Page 47 of Cruel Ice

He’d been staying away so he wouldn’t fuck her? Well, well, well. Now she was most definitely intrigued.

“With your stitches, it seemed…best to stay away.” A little gruff. “And if I sidelined you?—”

“If?” Marley interrupted. Oh, there had been noif.There had been serious sidelining.

“I only did it because I was trying to keep you safe.”

Her eyes narrowed. “That’s the whole reason you whisked me to Chicago as soon as I got out of the hospital, isn’t it? Because you’re trying to protect me. You’re trying to protect the PI who is supposed to be solving your case.” Like she hadn’t figured this out. “The two men who put you in the van are dead. The bartender who helped drug you is dead. Three dead bodies. Add to that pileup the fact that someone trashed my place right after I saved you…” Only one conclusion could be drawn. “You think he’s coming after me next.”

Declan didn’t blink.

“You think the man behind all of this is going to target me. Maybe he thinks I saw something that can lead the authorities—or you—to him. Or maybe he’s just pissed as all hell that I interfered in whatever sick game he was playing with you.” She forced a shrug. “Either way, you’ve decided I’m next on his hit list. You installed me at Wayne Manor?—”

“Marley…”

“Fine! You installed me at the haunted castle.”

His brows beetled.

“You put me behind the best security that money can buy. You think I’ll stay hidden while you hire someone else to hunt him.” She leaned forward. Her hands curled around his shoulders. “Think again.”

His head tipped back even more as he stared up at her.

His legs were spread. She was standing between them and…Marley lifted her left leg. She put her knee down on his chair. Right between his spread thighs. Very, very close to his dick. A dick that she’d taken a quick peek at and realized…

Declan wants me. Right here. Right now.The hard, heavy length of his cock shoved up against the front of his very expensive trousers.

“You were trying not to fuck me.” Her voice had gone all husky.

His hands clamped around her waist. Did he mean to push her away? Or maybe wildly, eagerly pull her closer?

Um, he did neither. Just held her tightly. Was he still trying to hold back? If so, he needed to stop that nonsense. Stat.

“How do you even know that I want to fuck you?’ she breathed. “What if I’m not interested?” She was interested, of course. Very, very interested.

“Marley…” A dark rumble.

Her head bent. Her lips brushed over his. An open-mouthed, not nearly enough kiss. Then against his lips, she whispered,“You snuck into my room every single night.” Into the room, but not her bed.I wanted you in my bed.

“I was making sure you were okay. And how the fuck do you know that I was there?”

“Because I could feel you.” Another soft kiss. “I wanted you to do more than sneak inside the room and stand near the doorway.”

Now…he pushed her away. Such the wrong response. “You don’t want me.” Adamant. “Marley, I amnotthe man you want to fuck with.”

“Actually, you are.” A firm nod. “You are exactly the man I want to fuck. No one else will do for me. And I don’t have stitches any longer, so what excuse are you gonna use now to deny us both what we want?”

“I can’t…” A muscle jerked along his jaw. “I can’t take you once, then watch you turn away.”

But he was the one turning away. Literally turning his face away from her and staring toward the city lights.

Since he’d turned his head, she just let her lips feather over the scar that marked him.

Instantly, his whole body tensed. “Marley, no.”

“Declan,yes.”

His hands flexed against her. “I’m trying to do the right thing here.” Grated. A little desperate.

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