Page 4 of Hostile Rival
In one hand, her self-portrait holds a set of justice scales and in the other a sharp-edged dagger.
But when her legs move a fraction to strengthen her stance, my gaze jumps. I can’t unsee the water droplets gliding over her perky tits, and those juicy pointed nipples are so close I could bite them if I chose to do so.
Quickly pulling myself together, my eyes cut to hers. “You’re Buffalo.”
“Well done, smartass,” she mocks. “They call me Buffy.”
Not caring for her threat, I casually comb my fingers through the hair on top of my head, and our skin brushes.
She flinches and immediately growls, tightening her grip on the knife, the edge dangerously close to slicing my skin.
“Do not touch me, Souza. Ever.”
“You’re the one who’s in my private space. If you don’t want to play, take a step backBuff-a-lo.” I mock.
She’s a lot smaller than me—petite, in fact. Her slender athletic build appears to be agile, but the grit to her Colombian accent tells me she means business. And that somehow gives me chills––in the dirtiest way possible.
“I suppose you thought you’d just wander in here and flash that killer smile of yours,” she continues. “Flaunt your impressive dick in my face and…what…” Smooth razor-sharp metal bites into me. “Did you expect me to drop to my knees and suck you off?” Disgust rolls from the back of her throat in a grunt. “I don’t play with immature frat boys.”
“Ouch, that hurts more than your knife does.” I laugh, low and teasing.
No one threatens me and gets away with it, however I keep my hands to myself. We might be from two warring families in a feud, but I have to work alongside her. I won’t risk losing Giovanni’s trust on the first day.
“To be honest,anciana.” I taunt, calling her an old lady, even though she looks to be in her late twenties. “I expected to have the place all to myself for somealonetime.” I lower my lashes, pulling her attention to my painfully stiff boner.
Our skin is merely inches away from rubbing together. And I’m a hot-blooded guy after all. Really fucking hot.
“Is that what you were doing, all naked and alone?” I ask. “I mean, your skin is flushed and riddled with goosebumps. Plus, that vein in your neck is pulsating at a rapid rate. Or maybe you’ve just realized graduates from Harvard are your new kink.”
Checkmate.
“Fuck you!” She glares at me. “I’m like ten years older than you. I sure as fuck don’t have to check in with a boy when I take a shower or tell him what I get up to while I’m in there. You might have graduated top of your class at a fancy law school, but this isn’t the courtroom, Souza. Here, I can and will destroy you.”
“Really?” I shift my weight, crowding her. “You’re a part of The Covenant. And that means you take orders from the Souza cartel, right?”
Her pupils flare, the ebony hue bursting into silver irises like an explosion. It’s as if she hasn’t fully succumbed to the darkness inside of her, yet day by day it takes over her soul.
“I take orders from our commander. No one else.”
“Well, fuck.” I shake my head and grin. “Looks like our commander hasn’t updated you on my arrival. Let me fill you in on the news. Your new roommate is the Souza cartel––me. The same cartel you pledged your allegiance to. We serve or we die, right?”
When she bares her teeth at me, her cute button nose scrunches. “I know who you are. And I don’t care. It wouldn’t matter if you were royalty, I don’t share my space with anyone. Least of all the youngest Souza, who thinks he’s a fucking god.”
I smile at her. “Dragon’s orders,Buffy,” I overemphasize her code name, trying my best to ignore the burn in my belly and how my dick is throbbing so damn hard I’d come if she simply breathed on it.
She falls quiet for a second, thinking. “Is this how you’re going to greet the rest of the team? With your dick out?”
“Is this how you greeted them?” I counter. “A knife to the neck with your sexy little body so close they could lick the water off your tits.”
She swallows and takes a sip of air. “Better a knife to your throat than hacking off your balls, Souza.”
“You should probably call me Crow.” I correct her. “Your new roomie.”
“Roomie?” she snorts. “You say that like we’ll be friends. And that’s never going to happen.” The heat of her skin next to mine grows hotter. “I do not like assholes who creep about stark naked, thinking every woman wants a piece of them.”
She elevates to her tip toes and brings her mouth to the side of my face, the awareness of her blade strong. If I wasn’t sobuzzed by the soft flesh coming at me, I’d have this situation wrapped up in seconds.
I could push her off me. Twist her arm until she lets go of the knife. Wrestle her to the floor and teach her manners. Bind her wrists using a robe belt and have her begging… gagging… taking me like a good fucking girl.
