Page 24 of Deadly Cravings

“To some, your reactions could simply seem like fear.” He grinned so wide I could see, the thankfully retracted, incisors.

I swallowed hard.

“So you onlyscent thingswhen I’m turned on or scared?”

“Mmhmm,” he rasped, fingers diving into the couch near my thighs. He shook his head hard and backed up, leaning on his fists.

“When hunting, the primitive side of a vampire takes over and it’s difficult to pull out of that mainframe.”

“And is this what hide-and-seek will be? Hunting me?” It didn’t seem the brightest, especially since we were alone.

“It’s not an issue for me. I’ve never lost control.” He waved his hand in the air as if physically brushing my worries away. “You will not die today.” I blinked at him. He spoke about killingso callously, and I took a moment to soak that in. It was a hint at his inhuman nature, and I didn’t like it, but there was no turning back. I’d made a decision and I could only stick to it.

“Okay,” I said, nodding slowly as I slid off the couch to land on my feet. “I’ll hide, but no using vampire speed.” He tilted his head eerily. A fear-riddled shiver ran down my neck.

“You have thirty seconds.”

Shit. I quickened my pace, jogging around the corner of the entrance. I chewed on my lip, debating which direction to go.

TEN

catalina

“Twenty-five seconds.”I pounded up the stairs, using the banister to aid my way. My feet slapping on the ground echoed off the walls, raising my pulse with the frantic beat. Stopping on the second floor was my best bet otherwise he’d catch me quickly since I was nowhere near as fast as him. It split into two directions, left and right.

I worked to even my breathing and rushed to the third door down the right hall, slipping inside as stealthily as I could. The door snicked shut and engulfed me in the dark room. Squinting, I tried to make out as much as I could. There was a bed, and a chair thing near the window where a sliver of moonlight came through the curtains.

I rushed directly past the large bed and to the massive wooden unit against the left of the wall. I pulled it open as swiftly and quietly as possible. Slipping within the various clothing, I climbed into the wardrobe and enclosed myself.

A sweet scent wafted up from the clothing and I slapped away a silk shirt from my face and straightened it in front of me to block me from sight in case he opened it.

It smelled a lot like Asher. I involuntarily inhaled another lungful. No wonder it was so easy for him to attract women. Hewas not only beautiful, verging on pretty, he smelled like a damn dream.

The air in here felt a little sparse. I pulled out my inhaler and puffed between my lips. A muffled resonating slam echoed, and I froze, holding my breath. My hand shook as I slowly lowered my hands, pressing them against the cool surface on either side of me, being careful to ensure my inhaler didn’t click against the wood. All of this was a sham. These vampires played me like a toy, and I could do nothing but go along with it. I squeezed my hand so hard the plastic of my medicine dug into my palm.

A beat later and the doors from the wardrobe were snatched open and light flooded into the space. Blood red eyes glinted back at me and I screamed, cringing back like I wasn’t trapped in the wardrobe. It was just like the one that took me. The demonic glow took over the blue of his iris.

His palms thumped on either side of my neck and I froze, swallowing hard. Asher seemed unrecognizable as he looked down at me. His head bent and he pressed his nose into my throat, his warm breath puffing over my skin.

Was this how I died?

A hiss escaped, lifting the hair on my arms. His nails scraped the back of the wardrobe as he dragged his hands down. I knew the tip of the nail had become pointy and claw-like, similar to the Pale One that had taken me. I’d deducted the saliva in vampires had a healing quality since I wasn’t scarred by all the punctures the other one made on my body.

I squeezed my lids tightly as his wet tongue prodded the fluttering pulse in my neck. His sweet scent wafted to my nose and a mix of emotions clenched my stomach. I went limp, breathing coming faster as he rasped his fangs across my throat. Panic squeezed my chest. I wanted to run, but I couldn’t move.

Maybe this had been his plan the entire time.

His palm slid down my arm. My stomach tightened when he moved lower and lower until he flattened his palm against my core.

Jolting, I puffed out a breath, practically panting. The fear morphed, but didn’t fade, instead it heightened the tension in my body. My mouth watered and my nipples grew sensitive, and with each breath, they rasped across my bra.

Asher grazed his teeth against my throat again, applying pressure. This time, I arched my neck, needing more. My hips wiggled, grinding my throbbing pussy into his demanding hand.

He hissed and licked my neck again, wrapping his hand around my thigh. His long finger settled into the crevice where my thigh bent, while his thumb pressing into my clit. The rest of his fingers dug into my waist. I whimpered, twitching from the pressure he applied on my sensitive bud. My dress bunched under his touch.

There was a pinch at my neck, and I tensed for a moment and then he sank his fangs deep into my carotid. Asher sucked, and the drag tugged at my clit.

A moan ripped from my throat and Asher echoed it, his palm sliding down to shove against me.