Page 10 of Unhinged Cravings
Please say yes. Please say yes.
He took another bite of his toast, and I watched themovement of his jaw muscles, followed by the flick of his tongue over his lips. My thighs should not have clenched, but they did.
The crust dropped on his plate, the motion slow compared to how fast he rose and had his hand wrapped around my neck. Thumb pressing on my airway, he brought his face close to mine.
“Don’t ever think you’re too valuable to kill. No one holds that worth to me.”
His irises were so shaded they almost looked navy, something that shouldn’t have been passing through my mind when he literally held my life in his hand. They searched my eyes, looking for fear, but I doubted he’d find it because, as much as he terrified me, he intrigued me. And as scary as having his hand around my neck was, facing fear had always turned me on. It was the reason I had snuck into the hangar that night with Billy. There was only one fear I had yet to conquer, and this man wasn’t it.
I chased the high of danger. And Emerson Tides was the ultimate danger.
My lips parted at the irrational thoughts and his eyes dropped to them before they flicked back up. He shoved me away and straightened, tugging at his sleeves as he avoided looking at me.
“Next time I request your presence at a meal, consider it a command.”
“I’m not really into commands,” I said absently, rubbing my neck and hating how the impression of his touch lingered.
His silence had me lifting my sight to him. Shit, had I just said that out loud? This man was a killer, and I was saying flirty things to him. A call with my therapist was necessary at this point. I cringed, realizing the routine of my life was now in flux and my weekly session would not happen.
“I don’t give a shit what you’re into. When I tell you to do something, you will. I have no qualms about sending you back to my brother in a body bag as a wedding gift.”
He stormed away, leaving me with the towering guard.
“Is he always so chatty?” I asked, taking another bite of eggsand trying not to think of all the ways my life was going to shit because I foolishly wanted to have sex with a guy on a plane. There was my job and then school. I was so close to finishing and missing time would jeopardize my degree. It had taken me years to decide to go to graduate school and now I stood to lose all that I’d worked for. Not to mention therapy and my meds. I’d already missed one dose.
My hand shook at the thought as the guard replied, “You caught him on a good day.”
“So this is him in a good mood?” I said, feigning calm.
“You don’t want to see him in a bad mood.”
After he’d shot those two men the night before, I was certain I didn’t want to witness his bad side. Bad side in bed? That might be worth it.
Shut up, Ava. I was going to strangle myself if I didn’t stop fixating on how gorgeous my captor was.
“So, when I’m done eating, what then?”
“Then it’s back to your room.”
Twisting my mouth, I mumbled, “My prison.”
He didn’t respond and with a sigh, I continued to eat my breakfast, avoiding the empty space across from me.
Chapter Seven
EMERSON
The waves crashed on the shore below as I stood on the deck. Ava was under my skin in a way I didn’t like. I didn’t know why I had wanted her to eat with me, but curiosity drove me to it. Her refusal had fired me up, but I hadn’t expected my reaction when she had peered up at me with those big chestnut eyes, pink strands of hair falling over her cheeks with the blonde ones. A pink gem sparkled in the side of her nose that I hadn’t noticed the prior night. She was adorable, and I hated the thought.
But every time she opened her mouth, it was like a wildcat lived inside the cute exterior. The things she said with no hesitation and no fear. Everyone feared me, but if she did, she didn’t let it show. Wildcat, that was the perfect name for her.
I rubbed my cheek and took my phone out, hitting the number I had hesitated to call. This plan had gone terribly wrong and now I had to pray my brother cared enough to come after Ava. If not, I would have to kill her and start over.
I’d ignored my brother’s calls, enjoying the power in making him wait, knowing it would drive him mad. But it was time to make my next move.
Greyson picked up on the first ring.
“Emerson.” The prick always used that name, never the one I had gone by since the day I’d walked out of his life. The day he’d stolen my girl from me and laughed when I’d walked in on them. Grabbing her head and fucking her mouth harder, like he was showing me his prize. It had been over two decades and I’d realized with time that she was just another fling, another woman in my bed, but the betrayal had left my pride wounded. I had loved her, and he had wanted to prove some stupid point, that she would turn on me in a heartbeat. Which she did with his coercion.
