Page 31 of Heathens

“You broke a man’s arm to take his seat,” I scoff. “You’re lucky I didn’t put a bullet inyoubefore I moved on to Deschamps.”

“Right.” He closes the gap between us as he takes a final drag from his cigarette before tossing it to the ground. “Because you’resucha tough guy.”

Every step he takes makes me question whether I want to jam my gun in his mouth just to shut him up, or beg him to slam me against the wall. It’s not one thing, but everything about him; the way his jaw slopes, the way his lips curl into a malicious smile, the danger in his eyes. His entire being radiates menace and hunger, and I’m only a few steps away from being devoured. I crave the very idea of it.

“That’s right,” I whisper, lowering my gun and letting it hang loosely at my side. “You better watch yourself.”

He backs me up against the wall, one arm stretched out to cage me in, but pauses, as my walkie-talkie clatters to the ground.

“And what’s that for?”

“Backup,” I mutter.

“Yeah?” He purrs. “And what do you need backup for?”

“You.”

I can smell his cologne, woodsy and spicy, as it fills my nostrils. His fingertips trail delicately up the side of my hip, sending a shiver down my spine. He pushes even closer, his weight pressing me into the brickwork as his lips ghost delicately past my ear.

“You like to play games, don’t you, little dove?”

SOFIE

Nox Nightclub

“Whatgames?”Ibreathe.

“Hard to get.”

I can’t help but smirk.

“You barely tried the other night,” I whisper. “You have to play to win.”

He tugs at the hem of my skirt.

“What would I find underneath this?” He breathes. “A little pair of panties? Do you even wear any?”

There’s a fire in his eyes that’s simultaneously exciting and dangerous. I saw a small flicker of it the other night when he snapped Drake’s arm. He likes power; being in control. I tilt my head away slightly as he continues to play with the fabric, rubbing it between his fingers.

“If you wanted some time alone with me, you should have been here on a feeding night.”

“I’m alone with you right now, love.”

I take one final drag of my cigarette and toss it on the ground, blowing the smoke in his face. He ignores it, his fingers sliding up my skirt as he leans in closer. When his lips brush against my earlobe, I get a whiff of his cologne and my head spins. He teases my clit through my panties, forcing a moan to spring from the depths of my throat.

“And you have no one to protect you,” he practically sings.

I raise my gun and press it to the oleander tattoo at the base of his throat.

“You think I go anywhere without this?” I breathe.

Dominic’s low chuckle ripples through me like a wave as he continues to test my limits, his smile as wicked as ever as he studies my face.

“If I kissed you right now, would you pull that trigger?”

I press the barrel harder against his throat and he growls. I can’t tell exactly how far I can push this, but the excitement that’s pumping through me is a brand new high I want to chase.

“You want a kiss?” I whisper. “So soft for a vampire.”

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