay.”

It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t an order. It was a request. One he didn’t seem completely comfortable making. My heart softened. “These need to be cleaned,” I told him. “They’ll get infected.”

“Later.”

“Butch-” This time his name ended on a moan as he kissed me. His mouth moved slowly against mine, his tongue teasing my lips and the roof of my mouth. It wasn’t rushed or heated. It was soft. Languid. Like we had all the time in the world. Like he’d been waiting for this very moment.

I had a choice. I could push him away. Demand that nothing happen between us while we worked together to rid the looming threat in our lives. Or... I could take full advantage of having access to a drop-dead gorgeous man for the foreseeable future. Soooo…I really didn’t have a choice did I?

It wasn’t hard to tell what my body wanted. My nipples were already hard little points beneath my bra and my pussy clenched as he deepened the kiss.

Fine. But we can’t fall in love with him, I warned myself.

Dropping the cloth, I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave in to the pleasure. To him.

His hands ran up and down my back as our tongues danced together, each of us fighting for dominance. Our kiss was no longer slow, or soft. I shifted on his lap, straddling him, and groaned when I felt his hard length between my legs.

He pulled away, panting, and looked at me. His hazel eyes were darker, his pupils dilated, and his lips were wet and parted. “You’re so damn beautiful.”

My heart stuttered and my eyes widened. No one had ever told me that before him. It threw me for a loop. The urge to tell him he was too was there, but that would just sound stupid. Though he was. The man was beautiful in a masculine way. Instead, I kissed him again. Raking my teeth over his bottom lip, I reached between us and grabbed his belt buckle.

He caught my wrist, stilling me. “Not so fast.” He gave me a wicked grin. “Not this time. This time, I’m going to savor you.”

“What-” I didn’t get the time to ask what he meant.

His lips latched onto my neck, right where it met my shoulder, and he sucked. Hard. It was like a direct line to my pussy, which flooded with wetness. His free hand went under my shirt and moved upward, pushing the material along with it. When his fingers slid beneath the cup of my bra, he bit down on my shoulder and tweaked my nipple.

I moaned and arched into him, wanting more. I’d never been one to be particularly vocal during sex, but everything was different with him. The noises fell from my mouth of their own accord and I wasn’t sure if I should be worried by them.

“So fucking sexy,” he murmured, releasing my nipple and pulling his hand from my shirt. He twisted and dumped me from his lap so fast, my heart leapt.

I landed on my back on his bed and watched as he slowly climbed on, eyes roving over me.

“Take your shirt off,” he ordered.

I lifted my upper body and grabbed the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head. Before I could finish, he was there, doing it for me. Patience didn’t seem to be his strong suit. I smiled even as my bra quickly followed, then my pants. My socks and shoes were gone just as quickly and I realized I was laid out on the bed for him like an offering.

“Now these.” His fingers traced the band of my panties and I squirmed.

I was suddenly very aware of the fact that he was still mostly dressed and I was bare before him. “Not fair.”

He quirked a brow at me. “Fair?”

“I’m naked and you’re not.”

His grin was feral and did strange things to my insides. “I don’t play fair.” He leaned down, his face a breath from mine, and whispered, “And neither do you.” Then his tongue was back in my mouth and I forgot what we were talking about as he kissed me long and deep.

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