Page 81 of Blood Owed (Blood Mafia 1)
He doesn’t wither under my glower, though I put every ounce of hatred I’ve ever felt into the scowl.
“Demi,” Evelyn says. “Come on.”
I shove past Mateo, not bothering to respond to his comment.
I’ll show him expendable, right after I rip his heart out.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Demi
Light footsteps wake me in the middle of a bloody dream. My gaze immediately travels to the chair where I know Mateo will be. He doesn’t move, and I don’t speak.
The silence between us yawns, and I shift to sit, never moving my eyes from his.
“What do you want?” I ask, finally tired of the silence. Unlike the last time he visited, he doesn’t protest when I turn on the bedside lamp.
The dim light washes over the room. Mateo shifts forward, his dark eyes lowering.
I fell asleep in one of the skimpy silk pajama sets I’d bought. Some women might gasp and scurry to cover themselves up. I say fuck that. Let him look, see what he’ll never have.
Shoving the covers away, I place my feet on the ground and stand, stretching my arms above my head. The silken material of my night shirt lifts, revealing half of my stomach to the grumpy vampire. Maybe the night is making me brave—or I have a serious lack of self-preservation—because I strut over to him with an extra sway in my hips. The matching shorts ride up my thighs. I smirk when Mateo takes notice of all the flesh I have on display.
I wonder if I’ve finally lost it.
Mateo doesn’t move until I’m standing before him. He leans back, resting his arms on the sides of the chair and lifting his chin so he can meet my eyes.
I place my hands on my hips. “Why are you being creepy?”
His eyes flash with irritation. “I’m not being creepy.” His gruff voice slithers down my spine. It should be illegal for a man’s voice to be so deep and full of dark promises.
“Watching me while I sleep is next level creeper, Mateo.”
One side of his mouth quirks. “Would you rather I watch you on camera?”
I cross my arms under my breasts, purposefully pushing them up. As predicted, Mateo’s eyes drop to the girls. I’ve never been particularly proud of my boobs until this moment. B-cups can be weapons too.
“I’d prefer you didn’t watch me at all,” I confess. “What do you want from me? Why are you here?”
What Mateo wants is pretty clear, at least in one respect. It’s the rest of what he wants that confuses me. Why does he want to tie me to him? What am I, and why is he hiding it from me?
“Ask me that again.”
His hands snake out and grab the backs of my thighs, tugging me into his lap. My knees fall on either side of his thick legs, and I brace my hands on the back of the chair, glaring down at him. Mateo’s head is perfectly in line with my breasts, his breath fans over the nightshirt, making my nipples harden in response.
Ever so slowly he pulls his attention from them to look at me. “Ask me again.”
I shake my head, bringing one finger to trace the underside of his jaw. “If you think it’s that easy, Mateo, you’re sorely mistaken. There’s no way in hell I’ll give you what you want.”
When he bites his lower lip, I regret those words because damn he’s hot. I lower my hips and sit on his lap, leaving my hands on either side of his head.
Mateo moves his hands to grip my ass. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, baby girl.” With a firm grip, he rolls my core over his, letting me feel all of him.
I stifle a groan because while his cock is impressive and he’s hot, I’m not sleeping with him. I lean forward to whisper in his ear.
“You should feel how wet I am, Mateo.” I nip his ear, then say, “Too bad I’ve already decided not to fuck you.”
Then I scramble out of his lap and step away. He doesn’t have to, but he lets me go.
