Page 41 of Darkest Retribution

“I need you to hear me out.”

“Hear you out? So you can insult me again? I don’t think so, grumpy. You don’t tell me you want me, that you’re practically obsessed with me, and then get away with calling me aproblem.”

He looks like he’s about to snap back at me, but after a moment, he gets himself under control. “You’re a problem because I can’t do this. Not... notyet.”

I don’t know what could possibly be holding a man like him back, but I don’t care. “If you’re asking me to wait for you, I won’t.”

I can’t.

“I...” He sighs, placing another kiss to my thigh. “There are some things I have to get in order before I can dive into a relationship.”

“Why does that matter?”

“Because I want you, Jade. Desperately.”

“I can’t do anything serious. And definitely not with a man who thinks it’s fine to insult me.”

“Jesus, woman. I didn’t mean it as an insult. I just can’t get you out of my head.”

I cross my arms, glaring down at him.

It’s the last thing I expect, but his expression softens. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t’ve said it.”

That’s more like it.

“I think there’s a solution to our... situation,” I say. It’s a bad idea, but between my dreams and his apparent obsession with me, maybe this is what we need.

He furrows his brows. “What?”

“You’re drawn to me, I’m drawn to you. So we fuck.”

His head jerks back, his gaze sharp. “Excuse me?”

What the hell are you thinking, Jade?

I shrug. “If you want to fuck, then we can fuck. No strings attached. No emotions, no falling in love. Just sex.”

The proposition doesn’t satisfy him as much as I thought it would. He shakes his head. “No. You deserve better than that.”

“Don’t tell me what I deserve. I decide that, not you. Now, if what you just did is any indication of how you are in bed, I’d much rather be with you than deal with mediocre hookups.As long asyou don’t insult me again.”

“Mediocre hookups.”

“Yes.”

Something akin to fury flashes across his face. “That’swhat you’d go back to?”

“Obviously.”

He laughs, shaking his head slowly. “Jade. You donotwant to find out what I’ll do if I hear you’re sleeping with a man who’s not satisfying you.”

I cock my head to the side. “I don’t think you’d do a thing.”

“Some advice, Jade,” he says smoothly. He stands, pinning me to the wall and bringing his face to within an inch of mine. For a moment, he stares at me, and it feels like he can see into my mind. Then he leans forward, his lips brushing my cheek, before I feel his hot breath on my ear. “You want to sleep with another man? Make sure he’s worthy of having you. Otherwise, he won’t survive the night.”

His words should surprise me, but they don’t. I’ve always seen this side of him, this undercurrent of something dark and dangerous. I never thought I’d see it come out to play, though.

“That’s a pointless reason to kill someone.” Maybe I shouldn’t say it. I’m sure I’ve murdered for less at some point.

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