Page 63 of Prey Tell
One.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
THE PUNISHMENT
Chase
I give her an extra five seconds.
The beast inside of me wants nothing more than to cheat, to find her sooner, to relish in hunting her. But I know the longer the wait, the better the gratification. And finding Parker, running from me…hidingfrom me? It’s a decade of pent-up frustration, need, and desperation seeping out of my pores. The gratification of catching her could very well make everything inside of me implode.
I’m still not planning on fucking her.
This is our first little game.
Cracking my neck and then my knuckles, I grab my key and slide it into my back pocket as I exit the living quarters. My boots pad on the carpeted hallway, and I scan the doors for signs of Parker. The thing with huntinganythingis about getting in the right mindset. Parker isn’t going to choose any of these random bedrooms. They’re all the same. They all offer the same kinds of hiding places. She’s too analytical for that. No, she’ll find somewhere different. Because deep down, Juliet wants me to find her.
You could’ve had me at any point. I was always here. Always a willing participant.
I can smell her—the floral scent of fresh cut flowers. My eyes track the carpet, and I see small footprints.Oh, Juliet. So, so easy.
My blood thrums inside of my veins as I eye the wooden door of the stairwell. I told her the entire floor was hers. Of course she’d find the one place that’s not explicitlyonlyon this floor. Pushing buttons, testing boundaries. Maybe this is my chance to teach her a lesson. Her first lesson. My body sings at the notion of bending her over and spanking her.
There’s nothing like the high of a chase. Especially when you close in on your prey. I am unhinged as a human when I’m playing.Bloodthirsty. Everything else sort of falls away.
And Parker? She’s the ultimate chase. My endgame.
This is the hunt I’ve been waiting my entire life for.
I push the door open and turn to find Juliet grinning at me from the shadows behind the door. Without speaking, I reach out for her waist and grab her, lifting her up and hoisting her over my shoulder.
“Hey! Ravage! My ass is hanging out—”
I reach up and slap the upper part of her thigh as I carry her back to our room. “Maybe you should’ve worn something less flimsy, Parker.”
This shuts her up.
In less than thirty seconds, I’m back inside the living quarters. After tossing my key onto the coffee table, I set her down on her feet. Her face is red, and her hair is wild as she glares at me. Her nostrils are flaring as she pants, fists clenched. I grind my jaw as I go to sit on the couch. Once I’m seated, I pat the tops of my thighs.
“Come here.”
She slowly prowls over to me. The tie on her robe is loose. With one tug—
No.
I will control myself.
She goes to sit down, but I use my strength to flip her over onto her stomach, so that her ass is face up on top of my lap. She lets out a tiny gasp when my hand trails up her soft, lithe thigh.
“Ravage, what are you—”
I smack the back of her thigh with my hand. “That’s the second time you’ve called me Ravage. Are you really going to disobey me this early on into our scene?”
She is shaking on top of me. I smooth over the spot where I slapped her lightly, rubbing it with a circular motion.
“Sorry, sir. Please continue.”
“Why did you choose to hide in the stairwell?” I ask, moving the hem of the robe up to the top of her thigh. Thumbing the crease between her ass and her leg, my body hums when she gasps again.
