Page 107 of Bake the Town Red

He doesn’t barge in. I stand tall, blocking the entrance just in case he does.

“Give me a couple of hours.”

The audacity of this man. Smirking at my indignance. By the way my voice stutters.

He’s a brave one, too, taking a step forward and getting in my face. This is more than bravery, I see that now. He likes the control he has over me. Gets off on it.

“Are you going to talk?” I say when I can’t take another second of his silence. “Or what?”

“I am.” Tyler lowers his face until we’re eye to eye. He presses his lips into a thin line as if his next words will pain him. “I’ve missed you. Had to see you before you got home. Make sure you won’t walk there by yourself this late,and—”

“And to admit that us being together won’t end with me dying in a freak accident?”

“I still believe that very fucking much.” He reaches for my pussy, cupping me over my jeans. “I needed to get you out of these. Shove my cock into that hole that must’ve been soaked for me all fucking day.”

“Liar.”

His palm squeezes me, pinning the belt to my skin. Hurting me while showing me he’s in charge.

He’s always been in charge.

He always will be.

You’ll play with him later.

Right.

The adrenaline from my last kill spurs me on. My fingers curl around Tyler’s wrist, and I swear I have a good chance of breaking his bones.

That’d be so hot.

“Fine.” No one crosses the street or slumps against a closed storefront. I whisper nonetheless, “I’ll close for today, then we’ll meet at my apartment. Two hours.”

“Why?” His eyes darken, his nostrils flare. “Are you keeping secrets from me?”

Goading me. This man is so insane. So sweet. He wants me to tell him everything. That way, it won’t look like he’s been stalking me.

That way he can tell me to stop without blowing his cover.

“I’m running a business here.” My grip around him becomes punishing. A threat. “You know how to get into myapartment. Go over there. Make yourself at home. I’ll meet you there soon.”

“Nice try, little savage.” The edge in his voice softens. His lips dip to my throat, trailing the curve of my neck. I gasp when his teeth nibble at my jaw. “I’m staying. The moment you let me back into your life, you became mine. I warned you I’ll be obsessive. Overprotective. That I’ll drive you insane. And you consented. You don’t get to hide anything from me.”

Every inch of my body tingles for him. Goosebumps prickle wherever his teeth scrape my skin. I gravitate toward him, leaning into him, gripping his hoodie.

Until my sane, logical part snaps me back to the present.

I’m not about to ruin everything for this immediate gratification. We’ll have plenty of time to fuck next to dead bodies. When I tell him exactly what it is I’m doing it. How violent I become.

When he’ll say he understands this doesn’t risk my life.

And we can’t have this conversation here.

If I stand any chance against him, I have to go for his weak spots.

His love for me.

The violence in him has already faded by a fraction. When he presses me to the window of Sweet DeNights, the vibe he gives me is that of…Tyler’s version of gentle. Unhinged and sweet all at once.

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