Page 13 of The Hunted
No he wasn’t. He was trying to be a creep, and Silva caught on to it and decided to do something about it.
“Are we done here? We have to get back to our workout.” Jordan already had his body angled toward the door.
Santino shook his head and bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud at Jordan. The man’s ego was bruised, and now he was going to slink off and sulk for the rest of the day.
“You can go ahead.” Santino turned his attention back to Silva, an idea taking root in his mind. “Are you finished sparring for the day? If not, I have a proposition for you.”
This would be his in. He knew if he asked to see her again, she’d find some way to twist it around like she had at their first meeting, and he wasn’t quite done with her yet.
“What’s the proposition?” Intrigue lit up her eyes.
“A match, between us. If I win, you let me take you out on a date.” And he could find out why he was reacting to her the way that he was. “Not only will it fine tune your skills since you’re not used to me and what I can do, but I won’t pull my punches.”
He held out his hand for her to accept his deal. He held his breath and waited while she decided one way or another. He really hoped she accepted.
“And if I win? What do you have that I could possibly want to make this enticing?” she pursed her lips. “While I would enjoy kicking your ass, I need a little more incentive.”
Santino chuckled, stepping back into her space. “It’s admirable that you think you’ll win. But since I know you won’t, I’ll give you anything you want within reason. So what do you say?”
ChapterSix
Silva eyed the stretched-out hand with caution. Her ego wanted to lunge at the idea of sparring with Santino Alvarez. To be able to put a man of his stature on his ass with ease would delight her in a way that was probably not normal.
She didn’t care.
She got off on putting men in their place. Her body was still buzzing with energy after she put his little friend in his place. The urge to snap his wrist had been a little hard to ignore. He was as big as Santino, and watching him squirm in pain made her feel powerful. Had he approached her on the street like he did here, she wouldn’t have hesitated to snap his wrist. She hated men, and women too, who assumed they had a right to her body. No one would touch her without her permission again.
And yet, you didn’t protest when Santino had his hands on you.
She tried to ignore that little thought. The truth behind it made her grit her teeth. She hadn’t told him to unhand her or made him do it, not once. Her body seemed to enjoy his touch a little too much—something she couldn’t figure out. She didn’t know him and yet, she wanted to feel his skin against hers. She wondered how far he’d be able to get before her skin crawled.
Though, the way he seemed to clench and unclench his hands like he was desperate to feel her underneath his fingers but held himself back told her he had a clear idea of boundaries and wouldn’t cross them until she gave him the green light. It also made her feel like maybe she wouldn’t have to brace herself for his touch.
“Do you agree, princess?” Santino’s voice dipped. Her thoughts went south with it, wondering how he sounded when he was moving inside of her.
She shouldn’t take this deal no matter how much she’d enjoy leaving him flat on his ass. There was a whispered caution to put some distance between the two of them, because the more they were in each other’s orbit, the more entangled they’d become.
Santino dropped his hand and tilted his head to the side. Those dark eyes of his held hers. It was like he uncovered a crack in her foundation and dug into it until he found what he was looking for.
“You’re scared I might win?” He closed the distance between them. “Is a date with me that awful that you don’t trust your skills?” He hummed low in his throat, and the vibration of it hit her in her chest, causing her heart to flutter.
“No, that can’t be it. Is…,” he paused. “I thought you smelled like vanilla, but I think I was wrong.” He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
She cringed, fighting the need to step back and give herself a whiff. She’d been working up a sweat with her coach, but she had made sure to apply underarm deodorant beforehand.
Santino opened his eyes and made a small noise in the back of his throat that made her a little self-conscious. “Do I smell rancid?” the question blurted out of her.
“Far from it, princess.” He smirked. “Something in the air smells familiar, I just can’t place the why or where.” He leaned forward. “Even with the sweat dripping down your chest, you smell enticing. I’d say good enough to eat.”
The heat in his words scorched her. She felt herself clench and her stomach tighten, imagining his wide shoulders stretching her legs open to accommodate his size. Just that quickly he pulled her in, and it was on the tip of her tongue to say yes. Yes to the date. Yes to whatever he wanted, but she still held back, refusing to make it easy on him.
“Again with the lines,” her voice had come out breathless. “Is this your way of trying to seduce me?”
Santino chuckled and it sounded decadent, causing a vibration through her. She was turned on, she realized. A lot, going by the wetness lining her underwear and the way her pulse hammered in her body. A first for her, considering how long it usually took her to warm up to people but with Santino, she had not only given him liberties others didn’t have, but she enjoyed playing whatever game this was between them.
“I was going to say no, I’m just looking to spar with you, but I think it’s more than that. So yes,” his voice was barely above a whisper as he continued to speak, “I think I want to fuck you.”
“Yo, Alvarez we need to go.” His friend’s loud voice interrupted them, and Silva could see the frustration and anger spark in Santino’s eyes.
