Page 93 of Prey

“Good morning,” he said, his voice rough from sleep.

I smiled as he wrapped his arms around my middle and pulled me in closer to the warmth of his embrace. I cleared my throat. “Good morning.”

We didn’t say anything for a beat as we looked each other in the eyes. I took in his warm irises, down to his beard that was probably due for a trim, his full lips set in soft lines, and his hair, which had gotten a little long since we met.

“Are we going to talk about yesterday?” I asked.

He raised his hand and curved it gently around my neck before saying, “What’s there to talk about?”

I shot him a scathing look. “Nuh-uh. That’s not how this works. We talk it out. Okay? I don’t think I can stand it if you keep acting the way you have these past few days. Tell me what’s going on, Roman.”

He watched me for a moment, and I couldn’t understand what the flash of emotion I saw in his eyes meant. I frowned slightly, and he shifted his hand to cup my cheek, his thumb coming up and rubbing the wrinkle away.

I didn’t think he would answer me when he finally spoke. “Something’s been happening at the club. I’m still trying to figure out what needs to be done. I’m sorry I’ve been a little distant lately, baby. I just didn’t want whatever’s going on to affect you.”

“Well, that’s stupid.”

He pulled back, seeming surprised.

I leveled a glare at him. “I get that things can be…busyat the club, but should I expect you to be like this every time it happens? Why would you think I would be okay with that? I don’t like the distance, especially when you won’t talk to me, so I’ll start to make things up in my head, and honestly, it’s really tiring. I don’t want to feel like I have these past few days ever again, Roman. I don’t want to feel this unsteady.”

I could feel tears stinging my eyes, and he tried to pull me in tighter against him.

I resisted. “Don’t. I don’t like the person I’ve been. You think I liked going to the bar to track you down? I didn’t. I hated it. I want to be able to trust you, but you need to make sure that I can.”

It was his turn to frown. “You can trust me, baby. I told you nothing is going on with Tammy. I hadn’t even touched another woman since the day I saw you.”

“You really haven’t?”

I knew he had said it before, but when he first saw me, we were nothing to each other. Or perhaps, enemies would be a more apt description.

Whatever we were, we weren’t together, and it was months after that when he made his move, inserting himself into my life.

“Why would I lie?”

I shook my head. “I don’t—I mean, just look at you.”

He smiled arrogantly at me, and I fought against the urge to roll my eyes at him. He leaned over and kissed my cheek, his beard tickling me. “You’re good for a man’s ego, baby.”

I slapped him on his hard stomach, trying to keep us on track. It would be so easy to let him distract me, but then, we would have gotten nowhere.

“You need to talk to me,” I said.

He nodded, his eyes soft, but I continued before he could speak.

“I just don’t want to feel this way anymore, and if you don’t think you can handle it, then you need to let me go.”

He tightened his hold on me. “Fucking never.”

I splayed my hands on his chest, taking in the steady drumming of his heartbeat.

“Fair warning,” I whispered.

“Or what?” he asked, adopting the same tone of voice as me.

“Or you’ll be my prey. I’m giving you a chance to back out now—” I said, even if the thought of him letting me go made me want to puke. “or I’ll be the hunter this time. And I won’t stop until you are completely caught in my trap.”

His smiling face was the last thing I saw before I felt his lips on mine. He moved them softly against me, kissing me with a sort of gentleness I rarely got from him. Most of our kisses had been frantic, hard, and desperate.

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