Page 17 of The Guru: Shadow

Only it did not. Much to her annoyance, he strode over to her, turned the box around so he could see what was in there, and stared at it as if there was a piece of art in there.

“Chicken with broccoli and teriyaki-sauce, help yourself,” she said with a challenging scuff at him, feeling he wouldn’t be a guy who’d love to experiment with food. More like the control freak eating only healthy stuff.

“Interesting choice,” he said while the corners of his mouth almost twitched into a grin. Which was, undeniably, sexy.

With one swift movement of his arm, he gripped the wrist of her left hand, where she held the slice of pizza in. He pulled, and she held it steady. With his head slightly tilted, he cocked an eyebrow, and as he stared her down, she gave in and let him take control over her hand. He moved her hand in front of his face and took quite a luscious bite of the pizza.

The whole situation was so weird, she was sure she was dreaming. And yet something about it was so real – so raw and out of the ordinary – it was kind of hot. A hot stranger eating old, cold pizza out of her hand in her excuse of an apartment.

“Better than I thought,” he said while chewing. This guy sure had no manners, although something about it was also refreshing. Chris had always been so tight about societal expectations and manners, the little hypocrite.

He then wiped with his thumb over his bottom lip.

Why is it so hot to watch?

Without warning, he grasped for her jaw and pressed his thumb between her slightly parted lips into her mouth.

“Suck it clean,” he ordered.

Holy shit.

Flabbergasted didn’t even touch the weirdness of it. Yet, it was so arousing, she couldn’t help but act. So, she let her tongue trail around his thumb and sucked it, once, and then let go of it.

Judging by the malicious, knee-wobbling grin appearing on his face, it must have been satisfactory.

“So, what’s the story behind the room with the stabbed couch?” he asked as conversational as nothing had happened.

“Found my best friend fucking my fiancé, well, not-anymore-fiancé, on it. Last week. They got married today, found out via a post on Instagram.”

Saying it out loud, hearing it in the open, it was so abstruse it almost made her laugh.

“Reasonable reaction.”

“You think?”

I thought it to be more like a total overreaction of unregulated emotions.

“Well, better than stabbing them, isn’t it?”

“I suppose.”

Why is nothing weird with or to him? There is not a single trace of judgment in his eyes with their curious stare.

“I wouldn’t have been so reasonable,” he said, brushing back his curly hair with his hand.

Gods, he is so damn hot.How much I want to grasp that hair.

“Figured as much,” she said, while taking in every detail of his face now that she felt like herself again.

His skin was impeccable, something in his eyes had changed, they weren’t as cold as before, but they still looked as if he’d take out the big guns, literally, not figuratively - if necessary.

Well, maybe both, who knows.

He was the kind of toxic masculinity guy, believing he ruled the world. The Alpha, and everyone was beneath him. And rules, as much as laws, didn’t apply to him.

“Based on what?” he asked, the right corner of his mouth twitching slightly up.

“The overall appearance.” And as he looked inquiringly at her, she added, “I observe as well.”