Page 45 of Savage Hearts

I paused, my heart rate speeding at his words. I knew he was only saying that to get a rise out of me, but also because sex with him was a forgone conclusion I’d signed up for when I agreed to be theirs instead of their men’s.

It wasn’t much of a choice to begin with, and it was fucking messed up that he was even talking about it now.

I pressed the cloth on his wound a little harder than necessary. He grunted in pain, but when I moved my eyes up to his face, he was smiling.

“I’m sure you’ll be the least memorable,” I said.

“Compared to all the other men you’ve had before?”

I nodded. “Yup.”

“And how many is that?”

“Nice try, but my sexual history is none of your business.”

He laughed again, and I hated the way my skin heated at the sound. Such a horrible man should not have such a nice laugh.

I pulled the cloth away.

Now that it had stopped bleeding, I could see the wound wasn’t as deep as I’d initially thought.

I wrapped the wound and once I was done, he leaned down until his lips gently grazed the skin on my cheek.

I froze, like a fucking helpless baby gazelle staring into the bloodthirsty jaws of a lion.

His hot breath fanned across my face when he said softly, “I don’t think there have been many men. I think the shy act you’ve got going isn’t an act at all. Fuck me, but my little Mila really is shy, isn’t she?”

I tried to shove him off, but he was like an immovable wall. He came even closer to me. I tried to back away. He wrapped his arm around the small of my back and pulled me against him until my belly was pressed firmly against his hard one.

“Fuck you,” I said, meeting his eyes.

“Promises, promises. One of these days, I might just show you how much that mouth of yours can get you into trouble.”

I glared at him but held my tongue.

“You want to know what I think?” he asked.

I shook my head.

His smile widened. “I’d say between zero and three men. Which is it? Why don’t you give me a number, sweetheart?”

“A hundred,” I lied.

“A hundred dead men, then. But we both know it’s not true, is it? Do you want to know what my guess is?”

I pushed him off once more, and surprisingly, he let me go. I pushed back into the mattress and looked at him.

“I helped you dress your wound. Now, get out.”

He stood up to his full height on the side of the bed and silently took me in.

I didn’t want to be scared, but I could feel the shiver of fear that wracked my being from having his dark eyes on me.

Fear… and something else.

Something far more potent, and something I wasn’t willing to admit to myself just yet.

I grabbed the pillow and hugged it to my front.

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