Page 14 of Beautiful Sinner

“No! You can’t do that. Just stop it. Stop. You’re not some he-man protector.” Scenes of how this would play out rushed into my mind, all of them with terrible endings. My father didn’t know I was here. He’d be furious with me for stepping foot inside the senator’s house. If I knew my father, he’d lock me in my room even though I was almost twenty-one. Oh, God. This was bad. So bad.

“It looks like you need one,” he responded, forcing Reggie over by another few inches.

“Goddamn it, stop.” We were on the dark side of the house. There was no one who would see Reggie’s predicament or try to stop the madness. The atmosphere was thick, suffocating even though we were outside. The man was like a fortress, a god whose body was chiseled out of stone. Even with me yanking with all my might, he wasn’t budging. And he was deadly serious. “You will not do this.”

The stranger looked at me again and even in the darkness, I could swear he was debating other, more filthy actions. The bastard was no better than Reggie.

After a few seconds, he finally returned Reggie to the safety of the balcony, keeping his hand tightly wrapped around the man’s neck. His eyes never left me as he issued another set of orders.

“You will never touch her again. Do you hear me? If I find out that you do, I will come for you and I promise you that no one will be able to convince me to stop. Is that clear?”

Reggie was shaking like a leaf, blubbering as he tried to answer. “No, sir. I mean, yes, sir. I’ll never touch her again.”

“Then get the fuck out of my sight before I change my mind. Remember, silence is golden.” The stranger pushed him hard, shoving Reggie into the door. It didn’t seem to faze him. My worthless date jerked away, his arms and legs refusing to cooperate as he tried to make it out of the room. “And don’t forget to leave a comment card on how effective my motivational speech was for you.”

I took a deep breath, holding it as the dangerous man folded the knife, sliding the sharp blade into his pocket. When he walked toward me, I refused to be scared, giving him a hard look of my own. As he inched closer until his massive frame was looming over me, I could almost read his mind, his thoughts dirty and… delicious. Suddenly, he was stalking me, acting as if I was his true prey. He pinched my chin between his thumb and forefinger, lowering his head. His whisper was provocative, pulling me into a crazy haze.

My body was deceitful, something I’d been warned against more than once.

“I might not be your protector,printsessa, but I am your savior.”

CHAPTER4

Giada

Savior.

The world continued to thrill and irritate me, one emotion no stronger than the other.

My mind remained a swirl of anger and frustration. And even worse, longing.

As the mysterious man started to walk away, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then my usual personality kicked in with a vengeance. “How dare you interfere. I can take care of myself. I’m no little girl and I’m certainly not helpless. Then again, you’re the kind of man who enjoys watching others flinch, yielding to your power. You should look in the mirror,savior. You’re no different than Reggie.” The words came easily, naturally to me. Any time I was confronted, I reacted this way. I hated anyone who acted as if I needed protection. That’s all I’d experienced my entire life.

He stopped without hesitation, twisting his head in my direction. Even though I could only see a silhouette of his face, the heat and electricity he exuded was even more powerful than before. After a few seconds, he turned sharply, taking a single long stride and pushing me against the wall just like he’d done to Reggie, his hand firmly wrapped around my throat. His breathing was ragged, just as explosive as the rest of him. “I suggest you keep better company. You have no idea what a man like that could do to you.”

“What about you? AmIsupposed to be afraid of you?” Why was I defying him, challenging his authority?

His laugh was just as cold as he was and as he lowered his head, I realized I was arching my back involuntarily as if I was anticipating a kiss. “You should be terrified of men like me.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m the kind of man who takes what he wants, and I would sully you in doing so. But you would beg for more as you writhed beneath me, consumed by the passion we shared. Is that what you really want,printsessa? To feel the heat of my body against yours, pushing aside your mock resistance, forcing you to scream out my name?”

Christ. What an arrogant pig. I was consumed with lust and anger, the combination making me unsteady on my feet, unable to control my caustic mouth or the way my body responded.

“Maybe…” What was I going to say? That it was worth the risk? That I wanted to see what he could do? I’d lost my mind.

“Maybe?” he repeated, issuing a husky guttural sound that thrilled me, exciting every nerve ending. I was hopelessly lost in his eyes, longing to touch him. That was insane. He was even more of a monster than Reggie.

Then he kissed me, the move unexpected and exciting. The world seemed to fade away, fears and trepidations tossed. I was lost in the fire blast of the moment, consumed by thoughts that no good girl should ever have. He was the devil incarnate, attempting to drag me into a fiery hell alongside him. He’d already pushed my boundaries, peeling away the hard shell that I’d been taught to keep around me. I’d never felt so exposed.

Or so wanted.

He crushed his mouth over mine, taking out his exaggerated frustration on my lips, pulling me into the scalding heat of his body. Without hesitation, he thrust his tongue inside my mouth, tasting me. Taking me just like he’d promised. The taste of him was insanely delicious, the warmth of his tongue immediately setting my throat on fire. He kissed me as if this was his last act on Earth. I melted into the kiss, pushing my hand against his chest, marveling that I could feel his rippling muscles through his shirt.

I forced myself to remember that this is one very dangerous man. For all I knew, he was Bratva. If that was true, he was a killer, merciless in every way.

I’d been caught in the crosshairs, sassing him until he’d reacted. Now the hunger burning deep inside was longing to be set free. He was raw power and total masculinity, and he was daring me to defy him again. And I wanted to. I longed to feel the hard press of his body as he plunged his cock inside. I could imagine what he was like in bed, his actions primal and unforgiving. I felt a throbbing between my legs, the quick pulsing sensations igniting a fire I’d never experienced before.

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