Page 17 of Imperial: The Corvidae Family
“Please. You shouldn’t even be here and I’m pretty sure you purposely got in my way.”
He locked his arms over his chest, as if completely unbothered, and it brought my attention to how nicely defined they were. “Can’t help it if fate keeps bringing me to your pretty ass.”
I arched a brow. “Fate oryou?”
His grin deepened. “So I can’t just be here buying flowers. I gotta be stalking you?”
I opened my mouth, then closed it, narrowing my eyes. “Yes.”
He laughed and the sexy vibration of it made my stomach flip.
“You’re destroying my ego.” He stepped closer, forcing me to lift my chin to keep my eyes on his.
“Am I?”
“A little. I prefer to think of it as keeping an eye on someone interesting. There are some dangerous people out there. I’m just looking out.”
And you’re at the top of that dangerous people list sir…
I rolled my eyes, smiling at the same time. “I don’t get you.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it’s true. You should be…” I hesitated, scanning him again, taking in the arrogance of his stance, and the wayhe smiled. His posture was relaxed like being around me was a normal occurrence. “I don’t know. Different.”
“Cold andscary?” He repeated my words from the other night.
“Yeah. You’re supposed to be…” I lifted my fingers, mimicking a gun with a small tilt of my wrist.
“You want me to be that?”
“No.”
He moved closer, allowing his presence to press against my senses without touching me.
“Because I can be.”
I flinched but not from fear. His proximity had my mind and body betraying me. The last thing I needed was this fine ass man all up in my personal space.
“Relax, Baylyn.”
I released a breath, forcing myself to step back and create some distance between us.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I said, more for myself than for him.
He didn’t move. “Why not?”
“Because this shit is weird and I don’t want any parts of you or this.” I heard my own voice and the lie wasn’t convincing.
“You sure?” His arrogance was loud as hell.
I lifted my chin. “Yes.”
His smile returned, like he could see through me.
“You’re a damn liar and not even a good one. You want this andme.”
I could hear what was going on around me butheoverpowered it, making it all background noise. The way he stood there unbothered, sure of himself and very much aware of what he was doing to me was annoying.
