Page 28 of Monster

His brown hair was cut short to the scalp. He had a strong nose and a sharp, square jawline covered with little prickly-looking stubbles I was sure would feel rough against my palm.

His lips were full and, I imagined, would have the power to make my heart stop beating for a minuscule moment in time if he ever smiled at me. They were set in a straight line now, and I didn’t think many things in life made Dominic smile.

I had the sudden desire to be the one to make it so, which was pretty stupid on my part.

I should not be fascinated with the man.

It was clear he was way out of my league. I wouldn’t know how to handle any part of him, and what was more, Ishouldn’twant to.

“What are you thinking about, wildcat?” he asked, his voice gruff.

I blinked and shook my head. “What am I doing here?” I said instead of answering him.

“You’re here because I need to keep you safe and figure out who the fuck was stupid enough to target my son.”

“But you’ll let me leave tomorrow, right?” I asked slowly, standing up.

He turned from me, and I could feel my heart jumping erratically in my chest.

“It’s getting late. Why don’t you get ready for bed?”

“Dominic.”

His breath caught, and he turned to me, something animated moving in his eyes.

He stepped toward me, and I couldn’t help but take one back.

He matched my step with his. He took another step, and I matched it, moving back one more step.

I froze when the backs of my legs touched the bed.

He closed the distance between us easily, and then he was so close to me I could smell him.

He smelled oddly like the outdoors and something woodsy.

It wasn’t an unpleasant smell, and I might have been comforted in another lifetime, but not right now.

Not when he was trying to use his size to intimidate me—and he was succeeding.

I was fucking intimidated.

I didn’t know where to look. Not into his blue eyes and not down at his hard body.

I focused on his Adam’s apple, watching it bob up and down when he swallowed.

“Go to sleep, wildcat.”

“Why do you call me that?” I asked. Of all the things, the little nickname shouldn’t be something for me to focus on, but I was curious.

The corners of his lips curved up in the tiniest of smirks. I still didn’t dare look into his eyes.

“’Cause you’re like a little wildcat, showing your claws back at the farmhouse.”

I frowned.

Was he talking about the way I’d tried to attack him?

Triedbeing the operative word, considering how embarrassingly easily he had been able to hold me off.

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