Page 22 of Devil's Claim

Maybe there was some small snippet of decency in him. If he was still in my living room, there’d be no chance of escaping. He had my phone too so I couldn’t call anyone. And jumping out the bedroom window would only resort in at least one broken bone. That was something I definitely didn’t need.

A weapon.

What in the hell could I use as a weapon? I snatched my robe, hurriedly pulling it on and tying the sash as I thought about what I could use. There was nothing substantial in my bedroom. I’d purposely kept sharp objects where small hands couldn’t get to them. Now I was rethinking my decision and chastising myself for being so damn stupid.

Who lived in a shitty area of Miami without keeping protection right by their side?

Ugh.

Wait a minute.

The paperweight. The ugly crystal blob my mother had purchased for me when I’d graduated from college. She’d thought I could keep it on my desk at school. A gift she’d beenforced to find a way to send behind my father’s back. While she’d meant well, she had no clue that heavy objects could also be used as weapons. The thought brought a smile. I just needed a few seconds and I could break free. Where I’d go from there had yet to be determined, but first things first.

A quick change into something I could wear in public and I’d make my escape.

The sound from just outside the room forced me to change my mind quickly. I rushed to the other side of the bed, fumbling to get the drawer open. What in God’s name had I shoved inside preventing me from opening it all the way? I tugged and pulled just as I heard a light knock on the door.

Fuck my life.

“Yes?” Ugh. My voice sounded squeaky.

“Can I come in?”

He was still here. The savage monster. Damn him for sounding even more incredible in the wee hours of the morning. Velvety smooth. Practiced.

Menacing.

I managed to jerk open the drawer, keeping a close eye on the door. “Sure.” I wrapped my hand around the oblong paperweight, throwing my arm behind my back. I didn’t really want to hurt the man, merely praying to buy a little time.

But I was also no fool. No matter what happened, this wouldn’t end well.

With quick steps, I moved toward the door just as he opened it. Before I lost my nerve, I smashed the paperweight againsthis forehead. Jumping back, I was thrown into shock when he grabbed my wrist with one broad hand, seizing my throat with the thick fingers of his other.

His reflexes were quick and he drove me against the wall, the ugly flowered weight pitched from my hand. The snarl on his face wasn’t the expression I remembered in my dream.

“You shouldn’t have done that, Christine. That wasn’t very nice of you.” His eyes flashed, boring into mine with acute intensity. He was unraveling parts of my soul. With his hold firm and his fingers digging into my skin, my instinct told me he could easily snap my neck.

When he slowly tipped his head over his shoulder, he chuckled.

What the hell was he laughing at? Okay, so the paperweight was as unsightly as I’d seen, but that gave him no right to make fun of it.

Except what I’d grabbed hadn’t been the Tiffany and Co piece of glass that had set my mother back eight hundred dollars, but the big, purple battery-operated vibrator Chloe had given me as a gag gift for my birthday.

Mortified, I almost begged him to put me out of my misery. The embarrassment I’d felt the night before was nothing in comparison to the horrible thoughts running through my mind right now.

He immediately released his hold, but I didn’t bother moving. I wasn’t certain I could do so anyway. Just watching him as he reached down, collecting the sex toy had a strange effect on me. Yet not nearly as much as the refreshed whiff of his scent.

So masculine yet lingering with a reminder of our intimate episode.

Kruz didn’t make light or chastise me. There was no smirk or evil laugh. Even the anger had faded from his eyes, yet I felt a sense of something odd I couldn’t put my finger on. Was it compassion? Was he feeling sorry for me?

“I’m not that desperate, Kruz. Many women who have completely satisfying sex lives enjoy using toys from time to time. It’s provocative, sexy. Maybe you wouldn’t understand that. I’m certain everything you do has a touch of brutality to it.”

I’d expected my outburst to be met with something entirely different than for him to hold out the toy. His silence was worse than if he was shaming me for owning something so sinful.

I snatched it from his hand, accidentally turning on the power switch. Could my life become any more of an embarrassment? As I tried to flick it off, I kept my eyes on his. There was no telling what new plans he’d cooked up in the middle of the night.

Just like everything else that had occurred since he’d crashed into my life, I wasn’t able to deftly find the switch. Kruz had to do it for me, taking his time to rub his thumb across my palm before guiding my finger to the thin knob. I tossed it onto the bed, trying to sidestep him, but he placed his hand on the wall next to me.

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