Page 72 of Savage Hunter

“Testing you is exactly what I am going to do, Harmonia.”

I press harder, feel the knife cut flesh. There are no grunts or fighting. He just gives me an infuriating lift of his dark brow that has my internal voice moaning with delight. She likes his dominance. His inability to show weakness. It makes her—me—feel protected. And isn’t that some fucked up mess to realize?

My heart pounds against my chest. I glance around. I can’t get to the door before he can catch me. He blocks the path to the bathroom. There’s nowhere to run.

And he knows it. That cocky, infuriating grin spreads across his lips making my hand itch to knock it off.

He throws the chair across the room, breaking it into a million pieces. I jump and everything in me trembles. Holding my gaze, he takes another step but I don’t budge an inch. The point of the knife punctures his shirt. Flesh gives. There’s a flash of challenge in his eyes. I take in everything there is about him. He hasn’t changed since the compound. Besides his shirt. Hair falls over his forehead and that chaos-laced energy shimmers around him so thick it’s hard to breathe. There’s blood on his clothes and we both smell like smoke.

A muscle ticks in his powerful jaw. His hooded eyes flick over my face. I feel like he’s measuring me and just how far I will go to keep him at arm’s length.

“Either drive the blade in or put it down. It doesn’t matter to me. But decide. I have plans for our time in this room. Before we leave, you will know the depths of my love for you. You will feel it on every inch of your body. But just so you know, I can't do that dead. I don’t think.”

The wrecking ball destroying my insides swings like a pendulum, its destruction absolute. I suck in a hard breath.

I inhale sharply when he raises his good arm to push my hair to the side and brushes a lingering caress along my cheek. “Trust me.” his palm comes to rest over my heart. “Trust us.”

My palms sweat. My vision blurs. I throw his hand off me. “Those words are the hardest to hear. Call me a whore, slap me. Tell me I’m worthless. I can take those words. But stop telling me to trust you. I know you’re not here to kill me. I know my mother didn’t send you. Isn’t that enough?”

“No. And whoever told you those words will be dealt with. No one will ever degrade you again. You’re a beautiful soul and I will spend the rest of my life making sure you know how treasured you are.”

My heart abruptly stops mid-beat. My mouth drops open. What do I say to that? My body reacts to the praise in his tone, but my head says he’s wrong. I can’t be good and treasured. I’m ruined.

He knocks the knife from my hands; it clatters to the floor.

I’m in his powerful arms and being pulled toward the bathroom.

“Nope. I know where this is going. No, Wolfe.” Please God, get me out of here.

Ignoring me, Wolfe moves us into the bathroom with its cream-colored light and enormous bathtub. He closes the door; the lock sliding into place is deafening.

I leave his embrace, but his words hold me captive. “There’s nowhere to run, Harmonia. This is happening.”

His raspy voice sends a wave of chills through my body. He comes up behind me, his warmth wrapping around me.

“Avery,” I correct him. “How many times do I have to tell you?”

That infuriating brow rises again. “Harmonia.”

Stubborn fool! He turns me around and I look up at him through a sheet of shimmering water in my eyes.

“You have to let me go now, Wolfe.”

I silently plead for him to heed my warning, but he’s not having it. “Fuck that.” His arms bulge with the effort he uses to keep me against him.

“What has you so scared to be alone with me?"

I wrap my arms around myself. Or at least I try to. Wolfe takes up so much space I can't move an inch. I bite down on my lip to keep from blurting out the shameful truth when he tilts my head up and forces me to make eye contact with him. It's too embarrassing.

“Harmonia. Baby. Talk to me.” He lowers his weight to the edge of the tub. I really didn’t have time to appreciate the soft elegance of the space until now. It’s easier to focus on the delicately folded swans the housekeeper left on the counter with tiny pink roses tucked into the wings. The little soaps are cute too.

Various unlit candles and little bottles of oils adorn the sides. They designed this suite for a lover's getaway. It almost makes me wish we were that kind of normal couple.

He quietly reaches for me and pulls me to stand between his spread thighs.

I wrap my arms around my middle. “Wolfe, I can’t.” I scan his face for any signs he’ll give in and let me be, but there’s nothing there but patience and resolve to see this to the end.

“You will.”

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