Page 185 of Inferno

When the day comes and Vlad feels her wrath, he’s in for it.

“Charlotte!” I shout, trying to snap her out of it.

A punch lands in my gut and winds me.

Ripping off my pads as she lunges at me, I grab her biceps and spin her, pressing her back against the cage.

She kicks and screams, but I hold her still.

“Fuck you!” she shouts, getting an arm free and clocking me straight in the mouth.

Stars fill my vision, and I hiss out in pain, wrapping my hand around her throat as I wipe away the warm blood dripping from my lip.

“Enough,” I tell her firmly.

She blinks at me, looking like she’s just coming back to reality.

Squeezing her throat, I remind her who I am.

I am not him.

Her chest heaves and I watch the rise and fall of her breasts as I lean in.

“God, you’re fucking beautiful when you’re angry,” I whisper, trying to calm her.

“You’ve got a great right hook on you.” I smile against her hot skin.

Holy fuck, fighting with her has left me feeling like I could throw her down right here and fuck her until she forgets the pain of her past.

She turns her head, her lips are a breath away from mine.

I can almost taste her.

I loosen my grip on her bicep with my left hand, which allows her to drag her fingers up my t-shirt, and her hand settles around my throat.

As I stare into her eyes, a feeling of completeness washes over me. Even if I’m radiating pain all over from her attack, I’m on fire from within.

For her and because of her.

She is my inferno.

My gaze flicks between her bright eyes and her plump lips, and as they part, the last shred of restraint I was grasping hold of is shattered.

“Kiss me,” I whisper.

She squeezes my throat tighter in response. So, I repay the favor right back at her, pushing her harder into the metal bars by the neck.

“Kiss me and make me forget why I ever hated you, heartbreaker.”

Her breathing quickens and her heart races under my palm. Without wasting another second, she drags me down to her and crashes her lips over mine.

A sinful heaven.

Five years of torture washes away, replaced only by a feral need to claim her.

Sliding her back up the metal, I wrap her legs around my waist and deepen the kiss, moving my hand up to grip each side of her jaw.

When she moans into my mouth, I almost lose it.

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