Page 49 of Impenitent Claim

“It has to!” There was a flash of something in her eyes, but with the limited visibility, I couldn’t make out the emotion.

“Has to?” I pressed, leaning into her.

She tipped her head back, never once breaking my stare. “It’s for the good of the famiglia that I marry Alon—”

My hand shot out, grasping her chin in an unforgiving hold.

“Don’t say his name,” I warned. “Don’t even think about him.”

A whimper escaped her lips.Fuck me.She was such a pretty little thing, my siren, helpless and at my mercy.

But…was she really helpless? Or was that me underestimating her again?

“He’s nothing to you. You’re mine. No one can save you from that fate.” And then, my lips crashed into hers. There was nothing gentle about the kiss.

I was the thief in the night, and I was taking the prize.

Two small hands gripped my shoulders. Isabella pulled me closer. Pulled, not pushed! Her mouth tasted as hungry as mine, her lips as eager. I might not have asked, but this little siren was guilty of taking exactly what she wanted as well.

A shudder ran through her body. That dainty little tongue that I could have sworn was forked, flicked against my mouth. Heaven help me, I opened for her.

Isabella slid both hands into my hair. Her fingers pulled at the strands, as she cupped the back of my head. Shebentme to her will, angling me how she wanted.

I stepped into her, molding our bodies together. My hands splayed over her back—her very naked back. Her slight frame bent into mine, so tiny and… bony? But she moaned against my lips, sending a frenzy of need to consume every other thought.

The hot feel of her skin sent a rush of awareness through my body. She was naked, and I was seconds away from lifting her onto the bathroom vanity and taking what was mine.

But she wasn’t. Not yet.

I broke the kiss and took several steps backward. My legs shook. Trembled! Me! It was worse than the aftershock post-fight. The adrenaline coursing through me was hot and threatened to make my knees give out.

Isabella scrubbed her hands through her hair, staring at me with an unreadable expression on her face. It was as if she too didn’t know what to make of that kiss. She dropped her hands to her sides. A moment later, a blush darkened her cheeks. There might only be a faint yellow glow from the small bulb in the light socket, but it was enough to see the beautiful flush.

Without a word, Isabella stormed into the other room.

I let her go.

Breathing hard, I struggled to regain control of my body. I moved back to the sink, turned on the faucet, and cupped my hand under the cool water. Three long gulps and splashing the liquid across my face did little to cool the internal blaze. I reached for a clean washcloth from the basket beside the sink. A twinge of pain shot through my upper arm.

Scowling at the reflection in the mirror, I noticed a dark spot forming on my black shirt.

Well, shit.

The little siren had her hands on my shoulders, and I hadn’t realized she squeezed low enough to open the wound. But apparently, she did.

I couldn’t leave a trail of blood from her window. It was unlikely a gardener would see, but I wasn’t taking the chance. Stretching my neck from side to side, the vertebrae popped in a series of small explosions. The release that spread over my muscles was instant. My whole body could use such a one.

Making short work of unbuttoning my shirt, I pulled it off and rinsed out the bloody patch. As I wrung the water out, a soft gasp sounded at the door.

“What happened?” Isabella breathed.

I cut a look at her through the mirror. She stood, wrapped in a sage green robe, and gaped at me. Her eyes roved over my form.

A rush of self-consciousness flickered through me. There was untold damage, the evidence of a life lived hard. Ink could only disguise the worst of it. “I’ll put it back on in a second. No need for you to gaze upon the mangy mutt.”

Her gaze snapped to mine. “I was talking about the hole you’re leaking out of,” she said testily.

It would have been nice to believe her, but the rest of my body was a fucking mess. There was no way to say it more nicely.

---