Page 26 of Expose Me

Maybe it was because I was half asleep or that the tiny windows of the cabin barely let in any light, but I didn’t notice I was being stalked until it was too late.

My attacker grabbed me from behind and had me slammed against the wall next to the front door with a firm grip around my throat before I could say “surprise.”

Chapter8

The back of my skull smacked against the timber wall, making my ears ring, but reflexes kicked in, and I punched my attacker in the general rib area. My fist made a smacking sound, skin connecting with bare skin.

What in the naked ninja was happening?

My eyes adjusted to the dark, and his close proximity made me realize it was Zey pinning me to the wall, back in his chosen human form.

“Where are you going?” he growled as he grabbed my wrist with his free hand and slammed it above my head.

“To empty my bladder,” I growled back. “What the fuck?”

“A likely excuse.” His hand on my throat tightened, not enough to cut off air supply but enough to make me want to summon a weapon. I had to remind myself my blades and guns were useless.

“You will tell me which direction the Onuei are in right now. I will not allow you to try to take them for yourself. They cannot be wielded by someone not of my realm, so your deception is pointless.”

This motherfucker thought I was going after his trinkets for myself?That’s it.

I summoned a zap. Now that I’d held one, it was easy enough to summon the closest one.

“Remove your hands immediately.” I held the zap to his groin, my grip firm. Holding his gaze, I ignored the feeling of coarse hair brushing against my knuckles. This idiot really had sprung out of bed completely naked, thinking he was catching me in some grand plan to run away. Not to mention he’d gotten in the bed with mecompletely naked!

He lowered his gaze between our bodies, then looked at me with his eyes narrowed. Slowly, deliberately, he released his grip on my throat and wrist but stayed where he was, his body crowding mine.

“All I want is my life back so I can pretend I never met you in the first place. But if you want to try this on your own, have fun. My ability pulled me east. That’s in that direction.” I pointed to my right. “Now I’m going to pee and attempt to get some more sleep,you paranoid son of a bitch.”

I kept the zap in my grip and at the ready as I stared him down, telling him with my glare to back the fuck off.

“Perhaps ...” He licked his lips and sighed, his warm breath washing over me. For some reason, I’d been expecting it to be cold. I shivered lightly, the cold wall at my back a sharp contrast to the warm body at my front.

“Perhaps my impatience and sense of urgency made me come to a hasty conclusion,” Zey said, still not backing away from me—or the zap at his groin.

I eased the weapon back slightly but kept it at the ready. “The word you’re looking for issorry.”

He nodded. “I’m sorry that my concern for my entire realm and sharing sensitive information with a person I hardly knew, in a world entirely new to me, made me somewhat suspicious.”

“You don’t sound sorry,” I huffed, my chest brushing against his. Damn it! I wanted to hit him—or tase him—but that would surely draw attention. And why the hell was he still standing so close to me?

“Back off.” I shoved his chest, and he barely moved. He gripped my wrist again, and I immediately pressed the zap to his groin.

His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t look mad or worried. He looked amused.

“I know you can hit harder than that.” He smiled.

“Yeah, well, I’m tired,” I gritted out.

“And frustrated.”

“You’re in the room, so yeah.”

He lowered his arm and mine, his hand still gripping my wrist.

“And tense.”

“What’s your point?” I intended for the words to come out biting, but they were more breathy than anything.

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