Page 43 of Echo
Nope. Don’t fall for it.“That way, I’m under the illusion that the good outweighs the bad, and I’ll comply and stop running. Right?”
That would explain why he was being so gentle with me. He viciously murdered a cop. He’s possessive and obsessed with who he thought I was. The moment I burst that bubble of illusion was the exact minute he’d destroy me the same way
His eyebrow rose. “Who said I wanted that?”
I stared at him, half in disbelief. “How about you tell me what you want?”
I only needed one half-assed reason to control myself.
“I want you.” His fingers went up my arm, over my shoulder, to wrap his fingers across the back of my neck. “As you are.”
Fuck. That wasn’t what he was supposed to say. Where was the ‘you’ll be perfect if you lose twenty pounds’ or the ‘once you learn to keep your mouth shut’? A mention about how my dog needed to go. Anything that would keep me grounded in reality.
“What if I start running right now?” I asked.Please. Help me.
Between my thighs, something cylindrical grew hard and rubbed against me. “Do whatever you want. You’re still mine.”
“You’re sick.”
But when he thrust his cock between my thighs, my own excitement made the movement smooth and easy. “I’m not the only one.”
He had no clue. My mind went to how he was right there for the taking. All I needed to do was lift up a couple inches and impale myself on him. To let him fill me with twisted desire and fill a hole inside me that was only ever full when a horrible man claimed me.
Fuck it.
Fuck him.
I did just as I’d thought about moments before, and when he slid into me, I threw my head back, letting out the moan thatcame from the very center of who I was. I put my hand in the middle of his chest for something solid to brace myself on.
After months of unfulfilling sex, he was a breath of toxic air I knew I shouldn’t let myself breathe in. No doubt eventually I’d choke on what a bad idea this really was.
But I needed how desired he made me feel.
Mark chased me because of his pride. This monster chased me because he wanted me so badly, he couldn’t let me go. This monster tasted different and made me want more of what would be a fatal drug.
It took me years to shake off Aurelio, how many would it take to come to my senses with this one?
He grunted as his eyes lazily rolled over me, as if I were the most beautiful sight in this meadow. His hands grabbed my thighs, helping me move. The tips of his nails digging into my flesh and heightening the sensations, like all my nerves wanted this too.
He was right. I should be quivering in fear, begging him not to touch me. Instead I was chasing this feeling of being untouchable from a monster.
I was just as sick as he was.
****
I stepped on a twig when we climbed out of the hot spring, and he swept me into his arms in one swift movement. “You’ll hurt your feet.”
“Where are my shoes?” I asked, putting an arm over his strong shoulders as he went into a run that was oddly smooth.
“Where I caught you, I believe.” His deep voice vibrated along my body as he clutched me to him. As if I were his most prized possession. It made me forget we were strolling through the woods with me butt naked.
I tucked my face into him, soaking in his warmth as the cool air whipped my skin uncomfortably. I must have fallen asleep,because I don’t remember anything about the trip until we cleared the trees to where my car was in the driveway, as if I hadn’t abandoned it a couple miles up the road.
An image of him folding into the tiny car with me and Ranger in the back made me want to laugh. I imagine it would have been quite the sight. Realistically, he probably did whatever it was he did to look like a human, but it was a laugh all the same.
He put me on my feet on the porch. I opened the door with a snick, and Ranger shot out to speed right past the monster to pee in the yard. I raised an eyebrow. “He didn’t try to attack you.”
“Because you don’t see me as a threat anymore.”
