Page 74 of Hexed
He gives me a look. “At least you can admit I’d succeed.”
“A man’s confidence is often his downfall. Maybe I’ll kill you first.”
He grins now, and the air shifts, some of the heaviness evaporating. “You could try,” he says, repeating my earlier sentiment.
“And who could blame me? What with your threats of murder and all?”
“If I shouldn’t kill you…” He looks at me from the corner of his eye before staring back out at the water. “Then what should I do with you?”
A warning siren blares in my head, screaming,Danger! Danger! Do not answer!
I ignore it.
“Whatever you want,” I reply.
His gaze snaps to mine, and that light feeling in the air pulls taut, wrapping around my chest and squeezing. Heat blasts up my neck and into the apples of my cheeks, and I place the back of my hand against them, attempting to cool off.
“Whatever I want,” he repeats slowly, his eyes tracing along every single contour of my body, stripping me bare. “That’s a dangerous thing to say to a man like me, piccola sirena.”
A gust of wind blows by us, the smell of sea salt and sunscreen whipping across my senses, and a strand of my hair, loose from the bun, blows into my face.
He reaches out and tucks it behind my ear, the brush of his fingers lingering as it lazily drags down my jaw and then farther until his palm is resting at the front of my throat.
My breathing grows choppy, arousal winding through my center and dripping into my core. My hand moves up and covers his. “In a different life, I’d ask you to touch me.”
His eyes blaze, his fingers twitching on my neck.
I close my eyes because I want to move him down my body until he dips under my clothes and makes me scream. But I pryhis fingers off instead and move to the side so I can stand far away. “And inthislife, I’m a lot of things, Enzo. But I’m not a cheat. And I don’t think you are either.”
He watches me for a minute, a storm waging war in his eyes, and then he nods. “You know, in my twenty-nine years, I’ve neveroncegotten to do whatever I want. Not really.”
“Well…” I look around us. “What’s something you want to do right now?”
His nostrils flare.
My stomach flips, and I put up a hand like I can stop him from doing whatever it is that just crossed his mind. “Notthat. Something…friendly.”
His mouth pops open, and he licks his bottom lip.God, every time he does that, I want to feel his tongue everywhere.
“Friendly,” he repeats.
I bob my head, even though my body is buzzing with how badly I want to take back what I just said.
If the situation were reversed and it were Aria standing here, I know she wouldn’t give me the same regard. But this isn’t about her. Not really.
It’s about being no one’s choice.
I could let him fuck me, and it would probably be incredible. But afterward, he’d go back to her. And based on the way he makes me feel, I know it would hurt. He’d flaunt her around, and I’d be stuck in the corner. An afterthought, left with nothing but pretty words and a quick one-night stand.
And if that didn’t happen? If he decided he wanted more? Well…I can’t give him that either. I’ll never let myself fall prey to the whims of another person. Especially one who makes mewantto please him.
I’m afraid I’ll lose myself and never come back.
“Actually, there is something I want to do,” he says.
I shake the longing off and paste a smile onto my face. “Oh? What’s that?”
“Well, we’re at the boardwalk.” He looks around. “Let’s make a memory.”
