Page 73 of Griffin Undone
Arik’s pounding footsteps closed the distance between us. I held my breath, glanced over my shoulder.
And flinched. The intensity of his eyes burned me, their steel shine at once mesmerizing and the most intimidating thing I’d ever seen—and that included the face of the shifter who’d attacked me. Every drop of spit in my mouth disappeared.
Arik’s gaze dropped to my hands, one on the door, one clutching my half-empty bag of clothes, and that burn flared hotter. One sharp blond brow lifted. “I told you, you’re not going anywhere.”
I didn’t bother answering, just turned to face him, squared my shoulders, and planted my feet hip distance apart, bracing for whatever was coming. My chances of beating him were nil, but Weebles, you know. Never go down without a fight, and even if you do, get back up. At least until someone breaks you.
Arik crossed the last few steps to stand directly in front of me. He crossed his arms over his chest, and my gaze dropped. My blood heated. My heart ached. For a single breath my response threatened to shake my resolve, but I forced myself to look away, meet his eyes. Those eyes stripped all illusion away. Arik dismissed my combative stance with a single derisive glance, making me wonder what kind of sick dependence I’d developed that even with that look, I wanted him.
My lungs squeezed. No, not him. The male I wanted didn’t exist.
He held me with no more than his gaze for long moments. The smile that tilted one side of his mouth up made me jump. “Go ahead.” He threw a casual wave toward the door. “Have at it. See you later.”
Arik sauntered over to the bar separating the living room and kitchen. Without checking to see what I’d do, he set a squat glass on the counter and proceeded to splash amber liquid inside. He retrieved ice from the fridge and plopped a couple of pieces into the glass while I scrambled to figure out the catch. When I didn’t move, a short, bitter chuckle escaped him. “What’s the matter? You wanted to leave. So leave.” The drink disappeared with a single swallow.
Wary, unnerved, I turned, every inch feeling like a mile, until my back was to him and I faced the heavy steel blockade. In the dim light of the room, the handle taunted me, gleaming in my palm like a predator’s glowing eyes, waiting for that perfect chance to pounce. Shoving aside the notion, I firmed my grip and twisted.
Nothing.
I’d seen Arik go in and out of this damn door a hundred times. Maybe he’d locked it when he came in? Searching carefully but seeing no lock, I twisted again. The heavy knob turned, even clicked as if opening, but refused to release when I pulled. Even with both hands tugging, then jerking, I got no more response than that slight turn and click.
Finally, heart pounding in my throat, I turned back to Arik. “Open it.”
His chuckle was as cold as the ice cubes swirling in his glass. “Don’t think so, Kitty Kat. You’ll have to do that on your own.” He turned his back on me and headed out of the room.
A spike of warning sizzled up my spine. In a hot second, all the emotion of the last two days coalesced into a single burning ball of fury that exploded from my mouth. “Don’t you walk away from me, damn it!”
The cinderblock wall next to him erupted into chunks and ash.
Arik was on me before I could blink, the hot wash of his anger forcing me back against the door. “I’ll do whatever the hell I please, including keeping you wherever I want. I’m your captor, remember? Jailor? I don’t take orders from you. I take what I want, when I want it. Including this,” he snarled.
Hard lips met mine.
I tried to turn my head. A rough hand gripped my hair painfully, tilting my head to match the perfect angle of his. I opened my mouth to bite. Hard fingers forced my jaw open wider for the fierce thrust of his tongue. He kissed me, taking, forcing my response. His hunger was a taste I couldn’t escape, and I whimpered as my will seeped away beneath his touch. He was a master at sex and he knew it, using every flicker of sensation, every nuance of emotion to exact the response he desired. I hung, helpless, in his arms, battered by the onslaught of his tongue and teeth and lips and breath, by his hands and the rough press of his body against mine. Arik sucked at my tongue, nibbled my lip, rubbed the heavy length of his erection against my belly until I panted, trembling, the door he’d pushed me against the only thing to support me.
And then, in an instant, he turned away.
All I could do was watch. With every step he took, impotent fury pounded in my temples, powerlessness battered me relentlessly. Pain tightened my belly until I thought I’d throw up. I closed my eyes to the sight of his muscled shoulders squared against me as he entered the hall, shoulders I’d scratched and clawed as he gave me the ultimate pleasure, right there on the leather couch. The memory took the last of my strength, and I slid down to sit at the base of the door. What I wouldn’t give for my gift to be fully fledged, to be able to use it against him the way he was using his strength against me. But I didn’t dare; the memory of those tree stumps was too clear. Even to escape, I couldn’t hit Arik directly with my power.
Although I really, really wished my morals were weaker.
“That would wipe away your smug smile, wouldn’t it? Bastard.”
Arik’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt. When I lifted my head, his cold eyes were turned in my direction.
“What did you call me?”
The threat lacing his words sent a surge of adrenaline through my veins. I was faintly surprised I had any adrenaline left. “You heard me.”
Arik stalked toward me, his eyes starting that eerie amber glow, his expression more menacing with every step. “You called me a bastard.”
“Maybe you’d prefer prick? Asshole? Motherfucker?”
What the hell was I doing?
Arik’s growl held a threat I knew I couldn’t escape. The blood in my face drained away. I scrambled to gain my feet, to get away, but I blinked and he was there in front of me. His long, hard fingers tightened around my upper arm, dragging me roughly off the ground to stumble against his hard chest.
“Don’t—” I pulled back against his grip, which dug in even harder. “You’re hurting me!”
