Page 6 of Gemini Queen
“No more than you, love.” In a breath, my tactics shift. I’ve been looking forward to the physical release of combat. Now it appears I might prefer a different sort of physical release entirely with Neo Mercury’s fated mate. Because why the fuck not?
I stalk a single step forward. “I’ve been watching you.”
She edges a cautious step back and eyes me under a fringe of meter-long lashes. “Ditto.”
Well, aren’t I the lucky one?
Admittedly, I like to play with my food.
Her astute gaze drifts over me and licks along my skin. “But I’m not all you’ve been watching tonight. Am I?”
Oh, top marks. She’s right on the money. Because Lucius and I are far from the only carnivores who’ve caught her scent. This little bird doesn’t know it, but she has a fox in her henhouse, and Daddy’s boys are coming. I’ve been watching for trouble all night, but I’m not particularly easy to read, and I’m a bit surprised she’s noticed.
My, you’re going to be such fun to break, love.
I barely catch myself poised on the edge of a smile.
“Clever girl.” I ease a step closer. Now I’ve got her backed against the sink, and clearly she doesn’t care for it.
She places her clutch on the counter to free her hands up and eases her booted legs a little wider.Finallyshe’s starting to see me as a proper threat. Her eyes swirl and pulse with violet light as her gift rises.
Warmth builds in my chest and my palms heat. That’s the manifestation of my own gift, the fire gift, surging to meet her challenge. From a distance, through the bond he uses like a leash to hold me in check, I feel Lucius stir and his beast rumble a warning. My scalp prickles with the thrill of his displeasure.
I do enjoy jerking my teacher’s chain.
Nearly as much as he enjoys punishing me for it.
“That’s close enough, Adam.” The Gemini girl’s smoky voice hums and throbs with power.
“Oh, not nearly. Not for what I’ve got in mind,” I growl, because I’msonot enjoying hearing her call me some other dick’s name. “And, for your information, it’s Ronin.”
“Hey, if the shoe fits.” Suddenly she’s smirking at whatever the hell she’s thinking.
For some reason, I need to hear the sound ofmyname on her Hollywood lips. The fact that she won’t bloody say it pisses me right off.
And then, to my utter outrage, she glances at her watch.
“Oh, I do beg your pardon. Am I boring you?” My voice is silky with menace, but she doesn’t know me well enough yet to be afraid.
She still looks far too fucking smug to tolerate. “Don’t be offended. It’s just that I’m a busy girl. I’ve got a pretty full dance card tonight. It isn’t that you’re boring me… Adam.”
And I’m so blasted annoyed she’s still calling me by some other bloke’s name that it takes me a tick to recall that of course she’s waiting those last few minutes for her blooming bomb to blow.
I flick a narrow glance at her watch myself. Another eight minutes to the boom. That’s exactly how much time in this bathroom Neo fucking Mercury’s fated mate and I have to kill.
And damn if I don’t know exactly how I intend to use it.
“I told you,” I growl. “I’m Ronin. And I’d really fancy hearing you say it. In fact, I’ll settle for hearing you moan it.”
Then I move all the way into Zara Gemini’s personal space and plant one hand on either side of the counter to trap her.
Chapter Five
Zara
I’m letting this sexy Brit named Ronin get way the hell too close.
He’s way too aggressive and he’s way too hostile and he’s definitely way too hot. And he moves like a trained fighter, all lethal confidence and feral grace. Every instinct in my whole body is humming a warning so loud I can barely hear him talk. He makes all that power I’ve renounced stir and rise until every hair on my body stands straight up and every inch of my skin tingles.
