Page 48 of Daughter of a Monster

“Jericho, wait,” she says, coming after me.

“I can’t.” I don’t look at her as I speak. I know if I do, I will end up right back where I was; my body pressed against hers, devouring her, demanding more and more from her until there’s nothing left to give.

I quicken my steps, almost as desperate to get away as I am to stay. She follows, calling out, but I can’t stop. I can’t let my desires get the better of me. I can’t let her distract me from my purpose.

Running up behind me, she grabs my arm, twisting me around to face her. Rage and arousal dance in my blood, barely controllable. I’m not used to being confronted. I’m not used to being challenged.

“This isn’t a game!” I roar, advancing on her so quickly she steps back, almost falling against the wall. I cage her with my hands pressed either side of her face. I expect her to look at me with fear but instead, she’s looking at me defiantly, as though my show of aggression means nothing to her.

No.

As though it excites her.

Her lips are ever so slightly held apart. Her cheeks are flushed. Her eyes are darting between mine. Her chest rises and falls with each labored breath.

“You don’t scare me,” she says.

I grip her chin, applying enough pressure that the skin under my fingers turns white. She continues to glare, to taunt, to challenge.

She lifts her chin. “You—”

I silence her by slamming my mouth against hers again, swallowing whatever words she was about to say. We’re stuck on repeat. Her hands wind into my hair, pulling tightly, the pain only making me want her more. Her body is hot pressed against mine. Her breasts are crushed against my chest, her nipples hard, even through the material of my shirt.

I want her so badly it’s causing me to lose my mind.

I tear myself away. Again. I won’t be able to do it another time. I haven’t got enough strength left. Her eyes cut to mine. So I turn on my heel and storm down corridors until her steps fade behind me.

As I barge into the security office, Barrett frantically stumbles to his feet, raising his hand in salute. He watches in bewilderment as I pace the floor. I’ve never lost it like this in front of him. In fact, I’ve never lost control of myself like this before, ever. It’s not in my nature. It never has been. I saw my father lose control almost every night of his life and I swore I’d never be the same.

What the fuck have I done? I need to stay away from her. She’s a witch who’s cast some sort of spell over me.

Barrett doesn’t look me in the eye and there’s a faint redness to his cheeks. I glance over at the screens, realising he could have been watching the whole encounter.

“I turned it off, sir,” he says, his gaze darting to mine for the briefest of moments. “Is everything okay?”

I want to say no. I want to tell him my entire plan is at risk because of the weakness of my cock and the strength of a girl.

“Is he here?” I grunt, ignoring his question.

“Yes. The stupid bastard has no idea what’s happening. He’s crying, bawling basically.” He laughs but cuts it short when he looks at me. “Is everything okay, sir?” he asks again.

“It’s fucking awesome.” I shoot him a sarcastic glare. Stalking over to his desk, I pick up a paperweight. Some sort of glass ball with a dandelion trapped in the resin. Lifting it up, I examine it closer. “This mean something to you?”

“No. It’s just—”

I hurl it against the wall, feeling the faintest sense of satisfaction when it smashes into tiny shards.

Barrett doesn’t say anything. He’s never seen me lose my temper before. Not like this. But I’ve also never been tempted before. I’ve never had something so tantalizing, so infuriating, dangling in front of me like forbidden fruit. Not like this.

“I need to see him.”

chapter sixteen

BERKLEY

I’ve never met someone as exasperating as Jericho Priest. He storms into my room, looks at me in a way that makes my insides turn to mush as well as my heart soar, kisses the living daylights out of me and then runs away as though I’m the one who’s done something wrong.

Grabbing the sides of my bathrobe, I jerk it around my body tightly and tie the strings to make it stay as I stalk away. My entire body is flushed with confusion. Jericho’s kiss made me want to fall at his feet and beg for more. It made me want to climb up his body and never let go. It made me want to surrender my mind, my body, my soul, as long as he kissed me that way again. That’s how intense it was, how good. I let out a frustrated groan.

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