Page 20 of Graveyards & Greed

“Unlawful detention? Please. Let’s talk about the human hand you sent me.”

“With the middle finger extended. Don’t forget that part.” His overwhelming presence and delicious, spicy scent wrapped around me. My heart raced—whether from fear, irritation, or something else entirely, I didn't know.

“Tell me what happened with Luna.” His voice took on a steel edge.

I raised an eyebrow. “She said her attacker was someone at your strip club. Why would Roman be taking his intern there?”

“Don’t be jealous. I’ll take you too if you want.”

Rolling my eyes, I then told him what I knew. “I need to get back.”

“Sylvie, we want to help protect her too. Would you let Roman do that?”

He seemed to be feeling me out, but I didn’t know why. “I don’t trust him, and he’s been cold and domineering since the internship started. Why doesn’t he like her?”

Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not that he doesn’t like her. It’s much more complicated than that, and Luna needs to hear the story first.”

His words sent a chill through me. “Can you promise me that Roman won’t hurt her?”

“She’s safer with him than anyone else. Trust me.” Goosebumps rose on my skin as he reached out and took hold of my waist. “I want to see you again. Spend the weekend with me.”

His offer caught me off guard. “So now you think it’ll take a whole weekend instead of just one night to fuck me out of your system?” I hadn’t meant to blurt that out, and I realized I was still stinging from his crude offer the first time we met.

He tilted his head and studied me. “I think it’ll take much longer than that.”

His words eased some of the hurt. “I can’t. I have a funeral on Saturday morning.”

“Then come afterward.”

I didn’t know whythis manmade my panties wet and caused me to have such dark, dirty thoughts. “It’s such a bad idea.”

He bent and murmured in my ear, “But you want to. This heat between us is killing me. Say you’ll come.”

For one small moment, I laid my forehead against his chest and gave in to our chemistry. “I need to go,” I whispered.

“Say you’ll think about it.”

I sighed. “I’ll think about it.”

“No matter what happens with Roman and Luna, you and I have unfinished business. And Iamcoming for you.”

Stepping back, I gazed up at him. “We’re rivals, we have a sordid history, and we’ll probably kill or disfigure each other before it’s all over. This can’t end well. We need to walk away—” Drakos brushed his lips against mine and slid his tongue along my mouth. When I didn’t pull back, he cupped my face and ran a thumb across my cheek. I shivered at the gentle touch.

“Are you afraid? Am I too much for you? I never thought I’d see you running scared.”

I briefly wondered how Drakos could read me so well as I grabbed his hair and slanted his head to get a better angle.

“Shut up, asshole.” I kissed him hard until he took over and pushed his tongue inside my mouth, groaning low and deep while he devoured me. I could feel the vibration from his groan on my lips, and I wanted to wrap my leg around him and rub myself on his hard shaft I could feel digging into my stomach.

Drakos cupped my head and bit at my mouth, causing dark, jagged lust to erupt through my system. Our lips crashed together over and over, all the pent-up heat and frustration devouring rational thought. His hands tangled in my hair and I gripped his dress shirt, wrinkling the pristine fabric. It was utter madness—kissing Drakos Creed in a hospital room in the dead of night. He palmed my breast through my shirt, and I wrapped my leg around his waist and grabbed his ass to grind myself against him.

The rest of the world faded away—the hum of traffic and distant sounds from the hospital machines. In that moment, there was only heat, need, and Drakos. When he slid his hands up my shirt and began tugging it off, my senses returned. We were in a hospital, Luna needed ice chips, and she was alone with Roman. I pulled away, and he reluctantly let me go.

As I backed up, I tried to think rationally about why Drakos would be here at such a late hour. “Don’t lie to me. Why are you really here?”

His phone vibrated in his pocket, but he didn’t break eye contact. Something like regret slid through his eyes, but then it was gone.

He spread his hands out. “I’m here to help keep Luna safe. Please believe that.”

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