Page 26 of Bake the Town Red

Christ, why can’t I push her away? I could go back to my routine. Love her at a safe distance.

Except Dahlia’s here. Alive and brimming with the darkest, most intoxicating energy.

My nostrils flare.

My fingers ache to touch her. Do some damage just so Ifeelher.

“That’s what you came here for?” Something glimmers in the dim light of the shop. Beneath me. Between us. A knife. “You want to blame me for what happened all those years ago? Is that it?”

“Watch your tone. You’re screaming.” Fuck, how I love her screams. It’s her shrieks that I hate. From when Al did everything to ruin her life. “And no. I don’t fucking blame you and you know it.”

Dahlia presses her swollen, wet lips together. Her eyes flick to the door. I feel her swallowing beneath my palm. When her gaze is back on me, there’s fire there.

“Blame me. Punish me.” The glint of her blade shines brighter as she raises it. “I won’t go down without a fight.”

Baiting me, that’s what she’s doing.

I had it right. She wants to use my anger against me so that I’ll have to stay. So I’ll have to admit that I can’t leave.

I…

Can’t.

But look at her. Begging me to hurt her.

Then what? You’ll give in to her, have your fun, and then what? I’ll tell you what. Then she’ll die. Good fucking job, Tyler.

I won’t give in to her ruse. This manipulative, wonderful serial killer.

I won’t.

I…

“You’ll fight me?” I’m weak. Desperate. I love her. And I pin her harder to the wall. “Like you fought me when I stole your first kiss?”

Dahlia frowns. Doesn’t say a thing. She’s not sure how to handle this kind of humiliation. Doesn’t understand how it’s possible that she likes it.

“It was your first, wasn’t it?” I smirk, feeling her red lipstick on my lips as they stretch. With the back of my hand, I swipe it off me. Smear it on her cheek. “There’s been no one before me.”

“And how would you know?” She regroups quickly, running her tongue along the front row of her teeth. Her lips quirk up to one side, her gaze taunting. “You’ve been following me, Ty?”

No use denying it. “Someone had to look out for you. Even if I absolutely can’t stand you.”

A wise gaze tells me she calls my bluff. A cocked eyebrow says it’s more than that.

Does she know about the blog? Is the prey chasing down its hunter?

Anything’s possible with this girl.

Her sneakiness turns me right the fuck on.

As does the knife she wields.

My hand shoves her into the wall a third time. My hips grind into her. Cock rocking against her soft stomach.

She gives me the sweetest little growl.

Before pinning the knife to my Adam’s apple.

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