Page 61 of Beast

“I’m pleased I got my point across.”

“Are you trying to irritate me to death?”

I perk up. “Is that an option?”

He looks like he’s going to blow a fuse. “Why can’t you do something I tell you to do, just for once?”

“Perhaps if you asked politely.”

“Not going to happen,” he grits out.

“Then you’d better do something to help ease your stress levels, bike gangster,” I say turning away from him.

He grabs my wrist and swings me around to face him. “You’re going to be my wife.”

“That’s right, Iwill beyour wife. Ever heard the phrasehappy wife, happy life? You’d do well to remember it.”

“And you would do well to remember who is in charge here.”

I roll my eyes because I don’t think people do that to him. “Now we’re just going around in circles. Why did you summon me, Prince Charming?”

He tries to keep his cool. “Every year the Knights hold a fundraising cookout for the hospital. Tonight’s the night. And you’re to accompany me as my girlfriend.”

“Lucky me,” I grumble.

“The feeling is mutual,” he grumbles back.

“You know what, we’ve never even been on a date. You’ve never asked me for anything. Just told me to stand there and do that.” I shake my wrist free. “Invite me on a date, Beast, and then maybe we can talk.”

“You are not in control here.”

“That’s where you are wrong. You can tell me what to do and blackmail me until the cows come home. But I am in control of how I feel about that and how I react to it.”

“Then you’d better start saving your pennies, little one. Because medical care is expensive.”

I glare at him. “You asshole.”

“That’s right, Iaman asshole. But that’s not the worst of what I am. You don’t have any idea of what I am capable of. So start behaving.”

Our gazes connect. Mine blazing with resentment. His dark with wildfire.

I should look away. Give in. But I will die of old age before I let him get the better of me.

“Ask me nicely,” I demand, my eyes narrowed on him. “And I mean very nicely.”

He thinks for a moment and his eyes sharpen in response. “Join me tonight as my date for the fundraiser.”

I cock an eyebrow. “You’ll have to do better than that, I’m afraid.”

“Goddammit, woman,” he mutters.

Because I’m determined to make this as awkward for him as possible, I say, “Ask me properly. Like you would ask me on a date.”

Beast lifts his brows. “I don’t date.”

“But you understand the concept, right?” I lift my chin. “Ask me and make it convincing.”

For a moment he doesn’t move, and I think he’s going to blow up again. But he doesn’t. Instead he takes a step closer so he is standing over me, blocking out the sun and everything around us, so there is only him. Him and the sudden wild pounding of my heart in my ears. His dark gaze slides from my eyes to my lips and slowly back to my eyes. My lips part involuntarily because of the heat I see in his eyes and the carnal desire on his face. He lifts his hand and trails his knuckles down my arm, sending a surge of lust into the deepest part of me.

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