Page 12 of Shadow Hunter

No, he wouldn’t get attached to anyone again, then he couldn’t fail anyone, then protocol couldn’t get in the way of relationships.

Hunting. Protection. Nothing more.

“Tell me what you’re doing here, Tiffany Solow,” he said, her name tasting like nectar on his tongue.

She scoffed. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? I’m here every night. You’re the new monster on the block.”

Monster?

He growled, low in his throat like an animal. “I am not one of those worthless leeches.”

“Liar.” She gazed up at him, her eyes narrowing in challenge. “You’re too strong to be human.” She scanned his body, her eyes stopping on the muscles of his arms, chest and abs.

He tried hard not to notice the appreciation in her gaze.

But he failed, miserably.

“I’m not lying,” he said, his voice dropping low.

“Really?” She leaned forward, coming nearly nose to nose with him, like even if hewerea monster, she wasn’t afraid. “Prove it, then.”

Damon bit back an approving growl. She may not have been able to match him in training, but she was dangerous alright.

Far too dangerous for her own good.

Difficult, he thought to himself.

She was going to make this difficult.

4

Tiffany stared at the stranger before her, her eyes locked onto his icy gaze. A shiver ran down her spine at the fiery look she found there, but despite all the scare tactics he’d thrown at her, heat still pooled between her legs. What the hell was wrong with her? Sure, she could appreciate the view. That alone made him dangerous. Far too dangerous for her own good.

But there was something else about him that drew her closer. Something oddly…familiar.

And wasn’t that thought all kinds of insane?

“Go on. Prove you’re human.” Her pulse raced, bracing for pushback.

Something in her gut screamed not to fight him, that he was no threat to her, and even he’d admitted as much, but she wasn’t a fool. The knife at her throat and the ferocity in his eyes said otherwise. Sexy as hell or not, she needed to get herself out of here.

“Just trust me on this,” he said.

“Trust you?” She scoffed, leaning forward a little as if she might finally kiss him. “Not a chance.”

With as much force as she could muster, she stomped on his instep, once again catching him off guard.

He didn’t cry out, but the move surprised him enough that the knife shifted slightly away from her throat. It was all the room she needed. She seized the advantage and grabbed hold of his arm, pushing his sleeve up and digging her fingernails into his skin.

She wasn’t against fighting dirty. Not if it saved her sorry ass.

He wrenched back, giving the space she needed to escape. To his credit, he didn’t even curse at the pain, only grunted in response as her acrylics dug into the flesh of his arm. Blood pooled around the edges of her nails, but she released him him quickly, lunging forward, knocking into his midsection like a linebacker.

Only for her head to hit a wall of solid muscle.

Ouch!

Damn, that had been a stupid idea. The man was built, and running into his abdomen was like hitting her head on a concrete wall. That would really hurt in the morning.

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