Page 40 of Monster

She held my eyes as her stare grew hardened. “I’m many things, Teo.”

I tapped her cheek softly with my hand. “I sincerely hope so. Because you’re going to need all the tricks in your bag in order to satisfy me, Miss Pettigrew.”

“If I don’t kill you first.”

I slowly rose upright. “If there’s one thing I already know about you, it’s this: you’re not the kind of person that’s capable of taking a life. Of that, I have no doubt.”

“I suppose a dog is never too old to learn new tricks.”

“Do you really think you could kill me, Miss Pettigrew? I mean, really stomach the visceral nature of it all?”

She leaned forward. “Depends. You want to test the theory and find out?”

I shook my head softly. “Enjoy the clothes, Miss Pettigrew. There’s a royal blue and silver number in there that I thought would go well with your features. I expect to see it on you sometime soon.”

“And if I don’t like it enough to wear it?”

I turned my back to her. “Then, I’ll help you into it myself.”

I heard her breath shudder as I walked away and I caught the smallest glance of her in a mirror hanging on the wall. I paused and watched as her eyes fell to the bag on the floor, and I wondered if she’d reach out for it. I slowed my steps toward the door. My eyes canvassed the reflection of her body before landing on her prominent breasts.

I saw her nipples puckering against the fabric and it practically sent me into a frenzy.

“What?” Charlotte asked.

I chuckled. “Nothing.”

She sighed. “Whatever you have to say, you can say it.”

I turned back around to face her. “You won’t like it.”

She rolled her eyes. “I already don’t like you, so that’s to be expected.”

“Your nipples say otherwise.”

Her face turned beet red. “Automatic reaction to being cold.”

“And yet, you’ve got a bit of perspiration against your forehead. Are you feeling okay?”

The anger behind her eyes was positively delicious. “I’m fine, Teo.”

I winked at her before I stepped up the stairs. “Suit yourself.”

As I closed the door behind me, I heard Miss Pettigrew murmur something underneath her breath. And while my ears didn’t catch it, the sound still put a smile on my face. Damn it, this woman’s tenacity was unparalleled. I’d never met a woman like her in my life. Every day that ticked by, she found a fresh way to surprise me. To show off that fiery strength of hers, and it always took me a few seconds to wrap my head around it.

I really enjoyed that.

Maybe a little too much.

As I made my way up the steps, I found myself standing at the barrier between the kitchen and the foyer. I closed the last door behind me and leaned against it, giving myself a second to breathe a sigh of relief. Thankfully, my cock hadn’t grown to the size it usually did whenever I was in that woman’s presence. Which meant I was, at the very least, getting used to her being here.

I needed her to crack soon, though. Time was of the essence. Especially if there was any threat of her mother looking for her at this point.

After all, what good did having an attorney on my side do me if I didn’t have some semblance of control over her actions?

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