Page 16 of When love and Hate Collide

If it’s a chase she wants, I’ll happily abide.

I’ll chase her to the end of the earth just for another taste.

Oh shit.

Shitting fucking hell, how did he find me?

When our eyes interlock across the room, I literally felt my heart jump right up into my throat and get lodged there. Sheer panic consumes me when he takes a step toward me and I grab a cigarette from Haden. I don’t even smoke, but I’m desperate for an excuse to escape and that’s all I could think up in that moment.

Have you ever felt your heartbeat in your nether regions? I have, for the second time in two days. There is no way this is a coincidence. Oh God, is he stalking me? Why must I always attract the ones with screws loose?

I look at the cigarette in my hand and sigh when I realise I don’t have a lighter to light the damn thing.

Nice one, Jeyla.

“Need a light?” burrs that deep silken voice I never thought I’d have the pleasure of hearing again. I suck in a quick breath and swallow against the aridity of my throat before slowly turning to face him and my God there he stood, the lord of sexiness in all his six-foot glory.

Damn it, my mind did no justice when conjuring up images of him earlier in the day when I had dreams of all the filthy things I crave he was there to do to me.

He’s even sexier now than he was last night.

“I do,” I answer, watching him closely as he inches closer to me. I blink when he pulls a lighter out of nowhere and sparks up a flame in front of my face.

I ignore the nervous pull in my gut and peer up at him while holding the cancer stick to my lips. Our eyes meet over the amber flame while I light it up, drawing in the smoke and blowing it out seconds later.

The rush of nicotine charges straight to my head making me a touch woozy, but I manage to keep myself steady despite my knees trembling in warning. I am deeply regretting those jelly vodka shots I consumed earlier.

The lighter flicks shut, and he stuffs it back into the right pocket of the black denim jeans he’s wearing.

“Two encounters in twenty-four hours. Do I need to be worried?” I question, licking my lips and cocking my brow at him inquisitively.

A slow knowing smile spreads across his handsome face. “Keep licking your lips in that inviting manner and you’ll have plenty to worry about,” he elucidates in warning, his eyes peering down into my upturned face.

Smiling, I bring the cigarette to my lips and take another pull before blowing the smoke in his face. His green eyes narrow as he lifts his hand and takes the cigarette from my fingers, takes a pull and tosses it aside discarding it. I look over at my cigarette and then at him, scowling. “I was smoking that.”

“And now you’re not.” He states matter-of-factly before taking hold of my chin. “If you’re looking for a dirty habit to indulge in Angel, I’ll readily volunteer myself as a substitute.” He declares brushing his thumb over my lower lip, “I can think of far better uses for this perfect mouth than sucking on a cancer stick.” I feel my jaw slacken at his words and blink up at him. This boy surely can’t be real.Did my lecherous mind just conjure him up, or perhaps pluck him out of my dreams?

“Is that right?” I probe, holding his gaze steadily and he nods. On the outside I may be coming across confident and cool—at least I hope I am—but inside, his touch combined with his words feels like I’m burning slowly with the hottest kind of fire straight from the pits of hell. "Well, that sounds… intriguing, though I am still wondering what you’re doing here?”

“I’m doing what one is expected to do at parties. Having a drink and flirting with the most beautiful girl here.” He responds with a smirk and pins me with a look so sinful the devil himself would be proud. “Are you really going to stand there and pretend you’re not pleased to see me?”

I laugh and curl my fingers around his wrist to the hand that is still lightly gripping my jaw. “Oh sweetie, you don’t know me well enough to discern what pleases me. Though, it’s blatantly clear that you’re very pleased to seemeagain.” I answer boldly and pull his hand away from my face.

“Oh no?” There’s a challenge in that deep voice of his that matches the wicked look in his green eyes. “Would you like me to demonstrate right here and now the number of ways I knowexactlyhow to please you?” He offers, brushing away a loose strand of my hair and tucking it behind my ear. “If I let my fingers wander down between your thighs, are you telling me I won’t find your sweet pussy completely soaked for me?”

Every orifice in my body is on fire and I can feel myself losing my cognitive functions one bit at a time.

For the love of Larry, keep your shit and your legs together, Jeyla!

Yes, he may be unbelievably sexy, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction of thinking he has some sort of power over me. “No,” I lift my gaze to peer up at him and slowly lick my lips. “I assure you; you absolutely will find me…wet.” I intone teasingly, inching a touch closer until our noses are almost touching. “However, that’s not really related to you specifically, I’m just one of those fortunate girls who happen to always be readily lubricated.”

This is absolutely not an odd conversation to be having at a party with a handsome stranger I spent the previous night doing wicked things with.

He grins suggestively and closes the small space between our chests tugging me against him, “Readily huh?” he questions, “Now Angel, why would you go and disclose something sexy like that when I’ve already spent all day thinking about how sinfully addictive and remarkably good you taste.”

“Ahh, so, a little mystery does pay off after all.” I point out and he responds with a smirk that practically melts my thong right off.

“I wasn’t so sure, but now I’ve had a taste of you, anonymity has never been more amatory,” he drawls taking hold of my chin again, his eyes lowering to stare at my mouth. “Listen, I don’t know about you, but I was ready to blow off this party and go hunt down a place, I could devour a kebab right now. Interested in joining or are you content staying back at this yawn-fest masquerading as a party?”

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