Page 300 of Evil Hearts

“Acting surprised.” She leans back on her hands, and my eyes land briefly on her chest. The urge to close the distance and kiss my way up her neck is growing by the second, so I look away with the feeble hope that it’ll help.

It doesn’t.

“I’m not acting,” I say, my gaze glued to the wall. “No one’s ever asked me that before either.”

The softest chuckle passes her lips. “There’s a first time for everything.”

Chapter Four

Syn

Despite the countlesstimes I’ve envisioned this moment, the shapeshifter is nothing like I imagined. Dark hair, a slim, muscular frame, and ordinary human clothes aren’t what I expected, but somehow he’s perfect. Black tattoos circle his neck and dip below the collar of his shirt, making me wonder if the rest of him is covered in ink as well.

The way his dark, brown eyes study my form with obvious intrigue draws a smile to my lips.

The minutes I waited for him to arrive were spent dreaming up all the ways he would ravage me the second he entered the room.Isn’t that how this is supposed to go?But now that we’re here, my curiosity begs for answers. I want to get to know this man before I let him explore me internally.

It seems like the appropriate thing to do.

“If it makes you more comfortable, we can get in the bed and you can tell me about it,” I say, prodding him for an answer.

His gaze is trained on the opposite side of the room, but he laughs. “You won’t get an answer if we make it to the bed, sweetheart.”

Heat pools in my belly at his words, and I let my gaze travel down his form. I imagine what his arms will feel like whenthey’re wrapped around me, how his rough hands will feel as they graze my body and make me shatter apart.

Who am I kidding? Do I even want to hear the story now?

“Fair enough,” I say, pushing myself off the lounge and heading for the bottle of wine. I already drank a glass before he arrived, but I need to soothe the nerves that are threatening to rise up again. “Tell me first, then.”

I grab the bottle and bring it to my lips, flicking my eyes over at Kade, who’s still gazing at the wall. Why won’t he look at me? Does he find me unattractive? I take a swig of wine, swallowing down my questions and quickly scolding myself.

It doesn’t matter what he thinks because this is a business transaction. Purely platonic. He’s here to do a job and nothing more.

But if that’s true, why does a weight sit in my chest, growing steadily heavier by the second?

“Why do you think I’m here?” he asks, curiosity making his voice lighter. “I’m sure there are rumors floating around.”

I purse my lips, as I stand with one hand on my hip and the other still holding the wine bottle. Mistress Raiine was vague when it came to how she obtained the shapeshifter, though she made sure I knew about all his special abilities.

Sure, there are rumors, but I try not to concern myself with gossip. It travels like wildfire, distorting the truth. It’s hard enough to discern the truth when so many monsters wield lies like knives, ready to strike down anyone they disagree with. Much less when there are rumors involved.

Why do I think he’s here?Not only is Mistress Raiine relentless when it comes to getting what she wants, she’s vengeful, and it’s no secret. Her reputation is well-known in the monster world, and if this man did anything to cross her, she’d find a way to destroy him. Or own him, in this case.

“I think,” I say, returning the bottle to the table and turning to stroll in his direction, “that Mistress Raiine wanted something from you, and she didn’t get it.”

I step in his line of sight, eager to see if he continues to stare at anything but me. The wine is working its magic, fueling my courage and banishing any hints of doubt I had moments ago. A delicious heat licks at my skin, dancing its way around my body.

Rather than look away, Kade looks up, his eyes locking with mine and making my core throb with its own heartbeat.Why do I enjoy the way he looks at me?

“Interesting.”

He stands in a swift motion, shrinking the distance between us in a step, and I catch my breath. I’ve never been this close to a human, but I doubt any of them are as beautiful as this one. A quiet power radiates from his eyes, the kind that can make you bend to his will without him having to say a word. He may not be a massive, hulking form, but I know that can change at any second.

I’m dying to see it.

“I was framed,” he says, his voice low and velvety. “By vampires.”

“Vampires?”

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